“Yeah,” he chuckles. “I had to get rid of the last one after what you two did on it.”
“What?” I laugh as Tully rolls her eyes. “But we didn’t fuck on it. I thought you knew that.”
“I do, but now that Tully’s pregnant, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to look at my niece or nephew without thinking about the fact that it all started on my couch. So, yeah. I got rid of it. Some dude living in his mother’s basement owns it now.”
I shake my head. “You’re a fucking idiot, man,” I laugh. “What’s going on with you? Last I heard you were thinking about applying for a promotion. Was it the fire chief or something like that?”
He nods. “Yeah, that’s right. I was offered the position, but after a bit of thinking, I turned it down. Maybe in another ten years or so I’d be happy to push papers around my desk, but not yet. I like what I do too much and why fix something that isn’t broke?”
“Good call. Though, something tells me it’s because you like playing hero too much.”
Noah scoffs. “Like you’re one to talk. Do I need to remind you where the fuck you’ve been for the past five years?”
“Four and a half,” I correct.
Tully scoffs and rams her elbow back into me. “Trust me. It’s closer to five.”
I grab hold of her, wrapping my arm more firmly around her only to feel our baby inside of her, kicking at my arm. Tully grins down at me. “Do you feel that?”
“Fuck yeah, I do. That’s incredible.”
“Yeah, just wait until I have to push it out.”
“Fuck me,” I gasp, sucking in a breath. I hadn’t thought about that. It’s going to be horrifying. Not the actual birth, but Tully. She’s going to be a fucking monster and I’ll have no choice but to stand by her side and let her tear me limb from limb, but then I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The door opens and not a moment later, Aiden comes strolling in with Barker, actually looking happy for a change and announces to the world that they’ve finally decided to make it work.
Tully shoots up off my lap with Henley and the four of them do some sort of happy dance while Noah and I just stare on, wondering what the fuck is going on.
It turns into a party. Tully calls Candice and tells her that she’s not coming in and warns her that if she burns down her store, she’ll hunt her down and kill her. Henley calls in sick while Noah just goes with the flow as his shift doesn’t start until tonight.
Spencer comes over with Lacey and for the first time, I don’t feel like kicking his ass. Maybe Tully was onto something this whole time about him not being such a bad guy. Though, he’s dating my cousin now so it’s not as though I’m going to take my eyes off him.
By the time night falls and everyone leaves, I’m left watching my girl and realize that I don’t want to wait another minute. I walk up behind her in the kitchen and reach around her to turn off the taps; the dishes can wait. “Will you come somewhere with me?” I murmur, kissing her cheek. “I’ve got a surprise of my own.”
Tully turns in my arms, looking up at me with her big eyes. “What kind of surprise?”
“You’re just going to have to wait and see.”
Chapter 20
Tully
Where the hell is he taking me? When he asked me to come with him for a surprise, I figured he wanted me to go to the bedroom with him again. After all, he only got back last night and he hasn’t left my apartment. It’s not as though he’s gone anywhere to organize a surprise. Yet here I am, sitting in the passenger side of his shiny Dodge RAM wondering where the hell he’s taking me.
Rivers looks across at me with the same sparkle in his eyes that hasn’t gone away since we left my apartment. “Would you quit thinking so hard?”
“I can’t help it,” I complain. “I’m confused. I don’t know what the hell is going on or where you’re taking me? I mean, I declared a freaking prank war on you this morning. Who knows what’s about to go down? You know,” I continue, realizing that I need to stop, but finding that an impossible task. “Stress isn’t good for the baby.”
“Just two more minutes and we’ll be there.”
“Two more minutes?” I grunt, looking out the window, but not really seeing much as it’s after nightfall and I have only the street lights to go by. “We’re in the middle of residential streets. Where could you be taking me? There’s nothing out here but houses.”
Rivers grins, taking pleasure in my confusion. “You’ll see,” he promises me, reaching out and taking my hand in his before lacing our fingers together just as they should be.