“Ready!” John yells from the other room.
I want to puke. I want to scream. I want to crawl out of my own skin, I’m so frigging scared right now. A loud sob escapes me, and I grab my mouth in an attempt to contain the rest.
I’m losing it.
Mark holds up a hand to Paul, who is coming in the kitchen.
“Savi, you need to hear me. Everything is going to be fine.”
“Like last time? When you left and—” I hold my rolling stomach.
Cole takes a step closer. “I’ve been doing this a long time. What happened last time was—”
“Our baby needs a father, Cole!” I blurt. He freezes as his gaze drops to my hand holding my stomach.
“You’re…”
“Just over seven weeks,” I say softly, seeing his eyes crinkle in the corners, then a huge smile appears. He leaps forward and wraps me in his arms.
“Oh my god!” he whispers into my neck. “I love you, Savannah, I love you so damn much!”
Oh, hell, did I just admit I’m pregnant?
“Don’t leave me, Cole. I won’t be able to handle it, not now, not again!” I shake, unable to calm myself. I need to hear him say it.
“I’ll talk to Frank, see what I can do.” He pulls back, drying my cheeks with his thumbs.
We both turn when we hear Mark shuffling around, doing some kind of dance. Keith comes in, and his brows are squeezed together in confusion. “Fuck me sideways, brother! Hand it over. Fifty big ones! Damn! I have one hell of a horseshoe stuck up my ass.”
Keith’s jaw drops when he sees Cole’s hand on my stomach. “Really?” He beams. “I’m going to be an uncle?” He hugs me with a laugh. Then he turns to Mark. “The missus is pregnant. You know what that means?”
“Bubble wrap and a helmet,” Mark jokes, and Cole laughs.
“Means more trouble for all of us. You imagine if they have a girl? Another Savannah?”
Mark’s face falls. “Shit, we’re all screwed.”
I roll my eyes. “Right, so be nice, or I’ll sic our little one on you.”
Mark comes over and gives me a huge hug. “Congrats, Savi!”
“Thanks, Mark.” I sigh and try to get a handle on what I just spilled. “Let’s keep this between us right now.”
“Do I wanna be Uncle Mark? Or Uncle M?” Mark thinks aloud as he leans against the counter.
Frank returns, and Cole leads him into the living room. I take a seat on the stool as my head spins. What if Frank doesn’t agree to let him stay behind?
“Either way,” Mark says, setting a glass of water next to me, “we won’t be gone for more than fifteen hours.”
I sip the water and think this is how it’s going to be whenever he leaves. I’m always going to wonder if he’ll return to me and our baby.
“Frank’s team is going to step in and help out Blackstone,” Cole says, addressing Mark and Keith, then he looks at me, “since I’ll be staying behind this trip.”
I drop my head to the cool counter as the weight of the world rolls off my back. The men quickly leave, and the house becomes quiet. Cole walks them to the chopper pad, giving instructions. I stay inside. Taking a seat on the large sofa, I curl up under a blanket when I feel my ear being nuzzled by a little pink nose.
“Hey, big guy.” I reach up and pull Scoot onto my lap. He snuggles down into the fleece blanket with me and purrs a soothing rhythm. My eyes soon grow heavy, and I drift off.
Chapter Eight