It’s so not just a car, but I love to poke him a bit.
He lets out a small laugh, finally easing up a bit. “Just a car, she says.”
As we pull out of the driveway, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement. Driving North’s car, with him trusting me enough to hand over the keys, feels like a small victory. North trusts me with his son, his brothers, his car, his house, and his heart.
And yes, that’s the order of preference for him.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he warns playfully. “I’m taking her back as soon as we unload.”
“We’ll see about that,” I tease, but we’re already turning into Tally and Tim’s driveway, and the fun is over.
Nash and Tim exit the house. Upon seeing us arrive, Nash opens the driver’s door for me and, looking surprised, asks, “He let you drive?”
Stepping out, I hug him around his waist and reply, “Hello to you too.”
“Hey, pretty girl,” he greets softly, his eyes locked on mine as he leans in to kiss my lips, slow and lingering, until Tim clears his throat.
“Should we just take the boxes and leave you two to it?”
Breaking away from the kiss, my cheeks tinged red, I retort, “Shut up, little Timmy.”
We each take a box and walk into the house, which looks finished, homey, and so pretty.
“Where do you want these?” Nash asks, and Tim leads us to the nursery.
After setting down the boxes, we walk back to the living room, where Tally is sitting on the couch, cradling her belly. Then, I feel a chill down my neck and notice Shannon standing behind the couch, looking at her with concern.
I lean down to hug Tally, asking, “How’s my bestie?”
“Tired,” Shannon utters softly, radiating concern, but I ignore her.
“So done being pregnant. This baby has to come now.” Tally sighs, clearly agitated.
“I’m sure he will grace us soon. He’s just waiting for us to make everything ready. The little prince doesn’t want to live on a construction site,” I tease.
“Ha-ha, everything is done. We only need to build some of the new furniture and bring our stuff here,” Tally responds.
Looking around the large room, I see Hunter attaching a leg to a table Tim’s dad, Rupert, is holding up, while Helen, Tim’s mom, rests a hand on Lio’s shoulder, who stands in front of her.
Hunter leans in for a kiss when I step up to say hello, and I tense up slightly, unsure if Tim’s parents know about my relationships with all the guys and what they might think of it.
Hunter seems to sense my tension and whispers in my ear, “They know. We’re fine.”
I nod and look over at Helen, who greets me with a bright smile. “So good to see you again, Sloan.”
“Same,” I reply, smiling back as we make our way to the couch, Helen siting next to Tally and squeezing her knee.
“You ready to fetch the rest? Or should I take Nash?” North asks me, standing beside me with his arm encircling my waist.
“Sure,” I reply, smiling up at him. I’m about to ask if anyone needs anything from outside when a sudden chill sweeps over me, and a shadowy blur dashes from my left to right.
What was that?
“You all right?” Hunter asks, noticing my fixed gaze on the floor.
“Sure, I just thought I saw—” I start, but then it happens again, and a wave of love and joy overwhelms me, making me smile.
A dog.
