At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(221)

He was mostly right. There wasn’t much to do but fish, cook, eat, sleep, read and, for Joe and I, have sex. He was only mostly right for there was a beach which meant the girls could lay out, Joe had the buggy in which the girls could tool around, the girls bought a Frisbee which provided them with hours of entertainment. The kitchen had been updated with top-of-the line appliances so I was in throes of ecstasy. I’d already finished two books while sitting out on the deck or in the sand and the beach house next door had the aforementioned cute boy-man in it named Taylor. Therefore, the Winters girls were not at any loss for things to do and were nowhere near bored.

I, particularly, was not bored. I was a lot of things but bored was definitely not one of them.

It was the best vacation I’d ever had, bar none, even the ones I had with Tim and that was saying something. And we were only on day four.

There was a reason for this and I lifted my hand to my face and stared at that reason. On my hand was the princess-cut diamond ring Joe slid on my finger last night over shrimp at a shrimp shack in town. He did this without saying a word, just like Joe, letting his face and his actions speak for him. He also did it with the girls looking on, Kate crying silently, Keira giggling excitedly.

Only Joe Callahan would propose in front of his woman’s daughters.

Many would find this unromantic, such an act being a couple’s thing.

I thought it was perfect.

Therefore I’d cried too, all the while giving Joe a kiss that communicated my “Yes!” and tasted of tears.

A tearful kiss might not have been the thing but Joe didn’t seem to mind.

In our Florida bed, Joe’s hand went from my belly to slide up my forearm then his thumb tweaked the ring.

“How much time you think we got?” Joe whispered into the back of my hair.

“Kate’s just havin’ fun. She won’t step out on Dane especially when I think Keirry’s got a thing for Taylor. She could be back anytime,” I told Joe.

“Mm,” Joe murmured.

“Keira’s out for the long haul,” I went on because I knew she was and I also knew she looked cute in her bikini and I reckoned Taylor felt the same. Or at least I hoped so for Keira’s sake.

Joe chuckled and his hand left mine and went back to my belly where he pressed in. He moved slightly away and I fell to my back and looked up at him. His hand started to move from my belly but my hand went there to hold it where it was.

“Joe?” I called even though he was up on an elbow, not but a foot away and looking down at me.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“I like that you proposed in front of the girls,” I whispered and his face got that tender look and started to dip closer but I kept talking. “It was sweet you included them.” His face kept coming at me so I said quickly, “Joe.”

His head stopped its descent and he said, “Right here, Vi.”

“I liked that but what I have to say right now needs to be between us.”

That tender look left his face and his eyes locked with mine.

“What?”

“Not that the girls can’t know…”

“What?”

“Soon… ish,” I went on.

“Buddy, what?”

“We just gotta figure out... um –”

“Vi…” he was getting impatient, I could tell. He always was when he had to repeat himself which, unfortunately for Joe who lived in a house with three women, was often.

“I’m pregnant.” I blurted and Joe’s entire frame went solid.

Then he whispered, “What?”

“I know it’s soon. It seems my body’s incapable of waiting to get pregnant until after I’ve said any marriage vows but I missed a couple of pills and I thought I caught up but –”

“Vi –”

“I guess I didn’t.”

“Buddy –”

“And this is a lot. I know. The whole mess and then the next mess and then more mess and now this vacation and then you asking me to marry you and now this. The girls, I don’t know –”

“Baby –”

“I’m worried. Only so much they can take. Keira’s been the baby since –”

“Vi. Shut it.”

I shut it and stared at him.

“How pregnant are you?” Joe asked.

“How pregnant can you be?” I answered nervously, not certain about his question and I saw his mouth get tight.

“How many months, Vi?” he continued.

“Eleven weeks,” I answered and his sky blue eyes went unfocused.

“Nearly passed it,” he muttered and I stared.

“Passed what?” I whispered as the three month mark was the mark you couldn’t cross for an abortion and I thought he might be thinking about that. If he was, I would be shocked and it would hurt a lot, too much and furthermore, I couldn’t do that. I thought he wanted a baby and I thought he’d be happy and I wanted a baby if it was our baby and it was. I figured maybe he wouldn’t want it this soon but I thought he’d still be happy.

Though it was too soon. We still hadn’t settled. He’d just proposed the night before.

Well, thinking about it, he seemed pretty settled and the girls seemed okay with everything but it was all still relatively new, living life as us without the cloud of Daniel Hart and the heaviness of mourning shrouding our lives.