I’ve never really cared to celebrate my birthdays. Growing up, my mother planned these extravagant parties, and they were always so over-the-top that when I got older, I begged her to stop. After the accident, she had no desire to celebrate my birthday at all.

In college, I studied more than I partied, and after I graduated from medical school, I worked twelve-hour shifts through my birthday. But this year is different.

This is the first year I’m genuinely excited to celebrate it. Evan made sure we both have off work, and the anticipation of what he has planned is killing me. At almost eight months pregnant, I’m only hoping whatever surprise he has in store doesn’t put me into early labor.

“Happy Birthday, baby.” Evan nuzzles his lips against my neck, waking me with his erection grinding against my ass. “How are my girls this morning?”

“Mmm… is that my first gift I feel?” I tease, wiggling my hips to torture him. I’ve felt less than sexy over the last couple of months as my stomach grew along with everything else—my boobs, legs, ass. This giant Bishop baby is turning my body into her own personal food buffet.

“Yes, so take off your panties,” he demands, sliding his hand between my legs.

“I feel like a giant house,” I groan.

“But you look sexy as hell,” he mutters, feathering kisses along my neck and shoulder. His words still make me shiver after all these months.

“But I can get sex out of you anytime I want,” I quip, turning around to face him. “Today I want more than sex, so you better have something good planned.” I lean in and kiss him softly on the lips. Those days worrying about morning breath, messy hair, and leftover makeup are long gone.

“I love it when you’re demanding,” he growls. “Panties. Off. Now.” He nips the bottom of my earlobe.

I smack his chest and laugh. “We’ll save that for the evening celebrations.” I wink, rolling over to get out of bed, but realize I’m stuck. “Crap. My belly is too big.” I groan, ready to cry at how pathetic I feel. “I need help.”

Evan walks around to my side and starts laughing the second he sees my helpless face.

“I hate you right now,” I mutter, holding my arms out. “Help me up!”

“You love me.” He pulls me up and presses me against his chest, kissing the top of my nose.

“River warned me about carrying a Bishop baby. I should’ve taken her more seriously.”

“How do you think Mama felt?” He chuckles. “Get in the shower, and I’ll make breakfast.” He smacks my ass, making me yelp. “Gotta feed that baby girl.”

“Trust me. She’s well fed.” I roll my eyes, stepping around him to head toward the bathroom.

Half an hour later, I’m showered and half-dressed. Wearing scrubs is much more comfortable with my belly, so I haven’t stocked up on a lot of maternity clothes. Mostly dresses and maxi skirts are all I can wear now.

“Babe?” I call out, walking to the kitchen where an array of smells hit my nose. “Oh God, that smells amazing!” Rounding the corner, I spot a shirtless Evan at the stove.

“It’s almost ready,” he calls over his shoulder, and when our eyes meet, he flashes me a wink.

“I know what you’re doing, mister. It’s not going to work.”

“I’m just cooking breakfast,” he denies, smirking.

“Uh-huh.” I smile as he moves effortlessly around the kitchen. God. How does he manage to get sexier every single day? He’s tempting me with his tan skin, chiseled muscles, and broad shoulders—knowing I can’t deny his delicious six-pack and that sinful V that points to the greatest place on earth.

Evan tells me to sit and serves me a large glass of juice with my plate. He’s made me a ham and cheese omelet, toast, and hash browns. I love his omelets, which is clearly evident when the baby starts dancing in my belly.

“Quick, come here!” I wave him over and grab his hand. “She’s kicking up a storm.” I place his hand on the side where she’s moving.

“Must be the juice,” Evan says with a smile.

“Probably.” I chuckle. “That’s one way to wake her up in the morning.”

Evan kneels and places both palms on my stomach before lifting my shirt and pressing a soft kiss to my belly. I adore the way he already loves his baby girl. I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like to see him holding her for the first time.

“Okay, Elizabeth Rose.” He starts talking to my stomach, which I love. “Today is your mommy’s special day, and I’m going to need you to cooperate with me here. That means no making your mama sick, so I can get to home base later.”

I laugh, my belly shaking up and down at the smooth way he talks to her. Once we found out we were having a girl, we brainstormed names for a few weeks before landing on Elizabeth—after the first female doctor in US history, Elizabeth Blackwell—and Rose, after Mama Rose Bishop. It just sounded like the perfect name for her, and I couldn’t be more excited about it.

After breakfast, Evan gets ready and makes me wear a blindfold as he drives us. I have no idea where he’s taking me, but I have a feeling he’s going to want me to wear this blindfold later tonight, too.

“You ready?” he asks, helping me out of the truck.

“Yes!” I squeal with a smile.

He takes my hand and leads me forward. I walk with him, hoping I don’t trip and fall on my face. Evan’s a closet romantic, which is another thing I love about him. He pretends not to make a big deal out of special occasions, but deep inside, he plans for weeks.

“Are you ready to see our house?” He holds me to his chest and whispers in my ear.

“What? I thought it wasn’t going to be ready for another month?” Construction got behind due to the weather a few weeks ago and put the schedule back.

“No, that was just a little white lie so I could surprise you.” I feel his lips curl up into a devilish smile. He pulls the blindfold off, and that’s when I realize we’re standing on the front steps of our house—completely finished and perfect.

“Oh my God,” I squeal, wrapping a hand over my mouth. There’s a couple of wooden rocking chairs on the porch and planters hanging from the ceiling. “It’s really finished?”

“Yep.” He kisses my cheek. “But that’s not your birthday surprise.”

He walks in front of me and opens the door. “This is.”

I step inside and see the house is completely furnished. We’d been looking at magazines and pictures for months, trying to decide what kind of theme we wanted. For months, I dreaded decorating with how pregnant I’d be by the time the house was finished, but now I don’t have to. He studied my Pinterest boards and mimicked the things I loved the most.

“I can’t believe you did this.” I gasp, walking deeper into the foyer that leads into the kitchen and dining room. “It’s gorgeous.” Spinning around to look at everything, I’m in complete awe at all the details he included down to the wall décor, the large sectional couch I wanted, and even the light fixtures. It’s everything I dreamed of and more. “It’s absolutely perfect.” Tears fall down my cheeks out of nowhere, but I don’t care. My emotions are boiling over, and they’re uncontrollable at this point.

“Good,” Evan says, bringing his arms around my belly and holding me close. “I wanted to take away the work and stress I knew you’d feel the moment it was move-in ready.”

“How’d you even manage to do all of this without me knowing?” I turn around and wrap my arms around his neck.

“I recruited some help.” He smirks. “And lots of favors.”

Shaking my head, my mind is still reeling at all of this. “I’m shocked. I really can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, baby. Home sweet home.” He cups my face and brings our mouths together in a heated kiss. “Let me give you the grand tour now that it’s officially ours.”

Evan shows me the rest of the rooms before bringing us to the master bedroom and nursery.

“Her room is beautiful.” I beam, reaching for the pink baby blanket off the crib. I bring it to my face and feel the softness against my cheek. “I can’t believe she’ll be here in about six weeks.” Evan even hung picture frames around the room, ready to be filled with her baby photos, and I can’t wait.

“She’ll be here before we know it.” He palms my belly, kneels, and places a sweet kiss on my stomach. “I have one more surprise for you.”

“I can’t imagine anything better than what you’ve already given me,” I tell him honestly, cupping his face and bringing his mouth to mine. “Seriously, the best birthday by far.”

“Well, I’ve been planning this last one for a while, so c’mon.” He flashes me a wink, grabbing my hand and leading me to the kitchen. “I know we didn’t talk about this addition, but I knew you’d want it.”

He opens up a cupboard door that isn’t actually a cupboard and then I realize what it is. “No way!” I laugh, stepping closer to look inside. “You got me a built-in ice chip maker?”

“I know how much you love your ice, and now you can have ice anytime you want.”

“It’s perfect.” I shake my head in disbelief at how amazing everything is. “You’re perfect.”

“You are.” He kisses my lips. “I even made sure to stock up on your disgusting black licorice.”

“You did?” I exclaim. “Where?”

“In that drawer over there by the pantry.” He points, and I’m quick to go check it out.

“You seriously thought of everything, didn’t you?” I open the drawer but only see one piece of licorice in the middle. I pick up the black strip, and that’s when I notice the large diamond ring around it. “What is this?”

When I turn around, my eyes widen, and I release a gasp when I see Evan down on one knee. “What are you doing?” I blurt out, shocked as I take in his gorgeous face looking up at me with his infamous shit-eating grin.

“Emily, sweetheart.” He reaches for my free hand and holds it between his palms. “I love you more than words can say, and I can’t even begin to explain how much you’ve changed my life. Before you, the world brought pain and disappointment, and now that I get to wake up with you by my side every morning makes living this life worth it. I want you in my world every day for the rest of my life—as my wife.” He grabs the piece of licorice out of my hand and slides the ring off before holding it up between us. “Will you marry me?”

“Are you serious right now? Really?” I cover my mouth with both hands in complete disbelief. Smiling up at me, he nods his head and waits. “Yes! Yes, of course!” The emotions are so strong, I feel like I may burst. My eyes water as he stands up and cups my face, pressing a hot kiss on my lips. Once we part, he grabs my hand and slides the ring on. “I can’t believe you,” I say, staring at the ring. “I had no idea.”

“I’m a pretty good secret keeper.” He winks.

“You are! I didn’t suspect a damn thing. You’re sneaky!” I chuckle as he wraps his arms around me.

“I might’ve had a motive, though,” he admits, pushing his face into my hair. “Since I know we have to wait once the baby’s born, I figured getting us in the house early meant we could christen it now.”

“Is sex never not on your mind?” I tease, pulling back to look into his guilty eyes.

“I knocked you up in a matter of months. What do you think?”

“Always the romantic.” I laugh.

“C’mon, wife to be. Time to break in our new bed.” He leans down to pick me up, and I yelp as he carries me to our new bedroom.

Once the master bedroom is thoroughly christened, we decide to drive over to his parents’ house to officially announce the happy news. Mrs. Bishop is in the kitchen as usual, and Mr. Bishop is sitting at the table reading a newspaper.

“Oh, happy birthday! I didn’t know you two were stoppin’ in today!” She wraps her arms around my bump before rubbing her palms on my stomach. “And how’s the little sweet pea?”

“She’s perfect.”

Evan’s arm is around me, and I’m bursting with so much happiness, she notices instantly.

“Well?” Her eyes nearly bug out of her head as if she’s anticipating the good news.

“Go ahead. Show her,” Evan encourages with a smile on his face.

I hold up my left hand and nearly blind her with the ring. “Oh my goodness!” she squeals, grabbing my hand and gasping. “It’s gorgeous.” She flashes an approving smile.

“You did good.” She pats Evan on the cheek like the proud mama she is.

Mr. Bishop takes notice and finally stands to shake Evan’s hand and give me a hug. “Happy you’re officially joining the family.”

“Thank you. Me too.” I smile wide then turn to Evan. “Since we’re here, let’s go find your brothers and tell them.”

“Okay, but then I’m taking you back to the house to christen another room,” he whispers in my hair, making my cheeks heat right in front of his parents.

Once we find Jackson and Alex and tell them the exciting news, they both give me a hug and can’t stop saying how excited they are to be adding another sister to their family. River is working at the hospital today and Kiera had to pick up a horse out of town, but I plan to text them both a picture later. Evan pinky promises we’ll FaceTime Courtney later and explains how my parents already know. Apparently, the cheeky bastard asked my dad when we visited Houston. Always the proper Southern gentleman.

“Can we go to the B&B before we leave?” I ask, and Jackson and Alex invite themselves to tag along, so the four of us jump back into Evan’s truck and drive over to tell John the news.

“What the hell is this?” John asks the second he sees the four of us barrel in through the side door. “This can’t be good.” He crosses his arms, looking concerned.

“It’s not bad news,” I reassure him, holding out my hand so he can see the ring.

“Well damn.” He relaxes and smiles. “Looks like we have another weddin’ to plan. Congrats, you two.” John pats Evan on the shoulder with an approving nod.

“Baby first, then wedding,” I confirm. “I’m not walking down the aisle ten months pregnant.”

Jackson snorts. “Another party! Yeehaw!” He hip thrusts the air, and Evan punches him in the shoulder.

“I’m shooting you with a tranquilizer,” Evan deadpans.

“I’ll help you,” Alex adds.

“Can’t stop, won’t stop,” Jackson taunts, spinning around and shaking his butt. He looks over his shoulder, then slaps his ass just to get a rise out of his brothers.

“Oh my God.” John groans. “Stop it. You’re giving my face a bad name.”

“I’m the only reason you’re getting laid, and you know it.”

“Speaking of laid, Emily and I have plans that don’t include any of you.” Evan grabs my hand and starts dragging me toward the front door as I burst out laughing.

“Don’t be rude.” I smack his shoulder, laughing.

“Trust me, John wants us out as much as we do.” Evan jerks his head toward John who confirms with a nod.

“Yes and take the evil twin with you.”

“Love you, bro!” Jackson wraps his arm around John’s shoulders and makes a big show out of kissing him on the cheek.

Alex shakes his head, grabbing Jackson by the arm. “C’mon. The horses won’t feed themselves.”

John continues following us as we walk through the main room. He tells us congrats one more time and then wishes me a happy birthday. I give him a side hug to avoid squishing my belly, then laugh at the realization of how something as simple as hugging has become a difficult task.

“My niece will be here soon enough.” John winks.

Evan places his hand on the small of my back as he opens the door, but we both immediately come to a halt at the sight in front of us.

“What the…?” Alex is the first to break the silence.

“Jesus,” Evan mutters.

“Is that a baby?” Jackson gasps.

“A what?” John steps between us and stops when he sees the sleeping baby in a car seat on the porch.

“A baby,” I confirm, stunned.

“Whose baby?” Evan asks what we’re all thinking.

Alex, John, Evan, and I all look at Jackson.

“You think this is my baby?” he bellows. “I double wrap my shit, thank you very much.” He crosses his arms over his chest, and I snort.

“There’s a note!” I spot the envelope taped to the car seat handle. “Oh no.”

“What?” Evan asks, leaning over to see the name written on the front. “Oh shit.”

“It’s for you,” I say, handing the envelope to John.

“What?” All the blood drains from his face when he realizes what I just said.

The air is thick with tension as John reluctantly takes it from me.

“Shit, I didn’t see that coming,” Jackson howls.

Alex nudges him in the arm to shut him up. John opens the envelope and unfolds the piece of paper. We all watch as his eyes scan the letter, which feels like an eternity, but then he drops his arm and stares into space.

“She’s mine.”