Shotgun Bride [Tasty Treats 12] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 13
Ella sighed.
And the doctor.
While they’d certainly taken every opportunity to grace the sheets of the bed that they’d installed in one corner of the bunkhouse until the homestead could be weatherproofed, Ella still wasn’t convinced. And yes, they’d rolled around in bed having round after glorious round of wild, pleasurable, and repeated sex, every chance they got. However, Ella still didn’t believe she was having a child.
“Honey, it’s been almost four months. The doctor says you’re having a baby in less than five months.”
“And you believe him?” Ella didn’t leave out the incredulous tone in her voice.
“Yes. But you obviously still don’t. When will you believe it?”
She shrugged, still unconvinced that something she wanted so desperately could actually be true. “My conception percentage is still an unknown quantity, since you wouldn’t let the doctor do the test.”
Matt shook his head. “We didn’t need a test. Still don’t. Especially now that you’re pregnant.”
She continued as if she hadn’t heard him. “Even if my percentage had been high, I just don’t think I could be fertile enough to get pregnant so fast. Maybe in a couple of years, not in only six months.”
Matt rubbed her belly. She had put on a couple of pounds and sported a very small baby bump. She couldn’t keep anything down but weak, warm tea and soda crackers for the bulk of the day. And yet, until they put a bundled baby in her arms, Ella didn’t think she’d believe she was going to have a child. She was afraid it was a waking dream. Possibly a vast conspiracy. Anything but the one thing she wanted above all else. A baby.
“Well, I may finally have news that will convince you,” Matt said quietly. “I hope so anyway.”
She looked very wary and skeptical all of a sudden. Eyes narrowing, she asked, “What’s the news?”
Matt cleared his throat. “Well, I just got an urgent message before I came in here that the bank holding Colton’s trust fund has agreed to release some funds in the form of a business ranch loan for us on the basis of the doctor’s certification of you being with child.”
Ella sucked in another shocked breath. “Really? You got the loan?”
Matt nodded. She clasped her hands together and laughed out loud. Her hands then went to cover her belly. “I can’t believe a fourth miracle has happened to me. I’m having a baby.”
Colton, resting next to her on the large bed, huffed. “So let me get this straight, you don’t believe your own doctor or any of your closest friends and family that you could be pregnant, and you ignore the very obvious common signs, but the bank holding my trust funds convinces you as to your condition?”
“You know what they say? Money talks, bullshit walks.”
Epilogue
“You’re a superstar, Ella, my love,” Matt said as he held their hour-old son, Jackson, in his arms.
Colton sat down next to her on the bed, holding their other son, James, who was an hour and ten minutes old. “Twins was an amazing feat, honey.”
“I’m glad you each have one to hold. Now you won’t have to fight over just one baby.”
Matt added, “Plus, now we’re rich.”
Ella, previously on her last bit of strength, perked up again. “The bank released the trust fund money?”
“Yep. All ten million plus credits, minus the little bit we borrowed. Right after I sent them a picture of both boys together, they released the money. We’re loaded.” He kissed their second son’s forehead.
“And this legacy land is ours forever,” Colton added.
“Two babies, prosperous legacy land, and two rich husbands? How many more miracles can a girl expect?”
“What would you think of a new house?”
Ella narrowed her eyes. “A new house? You mean you’re not going to repair the old one?”
“Right. Brand spanking new with all the bells and whistles.”
She put a hand to her head. “I don’t know what to think.” Out the window she could see the back corner view of the dilapidated former homestead. “Don’t you want to fix up the house you both grew up in?”
“Hell, no,” Colton exclaimed. “Besides, I left here when I was five, which was also my most vivid memory.”
“I was nine. Actually, I spent more time there than you did.”
“Do you want to at least preserve it?” Ella asked.
“No,” they both said at the same time.
Colton added, “My fondest wish would be to level the old homestead and start over in a more private part of our land. Maybe a parcel well away from this flat ranch area in the woods on the north edge of the property.”
Ella leaned over and kissed first one baby’s forehead and then the other baby’s cheek. “Well, then by all means let’s build a new place where we can all be one big happy family.”
THE END
WWW.LARASANTIAGO.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lara Santiago is the best-selling author of over twenty books. She’s the winner of the WisRWA Write Touch Readers’ Award for her book Menagerie and an Ecataromance award winner for The Miner’s Wife. She’s a Passionate Plume finalist for both The Lawman’s Wife and, more recently, Range War Bride.
From her futuristic novels to her contemporary romantic suspense, she’s known for her independent heroines and those compelling alpha males we all adore.
After turning in more than twenty-five novels to date, she’s come to the realization that this writing gig might just work out after all. She continues to dream up stories, keeping no less than ten romantic ideas circulating at any given time.
For all titles by Lara Santiago, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/lara-santiago
For titles by Lara Santiago writing as
Elle Saint James, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/elle-saint-james
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
About the Author