Page 178 of Unruly

Narrowed brown eyes.

A single pointed finger.

That girl of theirs was going to be just like her mother and grandmother. Dangerous. Pretty. Sharp. Quick. Everything good and wonderful and perfect.

“Cece, be nice,” Catherine called after her daughter.

“I says what I says, Ma!”

Cross full-on laughed that time.

He couldn’t help it.

Catherine shot him a look.

So did Catrina.

He shrugged.

“She is definitely my kid,” he said as he followed his daughter out of the kitchen. “And I regret nothing.”

“You look tired.”

Catherine stared down at Cross where he was stretched out across the large sectional in their living room. “And you look very comfortable.”

“I can afford to be comfortable now, babe.”

She smiled just a little. “So I heard. Got that all worked out with Andino, did you?”

“Enough, yeah.”

“What did you figure out?”

“I’m going to get some guys run-ready for him.”

Catherine nodded. “So, less work.”

“A lot less.” Cross smirked. “Seems you’ll have a lot less work going on, too. Taking over for your mom and knowing all the ropes has it’s perks, Catty. No more running back and forth across the country. No more lessons. All business.”

Catherine sighed happily. “Yep.”

“So, this is what the top feels like, huh?”

Her laughter was a balm to his soul.

“Yes, running after kids, church every Sunday morning, dinner on the table, and sore feet at night. This is definitely what the top feels like, Cross.”

“You don’t sound very sad about it.”

Catherine didn’t even think about it before she said, “I’m not.”

Other than the sandy blond-haired man professing his love for an equally blonde woman on the television, their house was quiet. Cece had gone to sleep after her nightly book, and a subsequent review that the novel was good enough to be read another night. There was a first time for everything, he supposed.

Catherine rubbed a hand over her stomach, and smiled sweetly at him. Reaching up, his hand covered hers. Pride, love, and happiness spread through his veins like a fast growing wildfire. It grew in his chest until it was almost hard to breathe.

He didn’t even mind.

“Still think it’s another girl,” he told her.