“What happened?” Mom asks, interrupting us.

Kale’s head snaps up as if he’s just now realized she’s in the room with us. I grin as he slightly adjusts me, pulling the sheet up over my body, and I assume he’s finally aware that he’s in a room with me, my mom, and my teenage sister and neither of us has clothes on.

“I told Lucy she had ten minutes to get ready and she jumped up and got tangled in the sheets. Then she fell off the bed and onto the floor. That’s when I came to get you,” Marisa informs her, volunteering the information, and I sigh with relief, knowing she probably didn’t get an eyeful of Kale’s baby maker.

Mom’s face floods with worry, and I wish I could go to her, reassure her that I’m fine. However, that would mean leaving Kale’s lap and exposing him, and I’m not about to expose us as well. It was so cute the way he tried to follow Mom’s rules, and I don’t want her to know I made him break them. Or that he caved.

“I’m fine, Mom. I promise,” I tell her, my words echoing the ones I just said to Kale. “Like Riss said, I just got tripped up and I fell. I might be a little sore later on, but nothing hurts right now other than my pride. Now if you’ll shut the door, we can get ready and we’ll be out for breakfast in a few minutes, okay?”

For the first time, Mom gets a good look at Kale, and I groan inwardly, pretty sure she can put two and two together. Instead of earning a glare, she gives me a knowing smile and simply closes the door behind her, making sure that Marisa can’t see a thing.

I lean back against his chest. “This was an awful idea,” I groan. “She knows. She so knows we fooled around last night!”

He just shakes his head at me. He holds me tight while he uses all his strength to stand up, even with me still in his arms. “I’d say I told you so, but that’d be like admitting that I didn’t enjoy it. And baby, I enjoyed every damn second.”

I hold on as he deposits me on the bed with extreme care. Leaning down, he places both hands on the bed and comes in close, turning serious-faced again.

“Tell me the truth, Lucy. Does anything hurt?” His eyes are so soft, so earnest, and the intensity behind them unnerves me.

Studying his eyes, I can see something there, but I’m not sure what. I bring a hand up to caress his cheek, hoping my touch will reassure him. “I promise you. I’m fine. The baby’s fine. We’re all fine, Kale. But thank you so much for being worried. You’re going to be the best daddy.”

His eyes soften, and he moves to sit on the edge of the bed beside me. His elbows are on his knees as he runs his hands through his hair then over his face as if he’s trying to wipe away some emotion or thought. What it is, I have no idea, and it’s a side of him I’ve never seen before. My hand moves to his back then slides around his waist as I cuddle into him, hoping to help him relax, to know that I’m here, I’m fine.

He lets out a loud sigh and wraps an arm around me, pulling me in as close as possible. “I need to make sure that you and our little sprout are safe, protected, and healthy. From now until forever,” he promises, so quiet it’s almost a whisper.

My heart flutters at his words, at the implication of the word forever, and for once, hearing it from a man’s lips doesn’t have me running for the hills. I scoot closer to him and then move so I’m straddling his lap. Placing both hands on his cheeks, I force him to look at me.

“Kale Montgomery, I couldn’t feel safer with anyone, and there is no other man I could ever trust more to love, protect, and cherish my unborn child.” I take his hand and place it underneath the sheet, where it rests on my belly. “I know we haven’t had an in-depth serious conversation about where things are going to go, and we will after the holidays and the craziness of this weekend. But just know I’m glad it’s you here with me now. You once told me that we’re in this together, and it’s my turn to reassure you of the same thing. You and I are in this together, one hundred percent, and I should’ve told you that so much sooner. As partners, lovers, parents—whatever you want to label it, I couldn’t do this without you, and I wouldn’t want to. I want this. I want you. I want our baby. You, me, and Sprout? It’s the three of us now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kale’s fingers caress my stomach and his eyes watch his hand move, almost as if he’s trying as hard as he can to develop some sort of x-ray vision so he can get a glimpse of Sprout. His eyes come up to meet mine, and my heart swells when I see them glistening.

“I know just two weeks ago I said I wasn’t in love you, but God dammit, Lucy, I’m really starting to fall. Hard. Hard as hell,” he whispers, his eyes shooting back and forth between mine.

My heart starts racing at his words, and I remember the night I so lamely told him that I wasn’t in love with him and he reciprocated the words. All of a sudden, I know I feel the same way, and reminiscent of that night, I return them.

“A year and a half ago? Two weeks ago? I don’t really care about the timeline anymore, because with us, it’s never been about that. I’m falling, too, Kale. Hard as hell,” I admit, echoing his words.

A huge grin spreads over his face, and before I know it, I’m rolled onto my back and he’s hovering over me. “Promise?” he asks, his eyes boring into mine.

I match his grin and hold up my hands in the same sign I’ve seen him do so many times. “I promise. Scout’s honor.”

Shaking his head, he leans down for a kiss and then pushes off me. “All right, babe. As much as I’d love to continue this conversation, I’m already afraid I’m in the dog house with your mom. Let’s get decent and have some breakfast. Then we can get ready to head to my mom’s. Sound good?”

“That sounds perfect.”

AFTER EATING a perfect Southern breakfast and gorging myself with Mom’s famous biscuits and gravy, we finally got ready to leave for Gulf Shores. Of course, Mom and Marisa both asked me about a dozen times each if I was okay, to which I assured them I was. They didn’t quit harping until Kale stepped in and reassured them by letting them know that he’d watch me like a hawk to make sure I was taking it easy. Even though it was super sweet, I had to roll my eyes at him, but he just gave me a knowing smile back.

As we were saying our goodbyes, Mom gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “That boy’s a keeper, Lucy Beth,” and all I could do was nod, knowing she was right.

All the apprehension I felt about telling Mom about the baby vanished when she said those words, but now the closer we get to Gulf Shores and to the other women in his life, the more the tension seeps back in and increases tenfold. I think deep down I always knew that Mom would accept it after her initial shock, and even though Kale’s mom has had plenty of time to prepare herself, I’m still terrified of what she’s going to think of me. Kale tells me not to worry, but it’s been a long time since I did the whole meet-the-parents thing. Aidan constantly bugged me about it, yet it just never felt like the right time—another reason why we didn’t work out. The thing, though, is that with Kale, I want to meet his family. No matter how nervous I feel, I want to be a part of every aspect of his life, especially now that we have something that will connect us for the rest of our lives. Plus, I know how important it will be for all of us if we get along with each other’s families, so for Kale, I’ll put my nerves aside and go into this headstrong. At least that’s what I tell myself.

“What happened to Chatty Cathy?” Kale asks, and I smile sheepishly at him.

“Sorry, babe. I’m just kind of mentally freaking out over meeting my boyfriend’s mother for the first time. How should I greet her? ‘Hi, Grandma’?”

I watch as he throws his head back in laughter, his shoulders shaking. “If you do that, she’ll probably love you forever.” He takes hold of my hand and brings it to his lips, smiling over at me from the driver’s seat. “Seriously, Luce. Relax. She’s been dying for grandchildren, and plus, she’s going to love you no matter what. There’s no way she couldn’t love you. It’ll be fine, I promise.”