Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121578 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 608(@200wpm)___ 486(@250wpm)___ 405(@300wpm)
“Hey, Margot.” Hope waves at me. “Hey, Jiggy.”
Rock glances up. “You two heading out?”
“In a little bit,” Jigsaw answers.
I drift closer to Charlotte. “I haven’t really had a chance to see the twins. Is it okay if I say hi?”
The words stumble out awkwardly. I’m not technically family. Is this weird to ask?
“Of course.” She shifts closer to her husband, patting the empty space beside her. “Come sit.”
“This is Ivan.” Charlotte gently rocks her son in her arms. Up close, I notice his navy blue onesie is covered in tiny chickens. I flick my gaze to the other baby. She’s wearing a teal onesie with pink flamingos.
“I feel like these outfits were gifts from Rooster and Shelby?”
Teller rumbles with laughter. “What gave it away?”
Instead of sitting next to me, Jigsaw’s standing at the end of the couch. Watching from a distance.
He’d been so cute with the older kids the other night.
Do babies make him nervous? Or is it the unprotected sex making him uncomfortable?
Hope stands and moves closer to us. Teller leans in.
The way everyone’s watching me so closely, maybe I should’ve waited until later to ask to hold the babies. Charlotte doesn’t seem to mind. She’s already focused on transferring baby Ivan into my arms.
A soft, warm weight settles against me, heavier than I expected.
“Aren’t you a cutie,” I coo, adjusting my grip. “A big boy, too.”
Ivan blinks up at me, tiny feet kicking, happy little noises burbling from his lips.
“His sister’s gaining on him,” Teller says. “Right, Grace?”
Rock’s daughter grins and bobs her head up and down.
After a few minutes, Grace peeks over at us, like she’s suspicious that she’s missing out on the more interesting twin. “Ivan.” She points.
“You wanna trade?” Teller asks.
She nods quickly.
Teller gently shifts his daughter into his arms and gives me an apologetic smile. “Switch?”
“Sure.”
He smoothly scoops Ivan from me, then carefully places Ivy in my arms.
Ivy’s quieter, her body smaller but solid, her serious blue eyes studying me like she’s trying to decide if I’m worthy.
“I’m not sure she likes me,” I whisper.
“Nah, she’s suspicious of everyone at first,” Teller says. “Just like her mom.”
“True,” Charlotte laughs. “Do you want kids, Margot?”
I tear my gaze away from Ivy and search for Jigsaw.
Good Lord, we haven’t been dating long enough to field that kind of question. I find him standing just outside the circle around me, his eyes round with…terror? Whatever it is, it doesn’t look like the expression of a man eager to leave a genetic legacy behind.
Ivy sighs softly, her tiny body going limp against my chest. As if she’s decided I’m a safe place to take a snooze. I graze my knuckle against her peachy-soft cheek.
“I haven’t given it a lot of thought. Someday. Yes,” I whisper. Heat burns my eyes, and I tilt my head, focusing on Ivy.
Do I want kids? Babies are cute, sure. But they only stay babies for a little while. Would I want to raise kids in the same house I grew up in? With all the weirdness and death surrounding them, the way it’s surrounded me my whole life.
No.
The thought—the absolute conviction behind it—steals my breath.
No.
Even before I met Jigsaw, when I pictured a theoretical husband, our future children, I never once imagined us living in that house.
What would I do? Buy a house nearby? Commute to work?
I’ve never lived anywhere else.
Dad bought the property next door and moved himself out. But that was after I finished school, and he knew at least one Cedarwood would be in the home.
Would he be devastated if I left?
“See, she trusts you,” Charlotte says gently.
“They’re so adorable,” I whisper. “How do you get anything done? I’d be busy staring at them all day.”
“We don’t,” Teller says. “They never seem to want to sleep at the same time.”
“Twins are a two-person job,” Charlotte says. “I don’t know how anyone handles triplets or more.”
“Hush, woman,” Teller scolds with a teasing lilt in his voice. “Don’t jinx us.”
Charlotte laughs. “I’m happy and blessed we have our two. I’m not ready for any more.” She reaches up and squeezes Hope’s hand. “You and Rock have been lifesavers, though. Everyone’s been amazing but…”
Hope leans down and hugs Charlotte.
Ivy stirs, her delicate features tightening. She blinks, then her mouth works like she’s preparing for a full-blown scream.
Charlotte immediately leans forward. “I can take her, Margot.”
I carefully transfer Ivy back to her, and the baby instantly settles.
My lips form a weak smile. “Thanks.”
“No, thank you.” Charlotte rolls her shoulders back. “Feels like I’ve been holding a baby non-stop some days.” She flicks an amused glance at Teller. “We trade off when we need to.”
“You’re doing all the hard stuff,” he says in a low voice.
“I want to see.” Grace places one hand on my leg and climbs onto the couch, wiggling herself into the space between Charlotte and me.