Page 47

Poppy

“Are we really doing this? Date night? It’s been so long,” I say, glancing over at Bowie.

He kisses my hand. “Too long.”

Jonas has been teething and just not himself, but he’s finally feeling better. My parents practically shoved us out the door, smiling knowingly at our flimsy excuses for a quick outing.

Bowie and I are in our swimsuits, and we step carefully onto the little boat. The late afternoon sun shimmers on Bowie’s hair, taking my breath away. It’s warm, just on the edge of hot. The plan is simple: a quiet moment, just the two of us, drifting a bit, watching the sunset, and enjoying some uninterrupted romance. I also have some news to share with him.

“You’re looking stunning in your bikini, Mrs. Fox.”

“Why, thank you, Mr. Fox. Are we sure this thing’s stable?” I ask, eyeing the small craft. It doesn’t feel as secure as the one we took out before.

“We’re old pros now,” he says, pushing away from shore. “And I like the idea of having you trapped on a boat with me.” He leans in, voice low, “Where I can have my way with you.”

“And what way is that?” My head falls back as we drift and I feel the breeze.

The water laps at the hull and I can’t help but relax.

“Sometimes I still can’t believe this is our life,” I say, opening my eyes to look at him.

“Are you happy?” he asks.

My mouth gapes. “More than I ever imagined I could be. Are you?”

“So happy,” he says, his eyes caressing my face. “You should come closer. I need to kiss you.”

I lean over and our lips meet, gentle at first, then a little more insistent as the boat rocks. For a moment, I’m lost in the perfection of the moment. He trails his hand down my arm, and I feel a flutter in my chest.

“I have something to tell you…”

Suddenly, there’s a jerk. We both lurch apart, grappling to hold onto something.

“What the hell?” Bowie laughs, trying to steady the boat, but whatever he does only makes it wobble more.

I shift my weight to help him, but I don’t know why I thought I had any boat-balancing skills. I have zero. Before I know it, I’m yelping as the boat tips, sending us both into the water.

The water is shockingly cold compared to the warm air. I break the surface, sputtering, my hair plastered to my face. Bowie emerges beside me, shaking his head like a wet dog, water droplets flying everywhere. We stare at each other for a moment, wide-eyed.

And then I start laughing. It bubbles up uncontrollably. Bowie tries to keep a straight face but fails. Soon we’re both laughing so hard, I have to tread water carefully to not inhale half the lake.

“That was really graceful.” I laughed, pushing my hair away from my eyes.

Bowie wipes water from his face. “You didn’t know I planned that? I wanted you wet for me.”

My head falls back as I laugh. “Mission accomplished. Thank you for trying to cover for me.” I grin, swimming closer to him.

The boat floats a few feet away, upside down, and Bowie reaches out, hooking an arm around my waist until I’m flush against him.

“Romance is not my strong suit,” he says.

He lifts my legs so they’re wrapped around his waist and I gasp when I feel how hard he is. Always ready for me.

“You manage just fine,” I tell him, biting my lower lip.

He tugs on my lower lip with his teeth until it’s free and then kisses me. I shiver against him and he pulls away.

“You’re cold. Let’s get you back in the boat. There’s just enough room to lay you back and kiss my way down your beautiful body,” he says, grinning as he kisses me again.

We scramble to the boat and he turns it over. It’s a spectacle in itself to get back in the thing, and we’re both laughing so hard during the whole process. We sit carefully, side by side, too nervous we’ll topple it over again to make out just yet.

I clear my throat, feeling a silly rush of nerves. “Bowie,” I start slowly, placing my hand on his knee.

“Yeah?” He turns, his expression so sweet.

“I’m pregnant. Again.”

For a second, he just blinks. Then, before I can clarify or smile or do anything, Bowie’s eyes go wide as saucers, and he scrambles so abruptly that he loses his balance. The boat tilts, and over we go again.

“Bowie!” I yelp.

When I surface, sputtering and laughing, Bowie coughs out a mouthful of water.

“You’re…what?” he finally manages.

I paddle over to him, bracing a hand against his shoulder to steady myself. I can’t help grinning, despite the water dripping down my face.

“We’re having another baby.”

He stares, eyes dancing over my face, a smile breaking out across his face. He starts laughing, his hands tugging me close until I’m straddling him again. “You’re sure? We just had one of those.”

I snort and nod, still catching my breath. “Positive.”

“Unbelievable,” he says, smiling ear to ear. His reaction is so different from when I told him about Jonas, it’s hard not to bask in it a little bit. “Feel my heart,” he says, leading my fingers to his pulse.

“Racing,” I say.

“This is the best news.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” he says. “I can’t believe we just fell out of the boat…again.”

I snort at that, pressing my forehead against his. “You do have a way of reacting dramatically. I tell you something and you make a splash, literally.”

He laughs and kisses me, his hands drifting reverently to my belly. “I can’t wait until you’re popped out with my baby again. I’ll have as many babies as you want, Poppy Fox. It seems like condoms and nursing aren’t effective methods of birth control for us, so who knows how many we might have?”

I groan. “That’s a little scary, but I do love having your babies.”

“I love you,” he whispers. “And I love this life we’re building, as chaotic as it may be.”

“It’s about to get a lot more chaotic,” I tell him.

“I’m all in, whatever comes.”