Page 94 of Shots Fired

“Oh! Of course, it’s your scan this afternoon. Why don’t you put me on video call so I can see you both?”

Archer narrows his eyes at me when I nod profusely. “Hang on a second. Let me get dressed.”

“Archer! You did not just answer the phone while having?—”

“No, he did not. He’s playing with you,” I cut across Julia.

Talking to her about sex isnothow I envisaged our first proper conversation.

Flicking the camera around to face us, Archer stands just in front of me as I peer over his shoulder from my seat at the island. He holds the phone out in front of him, and Julia’s bright smile fills the screen.

“We can only be a few minutes, as we need to leave for the clinic.”

Julia just continues smiling at us both before she bends down and picks something up off the floor.

“Oh my God!” I gasp, hands covering my mouth when a ball of fawn-colored fluff with pointy ears and an attitude for days sits on Julia’s lap. “Is that a Chihuahua?”

“Sure is,” she confirms. “This is Stella. She’s my baby. Say hello to your brother and his girl.” Julia lifts her left paw, waving it at us.

I’ll be honest, the dog does not look impressed.

“Archer is her favorite,” she continues. “I’ve been telling Stella that she can’t go getting all jealous when the baby arrives. Can you, my love?” She finishes the last part of her sentence in a sickly-sweet voice.

I love her even more.

Something off-screen catches Stella’s attention, and she releases a muted bark, ears pricked like a meerkat as she launches from Julia’s lap.

Julia chuckles and brushes the hair from her trousers. “I just have to say, Darcy, I knew you were my son’s love interest when I saw you in the arena restroom that day. You’re exactly his type.”

Archer rolls his eyes, but despite his apparent disapproval, I can see the love he has for his mum; it rolls off him in waves.

“Maybe one day, he can convince you to give him a shot and start dating?” she asks, hopeful eyes flicking between me and Archer.

“Well, actually …” My boyfriend’s face morphs into the biggest damn smile I have ever seen. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side, planting a kiss in my hair. “We already figured that part out. She’s officially mine, Mom. All fucking mine.”

I can’t help but blush at his actions as Julia scolds her twenty-something son for dropping the F-bomb.

“I’m so happy for you both.” Her eyes soften at her son. “I know you’ve been chasing Darcy, and now you have the girl. Now all you have to do is?—”

“I know; I know,” he quickly confirms, pressing a kiss against my forehead. “I’m not going to fuck anything up. I love her too much.”

If I don’t melt into a puddle right here, I’m pretty sure Julia will.

“Just …” Archer trails off, clearing his throat. “Just make sure you don’t say anything to anyone, okay? I’ll tell Emma and Dad after the twelve-week point, but the pregnancy and us is … it’s kind of complicated right now.”

I can tell that Archer’s statement serves as more of a reminder than it does a request to his mum, and she nods her head quickly. “I got it.”

“Only you, Darcy’s mom and her friend, and Darcy’s girlfriends know about the pregnancy.”

I smile at that, recalling the look on Kendra’s face yesterday in Rise Up when I said I’d be skipping caffeine for the next seven months. Naturally, our group chat hasn’t stopped with ideas and suggestions for the nursery styling and links to cute baby clothes from Jenna and Kendra. Collins, on the other hand, wants to know when she can apply for the baby’s motorcycle license.

Fat fucking chance.

Just like Mum, Kendra agreed it was wise to wait to tell Jon. Unfortunately, she also agreed that Jack would lay Archer out the second he found out.

“Okay, before I go—because I know you need to head out—I have to ask. Are you going to find out the gender? After eight weeks, you have the option to via a blood test.”

I swallow hard. I knew this from the research I’d been doing and conversations with Mum. So much of me wants to find outsince I hate surprises and love shopping—which is only made easier when you know what you’re having—but … needles.