Way, way, way hotter.
Eve stopped in her tracks and looked at the priest sitting down.Then she turned to look at us.“Where's Giselle?And Carlo?”
The priest sighed and answered for us, “Gathering more children, I presume.”
I laughed but quickly covered my mouth.Stefan chuckled as he kissed Dani's cheek.
“Sorry we took so long.Angelo woke up Ari.”Eve shrugged.“That's how it always goes.If one's up, so is the other one.It’s amazing that Theo’s still sleeping.For now.”
Giselle walked out right behind Nick.“We know exactly how that is.Don't we, Marcello?”A baby lay sprawled over her shoulder, and she patted his back as he stretched.“We've got about ten minutes before these guys start to fuss.”Giselle gave the priest a pointed look.Carlo stood behind his wife—a baby in his arms, too.
Unsurprisingly, Carlo’s hotness rose a billion degrees while he held one of his sons.Gosh.These men.
With much effort, the priest stood up, leaning heavily on the table.“Very well, then.Let's continue.”
Nick, Eve, Giselle, Carlo—each carrying a baby—followed dutifully behind him.
Everyone took their places like before.Except now there were four babies added to the guest list.
Just as the priest opened his mouth—the baby in Nick's arms started crying.He inserted a pacifier into his mouth.But the baby didn't appreciate that.
And I mean he—really—didn't appreciate that.The baby ripped the pacifier out and chucked it unceremoniously onto the ground.
“Sheesh,” Eve said, deciding to trade babies with her husband.But then the baby she passed over to Nick started crying, too.
“Sorry, they'll quiet down in a second,” Eve said, rhythmically bouncing the baby.Nick patted and bounced and shushed as well.But nothing was working.
Nothing.
Then Giselle's baby started crying.And Carlo's followed suit.
It was one giant cry-fest.
Giselle looked frazzled.Well, they all did, to be truthful.But it was Giselle who finally gave up and said, “I'm sorry, you guys.You'll have to give us ten minutes to feed them.Once they get this angry, there's no going back.”
None of them waited for permission.They all just followed Giselle back into the house.Dani included.
That left me with Stefan.And the priest.He rolled his head from side to side.“False start number two.”Then he wandered back to the table by the house.
Stefan took the flowers from my hands and set them on the ground beside us.Then he grabbed my hands and—just held them.“Are you okay?”The concern in his gaze did funny things to my lower belly.Those butterflies in there doubled.Maybe tripled.And my heart started beating quickly again.
“Do you really want me to answer that?”I looked into his eyes.Eyes that I could quite comfortably fall into.
Daily.
Forever.
His gaze dropped to the ground.“No, I guess not.”He swallowed and said, “Everything's going to be fine.I know you don't believe me.But it will.”
He was right.
I didn't believe him.
Even though his words sounded genuine, and I was more than desperate to believe him—I knew deep down in my soul that everything was not going to be okay.Not at all.
How could it?
I had a madman after me who was going to do who-knows-what if he found me.
