Robyn leaned past Lachlan. “Are you doing a gender scan?”
I nodded. “We want to know. We have an appointment at a clinic in the city in three weeks.”
“Exciting.” Ery smiled, genuine joy in her eyes. “Are you particular about what you get?”
“Just pray it’s not twins.” Arran winked.
Having heard that, Kia bounced out of her chair and looped her arms around her dad’s neck. She pressed a loud kiss to his cheek and proclaimed, “You love us really, Daddy.”
Arran’s expression melted into utter tenderness as he leaned into her hug. “So much, Keekee.”
“Wrapped around their little fingers.” Ery shook her head, eyes bright with amusement. “I swear to God, they could come home and say they murdered someone but add ‘But we love you, Daddy’ onto the end of the confession, and he’d cover it up for them.”
“Not wrong.” He patted Kia’s arm before she pressed another kiss to the top of his head and returned to the kids’ table.
Lachlan turned to look at his daughter. “How come he gets that treatment and I get ‘Dad, have you got twenty quid?’ every five seconds?”
Vivien rested her chin on her palm. “You’re too smart for that kind of manipulation, Dad. I’m completely transparent with you because I respect your intelligence.”
Lachlan was just breaking into a smug grin when Vivien leaned forward. “But … do you have twenty quid?”
Her father scowled and turned back to the table as Vivien shot Skye a devilish smirk.
Robyn leaned into Lachlan. “She loves you really. She’s just fifteen.”
“I do!” Vivien waved her fingers without looking back at our table. “For the record, if we need to get mushy, I do love you, Dad. Your movies are a bit meh, but you’re great.”
We all struggled to hold back our laughter.
“Children.” Lachlan’s lips twitched. “Great for the ego.”
“What about my movies?” Brodan asked his niece.
“Oh, your movies were great, Uncle Bro. Why did you quit?”
“Note, she did not ask me that.” Lachlan took a huge swig of his pint. His wife’s mouth trembled with laughter while she soothed a comforting hand over his back.
Before Brodan could answer his niece, Regan interrupted. “You were saying about the sex of the baby?”
Lewis reached across the table to take my hand. “We’re happy with either.”
“I can’t believe my nephew is going to be a father.” Lachlan scrubbed a hand over his face. “I feel old. Or that might be because of my daughter. It’s hard to tell these days.”
“Ilove your movies, Dad!” Brechin yelled.
“You’ve never seen his movies,” Vivien shot back.
“But I know I love them.”
“Thanks, son.” Lachlan raised his glass to him. “I’ll give you twenty quid when we get home.”
“Uh!” Vivien squeaked in indignation as Brechin did a victory dance in his chair.
“How do you think I feel?” Thane asked, taking a sip of whisky. “I’m going to be a grandfather, and I’m younger than you.”
“Something you like to point out whenever you can.” Lachlan shrugged. “But I understand. You need something to cling to since I’m so much better looking than you are.”
Thane grinned. “Aye, you wish.”
