“I love you, baby girl. I love you so much.”

As I opened my eyes, I saw the light shining through the window. I rolled over and looked toward Alex’s bassinet. Gus was gone, so I was guessing that Gunner had gotten up to feed Alex. I had to smile as I thought about how Gus was now following Alex all over the place. Damn, I love that dog. It was driving Gunner nuts, which made it all the more fun.

I sat up and stretched as I remembered the two times Gunner had satisfied me last night. God, I’m so horny but also so damn sore. Six weeks…shit.

After I brushed my teeth, I made my way toward the kitchen. I stopped when I heard Gunner singing. I slowly walked up to the kitchen entryway and peeked around the corner. I smiled when I saw Gus following behind Gunner as he walked around the kitchen. Gunner was singing “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams as he held Alex in his arms. My heart started beating so fast. He’d sung that song to me when we danced on the beach during our honeymoon.

Oh. My. God. This man is beyond perfect. How can one person give so much love? I felt a tear slide down my face. Gunner loved her unconditionally. Alex would always feel loved and wanted.

“I’d die for you and your mama, baby girl. I’ll protect you from all those disgusting, evil little boys who will break your heart. Their parents might be upset when I break their faces, but that’ll be their problem.”

I tried so hard not to giggle as I imagined how he would scare away every boy who would come to our house. Gus must have heard me because he looked right at me and wagged his tail.

When I stepped into the kitchen, Gunner’s back was facing me. When he started to sing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” I had to stop and grab on to the kitchen island. My heart was pounding as the ache between my legs grew. His voice was amazing.

Alex let out a little sound, and Gunner laughed.

“You like that song, baby girl?”

“She likes you singing to her, just like I do,” I said as I finally got my legs to move.

Gunner turned around and smiled that drop-dead gorgeous smile of his.

How is this man mine? I am one lucky-ass girl.

“Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep good?” he asked as he winked at me.

I walked over to him and reached up to give him a kiss. “I did, thanks to you and your magical fingers.”

Gunner threw his head back and laughed.

“How did you sleep?”

He yawned and then handed Alex to me. “I tossed and turned all night, thinking about Josh.”

“Shit. I need to call Heather. The last time I talked to her, they had brought Josh back from some scans, and she said he had been sleeping for four hours. I can’t believe he doesn’t remember her, Gunner. How could he forget her?” I put Alex in her bouncy chair and then started to make coffee.

Gunner let out a sigh as he sat down. He ran his hands through his hair and then down his face. “I don’t know. I can’t even imagine how Heather’s feeling. I wasn’t going to say anything, but…” He stopped talking and shook his head.

“What? Don’t stop mid-sentence and leave me hanging like that!”

“Well, Josh was planning on asking Heather to marry him after the Christmas party. Jeff and I had gone with him to pick out the ring.” Gunner looked up at me with such sad eyes.

No…

“Oh, Gunner. Oh no. Why is this happening? Oh god…poor Heather. Like she hasn’t been through hell and back enough times. Does she know he was going to ask her?”

“No. I’m not even sure his parents knew.” Gunner stood up and grabbed a coffee mug out of the cabinet. “Listen, Jeff is heading back into Austin today to go see Josh. I’m going to follow him in Heather’s car since Jeff drove her to the hospital. I know Brad and Amanda are coming out to visit, and—”

I spun around and looked at Gunner. “Oh. My. God! You need to kick Brad’s ass!”

Gunner gave me a confused look. “What? Why?”

I shook my head, remembering Heather’s text to Ari and me.

Heather: Amanda’s pregnant, like four months along, and Brad told her if she didn’t give the baby up for adoption, he was leaving. And he told her she had to hide it from his parents. It’s like someone snatched the real Brad and replaced him with this asshole. This dickwad also told Amanda he had lied to her about wanting kids because he was afraid she wouldn’t marry him if he said he didn’t.

“He lied! Never wanted kids…she’s pregnant, and he’s talking crazy…hide the pregnancy! Adoption? Psht!”

Gunner stood there, just staring at me. “Wow…somehow, I think I understood everything you just rattled off.” He sat back down. “Okay, so let me get this straight. Amanda told Brad she was pregnant, but Brad doesn’t want kids. So, he told her she had to give the baby up for adoption? Ellie, that doesn’t even sound like Brad. He’s never once told us he didn’t want kids. As a matter of fact, when Ari was pregnant, he told Jeff he couldn’t wait to have kids!” Gunner said, running his hand through his hair.

“I don’t know. That’s what Amanda told Heather yesterday. Brad freaked and told Amanda he didn’t want kids. Ever.”

Gunner got up and took out his phone.

Oh shit. He’s calling Brad. Good thing Gunner won’t be here when they come visit.

Just then, my cell phone went off. I grabbed it out of my purse and saw a message from Amanda.

Amanda: We’re on our way! Can’t wait to see the baby!

Clearly, she didn’t know Heather had told us. When Heather called the code blue, Ari had called me right away, and we’d decided to wait to talk to Amanda in person.

This is insane. No way is she giving up her baby because some asshole said she had to. Ugh, I can’t believe he lied to her about wanting kids.

“Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Gunner slipped his cell phone into his back pocket. “Jeff and Ari are on their way. Jeff is driving Heather’s car, and my dad can give Ari a ride back home when she’s ready to leave.”

“Did you mention Brad to Jeff?”

“I didn’t have to. Ari told him last night. He’s ready to kick his ass, and to be honest, I’m ready to put him in the hospital,” Gunner said as he made a fist.

“Good Lord, can’t we just have a few months of no drama in this group of ours? First, it’s Josh and Heather, and now, there’s this whole thing with Brad and Amanda. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to look him in the eye and not say something, Gunner.” I looked over at Alex as she started to wake up.

Gunner let out a sigh. “Jeff thinks he knows what the problem is with Brad.”

I was just about to pick up Alex when I stopped and looked at Gunner. “Okay…what’s the problem?”

“All he said was that Smitty had called him a few weeks ago and said he saw Brad at lunch with a girl.”

I felt sick. Brad’s cheating on Amanda? “Oh no, Gunner…you don’t think…”

“I don’t know, baby. Jeff asked Brad about it, and Brad said Smitty must have been wrong because he was out of town that week.”

I picked up Alex and held her close to me as I felt tears building in my eyes. Did Brad cheat on Amanda? Please, God, no. Please don’t let that be true.

As we walked into the hospital, I thought about everything that had happened yesterday. Josh had been so cold and distant when he came back from his brain scan, and Victoria had been flying high as a kite.

Did she say something to Josh? What could she have said to make him so withdrawn?

Elizabeth grabbed my hand. “Heather, honey, are you okay? You seem so far away.”

I had talked to her about how Josh wanted to start off by being friends. I’d seen how disappointed she was, and I knew exactly how she felt. I didn’t want to push Josh into anything, but at the same time, I felt like he was slowly slipping away from me.