Chapter 33

33

Sarah

I am a two-faced asshole, but you can't tell, because there's so much makeup glooped on my face that I could actually be Cupcake's twin and nobody would know there was a pig snout hiding under all these layers of construction-grade plaster.

Here I am, in a dress I kinda love more than I'm willing to confess to Beck, even if I can only use about forty percent of my lung capacity right now, and I'm torn between wanting to just stare at him in his tuxedo all night long and rip it off him with my teeth.

No amount of telling myself it's because the man under the tux is a kind, sweet, sexy gentleman will convince me that I'm not two-faced for drooling over his utter physical perfection.

Nor will any amount of reminding myself that he's just as attractive in jeans and a Fireballs jersey, or in a teddy bear robe, or while letting himself be chastised by his mother.

Although I'm definitely bothered that he's not devouring every last bite of his steak.

"Are you sick?" I whisper.

"Hungry," he whispers back, "but I'm officially on duty, which means I can't make a pig of myself."

"You really can have my truffle if you want it."

"No way. If I eat your truffle in public, my reputation is officially shot and I'll have to turn to modeling socks if I ever want to make enough to help my parents retire."

I get a jolt of lusty need straight between my thighs when he says eat your truffle , but when I try to suck in a breath, my Slimzies and my dress squeeze me so tight that all the circulation is cut off to my nipples and I end up simultaneously trying to suck air back in and choking on my own lack of air.

Beck's eyes go wide, and he pats my back. "You okay?"

"Woman problems," I blurt.

And then I go so hot that half my makeup is probably going to melt off.

My mom, Beck's mom, and Ellie all lunge for their clutches. Most likely to grab tampons.

" Dress problems," I correct quickly. Dammit, I swear the people at the two tables behind me heard that.

"Just breathe shallow, honey, it'll be okay," my mom advises.

"My Slimzies are killing me too," Ellie says.

"I told you not to wear that shit," Wyatt mutters.

I like him. He's very practical.

"I'm okay," I tell Beck, who's still watching me so closely that I'm starting to wonder if I have an errant nose hair or something. I nod to his plate. "Are you sure you don't need more food?"

"We'll grab takeout somewhere later. After we get you out of that dress. Ow! Mom! It's physically hurting her ."

He still grins at me though, and my heart takes up a new rhythm at the implication that I'll be with him for takeout.

And out of my dress while we're eating it.

"I gave birth to you. I'm aware of what's going through your head," his mother says.

Nope.

Not killing the buzz at all.

Maybe there's something wrong with me after all.

"Serendipity's staying with us tonight," my dad growls.

"Um, no, we're having a girls pajama party," Ellie corrects.

"We are?" Wyatt asks. And then he, too, mutters ouch and rubs his leg under the table. "Oh. Right. I guess you are. Without warning me. Ouch! Okay, okay, I'm shutting up."

The curator of the zoo suddenly rushes to the front of the room, where staff are hastily pulling up a projector screen. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for one moment," he calls, "I've just received word that Persephone is in active labor."

I straighten. Beck shoots a look at Charlie two tables over, like she arranged this and he's going to need to give her a raise. She rolls her eyes and mouths back only you .

I snort.

Because I think she's right.

Only Beck could have this kind of luck.

"He's just saying that to get a few more donations, right?" he murmurs to me.

A projector flickers to life, and a woman three tables back screams.

"Ah, nope," I tell him while I look at the very pregnant, very squatting, very delivering giraffe on the screen.

"Oh my," my mother murmurs.

The Ryders all put their forks down.

My dad goes pale.

Persephone gives a mighty push, expelling baby giraffe legs and amniotic fluid, and my dad wipes his brow.

The mayor's still eating at the next table.

Murmurs are going through the crowd.

"I can't eat through this," someone whispers.

"It's nature, Felicia. You can too," someone else whispers back.

"Oh, god, she's so beautiful, I might cry." The curator shakes out a white handkerchief and wipes his forehead.

Persephone snorts and shakes her head atop her long neck.

Beck's enraptured. "She's so fucking strong."

"Most women are, dear," his mom says.

Persephone pushes again, and I poke my mom and point to my dad.

"Oh, here we go again." She scoots her chair back and wraps an arm around his shoulders. "Head between your knees, Judson. Just breathe. Breathe the love in, and breathe the pain out. Love in, pain out."

Nearly all sounds of silverware clanking on plates have stopped. Beck's still watching the screen, but he drapes his arm over my chair and leans in close, smelling like cinnamon and cloves tonight. "You ever seen anything like this before?"

"I saw a documentary about elephants giving birth once, but not live . And I watched that eagle cam, but birds hatching isn't quite the same."

"She's just—wow," he breathes.

He's not at all grossed out, or horrified, and his stomach gives a rumble that he doesn't seem to notice.

I squeeze his leg and press a kiss to his clean-shaven cheek, because I can't help myself. He turns a smile to me, not a smolder, not a face for the cameras, but a soft, honest smile that sets the bees buzzing through my belly.

He scoots closer and instead of keeping his arm casually draped around the back of my chair, he wraps an arm around me, and I lean into him, breathing in his scent, my hand resting on his long, lean, solid thigh while we watch Persephone give birth to a brand-new baby giraffe.

A gasp goes up through the room when the baby plops to the ground, but within minutes, Persephone has helped the little one to its feet, and I'm not crying, but I'm definitely choked up.

The curator is weeping.

And Beck just breathes, "Wow."

"One more giraffe in the world," I whisper.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" someone calls.

The curator blows his nose and holds up a finger.

"They won't know until they can examine it," I tell her.

The curator points at me, then at his nose.

My dad's still doing the breathing exercises with my mom, his head under the tablecloth.

Beck seems to remember we're not alone, and he straightens suddenly with a broad grin. "That was epic."

"You have the craziest luck," Ellie tells him.

"Right? What are the odds that tweet would've brought us Sarah?"

And there goes more mushy warmth in my chest, because she clearly meant luck with the timing of Persephone giving birth, but instead, he wants to talk about me .

Dad recovers, and the gradual noises of people eating returns to the banquet hall. People start milling, all while the live video of Persephone tending her newborn calf plays on the projector.

No owls swoop in.

My dress doesn't split.

Beck keeps a hand on me at all times. On my back. Brushing my hair out of my face. Touching my elbow to turn me to meet someone new.

No one asks about the tweet, but several people stop at our table and want to talk about Persephone or my blog or one of the projects the Ryders have worked on or how Ellie's doing after her accident or what Wyatt's plans are for after the military or how honored they are to have my parents here in Copper Valley.

They tease Beck about his underwear.

At least, until I point out it's the most comfortable underwear on the planet and challenge them to prove they're not wearing it.

All with a Mom-approved smile, of course. I am still Sunny Darling's daughter.

The live feed on Persephone times out before any of us get a really good look at her calf, and the zoo's curator tells us updates will be posted online as soon as the zookeepers are able to check over both mama and baby giraffe.

As the crowd begins to clear out and Charlie gives us the time to go signal, I pause and dig my phone out of my purse and hit the camera function. "How's the light?" I ask Beck.

His brows knit together. "The light?"

"The light. We need to post another video. Since Persephone gave birth."

His intense scrutiny slowly turns to a wide smile that makes my heart go skipping over itself. "Yeah?"

"Yes. And hurry up before Charlie marches us out of here and I lose my nerve."

He takes my phone from me and holds it out, his long arms working to our advantage. "Ready?"

I nod, and he hits the button to record us.

"Hey, Must Love Bees followers, this is Sarah Dempsey. And this guy I picked up at some fancy dinner tonight. And I'm too excited to wait to get home and change before asking if you all saw that Persephone the giraffe gave birth tonight. If you were watching along with the rest of us, wasn't she amazing? Such a beautiful creature. And if you haven't seen it yet, well, don't do what my dad did and pass out under a table. Maybe just wait for the pictures if you're squeamish, okay? Hit the comments and tell me what you were doing when Persephone gave birth! I'm heading home for a nice long bubble bath and to wait for news about whether we have a girl or a boy."

"She had a girl," Beck says.

"You think?" I ask him.

"Definitely. Did you see how strong she was and how fast she stood up? Totally a girl."

"Boy giraffes can also stand up soon after birth."

"I guess, but I still think our baby's a girl."

My belly flutters. "Then I guess by default, I'll have to guess he's a boy."

He grins at me. "Want to put money on it?"

"Nope, but I'd bet an ice cream sundae."

"You're on, taser lady."

I wave at the camera. "Congrats to Persephone and the Copper Valley Zoo on their new addition."

Beck shuts the video off, and before I can lose my nerve, I post it to my feed.

"You're such a natural, sweetheart," my mom says with a sniffle.

"I'm going to throw up."

"No, you're not." Beck pulls me in for a hug and presses a kiss to my giant hair. "You're the bravest fucking badass I've ever met," he whispers.

"You've obviously lived a very sheltered celebrity existence."

He laughs.

"Time to go , folks," Charlie says.

We filter back out of the planetarium, thanking the staff as we go, and the bride whose wedding was canceled, which I didn't know until Beck introduced me to her and she thanked us for saving her reception.

I hug her extra tight on the way out, because I know a thing or a million about awkward .

When we reach the three limos waiting at the door, Beck grips my hand. "You really going to girls' night?" he murmurs.

"Depends. If I go home with you, will I need my clothes?"

"Nope. I got this amazing teddy bear robe you can borrow."

The laugh sneaks out of me, and the next thing I know, I'm waving bye to everyone while we dive into the back of the first limo, and then his lips are capturing mine, his arms wrapping around me, and suddenly the only thing in the entire world that matters is kissing him back.

Because this isn't what I've been waiting for from the moment he came back to my house to apologize after I tasered him.

This is what I've been waiting for my entire life.