“Chile,” her mother drawled with her Southern accent, “soon as you scrunched up your nose at the smell of my cornbread, I knew somethin’ was cookin’, and not just in our oven.”
“Mmm-hmm,” Gannon added, standing from his seat on the floor. “Thatand her eating all the food she did manage to eat then asking?—”
“Did I just eat all of this?” Claudia finished, tossing her head back in a laugh. “Aw, baby, congratulations!”
Her parents sat on either side of her, pulling her into a big hug and holding her tight.
Nova and LJ, still dancing moments earlier, stopped to see what was going on with the adults.
“Another blessing,” Gannon acknowledged, pulling his daughter close to press a kiss to Rylee’s forehead.
“And another little heartbeat,” Claudia added, resting her head on Rylee’s shoulder. “Shoot, I wish Xander was here for me to give him a hug too.”
Rylee sighed.
“I haven’t been really good to Xander. Especially after getting the news.”
Claudia sat up to look at her daughter.
“I panicked when I found out,” Rylee admitted, watching as her children busied themselves with the toys their grandparents had brought out as soon as they arrived. “Thought about not having it?—”
“Rylee,” Gannon exhaled.
“I know,” Rylee whispered. “I know, Dad. It’s just… I neverplannedfor this. I thought Nova and LJ were it for me. Then, I was in my feelings, wondering how Lennox would feel about it?—”
“Lennox would want this for you.” Gannon nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “That’showhe would feel about it.”
Claudia nodded.
“Ivy said the same thing.”
“Ivy!” Claudia shouted. “What you mean Ivy said the same thing? I know you arenottelling me you done toldmybest friend beforeme!”
Rylee tucked her lips into her mouth as Gannon chuckled under his breath.
“You know what, whatever.” Claudia giggled. “Not as big of a deal as I’d really like to make it.”
Rylee snickered.
“I’m way too happy about this news.” Claudia pressed a hand to Rylee’s belly. “My baby is having another baby. We’re gonna have to have Xander over so we canreallycelebrate.”
That thought stayed with Rylee all the way home.
She was pregnant.
Rylee knew that before tonight… and last night… but these were the first nights she didn’t feel terrible about it.
As soon as she and the children walked through the door, Nova raced up the stairs—headed to her room, Rylee assumed—with LJ close behind.
Rylee’s brows wrinkled as she laughed to herself.
“Where are they going?”
On the car ride home, Rylee had shared the news directly with the children. Although they were present when she told her parents she was pregnant, Rylee wanted to tell them herself.
“Did you two hear what I told Grandma Claudia and Grandpa Gannon tonight?”
Rylee peeked into the rearview mirror, meeting the eyes of her children in the backseat.
