“No way! This yours?” He crouches down to Jax’s height. “Dude, this thing’s terrifying.”
“No, it’s not,” Jax laughs, then launches himself into West’s arms. West catches him easily, then tosses him up once before setting him back down.
It’s a knee-jerk reaction to flinch in situations like this. Ones where West’s shoulder could take a blow, but then I remember that’s no longer an issue. He’s healed beautifully, andaccording to the surgeon, he might even be back on the field this coming season.
Watching him with our nephew tugs at something strange inside my chest. My mind flashes forward to the future, seeing him with our own children. Instinctively, I place a hand on my stomach.
Four months.
Not enough for most people to notice yet, but enough that I’m starting to feel tiny little flutters when I’m lying still.
West steps behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You holding up okay?”
I nod, then kiss him once over my shoulder. “Couldn’t be better. Unless you count trying not to cry every five minutes.”
He laughs, but this isn’t an exaggeration. I cried so much one day I actually got dehydrated. But luckily, the doctor says that part of the pregnancy should pass soon.
Hopefully.
“So far, you’ve cried during the ribbon cutting,” Jules cuts in. “Then again when the marching band showed up, andagainwhen the hot dog guy said there was a five-minute wait.”
“I was hungry,” I say under my breath, realizingnowthat tears over a hot dogmight’vebeen a bit much. But what’s done is done.
“Ugh. I remember those days,” Dez chimes in.
“Don’t even get me started,” Lexi adds, but the sound of her phone ringing in her pocket has her awkwardly shifting the stuffed animals under her arms.
“Uh… need help?” Joss offers, but she’s a second too late as Lexi’s phone slips out of her hand and into the grass.
“Shi-oot,” she says under her breath, nearly swearing before she remembers Jax is close enough to hear.
Jules stoops down to grab the phone, thinking she’s helping, but the way Lexi snatches it back, you’d think otherwise.
“Damn,” Jules laughs. “Someone’s feeling possessive this afternoon.”
Lexi tries to play it cool, pretending to be casual as she glances at her screen, but none of us buy it.
“You always get this flustered when Matt calls? Or is something going on?”
None of us miss the cheeky grin on Jules’ face when she casually blows Lexi’s cover. I’m remembering how we practically had to pry that story out of Lexi months ago. The one about Matt buying her flowers after her exam. Now, with how red her face has gotten, I’m guessing there’s more to tell.
One glance toward West and he gets the hint.
“Know what? Why don’t I take the stuffed animals to our truck for now, then take Jax to see what his dad is up to. That way you ladies can talk freely without corrupting the kid,” he adds with a smile.
I kiss him and mouth a silentthank you.My eyes are glued to him as he relieves Lexi of Jax’s loot. He scoops them up with ease and still has a free arm to hold Jax. All without breaking a sweat.
Yep, he’s gonna make a great dad.
He leaves and I turn my attention back to Lexi, and the others are focused on her, too. At first, she stands there, giving us this mean-ass look she thinks will scare us into minding our business, but she knows that’ll never work.
Eventually, she rolls her eyes and lets out a breath.
“Fine. What the hell do you want to know?” she concedes.
Jules’s eyes light up. “Start with why you had that look on your face when you realized that call was coming from Matt.”
Lexi sighs again, but we don’t care. We just want the details.
