Greyson sat up and stared around his bedroom, confused. His head pounded, and he rubbed his eyes hard, trying to chase away the dream about the first blowup he’d had with his dad. It was the night he'd left the house and never went back. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, trying to remember what he was supposed to be doing up at this hour and why he heard so many voices in his kitchen.

He leaned over, frowning at the empty bed, but heard Belle’s laughter with who he now realized were the twins and Sally. Through blurry eyes, he saw the date on his cell and the alert filling his whole screen.

“Graduation,” he grinned, pride swelling his chest.

The rest of the semester had gone by fast for Belle, and he was glad she was finally finished with it. She’d stressed over finals the last three weeks, but now, all of that would end for good. He’d managed to speak with her professor and explain why Belle had missed her deadline for her mid-term. After a promise for a substantial donation to the graphic design department and another to start a scholarship fund for students like Belle, they came to an agreement, and though she didn’t pass the class with an A, she passed, which meant she was graduating today.

Smiling, he climbed out of bed, slipped into jeans and a t-shirt, and padded barefoot to see what the commotion was about.

“There he is,” Sally announced and patted him on the cheek as he bent down to kiss hers. “We were wondering when you’d wake up.”

“I had an alarm set,” he said and walked around his mom to pick Belle up in his arms, holding her giggling body tightly to his chest as he kissed her. “And how is our graduate doing this morning?”

“Freaking out.” She cupped his face as she kissed him. “I can’t believe I’m finally graduating!”

“Well, you are, and I’m extremely proud,” he said, resting his forehead against hers.

“You’re only excited because she’s going to take over half the company now,” Mel chimed in. He shot her a look, but she was too busy texting on her cell phone to catch it.

“Are you ever going to put that down?”

Mel mouthed whatever she was typing then tucked her cell away and looked up. “I was making plans with Carrie for later.”

Greyson and Belle smiled, and he asked if they’d had breakfast. “I was planning on making pancakes and bacon,” he said, reaching for the griddle when two arms snaked around his waist. Belle pressed her cheek into his back, and her warmth seeped into him, warming him as she always did, chasing away the last remnants of his dream. “I’m going to assume that’s a ‘yes please, Greyson, feed us because I can’t cook,’” he teased.

“I can too cook,” she said, and he didn’t have to look to know she was pouting. “You just happen to cook better.”

“You can thank me for that,” Sally said. “I managed to teach him one thing, at least.”

“Just one?” Greyson asked.

“One that you’ll admit to,” she said with a wink.

Greyson grinned, but when Belle pulled away, taking her warmth with her, the images from his dream flooded his mind again and all he saw was his dad’s face. He dropped the griddle with a curse, nearly hitting his foot.

“I got it,” Belle said, rushing over to pick it up. “You alright? You don’t look like you slept well.”

He smiled, not wanting to see worry in her eyes on her special day. “I’m good, just some weird dreams last night. Nothing to worry about. You should start getting ready while I work on breakfast.”

“You sure?”

He tucked her hair behind her ears and kissed her sweetly. “Yeah, I’m sure. Go on.”

She bounced excitedly down the hall, and when the bedroom door closed, his shoulders sagged and he rubbed his forehead, reaching for the coffee.

“So what were you dreaming about that’s made you look so miserable?” Sally asked.

“Yeah, Belle was being nice. You look like crap,” Molly added, hopping up to sit on the island.

“Nothing important,” he said as he turned the griddle on. He fished out the ingredients for the pancakes and mixed them up, and three pairs of eyes followed his back. He stirred and mixed, pouring a bit of the batter on the griddle to cook. He tried to ignore his sisters and mom, but after he flipped the pancakes over once, he finally turned to glare at them. “What?”

Mel and Molly exchanged a look, but it was Sally who said, “It was about Dad, wasn’t it?”

Greyson stiffened and sniffed hard, not meeting her gaze. “Maybe, but it wasn’t anything new.”

“It was around this time,” she said gently, “when you walked out that night, Greyson. I don’t forget these things.”

“Like I said, it wasn’t anything new,” he said and turned back around, his shoulders hunched as he cooked the pancakes.

“You dreamt about that night?” Sally asked.

“Maybe,” he repeated. “I’m fine. It was nothing, just some bad memories I really don’t feel like reliving again. Can we drop it, please? Today is about Belle, not me and my emotional baggage.”

Sally huffed behind him but didn’t say anything. He knew exactly what she would say, anyway. He needed to open up more to Belle and let her know what went on inside his head. They’d had a few conversations, talking about his relationship with his dad and her foster care. He knew, though, she still held back, just as he did.

He was a little worried about his family being there that morning and more worried about the family dinner in a week. They had yet to make their engagement official because of him. He wanted to let them know, but the idea of his sisters and mom finding out made his heart pound. They would take over planning everything, and his mom would push them to be married quickly so she could stop worrying about her only son and eldest child settling down and being happy. He knew Belle was happy about the engagement, but he saw the same hesitation on her face every time she glanced at the ring on her finger—when she was able to wear it where no one else could see it. Another part of him warned about the other part of the conversation his mom would eventually bring up, and that was a topic Greyson wanted to steer very, very far away from.

His mom was dying for grandchildren. He knew it, though she never said it, and he’d be damned if he was going to put that pressure on his young relationship with Belle. There were still mornings he woke up worried she’d taken off in the night, unable to put up with his over-protectiveness or his random bouts of arrogance. They still bickered quite a bit, but making up afterwards was always worth it. For now, they would take their lives one small step at a time.

First, they had to see if this joint CEO gig would work out the way he hoped.

“Breakfast is ready,” he announced ten minutes later as he carried a plate of pancakes to the table. The bacon sizzled in the frying pan on the stove, and he gave it one last flip before pulling it out and handing it to Molly. “I’m going to check on Belle.”

“Oh, give her some time,” Mel said. “She’s probably pampering herself before the big ceremony.”

Greyson frowned, another big ceremony popping into his head—one where Belle wore a white dress and walked down an aisle to his side for the rest of their lives. “I… uh, I just want to make sure we’re staying on time. We need to leave in about an hour to make sure we get good seats.”

“We have tickets,” Molly reminded him as she forked a pancake and stuffed it in her mouth. “We’ll be fine.”

Sally frowned and scolded her for speaking with her mouth full as Mel burst out laughing, also in the process of stuffing a pancake in her face. Greyson backed out of the kitchen and headed to his bedroom. Belle had been in there for a while and worry nagged him. He brushed it off as leftover residue from his dreams about his dad, but when he entered the bedroom and heard Belle retching in the bathroom, he knew it wasn’t.

“Belle?” He hurried into the bathroom. She was wrapped in a towel, hugging the toilet. “Oh no.” He helped pull her hair back as another heave tensed her body. He rubbed her back and grabbed a wash cloth off the sink. “Was it from dinner?”

She shook her head, reaching up blindly to flush the toilet. “I don’t know… God, you don’t need to see this. Go away.”

“You’re puking your guts out. I’m not going anywhere,” he growled, holding the wash cloth to her forehead. She heaved a few more times, and his frown deepened as he wondered if she would be well enough to walk at her ceremony. “I think you’re staying home,” he finally told her twenty minutes later when she was still sick and his mom came in to check on them.

“Can we get you into bed, hon?” Sally asked sweetly from the door. “Maybe some hot tea?”

Belle nodded, and Greyson helped her stand. “Tea would be great, thanks,” she said. Her eyes widened on Sally’s face. “I’m talking to your mother dressed in a towel.”

Sally laughed. “I’m sure it could always be worse,” she said and left.

Greyson laughed at Belle’s reddening cheeks and helped her take a few steps to the bathroom door. Belle froze, and her hand flew to her stomach. Greyson stepped aside just in time for her to rush back to the toilet and bend over it again.

“Nope, you’re not going anywhere. Sorry, pet,” he murmured as she dry-heaved. “Wonder if you caught that nasty bug going around the office.”

“Tim,” Belle whispered bitterly, glaring at the toilet lid so viciously Greyson laughed. “He had it last, that rotten bastard.” Her rant was cut off by more dry heaves. Sally returned briefly to let Greyson know the tea was on the nightstand. He thanked her, but when she eyed Belle with a crooked grin, his stomach clenched.

“How’s your stomach?”

Belle nodded slowly, the bags under her eyes making her look even sicker. “I think I can lay down for a while. Damn, I really wanted to walk across that stage.”

“I know, pet, but if you go now, you might puke on your professors,” he said.

“That wouldn’t be so bad,” she muttered, leaning into his side as he wrapped his arm around her.

“I think you’re better off staying here. We’ll make it up to you somehow, don’t worry.” He grabbed her fluffy robe from the closet and helped her slip into it after dropping the towel. He picked her up and laid her gently in bed, tucking the quilts around her. “Tea’s on the nightstand. You want me to stay?”

She shook her head, her eyes closing as she settled back against the pillows. “No… no, I don’t want you to catch this either.”

He rested his hand against her forehead and the back of her neck. “You don’t feel feverish. Maybe it’s just food poisoning.”

“Whatever it is, it sucks,” she muttered, pulling the quilts up higher.

He tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and leaned back, wishing he could do something to make her feel better. “Just get some rest. If you still feel crappy later, I'll take you to the clinic.”

“Sounds good,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.

Within minutes, she was out. Greyson sat on the bedside, watching her. Her breathing was steady, and she wasn’t flushed. After a while, making sure she remained asleep, he left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He hoped it was just a bug and not the flu Tim had. He had been sick for three weeks. It had nearly set them back a whole month of work, but the man had eventually gotten well enough to return. It helped that Belle managed to pick up his slack, too, and kept them as on track as she could so when he did get back to work, he could jump right in.

“She sleeping?” Sally asked, patting the space beside her on the couch.

“Yeah. She’s upset she’s missing her graduation. I hate that she can’t be there,” he said and sat down heavily, his head resting on the back of the couch and a hand covering his eyes. “House is quiet—where are the twins?”

“They went to meet Carrie to let her know about Belle, but you’ll have to tell her later not to worry about missing her graduation.”

Greyson glanced with one narrowed eye. “What are they up to?”

“You’ll see in a week at our family dinner.” Sally patted his leg and grinned wider. “Is this the first time she’s been sick?”

“Yeah, just this morning,” he said slowly, glancing at her. “Why are you smiling? She’s sick. Probably has that damn bug floating around the office the last few months.”

“Bug… really?”

Greyson straightened and shook his head. “What are you getting at?”

“I’m assuming you two are sleeping together?”

“Mom! God, I’m not having this conversation with you,” he muttered and stood, walking into the kitchen to clean up breakfast. He hoped Sally wouldn’t follow, but she did, sitting at the island and smiling widely. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, but whatever it is, just stop.”

“She’s sick, and it’s morning,” Sally mused quietly. “How long have you two been having sex?”

Greyson dropped the skillet in the sink with a crash, clenching the sides of it tightly. “I’m not doing this. We’re not going there.”

“I’m just saying she’s had a glow about her the last few times I’ve seen her. Not to mention being sick,” Sally said. He could hear the excitement in her voice. “You might want to look at this bug as something other than a bug.”

He stared at the skillet, his heart pounding as his pulse thundered in his ears. “Are you… are you suggesting what I think you are?”

“Just throwing it out there,” she shrugged happily. “Let me know how she is later.”

“Where are you going?” he asked, watching her snatch up her purse and head for the door. “You can’t just drop a bombshell like that and vanish!”

“I have a dinner and now a graduation to plan,” she said and blew him a kiss. “See you both soon!”

“Mom!”

He followed her, but the door closed, and by the time he opened it again, she was at her car, climbed in, and drove away. He held the door open for a long time, staring at the few cars driving up and down his street as his mom’s words played over in his mind. Belle lay in his bed, and his mom didn’t think she was just sick. She thought it was morning sickness.

“Pregnant,” he muttered. “She could be pregnant.”

His feet carried him through the house back to his bedroom, and he pushed the door open quietly. Belle was still sound asleep, tucked warmly in his bed. His eyes trailed from her peaceful face to her belly, hidden by the quilts. Could she really be pregnant? He tried to remember when her last period was but couldn’t. He knew she was on the pill and they had agreed that was enough, but maybe not.

He half smiled as both joy and insane worry at what the future would hold ripped through his body. His hands shaking, he backed slowly out of the room and closed the door on his sleeping beauty, wondering how he would keep this little bit of information to himself. Now that they didn’t have to go to her graduation, he had the whole day to spend worrying about Belle carrying his child. He walked to his office and turned around in his chair a few times before dragging himself closer to his desk to get a few things done before Monday.

A few e-mails in, his cell rang and he answered. “Hello?”

“Greyson, I was hoping I’d catch you,” Aiden said cheerfully.

Greyson leaned back in his chair. “Why? What makes you sound so thrilled? I thought after our last conversation, you wouldn’t call me again.”

“A girl can hope, can’t she?”

“After the shit you pulled, I thought I made it clear you call me only with business,” he snapped. “So if you don’t have business with me about finding Belle’s family, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait,” she said quickly. “I found a few more leads. I'm checking them out over the next week and wanted to give you a head’s up.”

“Where?” he asked stiffly, pen in hand.

“California. Not sure what I’ll find, but I should be back by next Friday.”

Greyson made a note and tucked it under his keyboard. “Fine, don’t call me until then, and if any of your friends try to contact me again—if they show up, or do anything to harass my fiancée—you’ll regret it, Aiden. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”

“Fiancée? When did that happen?”

“After you tried to break us apart,” he snapped and hung up before she could reply.

He rubbed his forehead, wishing the blooming pain would fade, when he heard clinking in the kitchen. He glanced at the clock on his desk. Belle had slept for about two hours. He hurried to get to the kitchen to make sure she was alright. Halfway to the door, he froze, remembering that his fiancée might be pregnant and that he might know before she did.

Mom’s just being over-anxious, he told himself. Belle is sick with a bug and not pregnant.

After a few deep breaths to calm his nerves, he opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. “Belle?”

Her head popped out from behind the fridge door and she grinned, leftover bacon from breakfast hanging out of her mouth as she laughed. “Mind if I eat this? I woke up starving.”

“No, eat, please,” he said.

She tucked the rest of the bacon into her mouth, closed the fridge door, and he laughed when he saw the rest of the pancakes he’d wrapped up in her other hand.

“Want me to heat it up for you?”

“Nah, I can handle this,” she said and set everything down. “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Your brow is severely furrowed. Is it your mom talking about that family dinner again or your dad?”

Greyson leaned his hip against the counter, tugging at his beard. “What does my brow have to do with my family?”

“You’re kidding, right?”

He shook his head, watching closely as she stood on her toes to set the plate in the microwave. He wanted to reach through the robe and feel her stomach, even though he knew from last night it was still flat with a tiny little extra towards her hips. That hadn’t changed since they’d been together, and he knew, logically, he wouldn’t be able to tell if she were pregnant or not by feeling her belly.

“No, not kidding,” he replied finally.

“Any time your dad or family is brought up, you get a little… off kilter, and your angry bear face comes out,” she said and leaned into his chest.

“No, I was worried about you missing your graduation.”

She shrugged. “Shit happens, right? I graduated, and that’s what matters.”

“You sure you’re not upset at all?”

“Nope. I have you and whatever the future holds for us next,” she said, a fire in her eyes as she kissed him. “But I do think we need to tell your family about our engagement soon. I don’t know how much longer I can lie to your mom.”

“I’m sure we’ll have lots of good news to give her soon enough,” he said and held her close, imagining a full, pregnant belly squished between them.

The microwave beeped, but he didn’t let go. Belle held him tighter, too, laughing when the beeping didn’t stop. “Grey… food? Starving here,” she laughed, glancing up at him.

He smiled and kissed her again, capturing her lips. The moment her lips parted, she moaned and he shoved her robe apart, revealing her curvy, naked body beneath it. His hands roaming over her body, he lifted her and set her on the counter, nuzzling her neck.

“I guess food can wait a while,” she whispered, and Greyson grunted an agreement.