She hadn’t needed to.
Trevor joked with her and Sierra like he’d already been there years instead of days. Comfortable. Easy. Helpful in a way that made my jaw tighten, even though I didn’t want it to.
I didn’t love how natural it all looked. And I didn’t say much. Just listened. Reminded myself that none of this meant anything. That Megan hadn’t done a thing wrong.
I glance at her now, glowing as she laughs at something my dad just said, and the jealousy settles back where it belongs.
She’s mine, I trust her, and that has to be enough.
* * *
Megan, Addie, Wes, and I take the kids into the living room while everyone else cleans up. Cody and Jesse insisted we get some “practice” wrangling all the little ones—said we’ll need it soon enough. I think they’re still half worried about Megan and me wanting kids right away. Addie and Wes don’t get that same scrutiny, but they’ve been married a year now. I guess it’s different.
It’d be fun if it happened around the same time. Addie and Meg going through it together. But as far as I know, neither ofthem are pregnant. And if Addison was, we’d know. That girl couldn’t keep a secret if you paid her.
“Play with these!” Cora announces proudly, crouching by the cabinet under the TV. She tugs out a basket overflowing with toys—a mix of dolls, books, blocks, and baby toys. Emma’s right beside her, equally determined to dig out the good stuff.
“Play these!” Cora says again to Wesley.
“Play babies?” he asks, kneeling onto the rug.
Megan’s on the couch with Hallie perched on her hip. Hallie’s shy and still deciding which of us men she’s okay with—definitely not me or Wes at the moment. She’s wary of Cody too, though Ella swears it’s just a phase.
Addie drops onto the couch beside me, Gage propped on her thighs. He’s facing her, babbling and kicking like he’s telling her his life story. The kid’s cute—chubby legs, dark hair, big brown eyes that look exactly like Cody’s. It’s kind of crazy.
“You are just too cute,” Addie coos, tilting her head and blowing a raspberry against his cheek. He grins, all gums and dimples, and she turns to Wesley with a dramatic sigh.
“I want one,” she says, her voice soft and whiny in that teasing way she uses when she’s halfway serious.
We all laugh, even Wes. “I know you do,” he mutters, shaking his head but smiling.
Across from us, Megan’s got Hallie settled in her lap, a book open between them. “Cow,” she says gently, tapping the picture. “Moo.” Hallie giggles, leans her head against Megan’s shoulder.
My chest tightens a little, the kind of ache that’s good and bad all at once.
Addison glances over. “You and me both,” Megan says softly, meeting her eyes with a small, hopeful grin.
“We’re trying,” I remind her, my voice quieter than before.
“Yup, same here.” Wesley chuckles, still on the floor beside Cora. He’s holding a baby doll, feeding it with a tiny plasticbottle while Cora mimics him. Hallie grabs her own fake bottle and sticks it in her mouth.
I lean back on the couch, watching the whole scene unfold. Addie’s laughter, Wes’s grin, Megan’s gentleness with Hallie. It’s easy and perfect.
* * *
The drive home is quiet—not that it’s very long—but even once we’re inside, Megan hasn’t said much.
I noticed it earlier. How she slipped into the kitchen with Ella and Karissa while the rest of us were wrangling kids in the living room. Their voices low. Standing close. It didn’t feel like recipes or school talk. It felt heavier than that.
“So,” I say casually as we change for bed, pulling my shirt over my head. “What was the hot topic?”
She blinks at me. “What?”
“You girls.” I glance over my shoulder. “Kitchen conference.”
She smirks, trying to play it off. “Oh. Yeah. Nothing.” She shrugs.
I don’t buy it. I don’t say anything, just look at her.
