Page 104

Gabe glanced at the clock. “You gave him till one. It’s only twelve forty-five.”

“Do you think they’re having sex?” Monica demanded. Whether or not Colin assured her he and Katie Lane were just friends, Monica had her doubts. And fifteen-year-olds, whetherjust friendsor not, were definitely thinking about sex.

Gabe didn’t quite stifle his laugh of surprise. “Er, um, well.”

“Oh my God. You think they’re having sex! He’s fifteen! If my baby is getting naked with that—”

“Very nice girl whom you like, I should point out,” Gabe interrupted her outrage. “And they’re with her family. It’sChristmas. The Lanes and the Shaws don’t strike me as the type to let Colin and Katie sneak off and have sex under their noses.”

Monica crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at him even though he looked beyond handsome there in the glow of the Christmas lights. His wedding band even glinted. Her handsome, good, sturdy husband.

It soothed, the way it always did when she worried, that she had this man in her life. They’d built the house and moved in four years ago, and Monica only ever missed the cramped cabin around Christmas, when she was feeling particularly nostalgic.

It was hard to believe it had been five years since that first Christmas together. Hard to believe even now she was standing here in the house they’d built on Revival property, with her husband. There had been so many challenges and so many adjustments. To morph from a family of two to a family of three, for Colin to get used to having two parents instead of one. But things were good lately. Really good.

She rested her hand on her stomach. More adjustments and more challenges were coming, but Monica knew they’d face them, conquer them. Together.

“And you’re not going to grill him when he gets here, because you can’t put off telling him any longer,” Gabe warned.

Her scowl turned into a nose wrinkle. “I just…” She knew it was time. Time to tell Colin and the others. Her stomach was starting to round, and she couldn’t hide it much longer.

They’d suffered a loss early on in their marriage. It had hit them all hard, even Colin, and they’d only just this year decided to try again. It had taken a while, but here they were.

They’d been cautious about telling anyone, especially Colin. But Gabe was right. She needed to get over her worry, her fear, and tell him.

She sank onto the couch next to Gabe. She looked up at him, needing some reassurance, and wasn’t she lucky she had a husband who always obliged? “Do you ever get so happy you worry something terrible is going to happen and take it all away?”

He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Yeah.”

She harrumphed. “Well, as long as I’m not alone,” she said gloomily. She’d expected some kind of pep talk, not easy agreement.

But he slid his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “I learned a long time ago the bad times will come, no matter what you do. The best we can do is enjoy the good while we have it and build whatever we can that’ll withstand the bad.”

She kept trying to frown, but it kept tugging up at the corners. “My, you’ve gotten wise in your old age.”

“You’re not far behind in the age department, and don’t you forget it.” He dropped a kiss to her mouth. “Whatever happens, today, tomorrow, in ten years, we’ll get through it.”

She nodded—ah, there was her pep talk. “I know. Sometimes I need to hear you say it, but I know.” She leaned forward, brushed her mouth against his. “I love you.”

“I know,” he replied very solemnly.

She hit him, but he only grinned wider.

“I love you, too. And in five years, I’ve never gotten tired of saying it. I have never felt as though I didn’t mean it. I love you more, somehow, with each passing year. Day, maybe. You’ve opened up a whole new world to me. One of trust and love and faith and family. Even when we’re yelling at each other or at Colin, I never doubted it. Not for a moment.”

She could only gape at him, tears falling onto her cheeks. He always told he loved her, but they weren’t ones for poetic, emotional words like that.

The door banged open, and then Colin’s heavy, quick footsteps sounded even as the door slammed again.

Gabe touched his nose to Monica’s and looked her straight in the eye. “Tell him. It’s Christmas. No excuses.”

She nodded, turning to smile as Colin skidded into the living room.

“Not late. Early even,” Colin announced proudly. He looked at Monica, then Gabe. “Shit, did someone die?”

“No one died,” she replied, wiping the happy tears off her cheeks. “And don’t say ‘shit’ in front of me. Sit down. We have some news for you. Good news.”

“You’re getting me a car!”