I nodded. “Yeah, a baby. You’re going to be a father again.”
That got him moving.
When he reached me, the girls moved back, and he picked me up and twirled me around in circles. After he set me back down, he picked the girls up, one in each arm, and I moved in so we could all hug as a family.
I smiled thinking about how we’d be adding a new addition to our group hugs in the future.
* * *
I guesswe weren’t waiting to share the news.
The sun was shining and everyone was enjoying the weather in Ruby’s backyard when we arrived. Bodie was right and we were late to my own party, but that was okay, our family meeting was important and had gone well.
As soon as we stepped foot across the grass closer to the group, Bodie yelled.
“We’re having a baby!”
Cheers went up around the yard.
There was a baby boom going on with our group. Brinley, Teal, Ruby, and now me. Who would be next? I glanced at my brother and smiled.Never know, I thought. I could always hope.
Paxton made his way to me and scooped me up, giving me a big hug. “I can’t believe I’m going to be an uncle again,” he said.
My brother was awesome. He adored Peyton and Piper and acted as if he’d known them their whole lives. They were his nieces, no questions asked and he spoiled them rotten. Not that the two angels could ever be rotten, but you know what I mean. Soon he would have another little one—it would be a surprise what gender—to spoil when I had the baby. And the best news was he would be around to do that.
Bodie had talked to the guys and they had offered Paxton a job atNo Surrender.He had already said yes, moved into one of the condos, and while he was still planning to do some of his search and rescue missions, he would be around most of the time.
I knew he wanted to be close to me, his new friends, and the family he was making, but I also knew there was another reason. Lena was in a mental institution. What she did was bad and Paxton worried I would be upset if he saw her or helped her, but I couldn’t be. She was his mother.
While I didn’t think they would have a strong relationship or he’d ever forgive her completely, he was a good man.
“Let me at my wife, man,” Bodie said to my brother, pushing him to the side.
The two of them had gotten close and I was ecstatic about it. I was also rather excited when my guy kissed me senseless right there in front of everyone.
“Can we go home now?” I mumbled against his lips when the kiss ended.
His deep chuckle vibrated through me and shot a tingle to my girly bits.
“Party first and then I swear I will take care of you as soon as we get home, Mrs. Huxley.”
“Promise?”
He’d always kept his promises so if I made him promise, I knew I’d be getting lucky later.
“You bet,” he said as all our friends came up to congratulate us.
I’d heard the sentiment many times over the day and into the early evening.
I was standing with the ladies when Jurnee said for what must have been the fifth time, “I can’t believe you’re having a baby.”
“Believe it,” I said, giggling at her.
We stood there talking and I looked over at the man of my dreams speaking to his friends. He was laughing at something my brother said and I thought,that man is mine.
Forever.
I wished for everyone to be as happy as I was. I scanned the group and my gaze landed on Patience, who was sitting with her baby, staring at her phone as if willing it to ring. She longed to hear from Jett. I hoped he could come home soon. I knew Ruby wanted him to meet his nephew, but Patience would be over the moon to see him too.
