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“I didn’t think of how my silence might create those feelings for you.” Her fingers trail over my lips. “I just wanted this to be special for us. I promise.”
I catch her hand and kiss it. “It is. We are.” Her stomach growls and we both laugh.
“The baby isn’t even born yet, and she’s making herself known,” Cat says. “I’m starving.”
“She?”
She smiles. “That slipped out, but maybe it’s instinct. I need that pizza, with olives.”
“How about half and half in case you change your mind?”
“I like that idea. I do believe, you, Reese Summer, will be quite skilled at negotiating with a toddler.”
I laugh and half an hour later we sit at our window eating pizza, and Cat decides she only wants the olives. “I think we need to name this kid Olive.”
“That’s a bad joke. We will not name our child Olive. What’s the middle name going to be? Branch?”
We laugh through a selection of names until we close up the pizza box. “When and who do you want to tell?”
“Lori and Cole should know, I think,” Cat says. “Don’t you?”
“Agree but what about family?”
“Can we wait until at least twelve weeks? Just to be sure everything is okay?”
The tentativeness in her voice draws an instant reaction from me. I lay her down again and settle my knee between hers, my body on the couch next to her. “We will tell people when you want to tell people.” I stroke her cheek. “Cat, I know how disconnected you’ve always felt from your family, and how important ours is going to be to you but know this: That family starts with us. If something were to happen, which it won’t, we still have us. And that will always be the start of good things.”
Tears pool in her eyes. “Yes. Yes, you’re right. I won’t forget that. That’s why Debbie couldn’t get to me. I know how good we are.”
I stroke away the dampness on her cheeks. “We’re going to think only good things. Okay?”
“Yes. Okay.”
I slide down her body and lift her shirt, pressing my lips to her belly. “Our baby.”
She smiles and laughs. “Little Olive.”
“Little Olive,” I jokingly approve. “Now,” I reach for her zipper. “I’m going to need to kiss you from head to toe, just to make sure you know how happy I am about this news.”
Chapter eighty-five
Cat
The morning after Reese learns he’s going to be a father, we wake to the news that Martha has officially been arrested. Everything is going as expected which means Reese and I are in the back of Savage’s SUV on our way to court when my agent calls. “Your publisher read your column this morning along with the rest of the world. They want a book. Ten percent higher than the last deal.”
“Send me the contract to review,” I say.
“To review?” Liz demands. “Are you crazy?”
No, I think, just pregnant. I have a baby to think about, which means deadlines and due dates, have to be considered.
“Do you know how much money this is?” she adds.
Since I keep reading about how expensive babies are, I decide the offer is a good offer. “I’m always cautious. I need to review the contract but it’s probably a yes.”
“Probably?”
“I need to go,” I say, as we pull up to the courthouse. “I’ll call you later.”
