10. Danny

Danny

“They’ve been gone for a while,” I say, checking my watch while Gavin builds the cooking fire. The man was built for this kind of life—living off the grid, hunting for and growing his own food. Before I met Marnie, I’d come up here a couple of times a year to bring him a box of basic supplies, so he didn’t have to travel into town. When he left the marines, the last thing he could handle was people. But a couple of years with nature seemed to heal him in some way, calm him even. Which is about when Jolene caught his eye.

“They haven’t seen each other for a month,” Gavin says. “Women like to talk, don’t they?”

“I guess.” I rub the back of my head. I never imagined a life where I’d feel lost without my woman within arm’s reach. I’ve traveled the world, commanded men, and now I’m pacing because my wife has gone shopping without me. It ridiculous, but it can’t be helped. Marnie possesses me, heart, and soul.

“Come on. Help me with this meat. It’ll make the time go faster.”

Gravel crunching has me moving for the door instead of the kitchen, much to Gavin’s amusement. “They’re back.”

“That, they are,” he says, wiping his hands and following me out to the front of the cabin. The fragrant scent of fresh earth and sweet peas fill the air from the newly laid garden bed. I jog past it, gathering Marnie in my arms the moment she steps out of the car.

“Missed me?” she asks with a grin as I push her auburn curls from her face.

“Obscenely,” I say, right before I press my mouth against hers and kiss her like we’ve been apart for far longer than only a couple of hours.

She hums and presses her lips together in pleasure as we part. “I missed you too. But we brought goodies. Want to open the trunk and help us carry them in?”

“Of course.”

I follow her to the trunk where Jolene is already loading Gavin up with bags. “Whoa! What’d you two buy down there?” he asks.

“Take it inside, and you can see,” Jolene says, leaning playfully against Gavin’s back as he walks.

“We have food and drinks and something special for you guys,” Marnie says as I pick up the last two bags with one hand then close the trunk. Before I thread my fingers through hers and we follow Gavin and Jolene inside.

“Something special, huh?”

“Yep. But you have to wait.”

“I think we both know I’m terrible at waiting, precious.”

“Me too,” she says, coyly. “But I promise it’ll be worth it.”

She practically dances away from me with mischief in her eyes as Jolene instructs Gavin and me to stand side by side and hold our hands out. It’s then that they place long black boxes in our hands.

“Please don’t tell me you got us matching bracelets,” Gavin says, looking suspicious.

“Open them and find out,” Jolene says, bouncing on her toes.

Gavin and I exchange dubious glances before we crack the lids and peer inside. That’s when my world changes. Inside I find a little white stick with two pink lines. “You’re pregnant?” I gasp. Marnie grins and nods. “You’re pregnant!” I rush to her and pick her up, spinning her around and kissing the absolute fuck out of her because she’s just made me the happiest man alive. Well, equally the happiest because Gavin is making a lot of excited noise about his box too. In fact, he’s on his knees with his face pressed against Jolene’s stomach.

“Wait,” I say, looking from Jolene to Marnie. “You’re both pregnant?”

Marnie nods. “They’ll be like cousins.”

“Oh, my god,” I gasp, turning to Gavin. “Congratulations, man.”

“And you too, brother. I’m so fucking happy.” He swipes a finger across his eye to wipe away a tear.

“Me too, man. I never thought I’d be a dad, but fuck, I’m glad it’s happening.”