“I understand.” He knew it wasn’t easy for Sabrina to let her guard down, and he was so relieved she was finally tearing down those walls that had protected her for so long. “Have you been sleeping well?”

  She kissed the forearm he had wrapped around her neck. “Not as well as I slept when you were here, but much better than I was right after the rape. I’m having fewer nightmares now. The therapy has really helped with that. I think going to the police helped too.”

  “I heard rumblings about a few other women coming forward. Do you know anything about that?”

  “Yeah. It would certainly strengthen our case if they find the courage to press charges too. He deserves to be put away for a long time, and the D.A. feels confident he will be.”

  “I’m glad.” Glad didn’t begin to describe how he felt about seeing that dirtbag behind bars, but he didn’t worry Sabrina with his own rage over the incident. “You said something about seeing your father. How did that go?”

  “Really well, actually. We had a nice talk. He told me some things I didn’t know that helped me to understand him a little better.”

  “Hmmm.” Dylan was curious, but he didn’t want to pry. She would tell him when the time was right. “Does he know about the baby?”

  “Of course. I felt I had to tell my family before I went public with it. Did Dalton call you?”

  “Yeah, he left a message for me, but I haven’t connected with him yet. How did he take the news?”

  “He was shocked.” She laughed. “Said he never expected me, of all people, to get pregnant by mistake.”

  Dylan tensed. “Is that how you see this, as a mistake?”

  “Honestly? I did at first. Now I’m beginning to wonder if it was divine intervention.”

  He liked the sound of that much better. “How so?”

  “I don’t know that I ever would have had the courage to go off the pill. The fact that I screwed up and got pregnant may have been the Universe’s way of telling me it was time.”

  He was relieved that she not only seemed to be accepting the pregnancy, but she was getting excited about it. “I’ve always thought everything happens for a reason. This just proves it.” He slid the back of his finger along her cheek. “I’m sorry for the things I said when I found out. I was way out of line.”

  “It’s okay.” She held his hand against her face. “We were both in shock. We just needed time to process it.”

  He thought she was letting him off the hook too easily, but he had no intention of arguing. “Now that you have had time to process it, what are you thinking?” He was excited to finally be able to talk to her about their baby, to find out if she was hoping for a girl or boy—or maybe one of each! He wanted to know if she’d given any thought to child care or breastfeeding or any of the million other decisions they would have to make. “Do you want to find out the sex? Can we tomorrow or will it be too soon?”

  “I’m not sure,” she said, biting her lip. “We can ask the doctor, if you’re anxious to find out.”

  “Are you?”

  “It would make planning a lot easier. I was thinking of having Carly over to talk about redecorating the guest room next to the master. It would make the perfect nursery since it has a shared en-suite and large closet. Of course, if we have twins, do you think they should each have their own room, or would it be best to put them in one room for a while?” Her eyebrows knitted together. “I guess they would be in our room for the first… what, three months?”

  Dylan grinned, his chest expanding with hope and excitement.

  “What?” she asked, tipping her head back to look at him when he didn’t respond.

  “You said our room.”

  “Hmm, I guess I did.” She smiled. “I’m having a hard time imagining doing it all by myself. It’s much easier to picture you there, waking up with me for late night feedings, helping me rock them back to sleep, or sing them a lullaby.” She giggled. “Your singing voice is much better than mine.”

  “Are you saying you need me?” His tone was teasing, but he hoped she would admit that she needed him as much as he needed her.

  “What if I am?”

  “I’d say it’s about damn time.” He laughed before kissing her soundly. “It’s going to be amazing, you know. I can hardly wait to be a daddy.”

  She laid her head in his lap, smiling at him. “I never thought I’d say this, but I can hardly wait to make you a daddy.”

  ***

  Dylan tucked Sabrina in with a passionate kiss and left her alone to get a good night’s sleep. He wanted to stay, but he had to make a stop before meeting her at the hospital in the morning.

  Around breakfast time the next day, he walked into the old farm house where he’d been raised and heard chatter coming from the kitchen. Judging by the cars in the drive, both of his parents and his kid sister were home, so he could share his news with all of them at once.

  “Hey there,” his mother said, smiling when she saw him in the doorway. “What brings you by so early?”

  He’d been distant since his mother’s run-in with Sabrina. Even though they’d discussed it, he was still having difficulty with the things his mother had said to her. But he was there to tell them either they accepted Sabrina or their relationship with him would suffer.

  “I’m glad I made it before you had to leave for class, kid,” he said, tugging on his sister’s ponytail as he walked past. Ellie was in nursing school and living with her parents until she graduated and secured a job.

  “You’ve been quite a stranger,” Ellie said, smiling when he sat next to her. “We’ve missed you, big brother.”

  “I’ve missed you guys too.” Dylan’s eyes met his father’s, and Senior’s usually gruff exterior softened as he gave his son a rare smile. “Sorry it’s been so long.”

  “That’s okay. We know how busy you are. Would you like a cup?” his mother said, holding up a carafe of fresh coffee.

  “I’d love it, thanks.” He waited for his mother to fill his cup and set a plate in front of him before he said, “I have a reason for stopping by today. There’s somethin’ I want to share with y’all.”

  Ellie exchanged a look with her mother as she passed a platter of bacon and eggs to Dylan. “Really? What’s up?”

  He could have danced around it, but he decided being direct was the best approach. “I’m going to be a father.” His announcement was met with complete silence, not the gasps he’d been expecting.

  “Then you are the father of Sabrina’s baby?” his mother asked. “When we heard she was pregnant, we weren’t sure what to think.”

  Ellie covered Dylan’s hand with hers. “I tried to call you when I heard what happened to her. Bell is such an asshole. I hope he gets what’s coming to him.”

  “Language, Ellie,” their mother warned. “But your sister is right. They should lock that monster up and throw away the key.”

  Dylan appreciated that his family seemed to be on Sabrina’s side, but he was anxious to hear how they felt about his baby news. “I’m pretty sure he’ll get what’s coming to him. About the baby—”

  “You must be thrilled.” His mother sat across from him and reached for his hand. “We all know how much you want to be a daddy, and you’ve made no secret of the fact that Sabrina is the only one for you.”

  He’d expected some opposition. His parents were traditional—they believed marriage came before babies and stay-at-home moms were the ideal. His mother heaped his plate with food as she used to when he was a kid. He knew she was trying to distract herself so she wouldn’t react too strongly to whatever he said.

  “She is. I love her. I want her to be my wife.”

  Ellie grasped his forearm. “That’s awesome, Dyl. Congratulations. When’s the wedding?”

  “I didn’t say there was going to be a wedding.” At the sight of their frowns, he said, “I said I want to marry her, not that she feels the same way.”

  “Let me get this straight,” his father said in a gruff voice, raising his hand. “She wants to have a baby with you, but she doesn’t want to marry you?”

  “The baby was a surprise.” He didn’t dare tell his parents they may be expecting more than one baby. He suspected one surprise at a time was enough. “We didn’t plan it, but now that it’s happened, we’re both excited about becoming parents.” He was relieved he could honestly say that Sabrina seemed as excited as he was. He’d feared she would never come around, and he was grateful for the progress they’d made.

  “Does she love you?” his mother asked. “I mean, enough to commit to spending the rest of her life with you?”

  “She loves me, I have no doubt about that.”

  “Then why won’t she marry you?” Ellie asked. “That doesn’t make any sense. If you love a guy enough to have his baby, you’re already connected to him for life.”

  His sister was eight years younger than Sabrina, and she hadn’t even started her career yet. He couldn’t expect her to understand how much Sabrina’s business meant to her. “Things are happening pretty quickly. I’m being patient, giving her time to adjust.” Dylan picked a piece of bacon off his plate and munched on it while his parents exchanged a look that told him they didn’t approve of his strategy.

  Ellie wrinkled her nose. “Y’all have known each other for eight years. You told me you’ve been crazy about her since the first day you laid eyes on her. Did it ever occur to you that you’re taking it too slow?”

  Dylan spread his mother’s homemade jam on a piece of toast. “What do you mean?”

  Between sips of coffee, Ellie said, “If I looked at a guy the way she looks at you and he was too dense to propose, especially if I were carrying his baby, I’d seriously consider cutting him loose permanently.”

  “She knows how I feel about her,” he said defensively. “I’ve made no secret of the fact I want to get married and have kids.”

  “You may have made it known in the general sense, but have you ever actually proposed?” Ellie asked. “Have you told her in no uncertain terms that you want her to be your wife? That you love her more than anything and can’t imagine your life without her? ‘Cause I’m telling you, those are the kind of things a girl needs to hear before she can take a guy seriously.”

  “Of course she knows that.” Dylan racked his brain, thinking of all the conversations they’d had over the years. She had to know how much he wanted to marry her, didn’t she?

  “So you’ve gotten down on one knee with a big-ass rock in your hand and told her she’s your soul mate?” Ellie reached for the jar of jam. “And she said…?”

  “Well, no but—”

  “Why not?” Ellie asked, her knife poised over the jar.

  “No guy wants to risk rejection. When you get down on one knee, you want to be damn sure she’s gonna say yes. I guess with Sabrina, I could never be sure, so I never asked.”

  “I get it,” she said, nodding. “Your pride is more important to you than being a full-time daddy.”

  “What the hell are you talkin’ about?” he demanded, fisting his hand on the table. “Nothing is more important to me than our baby.”

  Ellie smiled. “Prove it. Man up and ask your baby’s mama to marry you.”

  He swallowed, feeling tension creep into his shoulders. “What if she says no?”

  “What if she doesn’t?” Ellie put her hand on his shoulder, her eyes softening. “I’ve never been pregnant, but I can imagine it’s scary and something no woman wants to go through alone, especially if she can have the support of the baby’s father.”

  “Sabrina has my full support, whether we’re married or not,” Dylan said defensively. “She knows that.”

  “But being co-parents is different than being life partners. You want a life partner, don’t you?”

  “Sure, I do.” But if he couldn’t have Sabrina, he didn’t want anyone.

  “Then tell Sabrina that. I’m willing to bet she feels the same way.”

  “You really think so?” Dylan’s gaze traveled around the people at the table. “She’s been so opposed to the idea of getting married before.”

  “That was before she got pregnant,” his mother said. “Realizing you’re responsible for another human being has a way of changing your perspective about a lot of things. The things you used to live and breathe for don’t seem to matter as much as they once did.”

  “Your mama’s right,” his father said. “I remember when she was expectin’ you. I used to love racin’ cars on the weekend. I lived for it from the time I was eighteen ‘til I was twenty-six. As soon as I found out I was gonna be somebody’s daddy, that all changed. I didn’t wanna get into a wreck and never get to see my boy bein’ born.”

  Dylan shared a smile with his father. He’d seen plenty of pictures of his father behind the wheel of a stock race car, but he had no idea why his father had given up a hobby he was obviously so passionate about. “I hear what you’re all saying, and I’ll think about it. I will.”

  “Just don’t wait too long,” Ellie said, grinning. “No woman wants to wear a tent as a wedding dress.”

  ***

  They were sitting in a small hospital room, waiting for the doctor. The technician had already been in to do the ultrasound, and Dylan was still in awe of what he’d seen on the screen: two babies.

  “You’ve been kind of quiet,” Sabrina said, reaching for his hand. “Are you okay?”

  He grinned. “I’m good. Better than good, actually. You?”

  “I’m still in shock.” She looked at her feet, tapping them together. “I knew twins were a possibility after what the doctor said yesterday, but hearing it and seeing it confirmed are two different things, you know? It makes it real.”

  “I know what you mean.” He kissed her hands. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and wanted to do anything he could to put her mind at ease. “But people raise twins all the time, baby. Hell, people have three or more babies at a time, and they manage.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t help but feel they’re better equipped than I am.” She closed her eyes. “This still seems so surreal.” She bent her knees, resting the photo the technician gave them against her legs. “I can’t believe I have two babies growing inside me, D. I’m responsible for protecting them, taking care of them, and making sure they make it into the world safely. That’s a huge responsibility.”

  “I know it is, sweetheart,” he said, stroking her hair. “But I’ll be there to help you.”

  “Thank God.” A smile tugged at her lips as she ran a fingertip over the glossy black-and-white image. “I have to admit, they just look like two little blobs to me. Is that terrible? Shouldn’t I be able to see my babies?” She gasped, her eyes widening. “My babies. I’ve never said that before.” Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him. “We’re going to have two babies. How crazy is that?”

  “Pretty crazy.” He kissed her forehead. “Pretty awesome too. Look at it this way—you may only have to go through the whole pregnancy thing once.”

  “You only want two kids?”

  His chest expanded with hope and joy. Her question implied she’d be willing to give him more babies, didn’t it? “I don’t know. I’d be happy with two, but three or four would be great. How about you?”

  “I don’t know.” She raised her hands. “I didn’t even want to have one baby, yet here I am getting excited about two. Who’s to say I won’t be ready to do it all over again in a few years?”

  He loved that she was open to the possibility of a large family, something he wouldn’t have thought possible a few months earlier.

  The doctor walked in, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “It seems my hunch was right. Twins, huh? Congratulations.” His eyes paused on Dylan before his jaw slackened. “You’re Dylan Clark, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.” Dylan stood to shake the doctor’s hand.

  “Oh wow, this is a real pleasure,” he said, grinning. “I was a huge fan. So sorry to see your career cut short like that. I thought we had a good shot at a Super Bowl with you.”

  “It would’ve been nice to try,” Dylan said, reclaiming his seat. He couldn’t even think about football, not when he was so concerned about Sabrina’s test results. Reaching for her hand, he asked, “The blood test and urinalysis you did earlier, what did you find?”

  Dr. Cavanagh’s eyes landed on Sabrina.

  “It’s okay, Dylan’s the father.” Sabrina said, squeezing Dylan’s hand. “The tests, Doctor, what were the results? Do I have preeclampsia?”

  “As I mentioned earlier, your blood pressure was much better today. The previous readings could have been influenced by coming into the office in the middle of a workday when you were a bit stressed,” the doctor explained.

  Dylan was willing to take good news wherever he could get it. He’d barely slept a wink last night, worrying about what the tests and ultrasound would reveal.

  “Some protein in the urine is normal in pregnancy, as I explained yesterday, and preeclampsia in the first trimester is very rare. You do have some early indicators and it is more common with a multiple birth, so we’ll want to do more frequent ultrasounds and blood and urine tests, but all looks well for right now.”

  “Thank God,” Sabrina said, flattening her hand against her chest.

  “I will ask you to follow the outlines I gave you to reduce your risk of developing preeclampsia in the second trimester.”

  “Of course,” Sabrina said, nodding. “Anything else?”

  “Limit your stress.” He smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think you can do that?”

  “I’ll make sure she does,” Dylan cut in. He’d wait on her hand and foot if he had to.

  “Good.” The doctor asked Sabrina, “You’re taking your prenatal vitamins every day and eating well?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s especially important with twins. We’ll closely monitor your weight gain. I advise you to stay active as well.”

  “Um, about that…” Dylan didn’t want to embarrass Sabrina, but he had to know. “Will sexual activity be a problem?”

  “No problem at all, at least at this stage.” The doctor winked. “Of course, all bets are off when she reaches about eight months. She’ll probably be pretty uncomfortable by then.”