When we pull into the Target parking lot, it takes less than two seconds to spot Cybil. She’s not in the back of a cruiser but instead being held under the arm of the sheriff who spoke to her the night we were shot at. I don’t even bother finding a parking spot. I pull up right in front of the line of official vehicles outside the store and somehow manage to shut down the engine of my truck before I hop out and run around the hood. When Cybil sees me, her eyes fill with concern and relief.
“Sunshine,” I say low, and she rushes toward me as I open my arms. As soon as I have hold of her, she sobs, gripping onto my tee. “Shhh, it’s okay.” I rock her back and forth, then look over the top of her head as the sheriff walks toward us.
“Security’s going over the tapes with a couple of officers. We’re hoping we got the man who shot at the two of you on tape.” The sheriff’s eyes drop to Cybil. “You should probably get her home. We’ll call and let you know when we find something.”
“Thanks.” I turn to lead her to my truck and see Bernard a couple of feet away. “Sunshine, did you drive here?” When she nods, I take her purse off her shoulder and look at Bernard. “Do you mind driving Cybil’s Bronco home?”
“Not at all.” He takes her bag when I hand it over and digs through for her keys. Once he has them, he hands me her purse and looks at Cybil as she wipes her cheeks. “Are you okay, honey?”
“Yeah,” she mumbles, and even though he doesn’t look convinced, he lets it go and mutters that he’ll follow us back to the house.
I usher Cybil to my truck and place her in the passenger seat, making sure to take extra care when I buckle her in while ignoring her body stiffening when my knuckles graze her stomach.
“Talk to me, sunshine,” I whisper after I get in behind the wheel and grab her hand.
“I heard the cop talking to you. I know you know about the pregnancy tests.”
“Are you pregnant?” I ask, the idea thrilling and scaring the shit out of me.
“I don’t know,” she says, sounding so defeated. “Probably. My period is late, and I’ve been feeling sick every morning and so tired all the time.”
“I wish you would have told me.”
“I was going to if I found out I was.”
I smile at the anger in her tone. “I know you would have, but you’re not alone, sunshine. I’m here with you no matter what.”
“I know.” She starts to fiddle with my fingers.
“Whatever happens, we will work through it.” I lift her hand to my lips, kissing her fingers. “Okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees before resting her head on my shoulder.
For the rest of the drive home, I don’t say anything, and when we get back to the house, I lead her to the bedroom and order her to lie down and take a nap. Surprisingly, she doesn’t fight me, or maybe she’s so exhausted she can’t.
Two hours later, with Maisie and Jade back at the house and Bernard on edge, the sheriff calls to say he’s going to stop by with a few pictures for her to look at, which means I have to wake her up.
I hold her hand as he shows her pictures of the man from the Target footage, a man who did chase after her as she ran from the store, and a man the cops know, judging by the mug shots they have of him. They also show her the photos of two other men he was closely associated with, and after she confirms they’re the men who were with him that day, the sheriff assures us that the three of them will soon be dealt with.
After the sheriff leaves, Maisie and Jade take Cybil outside to the back deck, and the three of them curl up on the couch to watch a movie, while Bernard sprawls out in the living room with a beer in front of the TV.
Knowing everyone needs to eat, I gather orders and head into town to pick up dinner from a local Chinese place and stop at a drugstore to buy a couple of pregnancy tests. It’s obvious that Cybil has been worried about possibly being pregnant, and I want her to know that we’re a team, no matter what happens. When I get home, I place the tests in the bathroom, then sit down with everyone to eat dinner. By the time we’re all ready for bed, Cybil is exhausted, and I don’t blame her—it’s been a very busy day, with lots of excitement.
“You bought tests?” She picks up one of the boxes off the counter and flips it over to read the back.
“You don’t have to take it now.” I wrap my arms around her from behind and rest my jaw against the side of her head. “But before you take it, sunshine, I want you to know that a positive or negative result doesn’t change anything. Okay?”
“Okay,” she agrees, and I kiss her cheek. She steps away from me without another word, then heads into the room where the toilet is. A few minutes later, when she comes out, she sets the test on top of the box on the counter, then washes her hands. “We have to wait three minutes.”
“Come here,” I order, dragging her toward me and holding her against my chest. As I watch the time on the clock tick away, a sense of hopefulness comes over me. I’ve never really put much consideration into my future or what it might look like, but with Cybil in my life, I’m looking forward to making her my wife, starting a family together—whether that happens now or down the road—and becoming the best father I can be. I might not have had the best examples growing up, but I do know I want to be better than my parents were, and I have no doubt the people who love me now will help if I ever need it.
“The time’s up,” she says quietly, tucking her face against my chest while wrapping her arms around my waist. “You look.”
My heart pounds like it’s trying to escape my chest as I reach around her to pick up the thin piece of plastic and see the large plus sign on the screen.
“Tanner.”
“We’re having a baby.” I grasp her tightly and drop my lips to the top of her head, completely overwhelmed by the idea of our baby, my baby, growing inside her.
“I’m pregnant?” Her whispered question is filled with awe, and I drop to my knees in front of her and lift the tank top she went to sleep in last night.
“Marry me.” I look up at her, watching her eyes fill with tears.
“Tanner, you don’t have to—”
“Stop,” I growl, cutting her off before she can piss me off by saying something ridiculous like I don’t have to marry her just because she’s pregnant with my child. “I love you. I want to spend forever with you.”
I place a kiss against her flat stomach, then stand up and grab her hand to lead her from the bathroom into the closet. I let her hand go so I can grab a bag from one of the high shelves and then dig into it until I find the box I’m looking for.
“The day I got back home from Oregon, I went to a local jeweler and picked this out for you.” I open the box, and her eyes widen. “Even before that, I knew I would ask you to be my wife, ask you to share your life with me.”
“Tanner.” Her fingers cover her lips.
“I love you, sunshine. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Okay,” she says quietly, fingering the ring in the box before meeting my gaze.
“So you’ll marry me?”
“Yes.” She nods, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“Thank fuck.” I slide the ring onto her finger, then curl my arms around her.
“I love you.”