“Be careful and watch your breathing,” I called out to her even though I wasn’t sure she could hear a word I said.
Bronson rubbed his palm up and down my back. “She’ll be okay, I’ll go check on her in just a minute.”
I turned my head and smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
He knew me better than anyone and just how to soothe me. When my emotions were on overload, he calmed me. But the sexy devil also knew how to play my body and make it sing with pleasure.
My core tingled just thinking about it and my man gave me a panty-melting smile as he chuckled.
Damn him.
“Come on you two, before you combust and go up in flames right here at my front door,” Teal said, laughing.
“Who’s going up in flames?” Kace asked, walking up and wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist.
She pointed between Bronson and me. “These two are making ‘take me to bed eyes’ at each other.”
Kace leaned his mouth next to Teal’s ear and whispered something we couldn’t hear, but her face flamed red.
“Looks like there might be two fires to put out if we don’t get moving,” Bronson said, grabbing my hand to move me further into the house.
The four of us made our way to the big kitchen where a lot of the adults had congregated. Glancing around the room, I smiled at the large, crazy group of friends that I called family.
“Could we get any more people in here?” I joked out loud.
It was a big kitchen but there were a lot of us and when the kids all came running in to grab snacks, we were packed in like a can of sardines.
“I sure hope so,” London said tentatively. She glanced around at the group, her hand resting on her belly.
And it clicked, but Alley was the first to call her out.
“Oh my god, that’s why you aren’t drinking! That man of yours already has you knocked up!”
Lance moved in and pulled London in close to his side. A huge smile stretched across his face. “Damn straight I do. Right, Goldilocks?” He turned his head and kissed her cheek, lovingly.
All the women in the room swooned.
The noise in the room elevated and the adults gave the kids a run for their money on the chaos front as we all swarmed the happy couple to congratulate them.
I watched Lance and London beam with pure joy. I couldn’t help the wistful gaze as I hoped my daughter, along with Bronson and I, would get to feel the same way soon.
My husband, once again completely in tune with my emotions, pulled me against him. With my back to his front, Ileaned my head back against him and he brought his mouth to my ear.
“Our turn is coming, sweetheart. I will do everything I can to make it happen soon.”
I shivered as his sweet words and warm breath drove deep into my ear. There was a time I wasn’t sure I’d ever believe him again when he first walked back into my life, but now he was the person I trusted and believed in the most.
“I know you will, babe.”
There wasn’t time to say anything else because a herd of kids came barreling into the room. Stormi moved more slowly, looking winded and tired. She pulled out her inhaler and made her way to us as worry washed through me.
I squatted down in front of her, Bronson doing the same, as she took a couple of puffs. It may not be a bad episode, but that didn’t stop me from that flutter of panic that came when she was struggling at all. I rubbed her back softly and waited.
“I’m okay, Mommy,” she reassured a bit breathlessly.
Even while she was having a hard time, my sweet girl was concerned about how I was feeling.
“I know, baby. You did really well by taking a break and using your inhaler when you needed to.”
