Groaning, I got out of bed and jumped into the shower. I needed to shave but decided to let it go until later, not wanting to spend another second away from my angel. Plans were already forming in my head. Take my expecting wife out for a nice late lunch, buy her a million things, maybe even do a little shopping for the nursery…
The thought of a nursery made me stop. Lana and I were still in the same apartment with Shane in one of the other bedrooms. Maybe it was time to find our own place? I would have to talk to Lana about it and maybe get Emmie to talk to some realtors for us.
After my shower, I tossed on boxers, old jeans, and a newer Demon’s Wings T-shirt. I could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, and my stomach grumbled, telling me I hadn’t had a home cooked meal in two weeks. I opened the bedroom door…
Laughter was coming from the kitchen, and I frowned when I recognized it as Layla’s. Jesse’s deeper chuckle joined in followed by Lucy’s giggles. I had just seen my band brother the day before as we had parted ways at LAX at the end of the tour. He hadn’t said anything about coming out to New York.
I stopped just outside the door to the kitchen and looked in as the crowd milled around the island. Lucy was munching on cookies that were freshly baked. Jesse, never able to resist something freshly cooked by Lana, was stuffing his face with the chocolate chip goodness as well. Layla and Lana were leaning against the counter by the dishwasher. They hadn’t seen each other since Christmas and it was now May.
“If I knew you guys were coming I would have gotten up,” I told them as I stepped into the kitchen. “Hey, pretty girl.” I dropped a kiss on top of Lucy’s head then pulled Layla into my arms for a tight hug before kissing my angel. Finally, I turned to face my friend, band brother, and now my brother-in-law. It had taken Jesse a while to fully forgive me for what I had done to Lana—fuck, it had taken me a while to forgive myself—but things were finally back to normal with us. “Did you miss me that bad, bro?”
“So bad, man.” He snorted.
“Actually, we had some news that we wanted to share.” Layla said, and I turned to glance at her. She was smiling in a way that made me want to smile back. She looked over at her husband and the love shining in her eyes was only a mirror of what I always saw shining back at me when I looked into Lana’s. “I thought that you guys would want to know that you are going to be having a couple nieces or nephews coming at the end of the year.”
I blinked, not sure I had heard her correctly. Maybe my brain was still half asleep. “You’re pregnant?”
“Yes.” She grinned at my dazed look. “I’m pregnant and…”
“It’s twins!” Jesse exclaimed, pride and love coating his words.
My gaze went to Lana who seemed to be more dazed than I was. Tears filled those whiskey eyes, and I rushed to pull her into my arms. “Okay?” I murmured.
Layla’s excitement seemed to evaporate. “I’m sorry, Lana. I’m so insensitive. I should have realized that this would hurt you. You lost your baby…” She broke off, her chin trembling. “I just wanted to share our happy news with you.”
“No.” Lana shook her head at her sister. “I’m happy for you. So happy!” She scrubbed at her face. “And we have news of our own.” She looked up at me and smiled through her tears. “We’re having a baby too. Our due date is December fifteenth.”
Layla gasped and then squealed. “Oh. My. God!” She pushed me away as she pulled Lana into her arms. “My due date is December sixteenth!”
“What?!?” Lana was laughing now, and the two sisters started jumping up and down in their excitement. “Layla, that’s crazy!”
It was almost surreal, how happy I was as I watched my angel and seeing how happy she was in that moment. There was nothing in the world I would ever want more than to see her smiling. In that minute, I knew just how lucky I was. I had everything I would ever want, ever need right in front of me.
Jesse pounded me on the back. “Congratulations, man.”
With a grin I turned to my friend. “You too, bro! I’m thrilled for you. Good work on the twins.”
“So I’m going to be an auntie and a big sister. That is so cool,” Lucy said, still munching on cookies.
My plans for the day were tossed out the window, but as I fell into bed that night with Lana, I didn’t care. I was too happy, too content to worry about anything else but the perfect, warm ass snuggled into my aching crotch. “Thank you, Angel.”
She was already half asleep. “Hmm?”