A collective gasp filled the room. Maddie was the first to recover. “Oh my god!” she whispered. “You did?”
Courtney squealed loudly. “You slept with your boss?” She clapped her hands together with glee.
“You’ve got to tell us all about it,” Van said, grabbing Becca’s hands. “Does that mean he’s not an asshole any more?”
“He’s definitely still an asshole,” Becca told her. One she liked very much.
“You had hate sex!” Maddie laughed. “That’s the best kind of sex. So dirty and animalistic. Whenever Gray and I argue we always end up in bed…”
“Ugh, please.” Becca put her hands over her ears. “You guys need to stop talking about your love lives with my brothers.”
And it wasn’t hate sex, anyway. It was so different from that. Intense, deep, his eyes staring into hers. There was a connection there that she could still feel pulling at her chest.
“What are you guys squealing about?” Tanner asked, pushing open the glass door. “We can hear you out there.”
“Nothing,” Becca said quickly, aware she looked as guilty as hell.
“Oh come on. I haven’t heard so much squealing since Logan and Courtney bred their prize boar.”
Van patted Becca on the shoulder, sending her a message with her eyes that Becca couldn’t quite understand.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’ll tell him. He’ll be fine.”
“No!” Becca shook her head. “Please.”
“I told them about the baby,” Van told Tanner, ignoring Becca’s desperate tug on her hand.
“You’re pregnant?” Maddie’s mouth fell open, then realizing what she said, she quickly added, “I mean, you’re pregnant. Congratulations, Tanner. We’re all so excited for you.” Her face was so red she looked like she was going to burst.
“I can’t believe it,” Mia said, hugging Van tightly. “Congratulations! Again.” Her lips twisted at their subterfuge. “And congratulations to you, daddy,” she told Tanner, who was frowning.
“I thought we were going to announce it together, babe,” he said. “Once we reached the second trimester.”
“We?” Maddie said, trying to hide a smile. “Why is it we’re pregnant until the vomiting starts and the nightly trips to the bathroom happens and your pelvic floor gets ruined?”
“Your pelvic floor gets ruined?” Tanner blinked. “What does that mean?”
“I got one word for you,” Mia said. “Kegels. Look them up. And bribe her to do them if you have to.”
Tanner pulled his phone out and swiped his finger across the screen, frantically pressing against the keyboard. Realization slowly washed over his face, much to everybody’s amusement.
“Thank you,” Becca mouthed at Van.
“You owe me one,” Van mouthed back.
“Everybody okay in here?” Gray asked, walking inside. “You guys sound like you’re going crazy.”
Behind him, Logan and Cam were peering in. “Tanner, why do you look like you’ve just seen a naked photo of Aunt Gina?”
“Did you know pregnancy can ruin a woman’s pelvic floor?” Tanner asked. “Why didn’t you guys warn me?” He glanced at Van. “Sweetheart, we need to go home. You have exercise to do.”
Van smiled. “How do you know I haven’t been doing them?”
Tanner blinked again.
“What’s Van been doing?” Gray asked, looking from Tanner to Van.
“You should tell him,” Van prompted.