The door came open. “It’s about time. How many freaking quickies did you two have on the way over?” We broke apart to find Eva arching her eyebrow at us as she rubbed her very pregnant belly. “If you two aren’t careful, you’re going to end up like this.”
Asher only chuckled as he pulled her in for a hug. “What? Aren’t you ready to be an aunt?”
“Probably more ready than you are, honey.” She slapped a kiss to his cheek and pulled away. “Now get in here. You’re missing all the fun.”
“Asher and Remy are here! Yay!” Aspen cried as soon as we stepped into the room. She sat on the floor with a half-empty glass in hand as she leaned against Noel. Clearly drunk, she lifted her cup to us before she tipped her head back and drained it.
Reese and Caroline popped to their feet as they hurried forward to embrace us with a round of hugs. The rest of the guys waved, while both Zoey and Quinn and Felicity and Knox remained curled together in their seats, looking too cozy to get up and greet us. Felicity’s arms were full with her little bundle of joy, anyway. Mason murmured something to Pick, making Pick laugh, and Ten sat in the middle of the floor with a flushed face and...what the hell? Were those tears in his eyes?
An also very pregnant Reese hugged me and then Asher, telling us how much she’d loved the show. Then Caroline was butting in to grab my hand and check out my engagement ring because she hadn’t gotten to see it yet.
“I’m so happy for you guys.” Wrapping one arm around my neck and another around Asher’s, she hugged us in to her.
“Thanks, beautiful.” Asher kissed her cheek before furrowing his brow and hitching his chin toward Ten. “What’s up with your husband?”
“Oh, don’t mind him.” Caroline waved an unconcerned hand toward Ten. “He’s only a little shell-shocked. Just found out he’s going to be a daddy.”
“?Oh, Dios mío!” I screeched, jumping up and down. “You’re pregnant? Omigod, congratulations!” I yanked her into another hug and we laughed together as we jumped in a circle.
“Isn’t it great?” Reese asked, rubbing her own belly. “Our group’s just turning into a regular ol’ baby-making factory.”
Asher hooked an arm around my waist and pressed his mouth to my ear. “And I have this sneaking suspicion we’re not going to be very far behind them.”
I glanced at him, but he didn’t seem appalled by the idea. Instead, he wiggled his brows and smiled as if asking, You want to?
Holy shit, I couldn’t believe this. Asher was ready to have babies...with me?
We were already grandparents. A couple months after Asher and I had bought a house with a large, fenced-in backyard where Mozart could play to his heart’s content, we’d gone to the pet store and gotten him a companion, one they’d assured us was another male. But only months later, Mozart swelled up before popping out three little babies.
Guess I hadn’t been the only one posing as a dude, after all.
I had no idea how Asher and I would work a human baby into our lives, being on the road so much, singing and playing for Non-Castrato. But I wasn’t worried. With a man like Asher Hart by my side, I didn’t fear the next day. I only looked forward to the promise of tomorrow.
The End
Acknowledgements:
Thank you to my beta/early readers: Elisa Castro, Shi Ann Crumpacker, Alaina Martinie, Lindsay Brooks, Ada Frost, Katie Anderson, Ana Kristina Rabacca, Mary Rose Bermundo, Sarah Symonds from Inked in Books, Amanda at Beta Reading Bookshelf, Jennifer at Three Chicks and Their Books, and Michelle and Pepper at AllRo-mance Book Reviews.
Another very big, special thank you to Eli Castro for tak-ing so much time to go over the manuscript and translate and explain what each translation meant!
Thank you to my editor Stephanie Parent, and proof-readers Autumn at the Autumn Review and Shelley at 2 Book Lovers Reviews!
Thank you to Ada Frost for my amazing book cover this time around.
More thanks to all the supportive people who visit my social media sites and read my stories, keeping me in business, especially everyone on the Facebook Group: The Forbidden Men Lovers! Love you guys.
Thanks to my huge family, thanks to Kurt, Lydia, and the brand new Sadie (who was with me every step of the way...literally, since she was stuck inside me the entire time) for providing me with my own happily ever after, and then finally thank you to God.
I know I don’t deserve so much help and support from so many people, but I cherish and appreciate it, recognizing it for the amazing gift it is, anyway. Thank you.
About Linda Kage
Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter, and their nine cuckoo clocks. Her life's been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part of her world, and she’s so happy to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.
Please visit her at her website: www.LindaKage.com