It’s nearly eight o’clock in the evening when I’m officially discharged from the hospital. Shane calls for a car to take us home. On our way out, we stop in the waiting room to see everyone who’s still here. His brothers and sister Sophie are still here, along with Molly Ferguson. Her eyes are glistening with tears when she sees me walk into the room.

“Oh, thank God!” she says, hugging me carefully. “I was so worried when I saw you fall. Is your arm broken?”

“No, it’s just a sprain. Thank you for coming,” I say, realizing she’s been here all afternoon and evening. “But you didn’t have to stay. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

She shrugs it off. “Your family told me you were okay, but I couldn’t leave without seeing you with my own eyes. I’m so glad you’re all right, Beth. And we’ve been told that Sam will be all right, too.”

I nod, feeling my throat tightening at the thought of Sam and what might have happened to him. He’s fortunate. It could have been so much worse for him.

“Thank you for calling Jamie,” I tell her.

“I knew he’d want to know,” she said.

“It’s late,” I say to both Molly and Jamie. “You two should head home.”

Jamie gives me a hug. Then he offers to share his taxi ride back to their apartment building with Molly.

* * *

The penthouse is dark and eerily quiet when we step through the foyer door into the great room.

“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” Shane asks.

“No,” I sigh, feeling dead on my feet. “I just want to go to bed.”

“Your wish is my command.” He sweeps me up into his arms and carries me down the hall to our suite and directly into our private bathroom so I can get ready for bed.

After I brush my hair and teeth, I reach for my packet of birth control pills out of habit, but I stop and stare at the little white pills. “I guess I won’t be needing these anytime soon.”

Shane catches my gaze in the bathroom mirror. “Are you okay with this? The pregnancy. I know it’s a bit of a shock.”

I smile. “Yeah, I’m okay with it. Like you said, it’s just happening a little sooner than we’d planned.” I absently press my hand to my belly, surprised that it feels the same as it always does. There’s no outward sign that I’m pregnant, and I think maybe it’s just one big cosmic prank. “It’s a bit unreal.”

Shane’s big hand covers mine. “It’s going to take some time for this to really sink in,” he says. “It’s not going to be just the two of us for much longer. We’ll have another little mouth to feed.”

I laugh. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

I’m ready for bed, so he lifts me into his arms and carries me to our big bed.

“I can walk just fine, you know,” I tell him.

“Humor me. It’s not every day a man finds out his soon-to-be wife is pregnant for the first time.”

Pregnant. “I wonder if it’s a boy or girl.”

He sets me on my feet at the side of the bed and pulls back the bedding. I climb into bed and lie down.

“Maybe it’ll be a blond-haired, blue-green-eyed little girl who looks just like you,” he says.

I smile. “Or maybe he’ll be a little boy with blue eyes and brown hair who looks like you.”

Shane dims the lights in the room and goes to the closet to undress. As he gets ready for bed, I stretch out in our bed, feeling comfortable for the first time since the accident.

He’s naked when he climbs into our bed, and I can’t help admiring him.

“What did Troy have to say earlier?” I say. “You didn’t look happy when you returned to the room.”

Shane’s expression tightens. “He met with the prosecutor this afternoon to discuss Conroy’s offer for a plea deal.”

“And?”

“He’s asking for complete immunity from prosecution in exchange for telling us who hired him. Of course I want to know who hired him, but I don’t want him getting off free of any charges. He’s got to serve time. Maybe a lesser sentence, but still, he needs to serve time. He might have killed you. He might have killed Sam.”

“Do you think it could have been Luciana who hired him?” I know Luciana’s a bit unhinged, but I never would have thought her capable of something like this.

Shane rolls to face me, reaching out to sift his fingers through my hair. Then he leans closer and presses his lips to mine. His kiss is gentle, almost reverent.

It is a little early for us to be calling it a night, but we are both exhausted. I’m wiped out both physically and emotionally from the day’s events, and I’m sure Shane’s tired too. Not only was his fiancée nearly run over today, but he also found out he’s going to be a father.

Careful of my injured arm, he rolls me to my side and spoons behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. I moan when I feel his lips skimming the back of my neck.

He breathes in deeply, then makes a satisfied sound. “I didn’t think I’d ever get you home,” he says, tucking my hair behind my ear. He drops a light kiss on the pulse point on my throat. “Now we just need to get Cooper and Sam home.”

“I was surprised Cooper asked to bring Sam here.”

“I wasn’t,” Shane says. “He may not be comfortable making their relationship public, but don’t doubt for a moment that Cooper’s feelings for Sam run deep. I’ve never seen him like this with anyone before. Trust me, asking to bring Sam here was a big step for him. It means something.”

“I don’t understand Cooper’s hesitation. Surely he knows we’d never do or say anything to hurt him.”

Shane kisses my shoulder. “I’m sure he has his reasons, sweetheart. When he’s ready to tell us, he will.”

“I hope so. They make such a wonderful couple. I can’t think of two more caring and nurturing people.”

“Hey, what about me?” Shane says, chuckling. “Aren’t I caring and nurturing?” His lips travel across my shoulder and up my neck to the ticklish spot beneath my ear. “Isn’t this the action of a caring, nurturing man?”

“Yes, yes!” I say, laughing. “You are!”

“That’s better.” Then he sighs heavily. “I’d better be. I’m going to be a father.”

I roll over to face him, stroking his face with my good hand. “You’ll be a wonderful father, Shane. I have no doubt about that.”

“I’ll certainly do my best. And, I’ll do my best to be a good husband. Speaking of which...you are officially on sick leave for the rest of this week. I don’t want you going back to work until you’ve had plenty of rest.”

I roll my eyes at him. “Shane, I’m just a little tired tonight, that’s all. I’ll be fine to go back to work tomorrow.”

He shakes his head. “Nope. Besides, we need to call your obstetrician in the morning and make an appointment for you to get checked out. We don’t even know how far along you are. First things first, sweetheart. Humor me.”