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He grumbled, "I'm getting used to it, slowly."
"No, you're not."
He laughed. "No, I'm not. But that's fine. I'm glad we all came here."
"It's one of my favorite hotels," I said. Right here at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, life seemed easier, more serene somehow. We didn't have anything to complain about—except my snoring.
Dom came back with a plate of food and sat down next to me. Our girl had fallen asleep on him.
"You can put her down in one of those mobile cribs." We'd set a few of them around, knowing that at any given time, there were going to be at least a few kids sleeping.
"No, I'm fine like this. I like it when she's sleeping on me."
Oh, be still my beating heart. His love for us would never cease to surprise me. I’d never take it for granted.
"We've also got Maxwell wines circulating around. For those who can drink," Tate added, looking at me apologetically.
I laughed. "That's okay. I'm glad to see everyone else is enjoying it."
"You know, I think we were a bit too optimistic with all these benches," Declan said, coming to us, holding a glass of wine. It was the first break he'd taken since we arrived. He seemed to constantly be chasing one kid or another, even those who weren't his. "It's not like we can all sit down at the same time."
"No, we can't," I said, glancing around. I was looking for Harry, but I needn't have bothered. Dom was already following him with his gaze, never letting him out of sight.
Luke came up to us, and he, too, was carrying a sleeping baby. Just then, Tate jumped up from the bench, chasing his girl, who’d hopped off from his lap.
We were all definitely busy, but we managed to enjoy our afternoon snack out in the garden. The weather was perfect for the week ahead, and that wasn't always the case in June in the Rocky Mountains.
***
A few hours later, the kids had run out of energy, and we were all relishing one of those rare and brief moments of silence when Dom suddenly got up with a glass and lowered our girl into a crib.
He cleared his throat. "Everyone, I'd like to say a few words."
"We're listening," Tate said from next to me.
"I'm very happy that we're all here today, and that we managed to take time off as a family. When I met you all six years ago, I instantly realized that you were a special group by the way you rallied around Reese and also accepted me into your ranks. I'm proud to have married into the Maxwell family and to be here with all of you. I couldn't have wished for a more loving wife or a more caring family, and I want to toast to that."
There was a chorus of "Hear, hear" and the sound of clinking glasses.
Dom sat down next to me, and I kissed his cheek. "Have another glass for me, will you?" I whispered. "And thank you for the beautiful words."
"You're welcome, love."
Travis joined us just then. He'd been inside the hotel, chatting with the staff.
"That sounded like a toast," he said.
Dom blinked. "Man, I didn't realize you weren't here."
Travis started laughing. "That's fine. Plenty of Maxwells to go around. Now, I'm starving, so you can fill me in later."
We all stayed out in the garden until the sun set, then went back to our respective suites. We had a full schedule tomorrow; today was just to relax and enjoy each other.
The suite was eerily quiet. Somehow we'd managed to get both our kids to sleep in record time. I slipped under the covers, and Dom moved right in behind me. He turned onto one side, propping his head on his elbow and putting his other hand on my belly. He kissed my neck lightly, and I squirmed against the sheets. Just then, the baby turned around.
"You felt that?" I asked.
"Yes!" He smiled widely. "I’ll never tire of you being pregnant."
I grinned. "I love it, too, especially because it's easy this time around."
He wiggled his eyebrows. "What do you think? After she’s here, should we go for number four?"
I smiled, putting a hand on my belly too. "I think you can talk me into that by using the legendary Waldorf charm."
I'd loved growing up in a huge family. And I loved even more that we were creating our own.
