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“Adalynn and Cash have finally figured out they’re both madly in love with each other,” Madison blurts. Chase frowns from beside her.
I want to chastise her, but when yips of joy float around the table, Adalynn relaxes a little, a bright smile on her face.
Charlie and Donald Sr. stand and shake my hand. I have to stand to get hugs from Robin and Gina.
“We’re also having a baby,” Adalynn says, forcing the entire room into silence.
She looks on the verge of tears as she makes eye contact with her mom and dad.
“A baby?” Gina asks, her hand brushing the base of her throat.
Adalynn swallows as she nods.
“I’m going to a grandma?” Gina asks, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Can she call me Glam-ma?” Robin asks.
A huff of laughter escapes my girl’s lips as she nods and darts away the tears from her eyes.
“She?” Donald Sr. scoffs. “It’s going to be a boy, if not two.”
“Hell yeah,” both Donnie and Ronnie say at the same time.
I feel the love all over again when another round of handshakes and hugs come my way. There may come a time when we’re comfortable enough to tell the real story, but right now, I think the pain of almost losing each other over our own stupidity is still a little too raw.
We know we’ll be together forever because there’s just no surviving if we aren’t. But we need to work on building those bonds after so long of not even talking to each other.
Thankfully, we have a lot of time before the baby gets here to strengthen every aspect of our connection.
“And they’re getting married at the Graves Estate,” Madison adds.
I look at Madison before looking at Adalynn. My girl looks just as shocked when her eyes find mine. She shrugs, giving me a little nod, and all I can do is smile.
“It looks like we’re getting married at the Graves Estate,” I confirm.
Eventually, all the surprises are over and we can finally settle back into our meal, the conversation taking a different turn than it would’ve originally.
I’m passing the mashed potatoes to Donnie when my phone rings.
I pull my cell from my pocket, and excuse myself from the table, seeing that it’s Chandler.
I try not to let fear develop in my chest, but the man is on shift tonight and he doesn’t bother me with issues. He’s more of an ask forgiveness than ask permission kind of guy. It’s something we’re working on.
“Chief?” he says when the call connects.
“What’s wrong, Chandler?”
“I have Walker Conroy in custody.”
My chest clenches with guilt, thinking it might have something to do with the position I put him in with that bottle of whiskey nearly two months ago.
“He says Adalynn sent him to Claire Kennedy’s house, but she called the police when she found him lurking around in her backyard.”
“I wasn’t lurking,” Walker snaps at Chandler, loud enough that I can hear him.
“You were trying to steal Larkin’s ride-on car.” That has to be Claire.
“Hold on,” I tell him with a sigh, poking my head back into the dining room. “Did you send Walker over to Claire’s to have him steal a ride-on car?”
