Page 153 of Our Chaotic Love Affair

I loved every second of it.

“Cash!” Cleo called from the kitchen. “Can you grab more ice?”

Bancroft baby showers didn’t follow the normal rules. I didn’t remember when it changed, but it was a family thing. It wasn’t just the women sitting around smearing chocolate in diapers and eating it. Now, we all got to participate. Had to say, not my favorite game.

I navigated through the crowd dodging my nieces and nephews who were playing some kind of tag game that involved a lot of shrieking. Cleo was standing at the island surrounded by empty platters.

“We’re out of everything,” she said. “How are we out of everything? We bought enough food to feed an army.”

“We’re hosting Bancrofts. We needed enough for two armies.”

She laughed and handed me a list. “Can you run to the store? We need ice, more cups, and apparently someone promised there would be those little hot dogs in crescent rolls.”

“Pigs in a blanket.”

“Whatever. Can you get like a hundred?”

“On it.” I kissed her forehead. “You okay?”

“I’m great. Stressed but great.” She looked around at the chaos. “This is kind of fun, actually. Hosting together at their house and not ours.”

“Very smart decision.”

I kissed her again. “You’re kicking ass.”

“Thanks, babe.”

I grabbed Finn on my way out. “You’re coming with me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re going to help carry things.”

“I’m a guest.”

“You’re my brother. Move.”

We took my car to the nearest grocery store and loaded up with enough supplies to feed the party twice over. Finn kept making comments about domestic life and how I’d gone soft.

“You’re hosting a baby shower,” he said as we loaded bags into the trunk. “Voluntarily hosting. The old Cash would have sent a gift and called it good.”

“The old Cash was an idiot.”

“Agreed. But still.” He grinned. “It’s good to see you happy, man. Really happy.”

“Thanks.”

“Cleo’s good for you.”

“She is.”

“You going to marry her?”

I closed the trunk. “Eventually.”

“How eventual are we talking?”

“Soon.”