Emily let out a satisfied sigh. “I like the way that sounds.”

“I do too.” Gavin kissed her stomach again and reached for her hand. Intertwining their fingers, he kissed each of hers, and looked at her. “Thank you.”

Emily buried her free hand in his hair, stroking it away from his forehead. The look in his eyes, gentle tone of his voice, and the smile on his face had her heart bursting with love. “Thank you,” she whispered, a single tear breaking loose. “Thank you so much.”

Gavin rested his cheek on top of her stomach, chuckling when a little wave rolled across it. “Arm?” he questioned, enjoying the way it felt.

“Possibly.” Smiling, Emily looked down at the movement. “Maybe his butt?”

Gavin shrugged, basking in the moment. “I wonder if he’ll suck at bottle caps like his mother.”

“I wonder if he’ll be a wiseass like his father.”

Gavin quirked a brow as he drew circles around her belly button. “A blue-eyed, sucky bottle cap playing wiseass. I like it.”

Emily giggled. “Me, too.”

Gavin kissed her stomach again, a devious smile tipping his lips. “I wonder if he’ll hate your Birds as much as I do.”

Emily groaned, tossing her head back onto the pillow. “I wonder if he’ll be a bigger wiseass than his father.”

“Lame comeback. You just used that one.”

“It’s fitting for the wiseass it was aimed at.”

“Can’t say I disagree.” Gavin rained a slew of slow kisses along every inch of Emily’s stomach, watching tiny goose bumps pop up over her flesh. “I wonder if he’ll know just how beautiful his mother is, inside and out.”

Emily touched Gavin’s cheek, her soul warmed by his words. “I wonder if he’ll be every bit of the man his father is.”

Eyes softening, Gavin slithered up Emily’s body, kissed the side of her ribs, the swell of her breast, and the slope of her collar bone. Hovering above her, he ran his hand through her silky hair. “I hope he falls in love with a selfless woman like his mother, who risks everything she has by taking a chance on his wiseass.”

With vibrant flares of colors from fireworks spilling through the window into the darkened room, Emily’s stared into Gavin’s eyes, her breath catching as she tangled her fingers in his hair. “I hope he’s as forgiving, gentle, and kind as his father is if that woman ever hurts him.”

Gavin settled his lips over Emily’s, whispering as he gently kissed her. “I wonder if he’ll know how much I’m going to love him and his mother until the day I take my last, dying breath.”

Although she wanted to, Gavin didn’t let Emily speak again. Not only did he continue to leave a trail of sweet word prints in her ears, he entered her lifeblood, caressing her soul in ways he never had before. Heart racing with promise, Emily felt him become one with her and their child, his love unyielding with every delicate touch and sweet embrace through the night.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

When Emily woke the next morning, the smell of bacon flared her senses as she climbed from the empty bed. Puffy clouds, gray as an old headstone, peppered the sky beyond the window. Clearly rain would haunt the day. With a lazy stretch and a yawn creeping up her throat, she scanned the bedroom. Poking her head from the door, she heard Gavin’s and his father’s voices coming from downstairs. She smiled at the way they joked and laughed. Deciding to get a quick shower before they left, Emily rummaged through her suitcase for a soft pair of capri pants and red tank top. Clothing in hand, she made her way into the bathroom and indulged in a long, hot shower. Once finished, she blew her hair dry, got dressed, and headed downstairs. Finding Chad alone in the kitchen, she glanced around, looking for Gavin.

“Good morning,” Emily said, pulling out a chair. “Where’s Gavin?”

Holding a spatula, Chad faced her. “Good morning to you too,” he replied with a smile. “We ran out of milk. He took a quick ride up to the store.” Chad poured her a tall glass of orange juice and slid it across the black granite counter. “Drink. It’s good for you and my grandson.”

Emily smiled, his proud tone warming her. “Thank you.” She sipped the juice and glanced around again. “Is everyone still asleep?”

“Lillian’s getting ready.” Chad opened an egg over a sizzling frying pan. “Fallon and Trevor are awake. He came down and grabbed two cups of coffee. I haven’t seen Olivia or Jude, yet.” He gulped his orange juice. “Eggs and bacon?”

“Sure,” Emily replied, her stomach growling from the tantalizing smell.

Chad scooped some eggs and a few slices of bacon onto a plate. Placing it in front of Emily, he smiled, the wrinkles around his blue eyes lifting. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you.” Emily picked up her fork and dug in. Over the next twenty minutes, she enjoyed listening to Chad talk about Gavin. She learned not only was her Yankees lover a Mets lover at one point, but he also pitched a no hitter in his senior year of high school. Afterward, he walked off the field, never to play again except for fun. Chad said they believed Gavin’s decision to stop playing came from the pressure hounding scouts gave him about taking his talent all the way to the major league. This surprised Emily, considering Gavin’s deep love for baseball. Nevertheless, she chalked it up to him wanting to become an architect. Either way, her curiosity was piqued, and she’d planned on picking his brain a little on the ride home. After she finished eating, Emily checked her watch. He’d been gone for over thirty minutes.

“Is Gavin milking the cow on a farm somewhere?” She pointed at the clock on the stainless steel stove. “He’s been gone a while.”

Chad squinted, his brow slowly rising. “Hmm. He has been gone for a while.” He looked out the window at the fat drops of rain falling from the sky. “Maybe he’s taking it slow. I know he mentioned he was riding his motorcycle up there.”

“Oh,” Emily said softly. A pang of unease settled over her limbs. Her mind rushed to a conversation she and Gavin had not long ago. He’d gone into great, enthusiastic detail about how he loved opening up the bike to ungodly speeds while on the roads in East Hampton. “I’m going to call his cell and check on him.”

Chad nodded, and Emily headed for the stairs. Taking two at a time, she reached the top in seconds. Rounding the corner, she collided into Olivia.

“Well, that woke me up,” Olivia chirped. Towel drying her hair, she stared at Emily. “Why do you look all freaked out?”

Emily’s eyes flew to an arched floor-to-ceiling window visible from the hallway. She held her breath as she took in the rain falling in thick, heavy sheets. Emily rushed past Olivia, her feeling of unease growing. With a quick hand, she dug her phone from her purse and hit the button for Gavin’s number. By the fourth ring, she knew he wasn’t picking up.

“Em, what the hell’s wrong?” Olivia stood in doorway, her face edged with confusion.

Swallowing, Emily slid her phone closed. “Gavin went to go get milk, and he’s not back yet. He took his damn bike, too.”

Olivia shrugged. “Okay. It’s raining. He’s probably taking his time, chick. Calm down.”