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“Yeah... I really like her.” Shepherd grins.

“Hey.” I narrow my eyes, a wave of jealousy hitting me. Huh. Even with my best friend. I guess no woman is safe.

“Bunny, you’re not helping,” he groans.

“Awweee. He calls you bunny. That's so damn cute,” Olivia gushes. “Malcolm, why don’t you have any cute nicknames for me?” she asks, putting her husband on the spot. Malcolm looks over at her, cupcake to his mouth.

“Uhhh.”

“Oh, cupcakes!” Shepherd jumps up and heads over to the table of food.

“He looks like he’s a handful,” Olivia comments with a laugh.

“He is,” I chuckle. “But I love it.”

“You look happy,” she says, her face softening.

“I am.” I smile back.

“I’m so fucking thrilled for you.” Her eyes get misty again. “I was getting worried, you know. With you working yourself too hard and having more episodes. I just wanted you to slow down before it became too much. So when you said you needed time to yourself, I didn’t think twice. What I didn’t expect was for you to find your three long-lost first loves.”

“Trust me, neither did I,” I laugh. “They stormed into my life and refused to let go. I’m glad they did because they saved me.” I look over to Saint and Maverick. Their eyes are on me, both of them give me soft smiles, and I fucking melt.

Shepherd is stuffing his face with food, and I can’t help but laugh.

Over the next hour, Maverick and Saint stay where they are, taking food when Olivia offers it to them, not wanting to refuse the pregnant woman in her own house.

We open gifts, and I promise her that I’ll get her something epic. I mean, I have men with money now, if I can be spoiled, then why the fuck can’t I spoil the people I love.

It’s not like I had time to go out and get anything.

We play some games, and Shepherd is the life of the party, making everyone laugh. Oh, and he kills it at all the games.

There’s one where you take clothespins from someone if they say the word baby. He’s managed to get almost everyone's. Then there was another game where you race to change the baby’s diaper the fastest. He didn’t win because that man took such good care of that fake baby, taking his time to be gentle. I fucking swooned.

I expected this from the other two, not my energetic, out-of-control man.

We’re taking a break from games when we hear the babbling of a baby. “Hey.” Shepherd turns to me. “You said there weren’t going to be any babies.”

I laugh, shrugging. “Didn’t know anyone had a baby.”

“That’s Ellie, Milly’s new little one.”

“Oh my god!” I gasp. “That’s right, she was pregnant. I totally forgot. Awww.” I melt as Ellie giggles in Milly’s arms.

“Mine.” Shepherd is up off his chair and rushing over to Milly. “Can I hold her?”

Milly looks him over, hesitating for a moment, but hands the bubbly little baby over to him.

Everything in that man changes in an instant when he gently takes Ellie into his arms. The way his whole face lights up as he starts to talk softly to her in baby talk is a shot right in the ovaries.

“Cove, you better give that man a baby right now. That is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Shepherd brings the baby over to Saint and Maverick. Their faces soften at the sight of her, and my big, scary, serial killer men turn into puddles of goo for that little girl.

It makes me tear up, this wave of anticipation filling me.

“Can I tell you something?” I turn to Olivia, keeping my voice low.