Free Novel Read

Passion, Vows & Babies_Tough as Nails Page 7

I swallowed my fear and took in a deep breath. “I went to the doctor...” I started.

  “Oh? You did? Are you ok?” His tone shifted to concern instead of hurt.

  “Well, sort of.”

  “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?”

  “I... well... uh…” It was way harder to spit out than I expected.

  “What’s wrong, Jacinda?” he demanded.

  “I’m pregnant, Flynn.” I blurted it out, and waited for his upset to hit me like a tornado. But that’s not what happened at all. I’d braced myself for his panic, his fear, his anger, but what I saw was a smile. What started as his lips curling up slightly, became a beaming grin.

  “Are you serious?” he asked, looking downright joyful.

  “Yeah, I am. And I know it’s not expected, and I understand if you don’t --”

  He interrupted me. “I do! This is the greatest news ever, Jacinda!”

  “Really?” I felt tears brimming.

  “Fuck yes, it is! I’m gonna be a dad! This is incredible! We’re gonna be the best parents ever!” He was laughing. Rushing to my side, he picked me up and spun me around. “Baby, this is incredible. We are the luckiest people in the world, don’t you see?”

  “We are?” I was so confused by his response. I’d fallen in love with him weeks ago, but never told him. We were still so new; I didn’t want to ruin what we had.

  “Yes! I love you! I was hooked on you when I saw that pile of snacks you bought at the convenience store the first time we met. I fell in love with you immediately. I can’t wait to raise this baby with you.”

  I hugged him back, crying. “I love you too, Flynn. It wasn’t something I ever expected, but it happened. You really think we can do this?” I wiped the tears from my face.

  “I know we can. Stay here with me and raise our family, baby.” He reached into his pocket, and dropped to his knee.

  “What are you doing?” I clasped my hand over my mouth.

  “My mom gave me this ring after my grandmother passed away. It was hers, and she was saving it for me, to give to the woman I was meant to marry. I’ve had it tucked away for years, and pulled it out awhile ago. I’ve been waiting for the right time to ask you. I know it seems soon, but what do we care? We do what we want.” He took my hand in his, still on one knee, and asked the question I never thought I’d hear. “Will you marry me?”

  All I ever wanted was my family; it was who I was. And now I was going to have my very own. I could feel my dad smiling down on me. Even if it wasn’t all in the right order, we never did things by the book. I nodded my head and the tears fell as he slid the antique diamond on my finger.

  He stood up, kissed me, and rested his hand on my belly.

  “You’re everything I never knew I needed in my life, Jacinda. I can’t wait to take care of you for the rest of my life. I love you, and I’ll never tire of telling you just how much.”

  “And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life showing you how lucky you make me feel, Flynn. Becoming Jacinda Healy is my fairy tale.”

  The End…

  Want more from Amy Briggs?

  Sign-up for her Newsletter

  More Kindle Worlds from Amy Briggs

  Novellas

  Stoker Aces Operation Alpha

  Saving Sarah

  The Fidelity World

  Revelation

  Also by Amy Briggs

  The Brotherhood of District 23

  Fired Up (Book 1)

  Fully Involved (Book 2)

  Controlled Burn (Book 3)

  The Complete Brotherhood of District 23

  The Brotherhood of District 23 Coloring Book

  Standalone Novels

  Hot & Cold

  (co-written with Mikey Lee; a Brotherhood of District 23/Sin Series Crossover)

  Fairy Tales Reimagined Series

  Dream State (Book 1)

  Little Queens Duet

  Royal Protection

  About the Author

  The Author

  Amy Briggs is a Texas based writer. Formerly a firefighter and EMT in New Jersey living next to a military base, Amy was initially drawn to creating stories around emergency services and the military, and draws on her experiences to show the depth and emotional side of the lifestyle. Her love of fairy tales carries through each of her novels and she hopes to inspire readers to fall in love with love.

  Have all things Amy Briggs delivered to your email? Join her mailing list!

  Don’t forget to follow Amy on Instagram!

  You can also reach Amy at the following:

  amybriggs.author@gmail.com

  Acknowledgments

  I’d like to thank the girls that are Fiona Davenport for including me in their Kindle World. I had a great time writing this, and it is a pleasure to be a part of such a fun world. Kristen Hope Mazzola, thank you for introducing me to the world and for always being my little partner in crime. I wish I could put you in my pocket and take you everywhere with me. I’m so lucky to have you as a friend, and as a colleague.

  Heidi McLaughlin, thank you for all of your advice, but mostly, thank you for just being a great friend. I look forward to our chats, and can’t wait to see what we come up with next. Danielle Pearl, you’re my girl. Our shared brain is amazing, and I love being along for the ride with you.

  As always, my little tribe is always there for me. The boys, Golden, BT and Rob and my whole Tampa crew. Even though I live in Texas now, you’re my family. And of course my actual family… My brother Jesse who is my boss now too, sends me home so I can work on these stories. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.

  Thank you to Kristen for the cover! And thanks to Jenn Wood for the amazingly fast turnaround on editing. We’re unconventional, but we work! Love you!

  And to the readers, I hope you like this little addition to the family. I wouldn’t be able to keep doing this if it weren’t for you and our shared love of romance. Thank you so much!