Rosalina stepped into the room, and the strangest sensation washed over her, making her skin pebble. This is the nursery. It was cozy, the corner wall curved with a window seat. She could picture dark gray walls painted with slender white Aspen trees, colorful birds on the limbs to give the room a pop of color. “No, this one’s not Ruby’s.”

He watched her curiously. “I just mean for now, since she’s only four, but I guess we could give her the one in between this one and the office. Actually, that’s something else I wanted to talk to you about. I know I said I only wanted four bedrooms, but now I’m thinking we could add a long room to the back of the house, fill it with bunkbeds, dormitory-style, for when the nieces and nephews come over.”

See? Having kids of his own was the furthest thing from his mind. And they’d only been together a year. Is it too soon?

But a joyful warmth flooded her, and she knew—just knew—this is right. It was exactly as it should be. Her parents would flip out, though. I’m not even married.

Some dutiful princess you turned out to be.

She smiled. “I don’t know. To me, this feels more like Prince Archibald Fitzwilliam Charles’s room than Ruby’s.”

“What? Who’s that?”

She reached for his hand and brought it to her belly. “But we’ll keep the colors neutral just in case it turns out to be Princess Sophia Gabriella Inez’s room.” She smiled softly. Please be okay with this. “We won’t know the gender for a few more weeks.”

His features went slack. He looked like he was two seconds away from parachuting out of an airplane at thirty-thousand feet. “What are you telling me?”

“I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

“We…you and me…what?”

“You’re going to be a daddy.”

“Holy fuck.” He turned away from her. It looked like he’d stopped breathing. A moment later, he swung back around. “A baby?”

“I know it’s unexpected. I was shocked, too. I mean, really shocked. I only found out right before I came over here. It’s hard to take in, isn’t it?”

It happened so gradually she could actually watch as reality sank in. The slow transformation from shock to awe flipped any concern she had over to excitement.

“You and me…we made a baby?” He dropped to his knees, his big palms splaying across her stomach. The big, powerful athlete kissed her belly button, before wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his ear, as if listening for signs of their baby.