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“Very big,” Derek clarified. “Stop raising the bar, man. It’s hard to keep up.”
“Awww, but you’re lovely for trying,” Everly told him.
He looked stunned. “Trying? Not succeeding?”
Everly kissed his cheek.
Meredith immediately took the baby from her sister's arms. My wife-to-be was a natural, and I could already picture our children filling up our house in the future.
"Oh, you’re so cute. When did you get so big? Isn’t she gorgeous?" she asked me as her family went into our living room. "Cade, what's that look in your eyes?"
Instinct. It was pure instinct. Seeing her with the baby wiped out every rational thought.
"Imagining you as a mother."
Her eyes widened. "Okay. I didn't expect that."
"Neither did I," I admitted, and kissed her forehead.
She smiled sheepishly as we went to the living room. I was in charge of drinks and brought out a few plates with finger foods too.
Meredith didn’t seem to want to part with the baby. She sat down with her in her favorite corner of the L-couch. She’d decorated our house in painstaking detail and had made it into our home. We both loved it here—though I’d be happy anywhere as long as Meredith was by my side. She was the most important thing. Everything else was just a backdrop, nothing more.
Before Meredith, all I cared about was restoring the reputation of The Boston Coffee Expert. I’d always considered that my legacy. But now I knew better. This was my true legacy, the life I was building with Meredith.
My family arrived shortly afterward. Meredith gave the baby back to Everly as she rose to greet everyone. Grandmother and Grandfather came with Jake and Natalie.
"Your home is beautiful," Grandmother said as she touched my cheek. "You did good finding this place."
We had a few things updated to our liking, so we didn’t want any visitors until it was completed. Honestly, that was more Meredith’s thing than mine; whatever my fiancée wanted was good with me.
Meredith immediately took my grandmother's arm and said, "Oh yes he did. I owe you a huge thank-you, Jeannie."
"What for, darling?"
"For raising him to be such a gentleman."
"That wasn't all me.”
“By the way, I've looked at the theater program. They're playingRomeo and Julietnext month. I could practically hear Cade's eyes roll into the back of his head when I asked him to go with me. Would you like to accompany me instead, Jeannie?"
Something tugged deep in my chest. That conversation with Meredith had actually gone in a completely different way. She asked me if Grandmother would likeRomeo and Juliet. I told her she liked everything. I couldn't believe how much she cared for my grandmother's well-being.
It was easier to entertain Grandfather. All my brothers and I had to do was show up at his house and talk business with him. We usually kept out the challenging parts, but he was a smart man and could read between the lines.
Gabe and Colton arrived next.
"Colton!” I was stunned. “Thanks for coming, man. I wasn't counting on you showing up."
Gabe pointed a thumb at himself. "I get all the credit for this, okay? I dragged him from the office."
"He did," Colton admitted. "I lost track of time. But I’d always planned on coming."
"Yeah, brother, you always lose track these days. What would you do without me and Spencer?" Gabe asked. “Now that Jake and Cade are busy with their women, it’s down to me and Spencer to nag you.”
"Where is Spencer, by the way?" I asked. "I thought he was coming with you guys."
Gabe shrugged. "I don't know. He said something about an emergency and also not to worry."
