“That is not cool of you, Ida Sue. We’re family and you always told me family can depend on each other.”

“And we can, even when one is being stubborn as a mule and needs a lot of help getting out of the barn shed.”

“You knew I wanted to stand on my own. I didn’t want Titan’s help. I got myself into this situation and…”

“I’m thinking his ding dong helped get you that way.”

“His ding dong?”

“Not all my nicknames can be golden, dear. I get it. You’re mad I let C.T. stand up and be a man, which he should have been from the beginning. I’d feel guilty but there’s people starving in the world. There’s bigger problems than you having a god put a bun in your oven and wanting to play house. Are we done here?”

“You’re so annoying, Ida Sue.”

“Runs in the family, Blossom. Now, if you don’t mind I need to go. My man has decided to remind me who I belong to and he’s in a pretty festive mood since my resident eye candy just moved out of the house.”

“Fine, go. But this isn’t the last you’re going to hear about it.”

“Didn’t suspect it would be. You are a Lucas after all. Tell C.T. bye for me.”

“What does C.T. stand for anyways?”

“Chocolate Thunder,” she giggles and hangs up.

I stare at my cellphone for a minute and turn it off, shaking my head.

“What does C.T. stand for?” Titan asks.

He’s sitting on my bed, which I guess is his bed. After I yelled at him, I called Ida Sue. Black left somewhere in the middle of the argument and I yelled at him before that. Which means I’ve yelled a lot this evening, and it changed nothing.

“Chocolate Thunder,” I mumble, too tired to lie to him.

“Christ. Your aunt is fucking looney.”

“Titan, we have to talk.”

“Faith, I’m not fighting with you about this anymore. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. You bought a house—”

“I’m coaching a D-league team. It was part of the deal. I get to still take part in the sport I love and I can do it being close to my woman and my child. I lost nothing in this deal.”

“But…”

“There are no buts,” he says and I want to choke him.

“There are! If this was the deal you wanted, then why even go through the whole wedding with Jacey!”

“Damn it, Faith!”

“Unless you have feelings for her. Oh my God, is that what this is all about? Do you have feelings for her? I destroyed everything with my announcement, didn’t I?”

Titan growls—literally growls—and stomps over to me.

“Stop it. I swear to God I can’t handle much more today. I had a plan and it was a good plan, because I didn’t have anything else in my life. Nothing good. It was just life. Then one night with a crazy-ass blonde turned my world upside down.”

“Titan—”

“A crazy-ass blonde who haunts my dreams so much that I can’t get her out of my mind.”

“Titan—”

“A crazy-ass blonde whose taste stays on my tongue, whose touch is burned into my skin and whose voice stays in my head.”

“Titan—”

“That happened before I knew about our baby, Faith.”

“Titan—”

“It happened before you were in the church that day.”

“Damn it, Titan—” I try again, my voice shaking, emotion surging through me.

“It’s just one of the reasons I was already calling the wedding off. It’s you I want, Faith. I don’t care how we started. I just know this is how I want it to go. I want to be with you. I want to build something with you, with our child and—”

“Jesus, Titan—” I whisper and tears are clogging my throat.

“I don’t care how we started, Faith,” he says again and he’s standing right in front of me. His amber colored eyes are shining down at me so bright they sparkle, even through my tears. “I don’t care about any of it. But I’m here because in the end, it’s you I want with me.”

“Are you finished?” I ask.

His hand comes up to slide against my neck, his thumb moving back and forth gently on my chin.

“For now,” he says, his lips moving into a soft smile.

“Then can you shut up and kiss me?” I ask him.

In answer, he pulls my face to him and his lips press against mine in the sweetest whisper-soft touch I’ve ever felt… and it’s never been better.