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“Are y’all seriously going to do this in the kitchen when we’re all here?” Hunter’s voice interrupts us, and I instantly stop, leaning away from Callie to give my brother the best glare I can muster. But the amusement on his face makes it impossible to be too irritated with him.
“I swear you’re always the one who interrupts a good time,” I mutter, leaving my arm around Callie as the excitement drains away.
“Wade, I am the good time.” Hunter laughs, a Red Bull in his hand. “See, you thought you were the good time brother, but in truth, you were only the beginning. You paved the way for me to have the best of both worlds. I’m fun and a cowboy. You can’t get any better than that.”
“And you thought I was arrogant.” I nudge Callie, before grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the living room where most of the family is gathered. Callie invited everyone over for dinner, because yet again, Callie has become the president of the unofficial family association.
And everyone loves it.
I sit down next to Bear on the couch. He lays his head gently on my lap as I scratch behind his ear—his favorite spot. I’ll never tell Callie, but I’m pretty sure Bear likes me more. We’re best friends.
“How’re you feeling, Emma?” I ask as I see her waddling around, her eight-month pregnant belly nearly as big as her. I won’t lie, between Sawyer’s new baby, Ella, and seeing Emma pregnant ... I can’t help but think about Callie and I expanding our family. A lot.
But I haven’t talked to her about it yet.
We have a world tour coming up and I don’t think that’s any place for a woman to be trying to deal with morning sickness. I’ve heard it doesn’t pair well with jet lag.
“I’m ready for this baby to be here,” Emma grumbles, plopping down on the couch next to Bailey, who’s leaning back against the couch with her eyes shut.
“You’ll be missing the baby being in your stomach once you’re not getting any sleep at night.” Bailey groans, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to nap more than I do right now.”
Okay, maybe I don’t want one.
But then I spot Callie on the other side of the living room, her green eyes sparkling under the dimmed lights in the massive room, her auburn hair falling in messy waves past her shoulders, and her cream-colored skin looking absolutely perfect.
I do want one.
“It won’t be long, and Ava will have the little sister that she’s always wanted,” Carson speaks up from the recliner that he’s sitting in.
“I sure wish someone would have another boy,” Cooper whines, appearing from nowhere and sitting next to Callie, wrapping his arms around her waist. “Maybe you and Dad can have a boy? I think maybe since I’m a boy, you’ll have a boy—that’s what Cody says.”
“Why are you and Cody talking about those kinds of things?” I ask, raising my eyebrows at my son.
“He’s having a little brother, Dad.” Cooper laughs, shaking his head at me. “His mom and dad told him everything about having babies.”
Oh heck no...
“And did Cody tell you this?”
“Of course, he did,” Cooper says, looking at me like I’m stupid for even asking him. “Apparently all that kissin’ that you and Callie do is gonna get you in trouble one of these days. Cody said that if you kiss a girl, the spit makes a baby grow in their stomach, and then they have to cut it out.”
I can’t decide if I’m amused or disgusted. “That’s one heck of a story.”
“That’s not how it works,” Ava chimes in, sitting up from the floor where she was laying, watching TV. “I learned how babies are made this year in school, but Mom explained it to me since—”
“Cooper’s not as old as you,” Carson cuts his daughter off, shooting her a stern look that makes me laugh. “We don’t need to keep discussing this topic anyway.”
“You might if you were in the kitchen about five minutes ago.” Hunter chuckles, crushing his empty Red Bull can against his thigh. “Those two were getting’ real—”
“Stop!” Layla groans, covering her ears with her hands. “I do not want to hear what you walked in on Hunter. No one wants to have that image in their head.”
“I do.” I smirk, shooting Callie a wink that makes her cheeks flush. “I kind of think I’d like to go back to the kitchen.”
“Wade, there are children present,” Sawyer snaps, stepping into the living room, already shaking his head at me. “I don’t know what it is with you and having no censor, but you ought to work on that.”
“All right, dad.” I snort, rolling my eyes at him. “Did you get Ella down for her evening nap okay?”
“I mean, I tried,” Sawyer huffs, rubbing the dark circles beneath his eyes. “I don’t know why I can’t get her down the same way that Bailey can. She never struggles as much as I do when it comes to putting her to sleep. Ella always just wants me to hold her—not lay her down.”
