Page 167 of Payoff Pitch
She giggles. “Girls are the best.”
I smile. “You’re right, they are, but I don’t think I ever imagined this many living in my house.”
Harper and I have just cleaned up dinner when the psycho sorority sisters all reappear, dragging an unwilling Bailey with them.
Kamryn nervously chews her lip as she moves herpointer finger between Bailey and me. “Umm, we need to talk to you two.” She nods toward Harper. “Almost all of us. Rip, can you take Harper upstairs?”
Ripley shakes her head with a huge grin on her face. “No way I’m missing this.”
Kamryn sighs. “Arizona, can you?”
“Heck no. I’m staying right here.”
Fallon rubs Harper’s arm. “Sweetie, I’m sorry, but we have a few adult things to discuss. Can you go take your shower now? You can stay up past your bedtime tonight if you do.”
“Can we watch a movie?”
Fallon smiles. “Anything you want.”
Harper agrees and happily runs upstairs. When we hear her bathroom door close, Fallon points toward the living room and cryptically says, “I think we should all sit for this.”
As we’re walking, Bailey glances at me, and I shrug. She’s clearly in the dark like me.
I pull her to sit next to me. I’ve given up pretending we’re anything less than what we are. I love her, and I don’t care anymore who knows. It’s not like everyone sitting here doesn’t know anyway.
I stare at the firing squad. “Can someone clue us in on what’s happening?”
Everyone turns to Kamryn. She laces her fingers together and places them in her lap. “I think there’s been a little…miscommunication, but I’m pretty sure the result is a good one, even if unexpected.”
Bailey pinches her eyebrows together. “What in the world are you talking about? You’re acting so ducking weird tonight.”
Kamryn looks at me. “Tanner, I’m going to go ahead and assume that you did not know that Bailey’s IUD came outwith her ovary.” She raises her eyebrows like something should be clicking for me.
“No, I didn’t know tha—” And then it hits me. I whisper, “Holy shit.”
Kam nods. “Yep.” She pops the P.
My mind starts spinning. No IUD, a vasectomy reversal, no condoms, a lot of sex, and she just threw up with no real reason. She’s pregnant. Bailey Hart is pregnant with my baby.
A huge smile finds my face. I honestly wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it if the moment ever came, but now that it’s here, I couldn’t be happier. Ecstatic. Thrilled. Elated.
I turn to Bailey, the only one still in the dark, and hold up a finger. “Give me one minute. I need to go get something.”
I run to my office and open my safe, grabbing the box that’s been sitting there for many months before practically sprinting back to the living room.
I stand in front of Bailey and grab both her hands. “Sweet girl, I love you so fucking much.”
Her eyebrows pinch together in confusion. “Umm, okay. I love you too, but I feel like Kam was just about to tell us something. Can we discuss this later?”
Without another word, I drop down to one knee.
Her jaw drops with it. She swivels her head and looks at everyone else with their giant grins before turning back to me. “W…what are you doing?”
“I know we took the road less traveled, but I love you and want to spend my life with you.”
“I…I thought you didn’t want to get married again?”
“You’ve brought color to the parts of my life I thought would forever remain gray. I’m a changed man from living under the light of your love. I want to spend every single day of my life loving you back. Marry me.”