The door swung open and a hand wrapped around her still-flat belly as lips pressed to her neck. And those were two more things Cora had to be grateful for. The eight-week-old baby in her belly, almost old enough for his very first sonogram—because Cora was sure he was another Evans man—and the father of her child who loved them both. None of which was a secret anymore, not after the doctor had apparently shared the news of Cora’s pregnancy in front of Ben. Luckily, the boys were thrilled about the possibility of a new little Evans. So much so that when, a few weeks ago, Ben had crawled into her bed and asked her if he could call her Mom like the baby would one day do, Cora had been absolutely floored—and immediately said yes.
“There’s my sweetheart,” Slider said against her throat.
“Mmm, I’m feeling a little more grateful already,” she teased.
Slider chuckled and nipped her neck. “I’ll be happy to make sure you’re very grateful later. How’re you feeling? You’re not overdoing it, are you?”
She turned in his arms. “I’m fine. It’s a good day,” she said, not willing to think about any of the bad ones. Not today. “The best.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You going to share your news?” she whispered, because she knew he’d been keeping something he’d been working on under wraps from the guys until the details were final.
Slider grinned, and he was so damn handsome with some scruff back on his jaw again. “I think today would be a good time, don’t you?”
“I really do.”
“What are you two whispering about over there?” Haven asked, winking.
“World domination,” Slider deadpanned. Cora threw her head back and laughed.
“Sounds about right,” Bunny said. “Now, Slider Evans, go recruit some help to start carting everything out to the tables, if you would.”
He snagged a piece of stuffing from a bowl. “Yes, ma’am.”
Cora swatted at him but missed, and she rolled her eyes at the smug expression he wore.
“You realize,” Alexa said, “that you are literally glowing.”
Her three friends lined up, all of them nodding.
“Yup,” Haven said, grinning.
“She’s right,” Bunny said. “That’s what the magical peen does to a girl.”
They all burst out laughing. Just stupid, snorting, can’t-stand-up laughing.
Slider, Dare, and Maverick stopped in the doorway and traded looks like they wondered what the heck they’d just walked into. And it made Cora start laughing all over again . . . since they were the owners of some of the magical peens in question.
From the mouth of a sixty-year-old!
How very much Cora hoped she grew up to be just like Bunny.
When the girls managed to pull themselves together again, they supervised everything getting taken out to the tables, and then they all gathered in the mess hall.
Everyone.
Including Jagger, who sat at the head of the main table. His freedom was the biggest thing the club was celebrating today. After an arduous and frustrating set of legal delays, he’d finally been released—and exonerated—three weeks ago. His wavy mess of brown hair had been cut off in jail, but otherwise, the time in hadn’t seemed to change him. At least, not much. He still smiled easily and talked freely and constantly played guitar chords with his fingers, whether he was holding a guitar or not. And he’d jumped right back into his work at the track. But it seemed to Cora that something inside Jagger shined just a little less brightly than before. And they were all determined to help him get it back.
But for now, he was free, and home where he belonged. Justice, at long last, had finally been served.
Cora sat next to Slider on her right and Haven on her left, and the boys sat right across from them. No one had dressed the slightest bit differently for the meal, and all the brothers wore their cuts. That felt right. Because they were being exactly who they were.
The tables were laden with turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, cornbread, and so much more—not including Haven’s desserts, of course—and everyone filled their plates and dug in.
One giant family of choice and of blood, of friendship and of love. One where Cora finally fit in. One that finally claimed Cora right back. One that she’d have forever. For the first time in her life, she had no doubts about that.
And the fact that it was a legacy she’d be able to pass on to her own child made it that much more special. The newest little Evans was never going to know what it was like to want for love.
“So, I have some news to share,” Slider said, catching the attention of everyone around them. Cora squeezed his thigh, a silent encouragement to remind him how proud she was.
Maverick tapped his spoon against a glass, gathering the rest of the room’s attention, too. “Hold up, Slider has some news.”