Charlotte leaned forward, amusement glittering in her eyes. “He has a point.”
I smacked his shoulder. “Youarea fool.”
He smiled, slow and easy before he winked at me. “A fool in love, for sure.”
Leaning over, he pressed his lips against mine and kissed me. When he finally pulled back, his hand slid naturally down to rest against my stomach. The small curve was still easy to miss ifyou didn’t know to look for it, but Nate seemed to be extremely aware of it. His palm pressed gently against the slight rise of my lower belly, his thumb brushing absentmindedly back and forth.
“How’s Brandon?” he asked quietly.
“Or Emma,” Charlotte called.
Nate glanced over at her. “Why must you be like this?”
She grinned. “Why does it have to beBrandon? It may very well be anEmma.”
Nate kept his hand where it was, his expression softening in that way it always did lately, like he still couldn’t quite believe this was real. “It could be an Emma. A mini-Kate. I would be okay with that.”
Charlotte stood and wandered over, nudging Nate aside with her hip until she could drop into a crouch in front of me. “Hello in there.”
Nate snorted as he watched her speaking to my stomach. “You’re ridiculous.”
She looked up at him, her eyes so similar to his that I still couldn’t get over it when they were together. The famous Westwood blues. I wondered if our child would have those too, irrespective of whether it was an Emma or a Brandon.
“You cried when you found out,” she said. “How’s that for ridiculous?”
He scoffed. “I did not.”
Her eyes rolled so hard, it looked painful. “Nate, you video-called me and you absolutely were crying.”
Jane laughed. “He did?”
Charlotte nodded emphatically. “Full emotional breakdown.”
“It was not a breakdown,” Nate argued. “It was a beautiful moment.”
When she looked to me for support, I smiled. “It was a breakdown.”
He sent me a mock-scowl. “Traitor.”
Charlotte rested her chin on her hand, still crouched. “I’m going to be the favorite aunt.”
“You mean you’re going totry,” Nate said.
She shrugged. “Nah, I’m already Emma’s favorite.”
He shook his head. “That’s not how that works.”
She stood again and bumped his shoulder. “You love me.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately.”
Their easy bond shone through in a way that made me smile—and feel a little jealous. I’d always wanted a sibling and Nate hadsixof them. I also felt a small pang of sadness for Charlotte. She and Trent had been trying for a baby, and not too long ago, she’d been hopeful she was pregnant. But no announcement followed. She would be an amazing auntie, but in her heart, I knew she longed to be a mother, and Trent a father. He’d built that incredibly massive ranch house for a reason.
“You did good,” his sister said quietly.
Nate frowned. “At what?”
She inclined her head toward me. “Everything.”
