The Bachelor's Baby (Bachelor Auction Book 3)(39)

And Linc loved it. His pride in his family was a joy to behold, whether it was out like this in public, or caught in a private moment as he played with the boys on the floor of the living room. Their wedding had been a small, private thing at the ranch, but he’d been adamant that he wanted her to take his name and always introduced her as his wife, Meg Brady. If things got busy and they wound up not seeing Liz and Blake and the kids for over a week, he’d call them himself and make plans to get together.

“You’re such a lovely family,” the older lady talking to Linc said, patting the dangling leg of their sleeping son.

Linc was such a loving family man, Meg thought, and felt herself tearing up with happiness.

Linc gave her a puzzled frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just really happy.”

“Me, too,” he said, sincere, but his brow wrinkled. “But you haven’t been so quick to tear up since…” He sobered. “Meg.”

“What? No,” she said, shaking her head in denial. Sure a condom had broken a couple weeks ago. They’d run out of them and he’d found one stashed in his old travel bag. But seriously. Another accidental pregnancy was too much to believe. “No,” she insisted.

“Have I told you lately…” He drew her into his side so he could talk privately into her ear, “That I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life and it’s all because of you?”

“You’re just saying that to see if you can make me cry,” she mumbled into his chest. And it was working. She was welling up, big time.

“No, I’m being sincere. Our lives are crazy. Sometimes I wonder what sleep is and the cost of diapers is like a second mortgage payment, but I feel so lucky every single day. I didn’t think I could get any happier, but ever since our little mishap a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking that if you turned up pregnant, I would be ecstatic, especially because I know it would make you happy…”

She looked up at him, kind of admonishing, but incredibly touched and feeling so much love, she could hardly contain it.

“It would,” she agreed through tears. “I don’t want to be greedy, but I love having a family with you, Linc. I really do. I love you.”

“Tell you what,” he said, gently running a thumb under each of her eyes to dry her cheeks. “If you’re not pregnant, we’ll make a serious effort to get you that way. What do you say?”

“What do you think I’d say to you propositioning me?” she asked with a flirty smile. “Heck yes.”

The End