she explained, feeling so ashamed. “I promised you so many times that I wasn’t ever going to leave you, and I did. I left you and ran.”
“Maisie.” He spoke her name, his mouth shaping the sounds in a way she had dreamed about so many times. He closed the distance between them in powerful strides and cupped her face in both hands. Leaning into his touch, she focused on his lips as he said, “I never blamed you for that. You did the right thing. You saved me and yourself.”
The moment she had fantasized about sharing with him had finally arrived. She had to correct him, but she wanted to do it right. She clasped his wrists and carefully lowered his hands. He frowned, and she held up a hand to ask him to wait. Stepping back, she removed her picking sack and set it aside before grabbing the bottom of her oversized hooded sweatshirt. She lifted it overhead and let it dangle from her fingers.
Terror’s frown remained in place until his gaze traveled from her face to her chest to the undershirt stretched tight across her stomach. Shock filtered across his features, and she reached for his hand, drawing it across the space between them and placing it on her round belly. His hand shook underneath hers, and she watched as the shock etched into his face changed into something more profound—joy.
“Us,” she corrected. “I saved us.”
“Maisie.” He looked completely astounded. “We’re having a baby.”
“Yes.” She lost the battle to hold back her tears. “We’re having a baby.”
What happened next left her head spinning. Terror swept her up in his arms and claimed her mouth in an ecstatic kiss. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held tight as she returned his passionate kisses. When he finally realized they were making a spectacle, he put her down and brushed his thumb over her lower lip. “You ready to go home, Maisie?”
Overcome with relief and happiness, she grinned through her tears. “Yes.” She rose on tiptoes to kiss him. “Take me home, Terror.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Stop hovering. You’re freaking her out.
Terror forced himself to stop pacing beside the exam table and sat on the chair next to it. Maisie shot him a grateful look and reached for his hand. He fought the urge to grip her fingers and interlaced them instead. Ever since finding her, he had struggled with giving her space. Apparently, the trauma of losing her was still too fresh for him to behave rationally.
“You’re going to need a tranquilizer if you don’t calm down,” Maisie teased. “I’m supposed to be the one panicking about all the changes to my body and eventually giving birth.”
His stomach dropped like a runaway elevator. He hadn’t even considered that eventually their baby would have to be born. She would be in pain, suffering, because he had been irresponsible.
“I’m joking,” Maisie clarified. She seemed worried as she studied his face. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he assured her even though he definitely wasn’t fine. The idea of children had always been nebulous. Some day. In the future. Even though he wanted children with Maisie, he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly, especially since he had the same contraceptive implants as every other man in Shadow Force. Which created a whole other set of questions...
When Risk entered the exam room, he had a smile on his face. “Congratulations you two!”
“Thank you,” Terror said as Maisie signed the same response.
Risk seemed relieved by their happy replies. “I’m glad you two are excited about becoming parents.”
Terror narrowed his gaze. “Why?”
Risk looked suddenly sheepish. “Uh, well, I may have possibly forgotten to mention that your contraceptive implants were missing.”
“Possibly?” Terror repeated dryly and gestured toward Maisie’s pregnant state. “I’d say that was a definitely forgot to mention.”
“I really am sorry,” Risk apologized. “It must have gotten lost in the shuffle of patient follow-up reports that come across my desk. When you were scanned after your rescue from the mine, the tech noted the lack of implants. You were in such bad shape at the time it wasn’t a priority to address.”
“I understand,” Terror assured him. He and Maisie had spent most of their return trip to the Valiant discussing their impending parenthood. After the shock and excitement of her news had faded, he had been concerned she wasn’t ready to be a mother yet. She had dreams and plans for her future, and maybe a baby wasn’t something she wanted right now. Thankfully, she was ready for this