Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 539(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Honestly, I felt like one too.
At one point, Kyle flips Zeus off and glances toward the window above the sink like he can feel me glaring at him from my hidden vantage point. As I look at him, trying to figure out what just happened, I remember a song about milkshakes bringing boys to the yard, but I think my version of it is that my food seems to bring all the assholes to my yard. Literally.
And one asshole in particular.
CHAPTER 20
KYLE
“How many diapers do you think we should get?” Janey asks from the front seat of the Lincoln Navigator Cole insisted on buying her. Apparently, it got some safety rating thing that made Cole want to package his most precious cargo in it, and nothing else would do. Janey wasn’t happy at first, but I’ve seen the way she’s been running her hand over the leather console, so she’s definitely not unhappy about her new ride, which is a considerable upgrade from her previous tiny, yellow Subaru. “I feel like we should buy everything they have, but that’s probably the nesting talking.”
Cole glances in the rearview mirror to Kayla, who’s sitting beside me in the second row. I have no idea why he thinks she would know since she doesn’t have kids. Cameron has Grace, but she’s well beyond the diaper stage, and the rest of us Harringtons don’t have babies yet, so we’re not exactly knowledgeable on baby supply stockpiling.
Still, Kayla answers with certainty in her voice, “One case of newborns, two of size one.”
I cut questioning eyes her way, and she holds up her phone, showing me the article she pulled the information from with a smile. Of course, Kayla’s done her research. She wouldn’t be caught dead not knowing the ins and outs of everything that might potentially be asked of her.
Once we get to Costco, we enter with the masses of other customers, pulling two buggies with us. I take one and Cole takes the other, and we get started with Janey’s list.
“Okay, milk, eggs, diapers, and laundry detergent are that way.” She points. “Produce and bakery, over here.” She puts a hand on her belly and takes a steady breath. Cole instantly steps in front of her, his eyes filled with worry and this close to freaking out, but Janey waves him off. “I’m fine. He’s just being super active right now. Let’s do this.”
“Why don’t we divide and conquer?” Kayla suggests. “I’ll take Cole to do the diapers and stuff, and you and Kyle can do produce.”
Before any of us can agree or disagree, Kayla is dragging Cole away, talking him off the ledge he’s on. His concern for his wife is understandable, especially as she gets so close to delivery, and though Janey and Cole have a super-close, some might say codependent, relationship, he’s in real danger of spinning out with how much he’s hovering over her. He’s probably going to have a full-on heart attack when she actually goes into labor, and the nurses will end up taking care of him, not Janey and the baby.
Janey smiles as they walk away. “That was subtle.”
I watch Kayla and Cole turn a corner. “Yeah, Kayla’s known for her delicate, gentle nature.”
Janey and I meet eyes and then burst out laughing because if there’s one thing my sister is not, it’s delicate or gentle. She would probably have to look up the definitions of those words the way she did the baby list.
“Come on. If we hurry, we can sneak some peanut butter M&Ms in the cart before Cole sees.”
That’s enough to get Janey moving, and we grab a family size bag of candy on our way to the produce. She tears open the bag and starts nibbling on them but also selects some apples, strawberries, and a few salad kits before we hit the bakery. “Bagels and croissants… ooh, look at this cake!”
I can’t help but smile when Janey holds up a chocolate cake with swirls of frosting and chocolate shavings. There’s only one choice in my eyes. “Into the buggy.”
“I shouldn’t,” she says, eyeing the dessert hungrily.
“You should. You are,” I insist, taking it from her and putting it safely in the top section so it doesn’t get smushed.
“Thank you,” Janey says, her eyes bright and her smile lighting up her face. A second later, her eyes pop open wide and her mouth rounds as she presses her hands to her belly. “Ooh, I think he’s doing a flip in there.”
I stare, gobsmacked and not sure what to do. “Should I get Cole?” I’m looking around for someone, anyone to help me out here because I am way out of my element.
Janey laughs lightly at my panicked overreaction. “I’m fine. Here, you wanna feel?” She takes my hand, placing it high on her stomach, and I feel something kick back against my palm.