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As I recall, the last day before the season begins is always chaotic. It’s packed full of too many things to do and not enough time to do it all. But the last time I had one of these days was when I was with Stacy, and she wanted me to prepare the house like I was leaving for the next year.

It was a lot to handle, and she wanted all my attention on top of it.

It felt like a relief when I had my first away series and could leave the house. That should’ve been a sign, but it was too easy and too comfortable to leave things as they were.

Things are different now.

I want to soak in every second I can with Gabby even though I know we’ll still be around each other after the season officially begins.

But first, I have to share the news with my family.

I’m excited to tell them, but I want her here for it. She’s not coming until a little before five, and I don’t blame her for staying late at the office considering she was just hired today.

She’s dedicated, and she’s a hard worker, and those are among the many traits I love about her.

I’m bursting with happiness when I get home, ready to spill the news even though I promised myself I’d wait, but it’s fairly anticlimactic as the Lincoln SUV isn’t in the driveaway.

The house is empty, so my family must’ve gone off somewhere while they’re here in town on vacation. I guess it was silly of me to expect them to be waiting around for me when they had no idea when I’d be back.

I text my mom.

Me: I’m home and I invited some friends for dinner. Can you all be back around five?

Her answer comes a few minutes later.

Mom: We’re down on Fremont Street. We’ll be back by five and we’ll all be hungry.

Me: Great. I’m ordering in dinner and I have a surprise.

Mom: Can’t wait to see what it is!

I place an order at Desmonds, and then I wait.

The front door opens at four-thirty, and Gabby walks through it carrying an overnight bag on her shoulder. She holds up her key as if to say she thought it would be okay to let herself in, and a wave of emotion plows into me.

This is it.

This woman standing in front of me is my entire future, and I cannot wait to get started on it.

I leap across the room toward her. First I grab her bag and set it down, and then I pull her into my arms.

“I thought your family was visiting,” she says, a minor protest in her tone that seems to melt away in my arms.

“They’re out.” I drop my lips to hers.

She gives into the kiss for a beat. “For how long?” Her words are smashed against my mouth, and I can’t help but laugh.

“They’ll be back by five.”

“So could be now, or we could have a half hour to ourselves?” she asks suggestively.

“Want to risk it?”

She giggles. “No. I want you to take your time with me and not rush through it because we’re worried someone’s going to walk in.”

“Oh, I’m not worried.” I tighten my grip around her. “It’s my house and I can do what I want.”

She tips her lips to mine again, and she seems to soften a little as I jut my hips toward hers.

“Mm,” she moans softly, and that right there is one of the noises I’ve missed most. That sweet little sound of pleasure that falls from her out of instinct, as if she has no idea she’s even doing it.

“Fuck, I want you naked,” I growl, and she moans again as I drag my lips along her neck. She pushes her chest into me like she wants me to grab her tits, and I run my hands along her sides, cupping her breasts when I get to them before sliding them back down to her hips.

“Oh, you’ll have me naked,” she promises. “Didn’t you say you had some surprise for me?”

I kiss her again. “I do. And don’t worry. I plan to take my time.”

“I can’t wait,” she breathes.

Jesus. I can’t, either. And neither can my cock.

We both hear the doorbell ring, and I lean my forehead down to hers for a beat when it rings again. And again. And again. It’s my nephews, and I can’t help a small chuckle. “Ready for this?”

She closes her eyes and draws in a breath. “Ready.”

The front door opens a few seconds later, and that’s when the chaos ensues.

Jacob and Ethan are arguing about the doorbell: “No, you got to ring it more times!” “No, you did!”

My mom and Marissa are talking about some cupcakes they saw, and my brother heads up the rear of the pack, closing the door and locking it behind him.

They all freeze when they see Gabby standing beside me.

The loud ruckus of their entry ceases, and silences falls over the foyer.

Finally, my mom breaks the silence as a wide grin breaks out across her lips. “Gabby!” She rushes over to give her a hug, and everyone else follows behind.

My mom hugs me next, and she whispers into my ear, “I don’t know what you did, but it seems like it was the right thing.”

I squeeze her tightly. “I know it was.”

Once the excitement starts to quiet, my mom says, “So tell us everything.”

I toss my arm around Gabby’s shoulders. “I told Mike and Troy I was walking away. I said I was in love with Gabby, and I couldn’t play with my heart when she held it in her hands.”

“So you’re not playing?” Connor asks, his forehead wrinkling with concern.

“There’s more to the story, Bro. She overheard everything I said, about how I choose her over anything else and how I should have done that from the start, and I guess that was what she needed to see to take my dumb ass back.”

“Haha, Uncle Coop said ass,” Ethan says, causing Jacob to snicker.

Marissa’s lips tighten as she offers me a little glare, and she turns to her boy. “He’s an adult. You are not. Knock it off.”

“It was also what her father needed to understand that this is real,” I continue. “He saw me willing to give it all up for his daughter, and that’s all he wanted for her.”

Gabby looks over at me and leans into my side, and I tighten my grip around her shoulder as I look down at her. I give her a little nod.

“And we have some other news, too,” she says.

“We do?” my mother asks.

“I’m pregnant,” Gabby says.

Her announcement is followed by another beat of silence, and then just like before, the room breaks out into a frenzy of excitement all at once. My mother slaps a hand over her mouth as she squeals, and then she bursts into tears as she moves to hug Gabby first. Marissa hugs me, and then Connor’s next.

“Congratulations, Bruh,” he says to me.

I chuckle. “You know I’ll be coming to you for all the new dad advice.”

He slugs my shoulder a little. “I think you’re gonna be just fine, little bro.”

I have a feeling he’s right.