It Started with a Snap by Piper James

Ember

“What?” Ethan asked, looking at me like I was speaking another language.

I started to cry again as a myriad of emotions crossed his face. He looked back down at the ultrasound picture I’d framed and wrapped for him—the same picture I’d spent the last few days staring at in awe.

When I’d gone to my obstetrician for the checkup, it was supposed to have been a quick in and out. The doctor wanted to see me and check the iron level in my blood since it was a tad low at my first appointment, and I’d been taking supplements for a couple of weeks.

But when she’d checked the baby’s heartbeat, something strange and wonderful had happened—she didn’t hear a heartbeat…she heard two. She’d immediately fired up the ultrasound machine to confirm her suspicion.

“I wanted to surprise you for Christmas,” I said, my words slow and measured. “Ethan, we’re having twins.”

“Twins?” he repeated, his voice filled with a heady mix of fear and wonder.

I nodded, then squealed as he lunged for me, wrapping his arms beneath my hips and picking me up. My hands gripped his shoulders and my legs wrapped around his waist as his mouth pressed to mine. He kissed me like it was the first time. Like he’d never kissed anyone before me, and would never kiss anyone else, ever again.

Like I was his entire world. Me and our babies. Our family.

Breaking off the kiss before it got out of hand, he panted, “Marry me.”

I held my left hand up, setting the diamond to sparkling. “I think I already agreed to that.”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean now. Marry me now.”

“Ethan,” I said, running my hand through his hair, “it’s Christmas. We can’t just get married today.”

“This weekend, then,” he said, setting me back on my feet so he could pace in front of me. “We can fly to Vegas like Ryder and Belle did.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, and he stopped midstride to look at me.

“Only if it’s what you want,” he said. “If you want a big wedding, I’ll give you the biggest, flashiest ceremony the great state of Texas has ever seen.”

“No, I don’t care about that,” I said shaking my head.

And I didn’t. My dad had passed away years ago. I never had a mom—she’d decided motherhood wasn’t for her before I was even a year old, and had left us. My friends were my family, and I was sure they’d be up for a last-minute weekend in Vegas.

“I want to wife you up as soon as possible,” Ethan said, pulling me from my thoughts. “I don’t care where, as long as I can pledge my eternal devotion to you. And to our children.”

He dropped to his knees and pressed his face to my belly. Kissing it over and over, he crooned to the babies, telling them how much he loved them. And me.

I fell to my own knees, taking his face in my hands. I kissed him softly, and we both kept our eyes open, revealing all the love in our hearts. I pulled back slightly, giving him a tender smile.

“Vegas, it is,” I said.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely,” I said, then laughed as his face lit up…like a kid on Christmas morning.

* * *

Holidays at Belle and Ryder’s house were always chaotic, but Christmas was even crazier than usual. The Perry men loved spoiling the ones they loved, and the large tree in the living room had a gazillion presents under it.

Belle didn’t want to spend the day in the kitchen, so she’d had the party catered by Antonio’s, featuring a wide array of Mexican delicacies. We ate and made merry, every single person at that table happier than they’d ever been in their lives.

Belle and Ryder had baby Jamie, the light of their hearts. Dakota and Noah were planning their wedding, as were Chase and Sage. Daniel was thriving at Red River Elementary, and he couldn’t wait for Sage to become his mom—she and Chase had asked him this morning if he wanted Sage to adopt him. She was already his mother in every other way, but the paperwork would make it legal. He was over the moon, talking nonstop about his mommy.

It wasn’t until everyone was finished eating and the living room was a mess of wrapping paper and boxes that Ethan and I looked at each other and smiled. I reached into my pocket, where I’d hidden the ring, and surreptitiously slid it onto my finger.

We’d decided we wanted to surprise everyone with all our news at once, but we didn’t want to take over the entire Christmas celebration. Now that it was winding down, it was the perfect time to share our joy with everyone.

Ethan stood, pulling me up beside him. Belle looked up from where she was playing on the floor with Jamie and one of his new toys. She could read me like a book after all our years of friendship. Sitting up, she pulled Jamie into her lap and stared at me expectantly.

“Excuse me, everyone,” Ethan said, and the conversations drifting around us trailed off. “Ember and I have some news we’d like to share.”

“Ethan gave me a very special present this morning,” I said, pulling my hand from behind my back to show everyone the rock on my finger. “We’re engaged!”

The girls went crazy, leaping to their feet to come hug me and see the ring. Belle handed the baby off to Ryder, who’d stood to come clap Ethan on the back and offer his congratulations. Once everyone hugged us and started to settle back down, I looked at Ethan and nodded.

“Ember gave me a very special present, too,” he said, and I felt my fucking eyes start to burn with tears. Again.

“What was it?” Daniel asked when the silence lasted a beat too long.

“She’s pregnant,” Ethan said, a big shit-eating grin stretching across his face.

“Uh, we already knew that,” Noah said, and I was sure everyone else was thinking the same thing.

“With twins,” Ethan announced, and the stunned silence of the room made me bark out a laugh.

“Twins?” Dakota asked, looking from Ethan to me.

I nodded, and the room exploded, everyone talking at once. There was laughter and joy, well-wishes and congratulations. My friends started planning a shopping expedition, naming off everything I’d need two of and making guesses about the genders of the babies.

The guys ribbed their brother, making bets on how quickly he’d lose his mind with two screaming infants in the house. But he just smiled through it, shooting me a wink as Noah expounded on how Ethan liked things quiet and orderly.

Maybe the old Ethan liked things that way, but my Ethan was adventurous and fun-loving. My Ethan found joy in the little things. He handled my chaos like a pro, and I knew he’d be the perfect partner in crime for this new adventure we were about to embark on.

“Don’t make any plans this weekend,” I said, my voice carrying over the noise in the room.

“Why not?” Chase asked as everyone turned to look at me.

“We’re getting married,” I said, all my love for my future husband shining through my smile.

“Yeah, pack your bags,” Ethan added. “We’re going to Vegas, baby!”

He walked toward me as he said that, pulling me into his arms and kissing me. Everyone in the room cheered and catcalled, joining us in our joy as we got ready to take the next step.

I never dreamed this would be my future. I never dared to. But now that it was here, all I could do was thank heaven above Ethan Perry had come into my life. And I knew he felt the same way.

We were a perfect match, like opposite ends of a magnet eternally drawn to one another.

And we were going to have the most wonderful life. Always and forever.

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Thanks for reading I Started with a Snap, the fourth and final book in the Red River Romps series! I hope you enjoyed it, and I’d love it if you would take a moment to leave a review.

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Read ahead for a sneak peek of Fooling Around with Ford, book one of a new series featuring Dakota’s sister, Virginia, and her smoking hot lawnmower man…