Lucy’s, then extended his other hand to Annabelle. “It’s great to meet you,” Reilly said as he shook Annabelle’s hand. “Lucy has told me quite a bit about you.”
Annabelle’s eyebrows lifted. “Uh, nice to meet you too.” She aimed a grin at Lucy and said, “You’ve been holding out on me, sis.”
“It’s sort of a long story.” Lucy elbowed Reilly in the ribs to get him to release her, but the imbecile never even flinched. He smiled down at her, and Lucy seriously itched to swat him a good one on the back of the head.
To Annabelle, she said, “I didn’t want to worry you when we last talked.”
“Worry? Why would I worry?”
“I’m, uh, pregnant with twins,” Lucy stated. “Reilly’s the father.”
“Twins, seriously?” Annabelle asked as her wide-eyed gaze darted to Lucy’s belly. “I thought there was a little extra to hug.” She grinned. “Congratulations! I guess that sort of trumps my engagement news all to heck, huh?”
Lucy laughed. “Speaking of the engagement, where’s Justin? I thought he was coming with you. I wanted to meet him.”
Annabelle ran a hand through her hair. “He is, but he needed to run some errands. You’ll meet him, don’t worry.”
“Annabelle and Justin are getting married,” Lucy told Reilly. “They’re on their way to Justin’s parents’ house.”
He winked at Annabelle and asked, “Showing off his pretty new fiancée, huh?”
Annabelle flashed a smile. “I like this one, Lucy. You should keep him.”
Lucy had been thinking the same thing, but fear kept her from saying the words aloud. She headed for the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “Have a seat, sweetie, while I get you something to drink.”
“Sounds great, sis,” she answered as she plopped down on the sofa. “I’m beat.”
Lucy opened the refrigerator and grabbed a cold beer for her sister. “Do you want anything to drink, Reilly?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.”
Lucy popped the top of the beer and went back into the room. Annabelle sat with her legs crossed at the knees, smiling up at her. Reilly still stood, hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans and staring at Annabelle with curiosity.
Lucy handed Annabelle her drink before sitting down. “I’m so glad you’re home, even if it is only for a few days. I worry when you’re away.” Being in the army in this day and age wasn’t anything to play around with.
The hand that wasn’t holding the beer patted her thigh. “It’s fine, sis. I know to keep my head down.”
Reilly came forward and sat on the other side of Lucy, then slung an arm over her shoulders. Lucy held back the giddiness of having Reilly so close. Would she always respond to the man with a flow of warmth anytime he came near? She suspected she would.
Annabelle cocked her head to the side and studied her a minute. “You know, you really don’t look very pregnant. How far along are you? Have there been any complications?”
“Not quite four months, and nope,” he answered for her. Reilly pressed a hand to her belly, and suddenly, Lucy’s heart filled with something very much like love.
“Had any odd cravings?” Annabelle asked. “Pickles and ice cream, for instance?”
She shook her head. “Nothing weird. Just a lot of morning sickness so far.”
Annabelle cringed. “Hopefully that part will be over soon.” She looked over at Reilly and winked. “And I’ll bet Reilly will keep you well supplied when the cravings do start up.”
She didn’t give Reilly a chance to reply. Lord only knew what the man would say to such a blanket statement. “Why would you say that?”
“I’ve seen your temper, Lucy. You’re not to be fooled with when you’re mad or hungry.”
She laughed. “Oh yeah, I’m so scary to a badass soldier like you.”
Annabelle started to say something, but Reilly spoke up, stopping them both in their tracks. “Lucy will have everything she needs. If she wants ice cream and pickles, she’ll get
Annabelle’s eyebrows lifted. “Uh, nice to meet you too.” She aimed a grin at Lucy and said, “You’ve been holding out on me, sis.”
“It’s sort of a long story.” Lucy elbowed Reilly in the ribs to get him to release her, but the imbecile never even flinched. He smiled down at her, and Lucy seriously itched to swat him a good one on the back of the head.
To Annabelle, she said, “I didn’t want to worry you when we last talked.”
“Worry? Why would I worry?”
“I’m, uh, pregnant with twins,” Lucy stated. “Reilly’s the father.”
“Twins, seriously?” Annabelle asked as her wide-eyed gaze darted to Lucy’s belly. “I thought there was a little extra to hug.” She grinned. “Congratulations! I guess that sort of trumps my engagement news all to heck, huh?”
Lucy laughed. “Speaking of the engagement, where’s Justin? I thought he was coming with you. I wanted to meet him.”
Annabelle ran a hand through her hair. “He is, but he needed to run some errands. You’ll meet him, don’t worry.”
“Annabelle and Justin are getting married,” Lucy told Reilly. “They’re on their way to Justin’s parents’ house.”
He winked at Annabelle and asked, “Showing off his pretty new fiancée, huh?”
Annabelle flashed a smile. “I like this one, Lucy. You should keep him.”
Lucy had been thinking the same thing, but fear kept her from saying the words aloud. She headed for the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “Have a seat, sweetie, while I get you something to drink.”
“Sounds great, sis,” she answered as she plopped down on the sofa. “I’m beat.”
Lucy opened the refrigerator and grabbed a cold beer for her sister. “Do you want anything to drink, Reilly?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.”
Lucy popped the top of the beer and went back into the room. Annabelle sat with her legs crossed at the knees, smiling up at her. Reilly still stood, hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans and staring at Annabelle with curiosity.
Lucy handed Annabelle her drink before sitting down. “I’m so glad you’re home, even if it is only for a few days. I worry when you’re away.” Being in the army in this day and age wasn’t anything to play around with.
The hand that wasn’t holding the beer patted her thigh. “It’s fine, sis. I know to keep my head down.”
Reilly came forward and sat on the other side of Lucy, then slung an arm over her shoulders. Lucy held back the giddiness of having Reilly so close. Would she always respond to the man with a flow of warmth anytime he came near? She suspected she would.
Annabelle cocked her head to the side and studied her a minute. “You know, you really don’t look very pregnant. How far along are you? Have there been any complications?”
“Not quite four months, and nope,” he answered for her. Reilly pressed a hand to her belly, and suddenly, Lucy’s heart filled with something very much like love.
“Had any odd cravings?” Annabelle asked. “Pickles and ice cream, for instance?”
She shook her head. “Nothing weird. Just a lot of morning sickness so far.”
Annabelle cringed. “Hopefully that part will be over soon.” She looked over at Reilly and winked. “And I’ll bet Reilly will keep you well supplied when the cravings do start up.”
She didn’t give Reilly a chance to reply. Lord only knew what the man would say to such a blanket statement. “Why would you say that?”
“I’ve seen your temper, Lucy. You’re not to be fooled with when you’re mad or hungry.”
She laughed. “Oh yeah, I’m so scary to a badass soldier like you.”
Annabelle started to say something, but Reilly spoke up, stopping them both in their tracks. “Lucy will have everything she needs. If she wants ice cream and pickles, she’ll get
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