Page 107 of What It Must Be

Nathan puts his hands out in front of him and steps toward Gemma as if he’s approaching a wild animal. “Don’t go there right now. Just forget we ever had this conversation, Ruby. I’ll see myself out, and I’ll keep my distance. Promise me that whatever story you’re spinning in that pretty head of yours stops right now.”

Okay, my level of confusion is off the charts right now, and I know it’s not solely due to pregnancy brain. Did he just call her Ruby?

“How can I not? Did you seriously—” before she can finish her sentence Nathan spins on his heels and marches out of the dorm suite.

“What the hell just happened? What am I missing here, Gems?”

She shakes her head to herself and clears her throat. “Just forget about it, Scar. I know I’m going to.” On that note, she storms into her new bedroom and slams the door shut behind her.

Seriously, teenagers!

Looking down at my growing bump, I mindlessly rub my belly and say, “Promise to go easy on your mama, okay? As you can see, I’ve already been through the thick of it with these teenage years.”

Strong arms wrap around my waist and long fingers intertwine with mine. “You should put your feet up, Mama. I’ve got a few more loads to bring up and then I’ll grab us some lunch. What are you craving?”

I bask in Bennett’s strong embrace and breathe a contented sigh of relief. “Our little one is craving Chinese again.”

“Oh I could fuck with some chicken fried rice right now,” Colton declares from the doorway.

Bennett’s answering growl of annoyance vibrates against my back. “Fuck. Off. Colton,” he tells him and I can’t help the giggles that slip free.

After Benny convinces me we should let Gemma have some time to herself to get settled, we say our goodbyes and I’m not surprised when I cry the entire way home. My hormones have made me highly emotional, which doesn’t bode well for moving my little sister into college.

“Let’s get you upstairs, Red,” Bennett suggests after he cleans up our Chinese food littering the kitchen island. “I’ll rub your feet and you can take a nap while I bring Gunner with me to the store. Do you have anything you want me to grab while we’re there?”

“Could you add more kiwi to the shopping list?” I ask, practically drooling just thinking about how good a kiwi parfait sounds right about now.

“Anything for my girls,” he says as he wraps his arms around me and rubs my belly.

A few minutes later when I’m set up in bed, Bennett begins to rub my feet and calves, fretting over me because he thinks I overworkedmyself this morning. “Can you believe we’re going to have a baby girl in only a few months?” I marvel, mindlessly rubbing my belly.

“I always had a feeling we’d have a girl first,” he surprises me by admitting.

“You’re already so great with Gemma, I know our little one hit the jackpot with the best girl dad in the world.”

“Thanks, Red. I hope she looks just like her mama and acts like her too. Speaking of her impending arrival, we should probably settle on a name. Or at least narrow down the list.”

“What do you think of Everett? I kind of like the idea of our kids’ names ending in ‘ett’ like ours,” I suggest, holding my breath to see what he’ll say.

“I love it, and it goes perfectly with the middle name we decided on after your grandfather,” he points out.

“Everett Josephine,” I hum, completely content at this moment.

“Our little Ever girl is going to turn my world upside down just like her mama,” he sighs and I can’t help but fall a little more in love with him right here and now.

The way he’s looking at me has warmth spreading over my body like a warm embrace. Bennett’s love and devotion to not only me, but this family we’ve built together is something that still leaves me speechless. My love for him grows with each day, and I’m eagerly awaiting for the day when he’ll hold our baby girl in his arms for the first time. He said he hopes she looks like me, but I’ve been envisioning a baby girl with a head of chestnut hair and hazel eyes and a grin just like her daddy’s. Either way, she’ll be the most loved little girl in all of existence.