“How late was he?” Oaklee asks as we look over a section of medical books in the bookstore, iced drinks in hand.
“Almost thirty minutes. They showed up at the door, ready to kill him.”
Lizzie and Oaklee both start laughing.
“I believe there were some threats made as they returned to the trucks. It didn’t help Quinn had that dopey, ‘I just got some’ look on his face.”
Oaklee giggles even harder. “I wish I had seen that. I bet Cade was fit to be tied.”
“Oh, they all were. He was muttering something about killing him and me.”
Oaklee flashes me a look. “You know they wouldn’t really hurt him, right?”
“Yeah, I know.”
“They really like Quinn,” Lizzie adds.
“I know.”
“But they wouldn’t be doing their brotherly duty if they didn’t make him sweat a little,” Oaklee adds with another giggle.
“Boys are stupid,” I mutter, scanning the selection of books. “What are we looking for?”
“Books,” Oaklee replies.
I slurp my strawberry-banana smoothie, turning my attention to what I’m looking for. I find them easily, a variety of pregnancy-related books.
“Here!” she announces, pulling two books off the shelf and holding them up.
“Paths to Becoming a Midwife: Getting an Education in Midwifery TodayandHeart and Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.” My eyes widen. “Did you decide?”
She nods, her eyes filling with tears. “Cade and I have been talking about it, and he’s so encouraging. We did some research online, and I even talked to the medical group I work for. They will help cover part of my schooling and work with me on my schedule.”
“That’s awesome,” Lizzie says. “We’ll help in any way we can.”
I nod in agreement. “Definitely.”
“Thanks, guys,” she replies, bouncing up and down in excitement where she stands. “I’m ready. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m ready.”
“What did you find?” Lizzie asks me.
I hold up the book.
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” Oaklee says without really reading the title. “Excellent book.”
I nod, slipping it under my arm to take to the front counter. “I thought about getting one for Quinn too.”
“Will he read it?” Lizzie asks curiously.
“Oh, definitely,” I reply, scanning the shelves. “He’s been doing so much research, ever since I told him I was pregnant.” They know all about the iced coffee treats he’s been making me every day and the extra care he puts into helping find healthy options for me.
We browse around, all of us choosing books to add to our to-be-read list, before eventually making our way to the front counter. We all pay and exit, walking to the boutique down the block, stopping long enough at my SUV parked along the street to drop off our book purchases.
“I’m buying all the baby things,” Oaklee announces as she pulls open the door.
I snort a laugh as my phone rings in my purse. Carefully, I retrieve the device, surprised to see my younger brother’s name on the screen. “Miss me already?” I ask.
“Uhh, hey, Charli.”
