Nine Months later…

I lifted the pot from the stove, pouring the spaghetti into the strainer at the sink. Steam rose in the air around me as the water filtered out of the noodles.

“Now what?” I asked.

“Toss it with a little butter, so your pasta keeps from sticking,” my mom said, turning the spaghetti sauce to a low simmer for me after giving it another stir. “I’m setting the timer now. When it goes off, just turn the burner off for the sauce. It’ll stay warm for a while if you keep the lid on it.”

“Got it.” I nodded as I dropped a little butter into the pasta.

“What time does he get home?”

“He should be home any minute now,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the clock.

“All right. I’ll get out of your hair then.”

She removed her apron and laid it to the side. She took one last glance at everything—the set table, the already prepared salad, the unopened bottle of wine waiting to be popped open—before walking over to give me a hug.

“I’m so proud of you, honey. And your father and I are truly happy and excited for you. You’re doing the right thing.”

I really hoped so. And a giant part of me knew I was. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t still scared, that I wasn’t worried about what Billy’s reaction would be when he got home and I told him.

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and squeezed my hand. I followed her as she walked toward the front door. “Thank you for everything, Mom.”

“Of course, dear. Call me later and let me know how it went.”

“I will. Love you.” I gave her one more hug before she disappeared behind the closed door of our apartment.

I returned to the kitchen, doing my own double check of everything and turning off the burner to the pasta sauce. Timer or not, I wasn’t taking any chances this time. The last thing I wanted to do was start this conversation with burning our dinner. Again.

Billy had been living with me since the day he showed up in my favorite coffee shop. After lunch with my parents, where they instantly fell in love with him the same way I had, we’d looked at a number of apartments and rentals for Billy. By the third one, I realized I didn’t want any distance between us, even a few miles. I insisted he just move in with me. He argued, not wanting me to rearrange my whole life for him, which was laughable considering he left his behind completely just to be with me.

After a few days, I’d finally won the argument. He moved in, and we’d been living together since. I was happier than I’d ever been in my life, which is why what I had to tell him this evening scared me. I didn’t want anything to disrupt this state of bliss we’d been living in.

I heard the keys in the lock and the front door open and close a few seconds later. I took a deep breath and walked around the island and into the living room to greet Billy.

He stopped short as his eyes landed on me, a big smile slowly curling up his lips. My body relaxed at the sight of him and the happiness written all over his face.

“Never gonna get sick of coming home to this,” he said, eating up the last few feet between us. He pulled me into his arms, kissing me good and hard on the lips before moving on to my neck. He pulled back slightly, a question in his eyes, a furrow on his brow. “Do I smell something actually cooking and not burning?”

I rolled my eyes, swatting at his chest as I wiggled out of his embrace to walk back to the kitchen. “Smart ass,” I playfully retorted.

He chuckled, following behind me. “I guess that means Adele’s been here.”

“Hey! What makes you think I didn’t do this all by myself?”

His head tilted to the side.

“Okay. Fine. She may have helped a little.”

“She should’ve stayed and had dinner with us. I haven’t seen your parents since brunch last week,” he said, popping a tomato from the salad into his mouth.

I smacked his hand as he reached for another. “What were you, raised in a barn?”

“For the most part, yeah,” he grinned wide, making me pause for a moment, truly second guessing what I was about to tell him.

* * *

Hannah’s hand paused as she stirred the sauce in the pot. It was only an instant, and most men probably wouldn’t have caught the small flash of worry in her eyes. Something was up with my girl. I knew that the second I walked into our home and smelled dinner. She hadn’t attempted to cook for me since that night she burned spaghetti at my old apartment in Billingsley.

Whatever it was, I could tell she was nervous about telling me. I stepped behind her at the stove, snaking my arm around her waist as I kissed her shoulder. “I love you, Hannah, you know that, right?”

I felt her body relax, her head falling back and lolling a little to the side as she looked up at me. “I know. I love you too, Billy. So much.”

“Good. Then tell me what’s going on?”

She straightened, squirming free so she could dish up our plates. “Let’s eat first. Then I have a surprise for you.”

* * *

I sat back in my chair, my belly full, my heart happy.

“That was delicious, Han. Thank you.” I picked up my glass of wine, finishing it off, while noticing she hadn’t even touched hers. She’d barely eaten any of her food, for that matter.

“You feeling okay?” I asked, reaching for her hand as she used her fork to scoot her food around her plate with the other.

She nodded, setting her fork down. I squeezed her hand in support as she picked up her glass of water and took a drink.

“I have a surprise for you. Something to tell you…”

“Whatever it is, Hannah, you can tell me.”

Looking straight at me with a nervous smile on her face she finally spit it out. “I have a new job offer.”

My shoulders relaxed with her words, a tension in them I hadn’t noticed lifting. I’d known she hadn’t been happy with her current job for a while, but she’d been determined to stick it out for a year. That year was now nearly up.

“That’s great, babe. I hadn’t realized you were already looking. What is it? Are you going to accept?”

She cleared her throat, her eyes falling from mine back to her plate. “That’s the thing…I’m not sure. I want to, because it’s a great opportunity. It’s just…”

I could hear the worry in her voice and knew immediately what had her all worked up. The job wasn’t in Seattle. She’d told me before she may have to move for a job elsewhere. Shifting forward to the edge of my seat to get closer to her, I lifted her chin to look at me. “Hannah, wherever it is we’ll make it happen. You don’t have to worry. I’m not tied to Seattle. The only thing I’m tied to is you.”

And that was the damn truth. I’d chase after Hannah wherever her job took her. She was my dream come true. The best thing to ever happen to me.

The somberness in her expression slowly lifted with her smile. “That’s good. Because it’s an offer I’m not sure I could refuse… How would you feel about living in a small town in the middle of Nowhere, Texas? I hear the service is terrible, and the people are nosy as hell, but they have one of the best burgers you’ll ever have the pleasure of putting in your mouth.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. I pulled her from her chair and into my lap. “I’d say that sounds like a damn fine place to be. And I really like your kind of surprises.”

“That’s good,” she said with another big smile. “Because I have another one for you. A big one that I’m hoping you’ll like even more.”

She nibbled at her bottom lip, hesitating to deliver the next surprise she had in store for me.

“I’m on pins and needles here, blondie.”

With a deep breath she said the last two words I expected to hear: “I’m pregnant.”