In this case, a very tiny person.

And one oversize one. The person who made sure I was here for this, who did whatever he had to do to get me to my best friend because he knew how important it was to me.

I couldn’t deny it any longer. A rush of warmth washed over me, and I could feel my cheeks flush. I was in love with Noah Douglas. I knew it as clearly and as plainly as I’d ever known anything. I wanted him in my life now and forever.

I maybe even wanted to make tiny people with him.

And none of that terrified me.

Allan came back in the room, carrying his cell phone. “My mom’s on the phone. She’s excited. She wants to talk to you and apologize.”

Shelby’s eyes sparkled with happiness and I left them alone, glad that Satan’s Evilest Minion had finally come around at the prospect of being a grandmother. I found Noah in a small waiting room, a few doors down from where Shelby was. He was on his phone.

“I want you to find out who is the best oncologist in the state. No, it’s not for me. But this is important. Find out who that person is and get them on the phone.”

I put my hand on his arm. “Hang up.”

“Kyle, I’m going to call you back.” He studied my face. “What’s going on?”

“She’s not sick. She’s pregnant.”

His whole face lit up—you would have almost thought she was having his baby. “That’s fantastic!” He picked me up like it was nothing, swinging me around once.

I laughed, and when I felt my feet back on the floor, I told him, before I lost my nerve, “I need to talk to you. There’s something I have to say.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

He sensed the people watching us before I did. I was too busy trying to work up my courage. I needed to tell him the truth. About everything. “Come with me,” he said, leading me into an empty hospital room and closing the door.

Maybe if I told him the love thing first, the lie wouldn’t seem quite so bad. Now that the moment of truth was here, my nerves felt jangly and I shook my hands, trying to get some feeling back into them. My heartbeat was violent in my chest.

“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked, his concern evident in every line of his beautiful face.

“What’s a battle buddy?” I blurted out, my brain stepping in to create a diversion.

“In the army you’re assigned a partner to keep an eye on both in and out of combat. It just means I’ve got your back and nothing’s going to happen to you on my watch if I can help it.”