Eight Long Years (Heart of Hope 5)

“When?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose I don’t want to wait too long. I’d like Maya to have a sibling close enough in age that she can feel close to him or her.”

He grinned. “We should get started then.”

“Now?”

“Well, maybe not right this minute, but soon.”

I saw an excitement in his eyes that made me want to give him a boatload of children. “I’ll need to go off the pill.”

His hand caressed my cheek. “I love you so much.”

“So you say,” I teased.

“You don’t believe me?”

“Actions speak louder than words.”

In the next instant, he was kissing me and sliding inside me again.

Two months later, I was pregnant, and today, I was humongous with our second child growing inside me. I was uncomfortable much of the time, but when Jude would see me, when he would rub his hand over my belly like he was taking in every nanosecond of the pregnancy, I was so filled with love. And a little bit of sadness that he’d missed this with Maya.

Jude came out of his office and joined us at the front desk. “How’s everything out here?”

“Just fine, Mr. Mason,” the woman, Dina, said, keeping her eyes on the screen.

Jude reached out and pulled me into his arms. “How’s everything here?” He kissed me then, and like always, everything inside me buzzed to life.

I pulled away laughing. “That’s what got us in this situation.”

Dina's eyes widened as she looked at us.

“You need to watch out for him while I’m gone,” I said to her. “He’s handsy.”

Jude laughed. “Only with my wife.”

The woma

n smiled. “I didn’t realize you were married. That’s great.”

“It really is,” I said. “If you’d like a break, we can take one. It’s about lunch time anyway.”

“I am a little hungry.” She got her purse and left the office.

“How about you, my wife and child?” Jude kept his arms around me. “What do you want for lunch? Pickles and ice cream?”

I snorted. The cravings had gone away months ago, but he still liked to tease me. “I think I’ll be able to find something at the diner.”

“The diner it is.”

I bent over to pull my purse from the desk drawer when I felt a rush of water between my thighs. I jerked up.

“What?” Jude asked, his eyes narrowing in concern.

“I think my water just broke?”

“Water?” He blinked.