What If (Willowbrook Book 2) by Ashlyn Mathews Page B

it to be just you and me at the hospital, I’ll support that decision too.”
    She shook her head. “I want everyone there. They’re like our second family.”
    “What you want, you’ll get.” He pressed his lips to hers.
    She smiled against his mouth. God, he loved her. She deepened the kiss. He groaned then broke off their kiss. Any more of her sweetness, and he’d want to worship her beautiful body by kissing her from head to toe. Right now, they didn’t have that kind of time.
    Taking her hand in his, they stopped in the bedroom and grabbed her overnight bag—something she’d put together months ago—before they got in his truck.
    As he drove, he watched her text their friends from the corner of his eye. Her phone buzzed like crazy. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
    Chris and his partner had gotten back together. They would be Emma and Drew’s baby boy’s godparents. Asa and Eve were designated “aunties.” And Lucas and Rhys? After the little white lie they’d told about holding Drew’s junk for him while he pissed, they were put in charge of diaper duty when Drew was out of town for away games. The season had already started.
    After the gala that brought in over twenty grand for Chance, Drew and Emma had hard questions to mull over. Would they live in Willowbrook or would he move her down to the Bay area? Could she leave her career, her friends, and her mother? In the end, they had made the right decision. He’d sell his place in San Francisco and make Willowbrook his permanent home. Emma would move in with him but keep her little house by the cemetery.
    “Okay, I’ve texted everyone. They’ll meet us at the hospital.” She placed her clasped hands on her lap. “I hesitated earlier because it’s the middle of the week, they’ve got jobs, it’s an inconvenience—” She sighed.
    “They won’t mind, Em.” He found that he liked when she dropped her guard and gave him the truth.
    At his reassurance, she smiled and rubbed her belly.
    The nearest hospital was in Ashton, two hours away. He hoped to God he wouldn’t be delivering in the truck. “How are the contractions?” he asked with a casualness he didn’t feel.
    “A few here and there.” She set her hand palm up on the center console. He placed his hand in hers. Always the first to let someone know they were safe. Safe. He liked that word, a lot.
    “You don’t mind the arrangement, right, Mrs. Hazard?” Going between their place and hers.
    Her free hand shot to her mouth. But he’d already seen her shit-eating grin.
    “Drew, that’s the first time you’ve called me that.”
    “It’s true.”
    The day after he had proposed to her, they had jetted to Las Vegas as a couple and returned to Willowbrook, married. His mother had served as their witness. When they had arrived in Willowbrook later that night, the media surrounded them. Emma had handled the attention with a graciousness and sophistication that had him puffing his chest out with pride.
    Later, he’d had a private chat with the reporters. Sure, he’d love to run his mouth off about anything related to his career. However, his private life with Emma was off limits. They could try to overstep the boundaries as often and as hard as they liked. But he would return their personal questions with the same line, “No comment.”
    “No, I don’t mind keeping our place and mine,” she said, answering his question about their arrangement. “Eventually, I’ll sell my place. But with Mom—”
    He squeezed her hand. “Your mom likes to visit your dad, and having someone else live in the house wouldn’t be the greatest idea.”
    “Right.” She smiled. “As long as I know you and the baby, and our family and friends are in my life, I can live one day at a time. Some things in life aren’t meant to be planned for.”
    Their baby. Their marriage .
    “I love you, Drew.” She glanced sidelong at him. Her eyes twinkled.
    His heart stuttered. A football career would