A Very Merry Hockey Holiday (Assassins #6.5)(9)

She grinned as her arms went around him, running her nose along the bottom of his jaw. “Like now?”

“Yeah,” he said with a grin. “Now is great.”

When he dropped his mouth to hers, she closed her eyes and lost herself in his kiss. His lips were always so soft and inviting and hit her straight in the gut. When a little body came between them, Audrey pulled away, smiling as she looked down to find her daughter watching them. Her eyes, blue like the ocean, were wide as she looked up at them, her arms tightening around Audrey’s leg.

“Mommy, is it cupcake time?”

Audrey nodded. “It is! Let’s eat.”

Kissing Tate’s jaw, she went to step away, but he stopped her, his fingers lacing with hers as his eyes met hers. “Tomorrow though, you’ll get your Christmas wish.”

She smiled. “Santa came five years ago and gave me you and our daughter. There isn’t anything else on my list.”

He laughed. “Liar, I know you want those shoes.”

“Oh yes, those shoes I do need.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he chuckled before kissing her cheek, and then they were off to hand out cupcakes. As they spent the rest of the afternoon at the hospital, she would have been lying if she’d said she hadn’t thought of the following day. But instead of the feeling of dread and nervousness in her belly, she pushed to be positive. She wasn’t going to stress anymore. She wasn’t going to worry. If it happened, then she would be elated. If it didn’t, then she would accept that and move on.

She had everything she needed.



But as she sat in the chair the next day, a needle in one arm and her other hand clutching Tate’s, her stomach was back to knots. She tried so hard to be positive, but her emotions were everywhere. She wanted to be excited for the possibility, but she also wanted to be realistic. This probably wasn’t going to happen. Also, her pregnancy test was faint—not a no, but not a yes—and that was a disappointment. She had read that when people were pregnant, their tests were bright and happy, but hers wasn’t sure. It was as if her body wasn’t sure if it wanted to be pregnant or not.

“We’ll know in a couple hours. Why don’t y’all go to lunch?” the nurse suggested, and Audrey nodded as she looked over at Tate.

“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, and soon they were at the closest steakhouse. They ate in silence. Well, Tate ate; Audrey picked at her salad.

“I thought we said we weren’t going to stress?”

She let out a breath as she nodded. “I’m not stressing, really. It’s more I’m nervous.”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Don’t. Either way, we are happy. Right?”

She laced her fingers with his and looked deep in his eyes. She could see her whole future in his eyes. The two of them raising Pennyloo, going on trips, watching Daddy win, and building Audrey Jane’s into something that maybe Penny would want. Even though Audrey was pretty sure her baby was going to grow up to help people. Maybe as a doctor or a missionary. They would send her to college, and one day Tate would walk her down the aisle. It was all there, and the whole time she would be completely and entirely in love with him.

“Right,” she agreed. “I love you, Tate Ooooooodder.”

He smiled at his nickname from her and leaned across the table, his lips only a breath away. “And I love you a hell of a lot more than that, Mrs. Ooooooodder.”

As he pressed his lips to hers, Audrey’s eyes fell shut as her mouth moved with his. She felt completely whole. As if nothing else could touch her.

That was, until her phone rang.

Slowly they parted and looked down at her phone to see that it was the doctor. Sucking in a deep breath, she looked at Tate but he was staring at the phone. Reaching for it, his hand still cupping her face, he hit answer and then the speaker button.

Looking at her, he said, “Hello?”

“Can I please speak with Audrey Odder?”

“This is she,” she said breathlessly, and Tate moved his thumb along her jaw soothingly.

“Oh, hey! Okay, so your levels are well past five hundred! You’re pregnant!”

Tears were streaming down her face before the doctor even finished talking. Her heart felt as if it was pounding so hard it was going to break her ribs. She felt as if she were flying or dreaming. Was this really happening?

“Really?”

“Yes! Congratulations!”

A sob left her lips as she covered her face, crying into her hands. She was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. Tate’s baby. Dropping her hands, she looked across the table and met Tate’s tearful gaze.

“We are having a baby.”

Dropping the phone, Tate pushed the chair back and came around, pulling her out of her chair. Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he kissed her hard as he picked her up off the ground, holding her as his mouth moved with hers. Pulling back, his eyes bored into hers as his lips curved in the biggest smile she had ever seen. She knew her smile was probably bigger.

She had prayed and wished for a baby for the last four Christmases, and finally, she was pregnant. She decided she didn’t need anything else on that list because she was loved by the two most amazing people in the world and was also pregnant.

What more could she ever want?