about kids—and her unintended pregnancy with Adam and Manda had, for all intents and purposes, been an absolute nightmare.
Daci already loved the two little girls she carried—she couldn’t imagine having them taken from her the way Millie had lost hers. It was a nightmare she couldn’t allow herself to imagine, the horror of giving birth and never seeing her babies. It had been hard enough to make the decision to get pregnant in the first place. Now that she was, she knew she would protect these little ones with everything that was in her.
If only the whole process wasn’t doing such a crappy job on her self-esteem. She hated feeling ugly. Hated wondering what the guys really thought.
Matt opened the door to the bathroom and caught her staring at herself. He grinned and did what he and Deacon seemed to take such great pleasure in—cupped her belly with his big hands, leaned close, and kissed the taut surface.
“How can you stand me like this?” She sniffed, grabbed a tissue, and blew her nose.
“You’re kidding, right?” He stared at her like she’d grown two heads. “Good Goddess, Daci. You’re gorgeous. I’ve never seen you so beautiful. Your skin glows and your breasts are . . . I mean. Wow.” He let out a reverent sigh. “Your breasts are magnificent. They’re so perfect I can’t even begin to . . .”
“They’re huge. My belly’s huge and my breasts look like two big cantaloupes sitting on top of a giant watermelon.”
Deacon stuck his head through the open door. “She at it again? Makin’ with the food analogies?” He laughed and Daci wanted to hit him, except it was so neat to hear Deacon’s laughter. He’d always been such a dour sort, but for some reason her pregnancy had changed him.
In good ways. Not like her. He certainly hadn’t gained forty extra pounds, even though it wouldn’t hurt him a bit if he did, and he didn’t have to worry about having to pee every five minutes. No, his smile came more often now, and he’d relaxed in so many ways. It was as if Deacon finally realized that the life they had wasn’t going to be taken away. That the three of them had something permanent, something that worked.
So why couldn’t she feel that way? Because she wasn’t sure, that’s why. What if babies changed everything? What if adding twins to their small but perfect family altered the dynamic to the point where it didn’t work at all?
“Yeah, we’re into cantaloupes and watermelons today. She’s in here telling me how ugly she is.” Matt grinned at Deacon. “Can you believe that line of crap?”
Deacon squeezed into the tiny bathroom and sat on the counter, effectively blocking Daci’s view of herself in the mirror. “I think she’s looking for attention,” he said, flashing a big wink at Daci. “I mean . . . look at this woman. She’s tall and gorgeous and she’s carrying our babies.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Deacon blinked rapidly. He turned to Matt, and his voice was so low, the emotions behind his words so intense, Daci had to watch his lips to understand what he said.
“Now, that’s the part I’m having trouble with. Our babies, Matt. Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine finding the perfect woman who would love you enough to carry your child? Who would put up with the changes in her body and the hormones and all that crap, to give you something as special as this?”
When he turned to look at her, his eyes sparkled with unshed tears. He palmed her belly with his big hands and Matt shifted his stance and did the same. They stood there a moment, the three of them together, Daci and both her guys, connected through the warmth in their hands against her huge belly, holding Daci, protecting their babies.
Reassuring her that all her worries were for naught. Reminding her they were in this for the long run. The three of them plus whatever babies they were lucky enough to have, together. Forever.
And at that moment, one of the girls
Daci already loved the two little girls she carried—she couldn’t imagine having them taken from her the way Millie had lost hers. It was a nightmare she couldn’t allow herself to imagine, the horror of giving birth and never seeing her babies. It had been hard enough to make the decision to get pregnant in the first place. Now that she was, she knew she would protect these little ones with everything that was in her.
If only the whole process wasn’t doing such a crappy job on her self-esteem. She hated feeling ugly. Hated wondering what the guys really thought.
Matt opened the door to the bathroom and caught her staring at herself. He grinned and did what he and Deacon seemed to take such great pleasure in—cupped her belly with his big hands, leaned close, and kissed the taut surface.
“How can you stand me like this?” She sniffed, grabbed a tissue, and blew her nose.
“You’re kidding, right?” He stared at her like she’d grown two heads. “Good Goddess, Daci. You’re gorgeous. I’ve never seen you so beautiful. Your skin glows and your breasts are . . . I mean. Wow.” He let out a reverent sigh. “Your breasts are magnificent. They’re so perfect I can’t even begin to . . .”
“They’re huge. My belly’s huge and my breasts look like two big cantaloupes sitting on top of a giant watermelon.”
Deacon stuck his head through the open door. “She at it again? Makin’ with the food analogies?” He laughed and Daci wanted to hit him, except it was so neat to hear Deacon’s laughter. He’d always been such a dour sort, but for some reason her pregnancy had changed him.
In good ways. Not like her. He certainly hadn’t gained forty extra pounds, even though it wouldn’t hurt him a bit if he did, and he didn’t have to worry about having to pee every five minutes. No, his smile came more often now, and he’d relaxed in so many ways. It was as if Deacon finally realized that the life they had wasn’t going to be taken away. That the three of them had something permanent, something that worked.
So why couldn’t she feel that way? Because she wasn’t sure, that’s why. What if babies changed everything? What if adding twins to their small but perfect family altered the dynamic to the point where it didn’t work at all?
“Yeah, we’re into cantaloupes and watermelons today. She’s in here telling me how ugly she is.” Matt grinned at Deacon. “Can you believe that line of crap?”
Deacon squeezed into the tiny bathroom and sat on the counter, effectively blocking Daci’s view of herself in the mirror. “I think she’s looking for attention,” he said, flashing a big wink at Daci. “I mean . . . look at this woman. She’s tall and gorgeous and she’s carrying our babies.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Deacon blinked rapidly. He turned to Matt, and his voice was so low, the emotions behind his words so intense, Daci had to watch his lips to understand what he said.
“Now, that’s the part I’m having trouble with. Our babies, Matt. Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine finding the perfect woman who would love you enough to carry your child? Who would put up with the changes in her body and the hormones and all that crap, to give you something as special as this?”
When he turned to look at her, his eyes sparkled with unshed tears. He palmed her belly with his big hands and Matt shifted his stance and did the same. They stood there a moment, the three of them together, Daci and both her guys, connected through the warmth in their hands against her huge belly, holding Daci, protecting their babies.
Reassuring her that all her worries were for naught. Reminding her they were in this for the long run. The three of them plus whatever babies they were lucky enough to have, together. Forever.
And at that moment, one of the girls
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