“I’m sorry,” I admit on a sigh.
“What are you apologizing for?”
For everything?I’m tempted to say, but I settle on the one thing that has utterly and completely consumed my mind for the past hour.
“For not going plane watching.” My voice is so soft that I’m surprised he even hears it at all.
“Don’t stress about it. You were tired.”
I clasp my hands over my chest, fiddling with my fingers as a pricking sensation makes its way to my eyes. It’s the telltale sign of my unraveling, but I continue regardless.
“Your family was really nice about it.”
“Yeah…” Nate trails off. “They’re a lot crazy, but they’re an understanding bunch.”
That’s the one thing nobody could ever deny.
The Archers are a tight-knit family, and watching them interact today warmed my heart in ways I couldn’t have imagined. I’d forgotten what it felt like to be surrounded by relatives, but somehow, they welcomed me so completely that it felt like I truly belonged—like I was always meant to be there.
“You know, I actually believed Audrey when she said you hadPlayboyposters on your walls.” I try shifting my thoughts to something lighter.
Nate grumbles in disapproval, and I can’t help but laugh, eyes blurry under the burden of unshed tears.
“She’s got a cute family,” I admit. “Michael isn’t too much of a talker compared to her, but they balance each other out.”
“The only good thing that came out of that marriage is Anya.”
My mouth gapes at Nate’s audacity.
I hit his arm with my elbow while he bursts into laughter. It’s rich, deep, and oh, so warm, that I can’t help but take a peek at him as the bed vibrates beneath us.
I look up—and catch him doing the same.
With a turn of his head, his light green eyes latch onto my brown ones, and I avert my gaze once I realize I’ve been caught.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart might beat out of my chest.
“Okay, fine. I love my sister to death, but I may like her daughter a little more.”
I roll my eyes in disbelief, the corners of my lips tugging up at his ridiculousness.
“What? It’s true. Audrey isn’t trying to sabotage me like the toddler is.”
I can’t argue with that. Anya might be the best wingwoman a man could ask for. To say she didn't have an impact on the way I view Nate would be the understatement of the century.
“My mom and grandma are up there on the crazy scale with my sister. I hope you know that the blanket you’re covered with is called the baby maker.”
“The what?” I ask in shock.
“The baby maker,” he repeats. I heard it the first time, but needed the confirmation. “Nuts…not in the sense the name would imply.”
My cheeks flush, and the corners of my mouth twitch at his joke.
“Now that I think about it, the last time I saw that thing was back when Audrey and Michael were newly engaged. And just like that, a baby was crying in the house nine months later. So to be honest with you, I might actually believe in its powers.”
I laugh so hard it becomes difficult to breathe, but the deeper meaning of the story has it dwindling.
