The Bachelor's Little Bonus (Proposals & Promises 3)

“That all sounds wonderful.” She wondered if she and Cole would do things like that someday. After this baby was out of the nest, would they be a couple who wanted to share adventures together? Or would they be more like Cole’s father and stepmother—he still immersed in his solitary work, she pursuing her own interests for the most part? She didn’t like that option. Could either of them really be happy settling for that?

“Stevie? Is everything okay?”

She schooled her expression quickly, reminding herself of her client’s profession. It wasn’t easy to fool a psychiatrist, especially for someone like her who wore her emotions close to the surface, anyway. “Yes, thank you. It’s all still very new, of course, so we have some adjustments to make, but Cole and I are looking forward to setting up our household and starting our family. We’ve, um, actually gotten an early start on that. I’m expecting a baby in August.”

“Well, congratulations again.” Pepper looked genuinely delighted. “You’ll be a wonderful mother.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” Pepper patted her hand again. Then, seeming to sense that Stevie wanted to change the subject, she reached for the tablet. “Now, about these cabinets. Paint or wash?”

Relieved to be brought back into her area of expertise, Stevie pushed her concerns to the back of her mind and focused on her business.

* * *

Breathing heavily, Cole tugged off his head gear and ran a hand through his sweat-dampened hair before mopping at his face with a small towel. His friend Russ Krupistsky dropped to the mat at Cole’s feet, dragging in breath as he rested with his knees drawn up in front of him. “Good match, Cole,” he said, his voice still raspy from exertion.

“Yeah, you, too.” Cole reached down to shake Russ’s outstretched hand.

He’d met with five others for the monthly meeting at the dojo where he’d studied karate. It was Thursday evening, and the place was closed for lessons, but the owner encouraged these gatherings of former and current students who wanted to stay in touch. They chipped in to compensate Sensei Tim, deeming the exercise and fellowship worth the nominal cost.

Having refereed the bout and declaring Cole the winner, though by only a very slim margin, Tim gave him a couple of hearty pats on the back. “Good job, Cole. You’re staying in good shape for a computer guy.”

Cole laughed. “Thanks, Sensei. I do my best.”

His broad, dark face creased with a grin, black eyes glinting with humor, Tim reached down a hand to help Russ to his feet, already making a few suggestions for Russ’s next bout. When he wasn’t formally teaching, Tim was easygoing and jovial. Put him at the head of a class, though, and he barked out orders and corrections with the sharp precision of the army drill sergeant he’d once been.

“Hey, Cole.” Her white gi belted snugly around her, Jessica Lopez touched his arm to get his attention. Her brown ponytail hung limply and her cheeks glistened from exertion, but she was smiling. “That was a nice side kick that took Russ down.”

“Thanks. I saw you sparring with Gabriel. Looked like you were holding your own.”

Jessica, who was somewhere in her late twenties, chuckled wryly. “Considering he’s nearly a decade younger and a helluva lot faster than I am, holding my own was the best I could do. But he took

it easy on me and I had fun.”

“That’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?”

She nodded, ponytail bobbing. “So, Cole... Gabe and Russ and Nick and I thought we’d go have a burger or something when we’re done here. We’ve worked off the calories, right?”

She laughed and he smiled in response, preparing for the inevitable next question.

“Would you like to join us?”

It wasn’t the first time in the past few months that he’d suspected Jessica was interested in him, and not just as another member of the gang. He was kind of dense at times when it came to social signals, but even he recognized when a woman was letting him know she wouldn’t mind spending time with him.

“Thanks, but I’ll have to pass this time. My wife is waiting at home for me.”

My wife. The words still felt a little odd on his tongue, even though he’d been married before. It was just taking a little time to grow accustomed to thinking of Stevie in that way.

Jessica’s eyes widened dramatically. “Your wife?”

“Dude, you got married?” Russ asked, overhearing. “When did this happen?”

“Last week.” He draped his towel around his neck, subtly flashing his wedding band in the process.

As he accepted the surprised congratulations from his friends, he was glad he’d come tonight. He’d only done so, though, because Stevie had a meeting and he’d figured he might as well stick to his regular schedule.

She wasn’t yet home when he let himself in. He dropped his keys in a little basket she used for that purpose and wiped his feet carefully on the mat leading in from the garage before bending down to greet Dusty with a pat.