Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 133688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133688 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 668(@200wpm)___ 535(@250wpm)___ 446(@300wpm)
Belinda’s catering the lunch, and I find her in the kitchen getting everything ready.
“Everything looks delicious!” I exclaim as I steal one of the rolls. Taking a bit, I double-check my list to make sure I didn’t forget anything. With my baby brain, I’ve had to write everything down, or I simply don’t remember.
Mrs. Wright made cupcakes, and Alessandra delivers them just as Everleigh prances in.
“It’s party time!” she shouts.
“Finally…” I scold.
“What? We said noon. I’m fifteen minutes early.”
“Noon for the guests, eleven for the hosts,” I clarify.
She shrugs. “Potato, potahto.”
“At least you’re here before Gemma,” I say just as Gemma strolls in, beaming.
We all exchange hugs and smiles. “You look gorgeous!” I tell her, admiring her adorable pink sundress. “We have a crown and sash for you to wear too.”
“Oh my gosh, you didn’t!” she squeals. “Okay fine, I’ll wear it.”
“And since you two bitches can’t drink, I’ll be drinking for tree.” Everleigh smirks, holding up a bottle of vodka.
“Everleigh!” Gemma scowls. “It’s noon.”
“Ever hear of mimosas…?”
I snort. “You’re a handful. Gonna pray for the poor man you end up tying down someday.”
“Oh, he’ll be tied down alright…rope, handcuffs, cable ties…”
“Not the kind I meant, Ev.” I chuckle.
Once the guests arrive, we chat and mingle until it’s time to eat. Everleigh was in charge of the games, and after the first one, I realize what a mistake that was.
“Baby Advice Mad Libs,” she sing-songs. “Fill out the card, and whoever has the most creative answer wins this lovely gift basket of lotions and bath bombs.” She holds it up. “You’ll get twenty minutes while you eat, and then I’ll read them aloud.”
“How’re you feelin’, sweetie?” Loretta asks as I chug water.
“I’m great. Constantly tired and I still get nauseous a few times a day, but I honestly can’t complain that much.”
“It’s going to be so nice having so many little babies.” She smiles.
“Imagine if Everleigh gets pregnant next,” my mom chimes in.
“Imagine if I had a girl, and she falls for one of your little boys,” Everleigh adds, waggling her brows. “Or both.”
“This sounds like a naughty Hallmark movie.” Gemma snorts.
“Your children aren’t allowed near my boys.” I place a protective hand over my belly. “Especially the girls.”
“I take offense to that!”
The group of us laughs.
When the twenty minutes are up, Everleigh collects everyone’s cards and begins flipping through them.
“Alright, I think we have a winner,” Everleigh announces with a shit-eating smirk.
“My advice for the mom-to-be is ‘no matter what he says, anal is not permitted after giving birth.’”
“Oh my God, I think I peed myself.” Gemma laughs. “Who said that?”
“There’s no name on the card,” Everleigh says, flipping it over. “Alright, you dirty birds, who wrote this one? You can’t get your prize if you don’t come forward…” She rocks the basket back and forth, trying to entice them.
Finally, someone raises their hand. “Mrs. Florence!” Everleigh announces with a gasp.
Everyone’s heads turn, and I snicker at the way she’s blushing. The librarian.
“It’s always the quiet ones, y’all…” Everleigh giggles, bringing her the basket.
After games and food, Gemma opens her gifts, and I write down every item while Everleigh takes pictures. Watching her excitement makes me so happy for her and Tyler, and it makes me even more eager to hold my babies. Since they’re waiting to learn the gender, most of the clothes are yellows, greens, teals, and purples.
Once they’re all opened, Belinda announces it’s time to count the clothespins to see who won the grand prize, which is a hundred-dollar gift certificate to the deli.
The door opens, then slams with a loud bang. Eyes stare at the woman marching in with a deep scowl on her face. I don’t recognize her, and by the looks of everyone else, they don’t either.
“Hello, can I help you?” Belinda asks nicely.
“I’m looking for Everleigh Blackwood,” she sneers.
Oh shit, this can’t be good. The woman’s flaming red hair is perfectly curled at the ends, and her green eyes pop against her pale skin. There’s a big shiny rock on her left ring finger, and I have a gut feeling I know where this is going.
“I’m Everleigh,” she announces next to me. She stands and waits for the woman to stalk over.
Before any words are exchanged, the woman slaps Everleigh across the face. Gasps echo through the room.
Just as I’m about to yell at the woman, she speaks up.
“You homewrecking whore! You slept with my husband!”
Yep, that’s where I thought this was going.
Everleigh holds a hand to her cheek and furrows her brows. “I did not!”
I lean over and ask, “Who’s your husband?”
“Eric Hudson,” she replies.
My eyes widen in shock as I direct them toward Everleigh. “You slept with the bodyguard?”
Everleigh shrugs with a guilty expression. “Well, yeah. But he wasn’t wearing a ring. I didn’t know he was married!” she defends.
“Well, he is!” the woman exclaims. “Perhaps you should ask a man before jumping into bed with him.”