“I’ve got a Pack ’n’ Play upstairs for Vincent,” Jasper said over his shoulder as he led me deeper into the house.
A Pack ‘n’ Play? I hadn’t even considered needing one. Dammit. That single thought brought with it a wave of panic.
What must these people think of me?
At best I was an irresponsible dumbass who hadn’t realized she was pregnant. At worst, I was a conniving, calculating bitch who’d trapped their brother. Neither impression was flattering. Chest tightening, I considered how long I had to stay before I could use Vincent as an excuse to run away.
The kitchen was bustling, the sounds of cooking and chatter floating toward us as we made our way over.
Jenn Lawrence was here. I recognized her since I’d frequented her coffee shop for the last two years. Although most of our interactions had been limited to professional greetings from her and ordering and paying from me, she embraced me warmly.
Josh, who was chopping carrots, nodded. I didn’t see him often. He was a bear of a man, with dark hair and a full beard,though the resemblance to his brother was obvious. He was a thicker, more serious version of Jasper.
A petite blond woman had already approached and was kneeling in front of Vincent’s car seat, cooing. “Oh my God, he’s gorgeous. Girls, get in here and meet your cousin.”
She tipped her head back, smiling radiantly, and made eye contact. “I’m Jess. Older sister.”
“And I’m Brian,” a man with auburn hair said. He had a short beard, and the sleeves of his dress shirt had been rolled to the elbows.
“My aunt and uncle are out back, manning the grill,” Jasper said. “C’mon. I’ll take you to meet them.”
He set the car seat on the floor, and Jess quickly scooped Vincent up, exclaiming how handsome he was.
With a hand on my back, Jasper led me toward the doors that opened onto an expansive back deck. Before we escaped, I turned back, worrying my lip, and checked on Vincent.
“He’s fine,” Jasper urged.
He was right. My little guy was already grinning widely at his aunt.
So I let Jasper lead me through what looked like a magazine spread.
“Two men live here? That’s it?” I asked, marveling at the window treatments, throw pillows, and framed black and white photos on the walls.
“It’s all Josh,” he whispered. “He’s got impeccable taste. And likes to stay busy, so he’s always working on a project. Running two farms and day trading apparently doesn’t keep him busy enough.”
We skirted around the large sofa, our shoes tapping against the wood floors.
“Pretty sure he’s trying to create some kind of middle-aged dad life for himself, except without a wife and kids.” He shrugged. “I let him do his thing.”
The back deck was set up with a rustic set of furniture, and the view of the forest was awe-inspiring. An older man stood in front of the grill with tongs while a woman walked around with a pitcher of lemonade, filling the glasses of kids who were busy playing cornhole in the grass.
“This is Aunt Suzie and Uncle Ed,” Jasper said proudly, “And I think you know my cousin Gabe.”
I eyed the younger man in the group, recognition taking over. “The mayor?”
Gabe jumped out of his chair and offered his hand, his sparkling white smile on display. Gabe Harding was well-liked in Maplewood, and he was handsome. But that was about all I knew about him.
“Great to see you,” he said. “My mom and dad are so excited to meet you and baby Vincent.”
The older woman, Suzie, wrapped me in a hug. “You are gorgeous. Jasper, you were right.” As she pulled back, she winked at him.
Cheeks going pink, he quickly turned toward his uncle, focusing on the grill.
“Hope you don’t mind,” Suzie said, tucking her arm in mine, the gesture maternal and comforting and also strange, at least to me. “We invited ourselves along. Since my brother and sister-in-law aren’t here anymore…” She looked briefly at the sky. “We do our best to take care of these kids. we’ve got four of our own, but no grandkids yet.” Her eyes lit up and she patted my arm. “Ooh, the kids. Let me introduce you.”
She led me down toward the grass. Two lanky teen boys were playing with two slightly smaller girls, the four of them arguing over the rules of the game.
“This is Elijah and Isaac. They’re Jenn and Mel’s,” she said. The older, taller one I recognized as my surly morning coffee delivery guy. He gave me a cool nod and his younger brother shook my hand like he was running for office.
