“We can have both. I’ll have PB&J as dessert. Though there’s also crispy rice treats.”
His belly growled audibly. “Okay, cheese, pickles, PB&J, then rice cereal treats. Cool?”
“Sounds like an absolute genius plan. I bet we need to make enough for Liam too.”
“He’s pretty sound asleep, but if you think he’s gonna come, I have no problem with that.” In fact, he thought it was a great idea because that just meant more for them.
Ryan chuckled and winked at him. “Man, look at you being evil to my poor brother.”
“Evil? Me?” He fluttered his eyelashes. “Honestly, I’m not. He was just sleeping really soundly. I’m not sure what he was doing out there with the animals this afternoon, but he was worn out and filthy when he got back in.”
“Yeah, there was a thing. It was okay though, nobody died.” Ryan put his bowl down on the kitchen table. Then he pulled out the loaf of bread to slice them some pieces so they could slather them with peanut butter and jelly.
“I like the way that you do the peanut butter. It’s amazing, isn’t it?” His belly growled like it was gnawing on his spine. “The baby is a peanut butter lover.”
Ryan shrugged. “It could be worse. There’s all sorts of gross things you could crave. Peanut butter? That’s simple. I had a sister-in-law who craved dirt. It was the weirdest, grossest thing ever.”
“Dirt?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, you know, potting soil. She wanted potting soil. The midwife said it was probably some sort of chemical imbalance in her body.” Ryan glanced at him, grinning. “What kind of jelly?”
“Oh, I’d like the rose hip please. I’d never had rose hips before. It’s amazing.”
“It is, huh?” Ryan put just the right amount of jelly on his own sandwich before handing Theo the sandwich.
“Sour and sweet. I’m so in.” He slathered on the jelly and then chomped down. Oh, so good. Everything in his belly just sort of cheered.
“That’s hitting the spot, huh? I can totally tell.” Ryan chuckled, then munched away, making happy noises, which were hilarious.
“Are we having midnight munchies?” Liam’s voice sounded, husky and rough, still partly asleep.
“We are! You were sleeping so well I didn’t want to wake you.”
Ryan popped up again. “PB and J?”
“Hell, yeah, bring it on. Do we still have blackberry jam?”
Ryan nodded, finding the jar and wiggling it. “We so do.”
“Then I’ll take that.” Liam slid into the chair next to him, then grabbed a bite of cheese. “Mmmm.”
“It’s so good, isn’t it? Try it with the pickles.” He grabbed a bite of pickle and a cube of cheese. “Oh, that’s good cheese.”
“It is, huh?” Theo popped a piece in his mouth as well. “Love, where’s Gael?”
“He’s actually with Sara. I was on my way here with him, and she met me just outside the commons area and told me it was ridiculous to wake him up. Since he was still asleep, she took him, and she’s going to watch over him tonight.”
“Oh well, wasn’t that sweet of Sara?” He grinned, thinking of all the things he and Liam could do once they had their sandwiches.
“You just wipe that grin right off your face,” Ryan said. “I don’t want to know. La la la la la.”
“Sorry, bro.” Liam didn’t sound even a little bit sorry.
Theo chortled, but he was on Ryan’s side when his new brother set another sandwich in front of him. Anyone who could make a wonderful peanut butter and jelly like that was a good person.
“I can’t believe there’s so much room in that tiny body,” Liam teased him. “You’re going to look like a snake that swallowed a sheep.”
“I pretty much already do.” He put a hand on his belly, which was growing exponentially every day, he thought. “I blame you.”
