We both sigh. When Connor was twelve, Ford overheard Connor talking with a friend about his first kiss, and then man-to-man, Connor told Ford. I’m not supposed to know. It was a girl from his music class at a party. I can only imagine where we are four years later.
“Life is good, Ford,” I remind him.
He moves because a side embrace simply won’t do. He needs both of his arms around me, and I won’t ever complain about that. He lowers his mouth to capture my lips for a kiss.
“It really is,” he confirms with a whisper. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
One of his hands sneaks between us and he places the pads of his fingers on my belly. Instantly, I grin in pure bliss.
“We’ll be doing all of this again in sixteen years.”
My eyes peer down between us where my husband is touching my pregnant belly. “We’ll be pros by then.” I’m only halfway, and we just found out that another little boy is going to enter our lives, which Connor very much approved of, as he loves being a big brother and can’t wait to train his own little team of hockey players.
Everything is different pregnancy-wise these days. Planned pregnancies, for one, but we also have everything we could possibly want or need to make this smooth sailing.
“How are you feeling?” Ford’s attentive eyes search my face for a true answer.
“Perfectly okay. I took a nap earlier, and now I’m kind of starving.”
He kisses me fast and hard. “We better get you fed then.” Taking my hand in his, he tugs me along back to the seating area. “Spence, how are the burgers? My wife needs her protein.”
A spray of water comes out of April’s mouth, and she dives her head into Spencer’s shoulder to maintain herself. “You should totally know by now that Spencer and I take that sentence completely out of context.”
Spencer shakes his head.
Ford laughs and continues on with his mission by grabbing a plate. “You two always liven the party, that’s for sure.”
My attention on my friends is broken when the sight of a puddle appears at my side, I smile when I see Connor standing there and drying off with a towel. “Mom, where’s Aunt Violet?”
“Good question,” I reply. I’m fairly confident he talks to his aunt about girls, and I’m sure she is more updated than we are. I hum in response. “She’ll be here soon.”
“Uhm, Brielle, can you help me with the pasta salad that I brought?” April interrupts us.
My eyes draw a line to the table, and I swear I see the pasta salad there and ready. Looking at April, she is giving me wide eyes and the indication that the pasta salad is a cover.
“Right, salad. Kitchen?” I suggest.
She nods. I quickly kiss Ford on the cheek who is now in a deep conversation with Spencer about sports.
A minute later, I find myself in the kitchen where energy springs into April’s body, and her face tells me she is excited. “I can solve the mystery of where your sister-in-law is.”
I lean against the counter. “Violet?”
April nods. “I was at the grocery store and heard the old lady from the knitting club tell the cashier that she saw the florist canoodling with some new guy in town. Naturally, I turned to Hadley who was at the ballet studio near Violet’s flower shop, and she confirmed that she saw a guy talking to Violet.”
I’m intrigued. “Okay, and?”
April’s face brights up. “It was a guy with a Maserati.” My face stays blank.
I scratch the back of my head, because I’m hearing the story, but something still doesn’t connect.
“Brielle, figure out who has the Maserati, and we solve the mystery.”
“Or I just ask her.”
“It’s more fun playing detective.”
