Page 60 of Cross + Catherine: The Companion

Oh, she loved music.

Loved to dance.

He leaned against the entryway, and watched as a beautiful, wide smile bloomed over Catherine’s features as she took her mother’s hands in her own, and began to dance. A quick beat that had her feet moving, and her hips swaying.

God.

She was so beautiful.

More so now that she was pregnant with his child, and so full of life. It was amazing how something like this could change a man.

Their whole life had been like that, though. They had always been like that.

Amazing.

Breathtaking.

Crazy.

Perfect.

Across the room at the table, Dante looked Cross’s way, and gave him a nod. Cross returned it silently. Catherine and Catrina didn’t notice him standing there.

And then …

“Oh, shit,” Catherine breathed.

Her dancing stopped.

He recognized that pained look in her eye just before she grabbed the counter with one hand, and her mother’s wrist with the other. Catrina was down on one knee before her daughter—Cross was pretty sure this was the first time he had ever seen his mother-in-law dressed down with no makeup, and no high heels on.

“Breathe,” Catrina murmured.

“I am,” Catherine whined.

The contractions were clearly stronger.

She’d been fine to walk through them earlier.

Maybe dancing did help.

“I just want … where is—”

He knew what she was going to say before she did it. He crossed the room before she could get the words out.

“Right here, babe,” Cross said.

Catherine let go of the counter, and grabbed hold of Cross instead.

“Could I …?”

Dante’s hands reached for the swaddled bundle of pink that Cross had finally brought out to show their waiting family. He held a little tighter to his daughter—entirely unwilling to let her go just yet.

Little Cece slept peacefully. All cleaned now from birth, and happy as could be. Her puffy cheeks puffed out even more as she sucked on the side of her hand that had somehow broken free of the swaddle.

She had dark eyes like his, though they were closed right now. Dark hair like his, too. But those bow-shaped lips, the shape of her face, and more …

That was all her mother.