He kissed her nose and whispered, “I’m team Bree.”
She rolled her eyes. “You’re so corny.”
“I’m also thinkin’ it’s gonna be a girl,” Pops said.
“Kera and Gwenn have a Baby Betting Pool,” Bree said. “You can wager bets on due date and gender.”
“Aye, that’s me girls!” Sean Jr. smiled.
“Tell yer sisters Imma placin’ a bet on a girl. Born on thefourth of… when’s the baby due?”
“June,” Declan said.
“Right… that’s over…” Pops counted the months on his fingers.
“Six months from now. Pff that’s going to be just as long as we had to wait for little Tommy to be born. Can’t wait for Tommy to hear he’s goin’ to have a cousin.”
“We’re going to have a baby shower at Lucky,” Pops said.
“And when the baby is born, we have—”
“That’s enough Pops, let the kids be,” Sean Jr. smiled.
Pops raised his glass and said, “To baby Mills.”
“What time is our appointment? I thought it was at ten?” Declan said as he narrowed his eyes at the clock hanging above the nurse’s station.
At nearly half past ten, his already fluttery nerves had him practically jumping from his plastic chair in the waiting room to go fetch a doctor.
“Shh. It’s just busy. We’re not going home without seeing someone,” Bree said.
“Is that before or after our Little Love is born?”
They had told everyone in their families about the baby. Last week had been everything. All the love and support they got from their families and friends had been exactly what Bree needed after that awful talk with her mother.
It reminded him once more where Bree’s uncertainty and trust issues came from. He hadn’t helped with his stupid actions, sure. But seeing Joan spitting her venom had been the wake up call he needed.
He was going to take action. It was suddenly clear to him that calling Bree his Love hadn’t been enough. He needed to make a statement. After telling Ro about the baby, he’d asked Ro to help him organize something for Bree at Christmas Day. He wanted to involve Ro in this new chapter of his life.
Bree rolled her eyes at his impatience and turned the page on some magazine with a smiling baby on its cover. Do babies even do that? Or was this kid photoshopped?
“Miss Ryan?” A young blonde woman in a doctor’s coat screened the waiting room.
Declan jumped right out of his chair.
“Yes! Over here.”
He couldn’t wait to get to see their baby’s heartbeat. The doctor smiled. “Ah, I’m guessing you’re Miss Ryan’s partner?”
“Yes. I’m Declan and this is Bree,” Declan said as he placed his hand on her lower back.
The doctor chuckled. “I know. We’ve met before. How are you, Bree? Shall we go to my office?”
Bree smiled at the doctor and nodded.
“Yes, that’s a good idea.”
“You just love seeing me like this, eh?” Declan asked. “Out of my comfort zone.”