I sat on the front steps of Elliot and Zach’s while I watched the new people move in across the street.

I felt hands on my shoulders. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I mean, I will be. That house was all I had. My parents were never home, but that house was...mine.” I smiled up at Elliot. “So, we start school in four weeks. Quinn still isn’t talking to me. I talked to Wyatt yesterday, and he said she was avoiding him too. Oh, and I forgot to tell you that my aunt and uncle invited us over for dinner next week. They want to meet you.”

He kissed the top of my head and then sat next to me. He put his hand on my stomach. “Sounds good. And I’m sorry about Quinn.”

I smiled down at my very tiny pooch. “She’ll come around eventually. We’re best friends.” I put my hand on his. “I came up with two names last night. I was talking to Zach and found out some of your family history.”

“Did ya now?” he laughed. “And what did he tell you?”

I smiled. “That your middle name is Blake and that your favorite Aunt’s name is Millicent, but you call her Aunt Millie.” I kissed his jaw and laid my head against his shoulder. “Blake Alexander or Millie Elizabeth Shaw.”

He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my head. “I like those names. And that means a lot to me, Sam.” He rested his head on mine. “Do you want to go somewhere this weekend?”

“Yeah! Where?”

He smiled brightly. “It’s a surprise.”

“Okay!”

I stood and held my hand out.

He took it and pulled me back down onto his lap. He laughed and then kissed me.

I stopped kissing him and smiled really big. “Drive me to get ice cream?”

He kissed me and then helped me off his lap. He got up and stretched. “Anything for you.” He smiled, and we walked to the door. “My Trouble and little Trouble.”

I laughed. “Thanks.”

I TALKED ELLIOT into sitting outside on the bench at the park while we ate our ice cream. A week ago, we’d had a second ultrasound and found out that the fluid was gone, and everything was fine, but Elliot still liked for me to take it easy. He was overwhelming sometimes, but I understood. He’s been so close to death before, and losing someone he cared about was something he’d experienced.

I took the last bite of my ice cream as I looked over at the swings and smiled at the kids playing.

“You’ll make a great mom. And... I’m sorry I’ve been so smothering.” He looked at the other people in the park instead of me. “I know you’ve got to be tired of me.”

I looked at him and took in all of his features. The sun was just starting to go down, and it made his dark eyes more intense. He was so handsome it was breathtaking.

“You are pretty smothering.” I smiled a little. “But I understand.”

“I’ll try to back off some. Promise.” His eyes saddened a little as he watched some parents and their kids.

“What’s going on in that handsome head of yours?” I grabbed the ice cream he didn’t finish and started eating the rest of it.

“Just thinking about some things. Thinking about the future.”

“Do you see me and Little Trouble there?”

He looked away from the people in the park and smiled warmly at me. “Yes. Actually, I can’t imagine a future without you two in it.”

“We’re so young. How can you be so sure? You know how moody I can be.” I smiled when he laughed.

“Yes, I know.” He brushed some hair out of his face. “I’m sure because thinking of a life without you two makes me feel like I can’t breathe. It makes my heart ache. I know you’re my future, Trouble.”

“But you won’t have sex with me?” I teased. The doctor had made it very clear that sex was out of the question because of the early issues. It was too risky. Besides, I felt tired as hell all day every day, hungry, and like I had a major hangover. Sex was the last thing on my mind lately. But, I loved teasing Elliot.

“As soon as the doctor gives you the okay, we’ll see what I can do about that,” he teased back.

“By the time that happens, I’ll be huge, and that would just be weird. But at least I know you’re considering it.” I finished off the last bit of his ice cream and then threw away our trash. I walked back over to the table stood in front of him. “Can we go do something stupid?”

He looked up at me and pulled on my shirt until I was straddling his lap. “Like what?” He kissed my neck. “And I’ve been thinking about it since I met you. I’ve just been trying to wait until the right time.”

“Well, it’s not in this park in front of all these kids.” We both laughed.

I held out my hand. “Give me your keys, and I’ll show you.”

He handed me the keys, and we got up.

I drove him out to an old field where Logan’s family kept a bunch of horses and cows.

I parked in front of the gate and got out.

I started walking along the fence line, counting my steps. About 30 more steps, and I’d be where they kept the hidden key to unlock the gate.

“What are we doing out here?” Elliot asked quietly from behind me.

“We...” I stopped and knelt down as I dug for the key. Once I found it, I tossed it to him. I stood. “Are going to give Logan a shit ton of work to do tonight.”

He raised a brow. “O-kay.”

We went to the gate, and I unlocked it. I then whistled until six of the horses came up. I swung the gate open and all six of them took off. Some of the cows came out and shit all over the road as they crossed it.

I started laughing so hard I was crying. But then, just my damn luck, a cop was driving past.

Elliot looked at me as we both kept laughing. “Hide behind that tree.” He pushed me toward the tree and walked over to the cop.

I came out from behind the tree anyway.

Elliot frowned at me.

The cop was about to talk when another cow came out and stopped next to us and just stared at Elliot.

I covered my mouth when I started laughing again.

“This is the Hart property,” the cop stated sternly.

Elliot laughed as the cow mooed at him.

I had tears in my eyes.

I nodded at the cop. “Yes, it is, and you have to admit, this is kind of funny.”

“I’m going to have to take you two in for trespassing.”

The cop looked at us both. “Follow me.”

Elliot started walking, and the cow followed. He started laughing harder.

I had to hold my stomach, I was laughing so hard. I couldn’t even walk. The cop turned and looked at us and as he did, he stepped in a pile of shit.

I couldn’t breathe.

Elliot had tears in his eyes.

The cop took off his shoe and started cursing.

“Car. Now!” he yelled.

I took Elliot’s hand, and we walked to the car and got in.

We waited while the cop talked on his radio and tried to figure out how to bring his shoe with him.

The cow stood outside of Elliot’s door and mooed at him. It even licked the window. “I think you have competition,” Elliot teased.

I started laughing some more.

WE SAT IN the jail cell and waited for our one call.

“You gonna call Zach or do you want me to call my cousin?”

“I’ll call Zach. He’ll think it’s hilarious.”

I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. “It’s fun being stupid with you.” I yawned.

He chuckled. “It’s fun being stupid with you, too.” He kissed my head. “Why don’t you put your head in my lap and rest until we get our call.”

I moved until I was lying down on the bench and put my head in his lap. I looked up at him as he played with my hair. “This will be a good story for the grandkids one day,” I said with a sleepy smile.

“Yes, it will be. Including the cow that wouldn’t let the cop drive.” Elliot laughed.

“I’m gonna have to talk to that cow. She needs to know you’re spoken for.”

I reached up and touched his face. “You’re going to be a great dad, Elliot.”

He turned his head and kissed my hand. “And you’re going to be a great mom.”

“I’m gonna try.”

We turned to look at the cop who just walked over.

“One call.” He slid the door open, and I sat up so that Elliot could go out.

“I’ll be right back.” He walked out of the cell.

WHEN I GOT out of the shower, I wrapped the towel around me and tiptoed down the hall into Elliot’s room.

Zach was asleep, and Elliot was too. I couldn’t, though, so I decided to take a shower, hoping it’d help me relax.

I held the towel around me as I used the light from my cell phone to look for a pair of Elliot’s pajama pants. I couldn’t find any so I grabbed a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts.

I turned off the light on the phone and let the towel fall. I slipped on the clothes and laughed quietly when the boxers fell low on my hips. I really needed to do laundry, so I had my own things to wear.

“What’s wrong?” Elliot asked in a mumble.

He scared me, so I jumped a little and knocked a few things off the top of his dresser. “Sorry,” I whispered. “I couldn’t sleep.”

He scooted over and patted the spot next to him. “Come crawl in bed with me, baby,” he whispered sleepily.

I did and moved until my body was touching his, sighing contently when his arms wrapped around me. I closed my eyes and took in his smell. He always smelled so good.

I kissed his bare chest, and I could feel his heart start to race.

He kissed my forehead, then tilted my chin up to look at him. He kissed my lips gently. “Goodnight, Sweetheart.”

“You suck.” I laughed quietly and snuggled against him. “Goodnight.”

“The doctor hasn’t given you the okay yet, has he?” he asked as he looked down at me.

“No.”

“Then we’ll just have to wait.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “It’ll be worth it.” He chuckled a little and closed his eyes. He rubbed my back soothingly.

It wasn’t long, and I was out.