“But I truly could drop by and make the whole dinner for these gatherings,” Scarlett offered.
Isabeau cocked a brow. Ah, clearly she didn’t want to be replaced as top chef in the house.
“Sorry, I take that back,” Scarlett said, clearly reading the room correctly. Chad put an arm around her shoulders, kissing her head. Apparently all the LeBlanc guys were touchy-feely with their women.
After they pulled apart, Chad took Simone from Scarlett, holding her in his lap. The girl grinned as she noticed the brisket.
I loved being a part of this group. Their family dynamic was special, and I was enjoying every second.
“You’ve got excellent self-preservation skills, love,” Chad said.
“I still put my foot in my mouth now and again,” Scarlett replied as we all sat down at the table.
“Let’s dig in before everything gets cold,” Celine said.
Beckett put Charlotte in the carrier. It was the easiest way for him to be able to enjoy the meal. She loved it, but that meant I couldn’t hold her.
“Why don’t we pour something to drink and toast?” Isabeau suggested.
“Hear! Hear!” the group chorused.
There were bottles of white and red wine on the table, as well as several pitchers filled with water and juice. Everyone just reached out for whatever they wanted.
Once all the glasses were full, Beckett cleared his throat. “I’d like to make a toast, if that’s okay with you, Isabeau. You seemed like you wanted to say something.”
“I’m sure you’ll cover exactly what I wanted to say,” Isabeau responded.
“Right. This has been a time of change for me, and I wanted to thank everyone for being by my side.” He glanced at me. “And I also want to thank my gorgeous girlfriend for changing my life yet again, and for caring about my daughter more than I could hope for.”
Girlfriend!My heart was so full of joy right now. I wanted to say something out loud but couldn’t manage it, so I just nodded and smiled as everyone clinked glasses and he sat back down.
He leaned into me and whispered, “I love you, Piper. So damn much. I wanted to tell you later, but there’s no time like now.”
I felt like I was about to fall from my chair. This beautiful man had just declared his feelings for me, right here at this table among his family. I couldn’t believe it. And Istillcouldn’t speak.
Everyone was talking about Charlotte and how Beckett’s life had changed, but no one was actually paying attention to us. I took out my phone and typed in my notes app:I love you, too, but if I open my mouth, I might start crying.Then I turned the screen for him to see.
His face opened up into a very happy smile, and he brought his mouth to my ear again. “Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of opportunities to say it out loud later.”
And I planned to do just that. I would shower him with love—and his beautiful girl too.
After we all ate, Adele and Remy insisted on taking us for a tour of the nursery. Charlotte was in my arms, with her tiny head on my chest, and I was in love.
Entering the room, I immediately felt a sense of joy. The theme was pink with clouds, and it was simply adorable. The matching furniture was cream-colored, and there were toys everywhere.
“If you don’t like anything, we’ll change it,” Adele told Beckett.
“Mom, this is brilliant. How long have you been working on this?”
“Well, ever since we found out about this little treasure.”
Beckett was looking at the changing table. They had the exact same bottle-making machine that he had. “And you’ve bought everything you would need to keep her here overnight.”
“Could we try tonight?”
He nodded. “Yes. I did bring a change of clothes for her and everything you might need.”
“Oh, we’ve purchased a few outfits for her too,” Adele said.
