She nodded.
She was more than good. Surrounded by everyone she loved—including her parents, Lennox’s parents, her girlfriends, children, and Xander’s mother, their extended family, and his firefighter crew—how could she be anything but good?
Nova and LJ sat to Rylee’s left, between her and her mother, who was cutting a piece of the chocolate cake that remained on LJ’s plate to feed him.
The baby shower was the most laidback setup one could have ever seen.
There were no blue balloons. No shower games on the table.
This was for the grown. Just how Rylee and Xander wanted it.
In his free hand was a cigar, courtesy of Rylee’s dad, Gannon.
“So, you guys have everything set up, right?” Xander’s friend, Jamal, asked. He sat beside Xander’s mother, who was seated beside Xander. Jamal gestured toward his wife who sat to his left. “If I remember anything from our kids, it’s best to have all that stuff set up to be prepared for any and all surprises.”
“Beenhad those things set up.” Xander peeked over at Rylee and winked.
“Xander insisted,” Rylee added with a smile. “For the biggest event of the year, he’s been preparing for it from before we knew what we were having.”
“Well, it won’t be theonlybiggest event, ain’t that right, Xander?” Gannon chuckled from the other side of the table beside Lennox’s parents, The Walkers, who insisted on being present for every major milestone… including this one.
Xander scratched the back of his neck and shot a look across the table at Gannon, who quickly folded his lips into his mouth to laugh to himself.
Rylee looked between the two, noticing their silent exchange—her internal voice flagging what just happened, something that seemingly went unnoticed by everyone else at the table.
“Well, Xander knowsallabout those surprises,” Xander’s chief confirmed from down the table. “He’s had to deliver quite a few babies during his EMT years.”
“Oh yes,” Xander’s mother, Michelle, chimed in, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. “I’ve heard a few of those stories.”
Rylee peeked over at him, and he looked to her.
“Regular ol’ Superman, huh?” she teased between them.
Xander popped his collar and placed his cigar in his mouth, making Rylee giggle. “Superman ain’t got nothing on me, baby.”
She laughed this time.
The night felt good. Surrounded by family and friends, conversation easily flowing from one topic to the next. It was everything Rylee imagined it being and then some.
“All right,” one of the servers who had been catering the group announced as she approached. “I’ll place this here.”
She set the black book—with the bill tucked inside—on the table between Xander and Rylee.
“Whenever you’re ready,” the server added.
“Oh, we’re ready,” Xander said, prepared to push his chair back and pull out his wallet.
“Oh no, Claudia and I got it, Xander,” Gannon said across the table, hand outstretched for the book.
“No, no, no,” Lennox’s father, Mr. Walker, voiced, waving a hand in the air and beckoning for the black book a second later. “Ivy and I can take care of it.”
“Aw, y’all are too sweet,” Michelle was next to speak over them all, reaching for the book. “I’ve got it.”
“There’s no way the department is going to let anyone pay for tonight’s meal.” Chief Logan pushed his seat back. “Just send it down this way, Cox.”
Rylee scoffed a laugh. “You guys, please,” she said, picking up the book. “We got it.”
“Rylee, don’t you touch that book,” Michelle warned, tapping Xander. “Baby, give it to me.”
