Rye and Max had both gone sheet white. “Don’t you even think about it, Rachel Harper,” Rye said.

“You’re going into the hospital the minute you get pregnant. I won’t have our next baby born in Stella’s,” Max said, patting the baby’s back. “My poor little princess.”

“I see Max got over the shock of having a daughter.” Jen chuckled as she watched the huge badass man with a tiny baby girl.

“No, he hasn’t,” Rachel said with a sigh. “He’s just moved on to paranoia mode. He’s talking about setting up a defensive perimeter around our place.”

Max gestured toward his daughter. “Well, look at her. She’s gorgeous. Men are going to come sniffing after her, and I have to be prepared to kill them all.”

Callie was grinning at the sight, too. “Wouldn’t it be great if we had a boy and he and little Paige Stephanie got married?”

“That is not going to happen, Cal,” Max shot back. “Paige is going to be a nun.”

“We aren’t Catholic, Max.” Rachel turned to look at her more reasonable husband. “Tell him, Rye.”

“Max and I talked it over, baby. We’re converting. Paige is definitely going to a nunnery.”

Rachel shook her head and sighed. “And, I don’t think we can scare Caleb off. He’s too interested in a certain someone to leave.” Stef thought about the way Caleb had saved Alexei. His efforts had been heroic. He simply wouldn’t give up on the big Russian.

Alexei was alive because Caleb had willed it so. Stef had a bad feeling that Caleb might rue the day. Alexei seemed crazy about Holly, and Holly was obviously grateful, if not simply interested in him. Alexei had a long road to walk, though. He might be in prison.

Stef had promised to do what he could to help. He owed the man his and Jennifer’s lives. Alexei would go with the feds and answer their questions, but Stef would try to make sure the man didn’t spend the rest of his life in prison. If he wanted to go home, Stef would try to get him there. If he wanted to come back to Bliss, well, there was always room for one more.

“I’m glad the doc is staying. But Callie needs to beware. Don’t let Doc do a sonogram,” Max complained. “He can’t tell the difference between girl parts and boy parts.”

“And how is Logan?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.

“Healing,” Stef said carefully. Logan’s body was starting the process, but Stef didn’t like where his head was at. He’d been silent and sullen and utterly unlike Logan. He hadn’t flirted with the nurses.

He’d sat in his bed, and Stef could see he was building a wall around himself, letting no one, not even his moms, inside. Zane had tried to talk to him, but he’d been rebuffed. Stef would have to keep an eye on him.

King Stef. He was doing it again, but now he didn’t feel bad about it. Jennifer could tease him all she liked, but he was the King of Bliss in some ways. What he’d come to realize was that he hadn’t earned the title by throwing money around. He’d earned it by loving this town and all of her citizens. He loved them even when it was hard. He would love them until the day he died, right here in Bliss.

“I’ll make sure he has a nurse on call when they’re ready to release him. And Nate, don’t forget to have Hope file his paperwork.

Anything he needs outside of what the county can pay for, just send me the bill.”

Jennifer turned her face up, and he knew what she was going to say. “You really are good, King Stefan.”

“And I’ll be even better with a queen at my side.”

“Forever,” Jennifer said, going up on her toes for a quick kiss. “I think I’ll like being queen.”

“So, let’s plan a wedding!” Rachel said with a happy smile on her face.

Jen joined her friends and started planning the biggest day of his life. He would have his father at his side, and the woman who was his true mother would be there, too. He would have his family and all of Bliss.

The women planned, the baby slept, and the men talked about the events of the day. Stef sat back and watched, utterly content.

All was right in his kingdom.