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That time I did start laughing. "Girls, trust me. I'm working very hard on this, but there's nothing you can do to help."
"Oh, so you're working on it?" Reese asked. "That tells us a lot about what you want, and it's good to know you're, well, doing something about it."
"I always work for what I want. And I always get it."
Reese smiled sheepishly but didn't say anything.
Kimberly sighed. "Oh, cousin. I'm sorry, but you have to be prepared. Some things might not work out."
"I disagree," I said.
"How do you feel about being a dad? You do have a lot of practice with Paisley."
"It's different," I said instantly. "I'm the uncle. I spoil her. I annoy my brother. I spoil her some more, and that's it. This is different. I've got to be a role model for that kid."
"No, you don't," Reese said. "You just have to be there. Trust us." She would know, considering their father had been absent for most of their lives.
After Reese and Kimberly’s mother died, Uncle Harvey distanced himself from everyone. He focused on work, and my cousins were with our family most of the time. My mom loved it; they were the daughters she never had.
"Hmm. Let's think about what else you could do to practice being a good dad until the baby is here," she continued.
"Oh, I have a few ideas," Kimberly said.
I liked hearing them talk. It always spurred my own ideas, which Reese knew. I listened to them brainstorming before turning the focus on them.
"How's Paris treating you, Kimberly?"
I could tell a lot about how my cousins were doing by the way they spoke to each other. I'd learned to pick up on cues over the years. If they didn't discuss any personal things at all, it meant they were walking on eggshells around each other. It was a cue that something had happened and they didn't want to talk about it yet. I never pushed in those cases. If they casually mentioned issues, it meant they were on top of them. If they avoided a topic, it meant they had issues and werenoton top of them, so they weren't inclined to discuss it with me either.
"Paris is fine. I just want to throttle my boss. I don't feel terribly appreciated here."
I sat up straighter. It was the first I'd heard anything about this, and I saw a golden opportunity. I'd been thinking about bringing Kimberly on board, too, for the expansion of the hotel business. I wanted to build a chain, and she had international experience. Although her expertise wasn't in the hotel business itself but in a travel agency. Still, her skills could be invaluable. But I didn't want to bring it up now. I’d learned a long time ago that it was better to prepare for conversations with my family, especially when I wanted to spring something like that on them.
"As always, I'm expecting all of you to visit whenever you have time," she said. "Travis, might I point out that you had a lot of time over the past year, and you never visited?"
"What can I say? I found ways to keep myself busy."
"Yeah, I know. I'm at the bottom of that list of priorities."
I made a mental note about this. She was resorting to emotional blackmail. That meant she really wanted me there.
All in all, my cousins seemed to be doing okay, which was always good to hear. They chatted a bit more about Paris, and then Reese even brought up considering my job, and Kimberly encouraged her to take it.
My phone beeped, and my eyes locked on the screen. Bonnie was calling. Fuck, it was the middle of the day. My instincts told me something wasn’t right. I immediately answered, even though Reese and Kimberly were still talking.
"Kimberly, wait. Let's be silent. Travis got a phone call," Reese said as I answered.
"Bonnie, are you okay?" I asked instead of saying hello.
"Hi. Ummm... don't panic."
Fuck me.I hated that sentence. Every muscle clenched.
"What's happening?" I asked in a very neutral and calming voice.
"I've had some bleeding, and I'm going to Dr. Taylor's office. I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"I'll pick you up."
