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“You okay, babe?”

Her eyes widen as she licks her lips. Her gaze drops to my mouth before lifting to meet my eyes. “Yes. Sorry. These mashed potatoes are just really good and I sort of zoned out while eating them.”

My mother laughs from her end of the table. “Careful, Lennon. If you keep swooning over my peach iced tea and food, my ego will go unchecked.”

Owen lifts his glass. “And we can’t have that. Her ego is already too big to handle most days.”

Lennon laughs, then threads her fingers through mine, squeezing my hand tightly. The gesture catches me off guard because it’s the first time she’s been the one to reach for me.

Fuck, she’s just holding your hand, Easton. Get a fucking grip.

“You’re one to talk, son,” Mom shoots back at my older brother. “Or should I say, Mr. Mayor.”

Owen groans. “You know, being mayor isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, right?”

“Still. You’re like a celebrity in Garnet Valley, and you can deny it all you want—you like it.”

Owen shrugs, staring down at his plate, but a smile tugs at his mouth.

My mother clears her throat. “So, back to this baby shower, Lennon.”

“Oh, well…my mom has already suggested a few dates for it, so maybe you can get in touch with her.” She shrugs. “Honestly, knowing you two can handle it makes it easier to breathe. It’s just one less thing for me to worry about. I want to show up and try not to feel like a whale.”

Mom nods. “I understand completely. I’ll call her this week. I know she’s busy too, so hopefully we can talk soon.” Then she completely changes the subject. “Easton, did I tell you about the latest murder documentary I started watching?”

Owen groans again. “Jesus, Mom. Can we please have one dinner where we don’t talk about people being murdered?”

Mom throws her hands in the air. “What? It’s interesting.” She turns back to me and Lennon. “A group of women went camping in the Colorado woods and disappeared. One of the bodies was found, but not the other three.”

I look at Lennon, finding her blinking at Mom.

“You find that interesting?” she asks my mom. “You mean frightening.” She looks at me. “That’s what she meant, right?”

I fight to stifle my laughter. “Mom has weird taste in television.”

“It’s not weird. It’s strategic.” Mom spears a Brussels sprout and brandishes it on her fork. “I won’t be the one who ends up on one of these shows, Easton. Not when I understand how murderers think. If any man tries to kidnap me, he’ll be damn sorry he did.”

“That’s actually not a bad point. But, uh…hearing this makes me glad I camp with my entire family.”

Owen shifts uncomfortably in his chair. “Oh, yeah. The Riley family camping trips. Forgot about those.”

“Well, I get to go on my first one this weekend.” Tomorrow night I’ll be in a forest, sleeping in a tent with my wife, who is getting harder to resist the longer this marriage goes on.

Sharing a bed is challenging enough, but there’s enough space between us that when I wake up with a raging hard-on, Lennon doesn’t have to know about it.

But sleeping next to her on an air mattress in a tent?

Yeah. Not sure how I’m going to avoid that.

Lennon rolls her eyes at my brother. “Trust me, my mom makes it out to be a bigger deal than it really is.”

Mom taps her plate with her fork to get our attention. “That’s because it is a big deal to her, Lennon.” A warm smile curves her lips as she looks between me and my brother. “There’s something about having all your children together. I mean, I know Sloane won’t be there for obvious reasons, but other than that, your parents keep that tradition alive because it means something to them. So, cherish it. Someday you’ll find your own tradition with your child, and it’ll become the highlight of your life.”

Owen’s jaw tightens at the mention of Sloane, but my mind is focused on visions of a tiny toddler with Lennon’s blond hair teetering around on uneven ground toward my outstretched hands.

Fuck.

These daydreams are going to be the death of me.