A small smile played across her face as she looked away. Looking back at me, she said, “I turned down the teaching position. I’m going to continue working for Daddy.”

I sucked in a breath. “What? Liza, why? This is your dream, baby. Why would you turn it down?”

She pulled her lower lip in and began to abuse the hell out of it. Something was wrong and my heart pounded.

“Liza, please tell me what’s wrong.”

Slowly peeking up at me she gave me a drop-dead beautiful smile. “Oh, Walker. Nothing is wrong at all. I just have a new dream and I’m a bit…scared about it.”

I pulled back some so I could see her better. “A new dream? What in the world would you want to do more than teach?”

A single tear slipped from her eye and slowly moved down her cheek. “Be the mother to your child.”

I stared at Liza for a good thirty seconds as her words penetrated my mind. Be the mother of your child.

“We’re…you’re…” I ran my hand through my hair. Holy shit. Holy…shit.

She nodded, pulling a pregnancy test from her pocket. “I had an appointment this week to get on birth control. When I didn’t start my period, I was worried. Then, with being so sick all week, I was curious. Now I’m just scared,” she said.

My eyes widened. “Scared? Baby, why are you scared? This is amazing. This is…this is…” I looked all around and started laughing. “This is the perfect example of how it only takes one time!”

She laughed and threw her arms around me. I pulled her to where she could wrap her legs around me. Raindrop didn’t budge as I held Liza in my arms.

“You’re pregnant?”

She nodded. “Are you happy, Walker? Honestly?”

I kissed her with as much love as I could. When we pulled away, I whispered against her lips, “I thought our first kiss was amazing. Then the night you said yes to being my wife—that was fanfuckingtastic. But this, Liza? Nothing compares to having a child with the woman I love more than life itself. I’m the happiest man in the world right now.”

She smiled and pressed her lips to mine as Raindrop walked over to the water’s edge.

I pulled my lips from Liza’s and said, “I think we’re about to get wet.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, I’m already wet.”

I HAD LIZA up against a tree and was about to push into her as she hissed through her teeth. “Hard, Walker. Give it to me hard.”

I closed my eyes and did just that as I slammed into her. We both let out a gasp before I moaned at the feeling of being inside her with no barriers.

“Liza, you’re so warm, baby.”

Liza moved her hips to get me to move but I wanted to enjoy this moment.

“Move, Walker. Move!”

I placed my lips on her neck, asking, “What do you want, baby? Tell me, sweet Liza.”

“You…I want you to move…” she panted as I slowly pulled my dick almost all the way out before pushing it back into her.

“Do you want me to fuck you, Liza?”

She moaned. “Oh, God, Walker. Yes. Please yes.”

I moved faster as Liza held onto my shoulders, moving right along with me. Our bodies were covered in a sheen of sweat—we couldn’t get enough of each other.

It didn’t take long before we were both calling out each other’s names. We slid down and I held Liza in my arms as we sat in silence and watched Raindrop graze.

“For once it’s okay that we forgot about the condom,” I said.

Liza laughed. “I’ll never forget this day, Walker.”

I kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer. “Neither will I. Especially after your dad beats my ass.”

She looked up at me as we both busted out laughing. I moved my lips to her lips and kissed her quickly.

“Should we go tell your parents first, or mine?” I asked.

She bit her lip. “Can we keep it our secret for a little while? I want to take it all in. And I think you should probably ask Daddy about marrying me.”

I nodded. “Then my lips are sealed until you’re ready.”

She smiled sweetly and rested her head on my chest. “I love you, Walker.”

“I love you, too, baby.”

I TOOK A deep breath before I rang the doorbell. I knew Liza, her mom, and my mom were all in Austin today, shopping. It had only been twenty-four hours since I’d found out I was going to be a father. I’d talked to my dad last night about building a house on our property. It took him less than five minutes to figure out what was going on. I laughed as I thought back to our conversation.

“I WANT TO build a house dad. With the money I have left over from what Mom’s parents set aside for college and whatnot, I can pay for the whole thing with cash if I do most of the work.”

My father turned and looked at me and smiled. “Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

I smiled and nodded. I followed him out the back door as we walked toward my parents’ huge garden.

My father stopped and turned to me. “What’s on your mind son?”

“What do you mean?”

My father laughed and shook his head. He started walking again, so I followed.

“What’s on your mind, Walker? I know my son well enough to know when he’s holding back something he needs to say.”

I ran my hands over my face and stopped walking.

My father smiled and said, “Liza’s pregnant.”

I rolled my eyes. “Why do you have to do that, Dad? Why do you always know shit?”

“Because I’ve seen that look before, Walker. In my own reflection, just after your mother told me she was pregnant on the night before our wedding.”

I smiled. “Were you happy?”

My father’s eyes got watery and he nodded. He cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah. I was very happy, Walker. I can still smell the perfume she was wearing when I think of that moment.”

“Liza is scared.”

“I’m sure she is. But things happen for a reason. Would I have liked to see you build that house, get married and live a little first? Yeah. But I just want you to be happy, son.”

I took a deep breath. “I forgot to mention. I asked Liza to marry me when we were in Austin. And no one is supposed to know either one of these secrets, Dad.”

My father’s jaw dropped. Then he chuckled. “Jesus, you know how to drop the bombs on a person. Is there anything else I need to know?”