Natalie laughed behind her hand.
She thought it was funny?
“I’ll tell you what I told Nana,” I said to Ma. “I’ll see what I can do.”
At that, Nat looked up at me. “You will?”
“You bet.” I dipped down and kissed the smile off her face.
“Yeah, that’s still gonna take some getting used to,” Gray said. “That’s my aunt, man.”
“Wow, really? I had no idea,” I responded. “It’s not like you’ve pointed it out a dozen times.”
“This is why we don’t need Netflix, Mary,” Pop said. “We have these crazy yahoos to entertain us.”
I chuckled.
“I’m not a yahoo, sir,” Gray insisted. “Your sons are the yahoos.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Pop shook his head and finished the last napkin. “It takes a special brand of yahoo to put up with Darius.”
Gray had no argument.
Nobody did.
EPILOGUE
A few years later
Natalie Quinn
Ipouted at my reflection. Dammit! I mean, I had a solid excuse for the leather jacket not fitting, okay? But still. It was going to be a while before I could wear this again.
I rubbed my belly.
Don’t worry, baby girl, you’re worth it.
“You ready to go, baby?” Ethan hollered, coming up the stairs. “We’re running late.”
“Yeah, just a sec.” I was in the middle of taking off the jacket when he appeared in our bedroom doorway.
I threw the jacket on the bed.
He smiled. “The time has come, I take it?”
I blew out a breath. “Yeah. I’m not actually upset or anything. I just…worked so hard to wear it again.”
He came over to me and hugged me from behind, his hands shifting to cover my baby bump. “We enjoyed the journey last time, didn’t we?” He kissed my neck.
I sighed contentedly and leaned back against him. “Both times.”
He hummed. “This won’t be any different, except… Even less sleep, more screaming…”
I laughed softly, and he grinned against my skin.
Then he snuck around me and sank to his knees, and he pressed his lips to my belly.
“You be good to Mommy in there, princess.”
