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Jill laughed. “Only a thousand and one times. But it wouldn’t hurt to hear it again. Especially since I’m the last one to know you’re preggo.”

“You’re not the last one. Jax actually doesn’t know yet.” Maggie hid behind a throw pillow. “Bennett isn’t sure how to tell him since it means he’ll have to step in and take on more responsibility and he already wanted to be outside more, in the office less.”

“Well, he can get a grip and support his brother. Period. Anyway, regardless of the challenges, I get to be an aunt, too. This is good news, Mags.”

“It is. I’ll get there, too. I’m just … I’m terrified right now. What if something happens?”

“Nothing’s gonna happen. I’m here.” For how long, she wasn’t sure, but she’d figure it out. San Antonio wasn’t that far away; she could make the trip on weekends, or even every other weekend and help out. But something else nagged at her. “Is this why I’m headed to dinner with Jax? Because you can’t go?”

Maggie nodded. “Yeah. Sort of. Until the order is complete with the Steiner family, Bennett wants to keep the pregnancy quiet. He signed them on for three years of exclusive Marshall beef and I threw in ten percent off our Premier line of balers and tillers for their farm. We can’t afford to have them doubt our ability to come through until they see how little has changed.”

“I get that, but how am I supposed to go if I know and he doesn’t? I mean, why does he think he’s going to dinner with me?”

“Because I told him to,” a voice boomed over the living room. “So you told her, hon?”

Maggie broke into another round of sobs, and Jill gave Bennett a grimace. He’d really stepped in it.

“Oh, sweetie. It’s fine.” Bennett was at his wife’s side in half a breath. “It just means I have to tell Jax sooner than we thought, that’s all. Hey there, Jill.” He held his arms out.

Jill stood and hugged her brother-in-law for all intents and purposes.

“Am I in trouble?” he whispered.

“If you give her any more grief, you will be with both of us,” Jill whispered back. He patted her on the back. “Bennett Marshall. How are you gonna account for knocking my best friend up and keeping me from being there to see the first ultrasound?”

He gave her the trademarked Marshall half grin and shrugged. “The first part I’ll cop to. Proudly.” He pulled at his lapels, his smile wide and chin jutting up. Jill laughed. “The second you’ll have to talk to my wife about, though.”

“Oh, I will when she’s better.” She tossed Maggie a wink.

“Hey there, wifey. How are you feeling?” When he put one hand on Maggie’s stomach and used the other to rub her back, a shot of jealousy raced through Jill’s veins. She still wanted that, but it wasn’t right to be jealous of her friend for already having it.

“I’m okay. Jill made me tea.”

“You need more than tea, hon.”

She shooed him in the same way she had Jill earlier. “I’ll eat later. Right now, we should catch Jill up on everything.”

He nodded and sat, but Jill could see the way the worry toyed with the creases across his forehead, deepening them.

They sat and Jill heard about the pregnancy—an accident, though they were going to start trying the next month anyway. Neither had expected it to happen so quickly. But when they’d gone in after some unexpected bleeding, they were given the bad news. Maggie’s uterus walls were thin. She needed to rest so the placenta didn’t pull away from it. She was down and out for the next seven and a half months.

“I’m so sorry,” Jill said. It was more serious than she thought. The likelihood of them being able to keep Steel Born in its current iteration was slim.

“It’s okay. But you see now why we need to merge?”

“Forget need. Do you want to merge the two companies?” she countered.

Bennett and Maggie looked at one another.

Maggie sniffled and rubbed the moisture below her nose on her sleeve. “No. Not really. But what choice do we have?”

“I can run things, Mags. Can I be honest? I thought you were calling me here to take over half the company anyway.”

Maggie began to cry again, quieter this time. “I’m so sorry. I want to give it to you, but I know you can’t run it alone, and that’s what you’d be doing.”

“I can take over whatever you need me to,” Jill broke in. Hope buoyed her.

“There’s so much, though. Meetings with local clients and investors, spot-checking the equipment in the warehouse—”