Lost Love (Cowboys & Angels 1)

They both shook their heads. Melanie crossed her arms and stared. “I knew it! Didn’t I tell you a few weeks ago, April!”

Huh?

“Um…you knew what?” I asked as my gaze swung between the two of them.

“You called it, Melanie.”

“What are we talking about?” I asked.

Raising her eyebrow, my mother said, “Maybe she doesn’t know.”

“I don’t know what?” I asked.

“Oh…that could be.”

They turned and started cooking again. I was about to ask them what in the hell they were talking about when I felt Steed’s arms wrap around me. He gently placed his hands over my stomach and kissed my neck.

“How are you feeling?” he asked in a soft voice.

“Okay,” I stated, looking suspiciously at our mothers. “I think they know,” I whispered.

Steed chuckled. “They couldn’t possibly.”

Spinning around, I motioned to go outside. Once we were off the porch, I started to tell him what Chloe had said and what their reaction was followed by the whole I don’t think she knows.

Steed ran his fingers through his hair. “You think Amelia or Cord said something?”

I shook my head. “No. They promised, and I believe they won’t spill.”

Next thing I knew, Steed was spinning us around. “They’re looking out the window. They totally know.”

“Shit. Do you think they’ll keep it a secret? And how? How do they know?”

“Amelia said you’re glowing.”

I chuckled. “I am not.”

He cupped my face in his soft, warm hands. “You are.”

“It could be because I’m engaged to be married to the love of my life.”

His eyes closed, and I knew he was attempting to get his emotions in check. When he opened them, he looked directly into my eyes. “I know this isn’t a do-over. I know we lost a precious child, and there will always be this void in my heart, but a part of me thinks I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch for getting this second chance with you. I would have been happy with just you saying yes to marrying me. But a baby. Pax, I’m so over the fucking moon it’s not even funny. I feel like God is giving me another chance to get this right. When I found out about Chloe, I wasn’t happy.”

Sadness moved across his face. “I was angry, and I hated Kim for getting pregnant. But then I realized what was at stake. There was no way I was going to lose another baby.”

I shook my head. “Steed, you never have to explain your love for Chloe. Ever. Everything happened for a reason, and I’m so happy to have her in my life. I can’t wait to see her face when we tell her tonight at dinner we’re going to get married.”

The corners of his mouth raised, and I was blown over by that smile. We had decided to wait and announce the engagement, even though everyone knew. Chloe didn’t, and Steed wanted her with the family when she found out.

“I can’t wait either.”

He glanced back and chuckled. “Want to have fun with them?”

I lifted a brow. “What did you have in mind?”

Dropping to his knees, he cupped his hands at my stomach and started talking to the baby.

“Hey little one. Your two nosy grandmas are spying on me and Mommy.”

My fingers ran through his dark thick hair. Happiness blossomed in my chest with Steed talking to our child.

“Oh yeah, one more thing. Go easy on Mommy with the whole morning sickness thing.”

I chuckled.

He gazed up at me. “Are they still watching?”

Trying to peek without them seeing me, I covered my mouth and turned away. Melanie and my mother had been hugging each other and jumping up and down.

“What?” he asked standing up and looking. “You think they’re happy?”

“I’d say they were a little happy.”

To say this Thanksgiving was both the best and weirdest would be an understatement. I was bursting at the seams to tell Chloe about marrying Paxton. My mother and April had calmed down when Paxton and I walked back into the house. I guess they were waiting on us to tell them, because neither of them said a thing. We decided we were going to make them sweat it out for a few weeks, or at least until one of them broke down and asked us.

Then you had the whole Tripp, Mitchell, and Corina thing. Tripp had invited Corina over, and she had accepted. Mitchell couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, and she did everything she could to avoid looking at him. Even my mother noticed it.

“What’s going on between Mitchell and Tripp’s Corina?” she had asked.

With a shrug, I told her she needed to ask Mitchell. No way I was getting dragged into it. But I also couldn’t help but notice how she called Corina “Tripp’s friend.” I was sure it was because of the way he’d introduced her.

“Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Corina. She’s from Chicago and her parents are out of town so she had nowhere to go.”