Page 31

Chapter Thirty

Troy

It’s been a month since Savannah found out she was pregnant, and somehow, we’ve managed to keep it quiet. Well, mostly. My mom, Millie, and Jade know, but they’ve been cool about it. Supportive, even.

It’s weird seeing my mom so…soft. She usually treats emotions like they’re a sport she doesn’t play.

We’ve been taking turns with Savannah, making sure she’s got someone with her for every appointment, every craving, every late-night panic about what’s coming. She doesn’t say it, but I know she’s scared. Hell, I am too.

The sound of her steps on the stairs pulls me out of my thoughts. I glance up, and there she is, looking like a fucking dream. She’s in one of those dresses that clings just right, and her curves—yeah, they’ve gotten a little fuller lately. Not that I’d ever say that out loud. I like breathing.

“Stop staring,” she teases, smirking as she reaches the bottom step.

“Can’t help it,” I shoot back, leaning against the counter. “You’re hot. Pregnant and all.”

Her eyes narrow, but there’s a smile tugging at her lips. “Pregnant and all? Really?”

“Hey, you know what I mean.”

She rolls her eyes but steps closer, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Have you heard from Jared yet?”

“Not yet.” I press a quick kiss to her forehead. “And can you not stress about that right now? We’ve got the doctor’s thing today. Focus on that.”

“You’re right,” she sighs, leaning up to kiss me softly.

I could get used to this—her being all affectionate and not ready to bite my head off every five minutes. Not that I don’t deserve it sometimes.

Jamie’s out with Noah and Pup. Yeah, we finally named the damn dog, Pup. Real creative, I know, but it stuck.

Jamie said he needed to stretch his legs, which probably meant he needed a break from us. The guy’s been on fire this season—scoring points like a man possessed.

We’ve played the Utah Rangers, New Orleans Bruins, and Nebraska Oilers over the last few weeks, and he’s racked up goals in every single game.

“Ready to go?” I text her as she heads back upstairs to grab her bag.

“Yeah. Let’s do this,” she replies.

***

The doctor’s office isn’t exactly my favorite place, but today, it’s not so bad. Savannah’s hand is in mine as we wait in the exam room.

She’s tapping her nails on the armrest of her chair, her nerves showing despite the calm front she’s putting on.

“You good?” I ask, squeezing her hand.

She nods, but her eyes don’t meet mine. “Yeah, just…you know. Hoping everything’s okay.”

“It will be.” My voice is firm because I need her to believe it. Hell, I need to believe it.

The doctor comes in, all smiles, and Savannah visibly relaxes. “Let’s see how everything’s looking,” the doctor says, setting up the ultrasound machine.

Savannah lies back, her grip on my hand tightening. The gel is cold, and she flinches, muttering something under her breath.

“Here we go,” the doctor says, and then there it is—our baby’s heartbeat, loud and strong.

I stare at the screen, at the tiny flicker that’s somehow changed everything. My throat tightens, and for a second, I can’t say anything.

“That’s…” I trail off, swallowing hard.

“Perfect,” the doctor finishes, smiling. “Everything looks great. Savannah, you’re doing so well. All three of you are.”

“All three…” My voice trails off as I stare at Savannah, who also looks a little shocked.

The doctor nods. “We’ve got two heartbeats in there. Twins.” She grins at us, and I swallow hard.

Savannah looks over at me, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “Did you hear that? We’re okay.”

“Yeah,” I whisper, my voice rough. “Yeah, I heard.”

The doctor goes over a few more things—diet, exercise, the usual—and then leaves us alone. Savannah’s still lying there, staring at the screen like she can’t believe it’s real.

“You good?” I ask again, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“I think so.” She sits up slowly, wiping the gel off her stomach. “Their heartbeats…it made it feel real, you know? Twins. Wow.”

“Yeah,” I say again, because what else is there to say?

***

On the way home, she’s quiet, staring out the window. I glance over at her every now and then, waiting for her to say something, but she doesn’t.

When we pull into the driveway, Jamie’s sitting on the porch with Noah and Pup. The puppy’s gnawing on one of Noah’s toys, and Jamie’s laughing like a kid himself.

Savannah smiles as she gets out of the car, and I swear, it’s like the weight she’s been carrying all day lifts a little.

“You’re back,” Jamie says, standing and handing Pup’s leash to Noah. “How’d it go?”

“Good,” Savannah says, her voice soft. “Really good.”

Jamie grins. “Told you. Little bean is a fighter, just like mom.”

“Beans plural,” I say, coughing a little when my voice comes out all hoarse.

The other two guys blink at us. “What?” they say in unison.

Savannah smiles at them and holds her arms out wide. “It’s twins!” she says excitedly. “I told you that they run in the family.”

We all exchange a look, but then Jamie starts grinning. “More to love,” he says eagerly.

“More diapers to change,” I say gloomily, but Jamie just shakes his head with a smile.

She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue with me. Instead, she leans into me, her head resting against my shoulder.

Jamie gets up suddenly and says, “I need to make a call,” before stepping outside.

Weird. Jamie’s never secretive about anything, not unless it involves game plays or, like, whatever ridiculous thing he’s planning next for the team. I let it slide, figuring he’s probably scheming some Christmas stunt or something.

Savannah stretches, looking at me. “I’m gonna take a shower,” she says, already walking toward the stairs.

I nod. “Go for it. You’ve earned it after today.”

Once she’s out of sight, curiosity gets the better of me. I head toward the door and find Jamie outside, pacing and whispering into his phone like he’s trying not to get caught.

He glances up, sees me, and quickly mutters, “Yeah, Jared. I’ll talk to you later,” before hanging up.

I step out onto the porch, crossing my arms. “What the hell, Jamie? Who were you talking to?”

Jamie shrugs, trying to play it off, but there’s something shifty in his eyes. “No one.”

“Bullshit. Why are you sneaking around like this? Are you buying Christmas gifts for the team again?”

Jamie grins, his eyes lighting up like he’s remembering something. “Okay, that was funny. Remember the year I got everyone those custom socks with their own faces on them?”

I groan, running a hand through my hair. “How could I forget? I had to pretend to like wearing my own damn face on my feet for a whole season because you wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“You’re welcome,” Jamie says, smirking.

“Cut the crap. What’s going on?”

Jamie hesitates, scratching the back of his neck. “All right, fine. I’m not buying Christmas gifts. I’m buying a gift for Savannah.”

“Not a Christmas gift?” I raise an eyebrow. “Explain.”

Jamie sighs, finally giving in. “Okay, so… we’ve been planning a baby shower for her. Me, Jared, Jade, and Millie.”

I blink at him, stunned. “What?”

“Yeah. It’s all set. We’ve been working on it for weeks.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

Jamie laughs, shaking his head. “Because, dude, you wear your emotions on your sleeve. You’d have blown the whole surprise within a day.”

“Hey, I can keep a secret,” I argue, but even as I say it, I know he’s right.

Jamie snorts. “Suuuuure you can. Remember the time you tried to surprise Millie for her birthday and accidentally sent her the party invite?”

I roll my eyes. “That was one time.”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, when’s this big baby shower?”

Jamie grins, looking like a kid who just pulled off the perfect prank. “Tonight.”

“Tonight?” I repeat, staring at him. “And we’re just supposed to convince Savannah to go out to dinner or something?”

“Exactly.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “You’re so lucky I already had a gift planned for next month. If I had to show up to her baby shower empty-handed…”

Jamie claps me on the shoulder. “That’s why we’re a team, man. Don’t worry. Today, we get to spoil our girl.”

“Yeah, all right,” I mutter, though I’m still processing how they managed to keep this from me.

Jamie leans against the porch railing, grinning like he just scored the winning goal. “It’s gonna be perfect. Just you wait.”

“Yeah, it better be,” I say, but deep down, I’m already looking forward to seeing the look on Savannah’s face when we pull this off.