“We aren’t eating until four. You’ll feel better by then. Don’t worry—your mom, my mom, and I got this.”

Zary smiled. There were so many things she loved about Gunner, but none more than how he was with her mother.

Little by little, they left the translation app behind and communicated in a mix of English and Azeri. Today, Gunner and his mom, Madeline, were teaching her how to make stuffing for the turkey. Zary could hear him asking her mom to read the ingredients out loud. She struggled, but Madeline helped her sound out the words.

They were responsible for bringing the turkeys over to Razor’s while other guests pitched in with side dishes and pies. At least that’s what Gunner had told her was happening.

Their combined guest list had grown to a number Zary was unsure of, but most of them were staying at inns along Moonstone Beach rather than at the duplex. Even Gunner’s sister had opted to stay at one of the inns so their mother could stay at the house.

Every morning, Gunner brought a tray in with a bowl of cereal and a banana; the only thing she could keep down before noon.

“I can get it myself,” she’d say again and again.

“Let me take care of you,” Gunner would respond each time.

“Good morning,” Madeline said, poking her head in the bedroom doorway.

Zary smiled. Gunner’s mother was one of the nicest people she’d ever met, exhibiting no signs that Gunner inherited his grouchiness from her. His sister, Odette, was just as nice.

“Good morning,” Zary responded.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she answered, waving her hand over the breakfast tray Gunner had delivered.

“I can take that if you’re finished.”

“I can get it.” Zary started to get up.

“Let us take care of you,” Madeline said, making Zary smile. “What?” she asked.

“That’s what Gunner always says. I should get up anyway.”

“I remember feeling the same way you do when I was pregnant. I’ll tell you what my mother told me.”

“What is that?”

“Once this baby is born, you’ll no longer be able to stay in bed when you don’t feel well. For eighteen years, maybe longer, you’ll have to take care of someone else before yourself. Rest, relax, and sleep while you can.”

“Thank you,” Zary murmured. She understood Madeline’s words, but before Gunner, it had been a very long time since anyone had taken care of her. It was a difficult concept to get used to, especially coming from so many people.

In addition to Gunner and his mother, her own mother, Odette, and even Ava and Aine fussed over her.

“I don’t know why I feel so tired,” Zary confessed to Madeline. “I feel like all I’ve done is sleep.”

“That’s because your baby is sapping everything he or she needs from your body,” said Ava, joining Madeline in the bedroom’s doorway.

“You’re both welcome to come in…”

“I need to go check on Gunner, your mom, and the turkeys. I’ll take your tray and come back a little later,” said Madeline.

“You’re sure I’m not intruding?” asked Ava.

“Definitely not.” Zary pulled the covers up and tucked her arms under them.

“Are you cold?” Ava asked.

“A little.”

“This is one of the things I love about this place. Razor and I have a fireplace in the bedroom too.” Ava flipped a switch. “This will help. It is chilly in here.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there anything else you need?”

Zary smiled again. “You’re pregnant too.”

“I’m further along than you are, though.”

“Doesn’t that mean you should be more tired than I am?”

Ava smiled too, and then studied her.

“What?”

“Sometimes I feel like I’m looking in a mirror, and then at other times, I don’t think we look anything alike.”

“I’ve seen it too.”

“You have?”

“You sound surprised.”

“I wonder if…maybe I’m pushing you too hard.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be,” Ava gasped. “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad.”

“I haven’t had a lot of female…relationships. I haven’t had many relationships at all.”

“Your life hasn’t been easy.”

Her chest tightened. “Yours hasn’t been either. Gunner told me about the boarding school.”

“Yeah. Although, I had Aine.”

“Yes. I’m sorry about your father.”

“Did you think of him that way?”

“No.”

“Neither did we. It’s like our dad died before Petrov did. Does that make sense?”

“It does. My father died when I was a small child.”

“Your mom is very nice.”

Willing her tears away, Zary closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow.

“It’s okay to cry,” Ava whispered.

When she opened her eyes, Ava was crying too.

“I’m sorry,” Zary said again.

“Please don’t be.” Ava sat on the side of the bed. “Would you mind if I hugged you?”

Zary shook her head. “I’d like that.”

“Hey, what about me?” she heard someone say.

Both Zary and Ava looked up and saw Aine had come into the room.

“Get over here, girl,” Ava told her sister, pulling her into their hug.

“Can I help?”

Gunner looked up from chopping celery and saw Striker standing in his kitchen. He stifled a groan.

“You can do the onions,” he grunted at the man.

Striker laughed and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

“Who’s this?” asked his mom.

“Mom, meet Striker,” Gunner said without looking up.

He rolled his eyes when he heard his mom say, “Nice to meet you.”

“I’m not your son’s favorite person,” Striker told her.

“Knock it off,” Gunner grumbled. “I don’t like anyone.”

“Except Zary,” said his mother.

“No, Mom. I don’t like Zary, I love her. And I love you too.” He kissed her cheek.

“See? He can be sweet.”

Gunner pointed to the pile of onions. “Get busy,” he told Striker before getting back to chopping the celery.

“What’s wrong?” he heard his mother say.

He looked up to see Zary’s mom join them; she was crying.

Even if he’d gotten his translation app turned on in time to catch what she was saying, Gunner doubted it would’ve picked much up as emotional as she was.

He watched as she pointed down the hall and was about to bound to their bedroom when he heard her say, “Sisters.”

“Oh,” cried his mother, whose own eyes filled with tears.

Gunner set the knife down, walked down the hallway, and looked inside the room in time to see Zary, Ava, and Aine hugging.

“Damn,” he heard Striker mumble from behind him and turned around to see him wiping a tear away.

As tempted as he was to give the man shit about it, he didn’t. It was a beautiful moment to witness.

“How long has it been goin’ on?” he asked Striker once they were back in the kitchen.

“It hasn’t. Not really. We met at Ava and Razor’s wedding.”

“But she invited you to Thanksgiving dinner.”

“We’re giving it a go.”

“Be careful, Striker. She’s family.”

“I really like her, Gunner.”

“Yeah, whatever. Get to work.”

A few minutes later, his mom came back into the kitchen with Zary’s mother, Svetlana, who walked over and showed him her phone.

Rauf will be here tomorrow was written on the screen.

“That’s good,” Gunner responded, not knowing what else to say, especially when the woman smiled.

Life had certainly turned into a shitstorm of weirdness in the last six months, and there was nothing he could do but go along for the ride. Former CIA agents were hanging out with former Russian assassins; people he’d never dreamed would be standing in his kitchen were, and the woman he loved more than life itself was in the bedroom with his baby growing inside of her.

When he’d talked to Zary about her saying she wasn’t sure she wanted to have a baby, she told him that wasn’t what she meant.

“I’m not saying I don’t. I’m saying I don’t know how to feel, Gunner.”

“But you want to have the baby?” he’d asked for reassurance.

“Yes. I just told you I did.”

It wasn’t exactly what she’d said, but he was smart enough to drop it at the time.

Either way, he had a hell of a lot to be thankful for this year.

“I want details,” Ava said to Aine as she walked over and closed the bedroom door.

Zary looked between the two.

“I really like him,” Aine admitted.

“Who?” Zary asked.

“Striker. She brought him with her.”

“He met me here, but you’re right, I invited him.”

Zary nodded. “They’re seeing each other.”

“Wait,” said Ava. “You know already?”

Zary nodded again. “He’s a good man.”

Aine shrugged. “He is. Although…”

“What?” asked Ava.

“Gunner doesn’t like him.”

“That isn’t true,” Zary told them. “He respects him. It’s just that Gunner struggles with telling people how he feels.”

“You really love him,” said Ava.

“I do. I have for a very long time. Years, in fact.”

“Wait. How?”

Zary told them about the day she first saw him, and how she’d risked her own life instead of killing him. “If anyone had found out I let him go, I would’ve been killed.”

“What happened next?” asked Aine.

“Nothing. I didn’t see him again for a long time, but I always knew he was the man I was meant to be with. I know now that he felt the same way.”

“Oh my God. That’s so romantic,” gushed Ava.

“I’m so glad for you,” added Aine. “You and Gunner both deserve to be happy.”

“We all do,” said Ava. “We all deserve to have men in our lives who love us, make us feel safe, and whom we love just as much.”

“And who tell us their real names.”

Zary and Ava laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“What is Striker’s real name?” asked Ava.

“Griffin Ellis.”

“It sounds so…regal.”

“I know, right?”

“Regal? Like a king?” asked Zary.

Ava nodded.

“Yes. I agree.”

“This is really nice,” murmured Ava.

“Thank you for pushing,” responded Zary, smiling. “But now,” she said, throwing the covers off. “I have to use the lavatory.”

“Me too,” said Ava. “Just wait until you’re pregnant, Aine. You’ll find out that you have to pee all the time.”

“Uh, TMI, both of you.”

Gunner had come back down the hallway, but hurried away from the bedroom door so they didn’t catch him eavesdropping. Things between Zary and her half-sisters were going better than he’d hoped.

“Whatcha’ doin’?” asked Odette, walking in the front door.

“Hey, Sis,” said Gunner, kissing her cheek.

Odette pulled back. “Who are you?”

“I know. Sometimes I don’t recognize myself.”

His sister put her arms around him. “I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of that goin’ around.”

“I need some of what you’ve got.”

“Things didn’t work out with Tim?”

Odette shook her head. “That ended a long time ago.”

“Uh…sorry to hear that.”

Odette burst out laughing. “Now you’re going overboard.”

“I know. You should’ve seen me a couple of weeks ago when I had to ask Doc about his baby.” He shuddered and Odette giggled.

“Pretty soon all you guys will be having conversations about diapers.”

“The hell we will,” he mumbled while walking back into the kitchen.