TWO

Three Hours Earlier

Luc knew something was off as soon as he walked into the house. The children were remarkably quiet, and even the dog hadn’t greeted him when he’d opened the door. Panic slid up his spine at the familiar feeling of an unknown, but he pushed it away as soon as he saw Cliff and Sasha in the foyer, their fingers pressed to their lips.

He frowned and softly closed the door behind him. He was about to ask the kids what was going on when he spotted Meghan sleeping on the couch. How he hadn’t heard her snoring like a freight train was beyond him. Maybe he’d just gotten so used to it during her pregnancy that it just blended in with the background noise.

God, he loved his wife.

Boomer lay on his bed near the couch, sleeping away, as well. Apparently, one of the kids, or even Meghan herself, had put a blanket on top of her.

He ushered the kids back toward the kitchen, trying to keep quiet so Meghan could sleep. She didn’t sleep well these days, so any shut-eye was a blessing.

“Hey you two,” he whispered before hugging and kissing each of the kids hello.

“Mommy is sleeping,” Sasha said softly even as she bounced. The kid always bounced, and he loved it. She wore a tiny pink set of tights and a tutu with some kind of onesie thing. He was sure Meghan knew the name of it, but he couldn’t remember it for the life of him.

Damn it. That’s right, he needed to take them to the recital.

“I see she’s sleeping,” he said after a moment.

Cliff shifted from foot to foot. “She’s been sleeping for a while, and we didn’t eat dinner like we were supposed to.”

Luc held back a curse. He should have taken the afternoon off, but Meghan had told him not to. He hated that he put so much on her shoulders.

“I don’t want to wake Mommy,” Sasha said suddenly.

Luc’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted Mommy to watch you dance.” Sasha had been talking about nothing but the fact that she wanted Meghan there for months. Even with the new baby coming.

Sasha shook her head, her eyes wide. “Mommy needs sleep. I want her to sleep because the baby needs it.”

Hell, these kids broke him more each day.

“I made Sasha and me sandwiches,” Cliff added, his chest puffed. “And I made you one, too. And Mom. They’re in the fridge. I know how to make them since Mom asks for my help with school lunches.”

Seriously, these kids were the best kids ever. They’d taken him in without a second thought, even though he wasn’t their real father. Since their actual father was an asshole who was going to spend a long time in prison, Luc was happy as hell being their father. But now they were taking care of each other and him and Meghan when they hadn’t been able to do everything themselves.

“Mom might be sad she missed it.”

“You can record it,” Cliff said with a nod. “We have to sit in back, though because some of the dance moms get cranky.” Luc was pretty sure those words had come from Meghan, and Luc had to hold back a smile.

Meghan was going to kill him, but she needed the sleep. The doctors had told her so. He’d leave a note, Boomer, her phone, and anything else she’d need right by her side, but he was pretty sure she was going to miss Sasha’s recital. There was just no way he could wake her up when she was finally sleeping.

“Okay then,” he said after a moment. “Let’s get this done.”

And, hopefully, Meghan would forgive him.

The lights were on when they pulled into the drive. That meant Meghan was up, and she wasn’t going to be happy he’d let her sleep through the recital. In fact, he had a feeling that was an understatement. Sasha had passed out in the back seat, exhausted from her day, and Cliff was silent, as well, probably lost in his head as he was prone to do.

Luc squeezed the steering wheel before forcing himself to take a breath. Meghan would be okay.

“Mom won’t be mad, will she?” Cliff asked from the back seat.

Luc turned off the engine, cut the lights, and turned in his seat to study his son. Cliff looked like a Montgomery, though he had a little Warren in him, as well. But now Cliff was a Dodd. The kids had formally taken his last name a few months ago when the adoption had come through. Their jackass of a birth father had lost all rights and signed them over when he’d been put in prison on attempted murder charges.

Luc’s shoulder ached at the memory, but he pushed it aside. Cliff and Sasha were his, just as much as the child growing in Meghan’s womb right at that moment.

He never thought he could love as fiercely as he did right then, but these kids surprised him more and more every day.

“She probably won’t be too happy at first,” Luc answered truthfully.

“She was really tired.” Cliff played with his fingers, looking like such a little boy that Luc wanted to hug him.

“Let’s get inside and get ready for bed. I’ll make sure your mom is okay.”

“She wasn’t this tired when she was going to have Sasha.”

Luc reached out and tugged on Cliff’s foot. The little boy had been far too young when Sasha had been born to remember anything about the pregnancy. It was far more likely that Cliff had heard one of Meghan’s family members mention it in passing.

“Your Mom is fine,” Luc said truthfully. “Just a little tired.” And a little older, but not that much older. “And now we should go inside because I’m tired, and we’re probably creeping out the neighbors sitting here like this.”

Cliff grinned. “We shouldn’t creep out the neighbors.”

Luc rolled his eyes. “Only on Halloween, bud. Now let’s go. You get the bags, and I’ll get your sister.”

Sasha rubbed her eyes. “I’m not tired, Daddy.”

Luc leveled her a look. “Well, I am. Let’s get going.”

He got the kids in the house and tried not to wince at the look on Meghan’s face. Oh, his wife wasn’t happy, but the dark circles under her eyes weren’t as shadowed. The nap had helped, and now he just prayed he hadn’t hurt his wife in the process.

Meghan didn’t glare at the children, though. In fact, he wasn’t sure the kids knew there was anything wrong at all. It was all in the eyes, and that look was just for Luc.

Well, hell.

“You’re home!” Meghan opened her arms, and both kids hugged her close. It wasn’t the easiest thing with her large belly in the way, but she had practice. “Did you have fun? You need to tell me all about it, okay?”

Sasha pulled away and did a little twirl as if she hadn’t just been sleeping minutes earlier. Meghan’s eyes watered, and Luc felt like an ass for forcing her to miss her daughter’s play.

“Daddy recorded it,” Sasha explained. “And you were really tired. I’m the one who said it was okay for you to miss it. I’ll dance again and again and again and you can come to those. Okay? I love you, Mommy!” And with that, Sasha twirled her way up the stairs with a smiling Cliff trotting up the stairs behind her.

Luc watched Meghan’s face as she watched her two children go up to bed and sighed. “I’m sorry, Meghan. You needed the sleep.”

The sound of a door closed upstairs, and Meghan whirled on him. “You don’t get to decide things like that for me.”

He moved forward and cupped her face. That she didn’t move away from him made him think he might not have screwed up everything. “You needed the sleep,” he repeated. “You haven’t been sleeping for more than spurts for weeks, and you know the doctor was worried you weren’t getting enough sleep to begin with. I came home and you were out. Sasha wanted you to sleep, as did Cliff.”

“Don’t blame my babies for this.” It was a whisper, and Luc pressed his lips together.

“I’m not, and I’m sorry. I was just explaining things and I’m doing it wrong.” He kissed away the tears that slid down her cheeks and she nuzzled into his hands. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so freaking sorry. You’re tired, and you need sleep, and I know it sucks but we’ll get through this. You’ll see Sasha’s other dances, and I even recorded this one.”

“It was her first one, though.”

“She’ll have others. And Sasha is so excited about this baby that she’ll dance for you anytime you want, as long as you take more naps.”

Meghan sighed and the baby kicked, nudging Luc’s stomach. He couldn’t help but grin and put his hand over where the baby had moved.

“This pregnancy is so much harder,” Meghan whispered.

“I’m here.” What was left unsaid was that her first husband hadn’t been.

“I’m still mad,” she pouted, but he didn’t believe her.

“You can spank me later,” he mumbled, and Meghan laughed.

“I think spanking is how we got into this trouble in the first place.” She rolled her eyes, and Luc kissed her hard.

She would forgive him, and that was all that mattered for now. Their child would be born into a family that cared so much about others they couldn’t help but give parts of themselves up in the process.

Only a month or so to go, and the next step would be here.

Only a month…and Luc was afraid he wouldn’t be getting sleep now…or then.