Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Last call for ice cream,” Brooks calls out.
“It’s yummy!” Blakely adds.
The room quickly clears out, leaving Kennedy and me alone.
“How, Declan? How do I feel so strongly for you in such a short amount of time?”
“It’s been weeks,” I remind her.
“Weeks. Love—” She freezes.
I watch her as she swallows hard.
“Kens—,” I try, but she talks over me. My heart feels as though it might pound right out of my chest.
“What I mean is these feelings, the connection, the chemistry… I care for you. And I care for Blakely, and it’s all happened so fast.”
“Does it feel right?”
“More than anything else ever has.”
Fuck me. She feels this too. “That’s all that matters, baby. You and me, and Blakely. She’s a part of this too.”
“I know she is, and that makes it worse. I don’t want to hurt her.”
“You won’t.”
“When I leave…” She swallows hard a second time. “When I leave, it will break her heart.”
“Mine too,” I tell her.
“I don’t want that.”
“Then stay.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. I didn’t mean to bring it up tonight, but now that they’re out there, I don’t want to take them back.
She doesn’t get the chance to answer me or even comment before the room fills once again with my family. The twins crank up the radio and take turns dancing with all the ladies. Everyone is laughing and having a good time. The ladies don’t seem to mind that we crashed girls’ night. Not even Blakely since her uncles lather her with attention.
This is our future. This is the future I’m going to fight for. More nights like this.
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Kennedy
I can’t keep the smile off my face as Blakely bounces on the balls of her feet in excitement. She’s standing at the front of the room with Brooks and Palmer, and they’re about to pull the confetti cannon to reveal the gender of their baby. Blakely asked if she could help, and as if they knew she would, they bought her one of her own, only smaller.
“They already know, right?” Archer asks.
“They do,” I confirm. “She had a doctor’s appointment earlier this week.” She’s been sending messages to the group chat all week with the ladies and me planning for this event. There wasn’t anything scheduled at the manor, so Grandma readily agreed to hold the gender reveal party here.
“I don’t get it?” Maverick speaks up. “What’s the big deal with engagement parties and gender reveals? Can they not just tell us?”
“It’s a big deal,” Orrin speaks up. He’s sitting in the chair next to us, with Jade on his lap. “Why not celebrate it? Besides, we’re all here. Might as well make an event of it.”
“You didn’t do that with Blakely,” Maverick says, looking at Declan.
“That was… a different situation,” Declan tells him.
“So what you’re telling me is that for all of you that are wifed up, every time we have a new Kincaid baby, this is what to expect?” Maverick asks.
He’s trying to sound irritated and doing a poor job of it. It’s the smile on his face that gives him away.
“What we’re saying is until it’s you and your baby, you don’t have a say,” Orrin tells him.
“You know what?” Maverick drains the Solo cup of punch he was drinking. “You fuckers, just wait. When it is my turn, I’m going to go all out. I’m going to be a pain in your ass with all the celebrating.” He looks smug as he sits back in his seat.
“What else is new?” Sterling asks. Maverick punches him lightly in the arm, which only makes him laugh.
Declan gives my hand a gentle squeeze. I glance over to find him watching me with a soft smile playing on his lips. He brings our joined hands to his lips and kisses the back of my hand.
“So let’s go down the list,” Merrick says, plopping down into the seat next to his twin. “Deacon and Ramsey are getting married in June, Orrin and Jade are engaged but haven’t set a date, Brooks and Palmer are married, and adding a new baby Kincaid to the clan pretty damn close to Ramsey’s wedding, and then we have the two of you.” He points at Declan and me. “What have the two of you got to throw at us?”
“Like we would tell you.” Declan laughs, as do Orrin, Sterling, and Archer, who are sitting at our table with us.
Merrick points at Sterling. “And you—” he starts, but Sterling holds up his hand to stop him.
“We are not having this conversation again. Tink and I are just friends.”
“Come on, bro. You’re not blind. Alyssa is hot as fuck,” Merrick tells him. He glances across the room where Alyssa stands, talking to Piper.
“Enough.” Sterling’s voice leaves no room for negotiation on the matter.
“Can we have everyone’s attention?” Brooks asks from the front of the room. He waits for the room to quiet down before he continues. “Thank you all for being here today. Palmer and I are blessed to have so many great people in our lives and the lives of our baby.”