“Mom, does this look straight?” I was nervous as I waited for my time to walk down the aisle.

“You look beautiful, baby.” She placed her hand on my cheek. “You’re perfect.”

“Thanks.” I looked at the time and held my belly. I was so nervous.

“When are you going to tell him?”

“Tell him what?” I knew what she was referring to, but I was trying to avoid it.

“Are you going to wait until you’re on your honeymoon, or are you going to tell him when you get back?”

“I don’t know what to do. I think I have to tell him tonight.”

“What do you think he’ll say?”

“I hope he’ll be happy. I know he’s going to be scared, but I’m scared. We didn’t expect it this soon.”

“Well, neither of you is getting any younger. I think it’s good to get started.”

“Mom!”

“I want grandbabies, and lots of them. You’re my only hope, kiddo.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “I’ll be happy with whatever you want. One kid, two kids, or even ten. You two have been working incredibly hard on that gym for the last year, and it’s a huge success. You’re turning a profit six months after you opened. Not many businesses can say that.

“It’s time to get to work on your life. You’ve built the foundation. It’s solid and steady. Now’s the time for the fun part. Build your life, baby. Enjoy it.”

* * *

Brody leaned in and kissed my neck. “I think it’s time we go home and consummate this marriage.”

I smiled as I leaned into him. “I would love nothing more, but I have something to do first.”

“Let’s just go with the first part of that sentence and ignore the other half.” He kissed my neck again.

“I need to dance with your brother.”

He sat up and sighed. “Well, that’s a sentence every man wants to hear from his new wife.”

I laughed and put my hand on his thigh. “Look at him. He’s done nothing but watch April tonight.”

Tim was sitting with us and the rest of the wedding party, but when everyone else got up to dance, he moved to an empty table and watched April. He tried to be slick about it, but I knew what he was doing.

“Come on.” I patted his knee. “It’ll only take a song or two for what I want to say to him. Be a good sport.”

“One song.” He kissed me. “Just one.” He kissed me again. “I’ll let them know we’re ready to go so they can get the car pulled around for us.” He bit my neck. “I can’t wait to get you into that car.”

I smiled watching my husband walk away. It was a crazy year, but one I’d never regret living. I looked at Tim. He was still watching April. I didn’t think he understood everything she was doing that night was to make him watch. Every dance she danced, every guy she hung on to, she wanted him to watch. It had been six months. It was time someone gave him a push to get her back.

I stood and made my way over to him, thanking people for coming along the way. I was afraid Brody would steal me away since it was taking so long, but he was thanking people on the other side. He winked when our eyes met. He knew his brother needed a push. He’d been trying to get Tim to make a move since they started talking again, but Tim had been dragging his feet.

“May I have this dance?” I held my hand out to Tim, and it took him a moment to realize I was talking to him before he looked my way.

He glanced at my hand and back up to me. “I suppose it would be considered rude to tell the bride no. I don’t want to be burned at the stake.” He tried to pass off a smile and took my hand as he stood.

“I’m glad you didn’t argue with me on this.” He argued with everyone a lot. Brody was working on him, but it wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped. The key was April. I allowed him to lead me out to the floor and pick our dancing position. I smiled when he chose an area where he could still see April.

“I wanted to talk to you anyway.” He placed one hand on my hip and raised our joined hands together. “Thank you for making Brody the man he is today. It’s nice to have a brother.”

Tim knew my insecurities about what made Brody the man he became. Brody had only been placed in my path after the change had begun. I was lucky enough to be the one who found him first, but I had nothing to do with the man he was.

“I know what you’re thinking. That situation with Laney may have opened Brody up to the idea that this was possible, but you’re the one his heart wants.”

I took the opportunity to change the subject. “Who does your heart want, Tim?” I looked at April when he did. “She still loves you.”

He tried to pull away, but I gripped his hand tighter and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, pulling him closer. “You both are stubborn and unwilling to admit what is so clear to everyone around you. I know you two could be as happy as Brody and me if you only let yourselves be.”

“You don’t know everything.”

“I don’t?” I looked him in the eye and followed his head when he tried to look away. “April and I have become very good friends. I won’t betray her confidence and tell you anything she’s told me, but I know a lot more than you think I do.”

He glanced at Brody before looking at April again.

I moved his chin with my finger to make him look back to me. “I haven’t told him, either. You both are two of the strongest people I know. If anyone can work through this, it’s you and April.”

Tim didn’t say anything, and the song was coming to a close. Brody wouldn’t let me stay any longer. I had to try one last time. “What do you have to lose?”

Tim looked at me. “Everything.”

I shook my head. “No, you’ve already lost that. Why not try to win some of it back?”

He blinked as if what I said hit him square in the chest. I hoped it did. Something needed to jump-start his heart again.

When the song ended, I hugged him and whispered, “You can do this. I believe in you.”

* * *

Brody unlocked the door to our new home and turned to me with the biggest smile. “Are you ready, Mrs. Michaels?”

“More than ready, Mr. Michaels.”

He put his arm around my shoulders and held his leg up. “Let’s go.”

I laughed and knocked his leg down. “That isn’t how this works.”

“It isn’t?” He took a deep breath and a couple of steps back. He looked good in his tux. I loved it even more that the tie was loose around his neck. “Look, the thing is, I’ve been carrying you everywhere since the beginning of this relationship. It would be nice if you carried me once.”

He didn’t give me time to respond before he swooped me up and tossed me in the air a little to adjust his position. I fit him perfectly. He kissed me and kicked the door open. I smiled when he stepped across our threshold and kicked the door shut.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Michaels.”

“I’m so glad to be here, but that’s the only time you’re kicking our new door.” I kissed him again as he walked us to the bedroom. “Um.” I placed my hand on his chest and looked at him. “I have an idea I want to run by you before we . . .” I looked at the bed.

“Now? Right this minute you need to run an idea by me?”

“Yes, it’s important.”

He set me down and turned me around. “Sure, but only because it’s going to take me an hour to figure out how to undo this in the back. Where’s your mom? She should’ve helped with this in the limo before we took off.”

I turned and held his hands. “It won’t take that long. I have an idea for the other side of the gym.”

“Great! When we get back from our honeymoon, we’ll talk all about it and figure out what we need to incorporate it.”

I took a step back when he tried to kiss my neck. “Brody, please listen.”

He lost the smile he had and slipped his hands into his pockets. “Okay, if it’s that important to you, I’m listening.”

I gripped the lapels of his jacket and stood closer to him. I was so nervous how he was going to react. We had discussed things before, but neither of us thought it would come up so quickly. Maybe I should’ve waited until after the honeymoon. I didn’t want to spend what should’ve been the happiest time in my life worried and nervous how he was going to react. I also didn’t want to spend that happy time upset that he was disappointed about my news.

He held my arms above my elbows and tried to get me to look at him. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He held my face and lifted it. “Talk to me, baby.”

I blurted it out in one breath and rambled, hoping he would understand what I was trying to say. “I think we should use that space for a daycare center. We could attract the working parents who don’t have time or anyone to watch their children. I haven’t calculated the costs of running it or the renovations, but I think it would be a great benefit.” I looked up at him for his reaction.

“I could see how that would benefit some people.” He nodded. “When we get back, we’ll look into the cost effectiveness for it and see if it’s something we want to take on.”

“We need to take this on, Brody.”

“Have people been asking about it?”

He didn’t understand what I was trying to say, so I repeated it. “We need to take this on, Brody. We need this.”

He narrowed his eyes and turned his head to the side a little before looking down to my belly. “When you say—”

“I’m pregnant.”

His mouth opened but no sound came out, and he dropped his arms. “I need to sit down.”

My heart sank. It wasn’t the reaction I was hoping for. “Brody.” I turned to face him. When I saw his head in his hands as he sat on the edge of the bed, I regretted telling him before the honeymoon. I should’ve let him have the carefree time before springing more responsibility on him.

I reached out to touch his hair, and he grabbed my hips and pulled me close as he placed the side of his face against my belly. His shoulders shook. Was he crying? I’d never seen him cry before.

“I promise I will do everything in my power to be a good man for you and a good father to our children.” I rubbed his back as my own tears flowed listening to his sobs. “You will never regret giving me this gift or your heart. I promise.” He stood and kissed me. “Thank you for loving me.” He kissed me again as he turned me. “Thank you for letting me love you.”

I held his face and wiped his tears away as he had done for me so many times. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Brody Michaels. Don’t ever forget that, and we will be just fine.”