A loud sound, followed by Nick swearing, draws my attention.
“What did you break?” Cass demands, hands on her hips.
“My pride,” Nick mutters.
“You know what, why don’t you keep your manly hands off of this and let me handle it?” Cass says arrogantly.
She changes her mind about that when she starts to bitch about the directions being wrong.
Nick chuckles, feeling greatly superior. “Not so good with ourfemininehands, are we?”
Then the doorbell rings and Nick frowns. “You expecting something?”
“Probably a package.” I slowly get up from the chair. “I’ll get it. You both make sure my baby has a bed.”
I open the door and am shocked to find Forest Knight standing there in Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, an I California cap, and flip-flops, holding a toolbox.
“Hi.” He gives me a hug. “So good to meet you, Enya.”
I gape at him. “Ah….”
“Daisy mentioned Dom doesn’t know how to put together a crib. I’m experienced…and I was in D.C. anyway, so she asked me to stop by.”
Nick had mentioned that Forest may drop by, but that was supposed to be a few days later, not right now.
“Ah...hi…I…weren’t you supposed to be here in a few days?”
“Well, yes. I got in this morning and had a meeting on The Hill…and Daisy ordered me to…you know…make sure our niece or nephew has a bed before you pop.” He looks pointedly at my belly.
“Who is it, Enya?” Nick pokes his head out. He lets out a cry of surprise when he sees his brother-in-law.
They do the manly hug thing, and Nick tells Forest he’s happy indeed to let him put the damn crib together.
Cass’s mouth falls open when she sees Forest. “Is that?—”
“Yes,” I whisper. “That’s him.”
Forest smiles at her, warm and genuine, after we introduce him to our friend. “Daisy loves your artwork, Cass.”
She blushes. “You’re so handsome,” she says and then clamps a hand over her mouth.
Forest lets out a loud laugh. “Thanks, darlin’. A man never gets tired of hearing that.”
And then he’s kneeling on my floor, helping put together my baby’s crib, because that’s just what families do.
I sit back on the chair and watch them—Dom, Forest, Cass—arguing about wall anchors and bed height. About safety. About space.
About my baby.
I’ve never felt like this before. Surrounded and held.
Nick catches my gaze from across the room. He comes to me, kneeling in front of me.
“All okay?”
I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I just…didn’t know it could be like this.”
He doesn’t ask what I’m talking about. He knows. He presses a kiss to my belly. “It gets better. I promise.”
