Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66200 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
I could sense the tension in his posture evaporating, and the worry lines in his forehead faded too. “I’m good with Tennessee. Maybe we can celebrate with my family next year.”
It was a plan, one we made together.
“I’ll be there.” It felt ridiculously good. A plan for over a year from now. That’s what I called personal growth. “I’ll also be there if you decide to pursue your pops’s orchard business. Maybe there’s a barn or somethin’ I can convert into an office for my future construction business. I’ll need a lot of space for that.”
It finally got me one of Sebastian’s gorgeous, warm grins, and we leaned across the table at the same time and met in an unhurried kiss.
“This lunch turned into a lot more than I expected,” he murmured. “I thought we’d spend the hour talking about possibly getting you a new dog.”
I chuckled and nipped at his bottom lip. “That wouldn’t happen, regardless. I don’t wanna get my hopes up.”
He smiled and rested his forehead to mine. “We’re getting you that girl, baby. From what I’ve heard about her, you’re a great match.”
Damn it, he was getting my hopes up.
Eleven
I knew my sister was gonna love the guesthouse, but there was no reason for her to get weepy and close herself into the bedroom with Dylan to calm herself down.
Unless she was crying for two.
“Mama’s a crybaby,” I cooed to Bella.
She giggled and grabbed my nose.
David’s eight kids had taught me a thing or two over the years, and I was actually great with babies. I knew how to keep them entertained, I knew when to sway them, when to put a bounce in my step, when to swaddle them, and how to burp them. Get the fuck away from me with shitty diapers, but some spit-up on my shoulder was nothing. Babies usually lit up like the sun right after they’d settled from a meal.
Since I’d managed to clear the room with my house-building skills—Dylan comforting Soph in the bedroom, reminding her that, yeah, this was finally happening to them, and Sebastian and Teddy checking out the loft upstairs—I carried Bella over to the living room area and turned on ESPN.
The others better not be long, though. We had pizza and wings waiting on the kitchen bar that they’d brought with them.
“I think this is gonna be my bed when I sleep over, Bastian,” I heard Teddy announce upstairs. “Or this one?” It was followed by a thump and an “Uh-oh! I did it again!” when he bumped his head on the ceiling somewhere.
“Food’s gettin’ cold, y’all!” I hollered.
“We should hurry, buddy,” Sebastian said. “We don’t want Uncle Blake to eat all the pizza.”
“Oh my gosh, no!” That lit a fire under Teddy’s butt.
Soph emerged from the bedroom shortly after, eyes red and puffy, and she said she was just gonna go freshen up in the bathroom.
In the meantime, Dylan glanced after her with concern in his eyes. He scratched his head, visibly confused too.
“Don’t worry about it.” I walked over to him and handed Bella off. “She’s probably just pregnant.”
Dylan thought I was joking.
I merely raised my brows pointedly, because I knew a thing or two about the fertility of a Kidd, then aimed for the kitchen.
“She can’t be!” Dylan called after me.
“Funny, that’s what our brother’s wife said the first four pregnancies,” I replied, amused. “‘We’ve been careful,’ ‘I’m on the pill,’ ‘The doctor actually said it would be difficult for me to conceive again.’ Yada-yada.” I flipped open one of the pizza boxes before plating two slices. “I hate to break it to you, Dylan, but being with a Kidd means you’ll end up with a lot of kids.”
Dylan swallowed nervously and glanced at his daughter. “We’ve been careful.”
I grinned and bit into my pizza on the way to one of the couches.
Sebastian and Teddy walked down the stairs at that point, and Sebastian had probably heard it all, judging by the smirk on his face.
Dylan thought it was a good idea to double down. “She’s just overwhelmed. Frankly, so am I. If it weren’t for you, it would still be a while before we could afford a real home, and it wouldn’t be as big as the one we’re building in the spring. This is huge for us, Blake.”
“I get it,” I replied, nodding. “I really do. And I’m happy I get to be a part of everythin’.” I pointed my pizza slice toward the bathroom. “She’s still pregnant.”
“Momma’s having another baby?” Teddy gasped.
That brought out the protectiveness in Daddy Dylan, who didn’t want me to say things I didn’t know for sure. Which made him naïve. I knew what I was talking about.
“Uncle Blake is just kidding, son,” Dylan stated. His expression told me to shut my trap.
I shrugged and returned my attention to ESPN.