Right, about that. The emails can wait. If I left now, maybe I could make love to my wife before everyone arrived.

I closed my laptop, shoved my phone in my pocket, and hurried home, hoping I wasn’t too late and that my brother hadn’t already beaten me there.

The second I walked through my front door, I tossed my keys and jacket and went to find her. “Babe?” I called out.

The house was quiet, but I knew Colin wouldn’t be back until closer to dinnertime. He’d texted an hour ago that he was taking Lennon out for a spin in his new Dodge Ram before dinner.

I loosened the knot of my tie as I made my way to our bedroom, then went still in the doorway when I spotted her quietly sitting on the bed, hand covering her mouth, eyes on the floor.

“Hey, you okay?” I rushed over to her and dropped to my knees. “What’s wrong?” My eyes widened, nerves taking over as I took her hands.

She slowly lifted her head, tears slipping down her cheeks.

I swallowed hard, waiting for her to speak to help get my heart rate dialed back down before that organ jumped free and clear from my chest.

“I know why I’ve been so tired lately, and it has nothing to do with helping Izzy with the baby shower planning and all the shopping.” She pulled her hands away from mine and swiped at her tears before reaching for something under the closest pillow.

A small blue something. The Tiffany’s box?

“Open it.” She sniffled, working her lip between her teeth.

I wasn’t sure why my hand was shaking as I lifted the lid. I dropped back onto the heels of my dress shoes at the sight of two tiny yellow socks inside. “Are you trying to tell me . . .?”

“I took a test this morning, then snuck off to the OB this afternoon. I wanted to know for sure before I told you.”

I held up one of the socks, which was so small compared to the size of my hand.

“Those were Colin’s. Now they’ll be his brother’s,” she whispered, tears flying down her face as a few worked down mine.

I returned the sock to the box. A shaky exhalation later, I set the box on the bed and stood, drawing her hands inside mine to have her rise as well. “Wait, uh, what if we’re having a girl?” Colin will lose it.

“She’ll have a ridiculously overprotective brother to have her six is what.” She laughed through a teary smile, then pulled her hands free from mine to hold my face and whispered, “Boy or girl, they’ll have the best dad in the world. I know this because Colin already does.”