AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jake’s eyes widen in apprehension, but I rush to reassure him. “Don’t worry, it’s all fine. I’ll catch you up later.”
“So,” Jamie says, rubbing his hands together eagerly. “Lunch?”
“What’s wrong with Violet?”my brother-in-law Heath demands of my younger brother Declan as they join our table at the place we’ve chosen for lunch. As usual, they’re so caught up in their own conversation they haven’t even acknowledged our presence yet.
Declan rolls his eyes at his husband. “It’s a baby, Heath, not an eighty-year-old Dowager Countess.”
Heath gasps dramatically, holding a hand to his chest. “Howdareyou insult the Dowager! She’s the pillar of the Downton community.”
“I’m not insulting her,” Declan says in an exasperated tone. “I just don’t want to name our daughter after her.”
“Oh, but you’re fine calling herSaskia?”Heath shoots back, his face screwed up in distaste.
“So you’re having a girl?” I ask, finally managing to get a word in. The debate over what to call the baby has been raging pretty much since the moment Declan and his husband announced their surrogate was pregnant about four months ago. As we get closer to D-Day it feels like the debate is getting more and more intense.
Heath and Declan snap their gazes away from each other and around to the rest of us, blinking slowly as though they’re surprised to find us sitting here.
“We’re not sure yet,” Declan clarifies. “We’ve decided to wait and let it be a surprise.”
“So what’s the point getting all worked up over a girl’s name now?” Shay asks. “You might not even need it.”
Declan draws in a deep breath and swings his gaze back to his husband. “Because the discussion over boys names resulted in Heath withdrawing certain…privileges.”
Heath holds his hands up in a defensive gesture. “Sorry if I had to pull out the big guns to ensure my son doesn’t end up being namedKnoxorCruz.”He gives a slight shiver of revulsion. “I don’t care what it takes. I will die on that hill, Declan.”
I eye my brother skeptically. “Knox and Cruz? Those are your preferred boys names?”
Declan’s face forms into an uncharacteristic scowl as he shoots a glare at Heath. “They’re better than Henry or Charles.”
“What’s wrong with those names?” Jake asks warily.
“He’s not a British king!” Declan cries, throwing his arms up.
“You know what name I always liked?” Jamie ventures, his mouth curved up at the corner. “And it’d work for a boyanda girl—Jamie. Just putting it out there.”
“Shay’s unisex too,” Shay says, offering Declan and Heath a wry smirk.
I sigh. “Can we please just order? I’m starving.” The last thing we need right now is Shay and Jamie adding to the crazy by starting a debate over which of their own names is better.
Of course, once the argument is set aside, Heath and Declan quickly return to their usual setting of gooey romantic with a side of inappropriate public displays, making me regret my role as peacemaker. I’m not sure why we thought it’d be a good idea to leave enough room on one side of the table so they could sit next to each other; we should know better by now.
Needless to say, when my phone buzzes in my pocket, I welcome the distraction from the sight of Heath nibbling on my brother’s ear across the table from me.
Ellie Fox:Miss me yet?
Ellie Fox:[Photo]
I try not to groan out loud when I see the picture. It’s of Ellie lying on her bed wearing a black lacy bra that barely contains her gorgeous breasts. Her golden hair is strewn all around her as she makes a pouty face at the camera. The slender fingers of her right hand are nudging at the lacy band of her black panties as though waiting for my permission to go farther south. The whole thing is sexy as hell.
Me:Ha! Guess you lose our little challenge! VICTORY IS SWEET!!!
Ellie Fox:Not so fast Finnegan! We never said sexting was against the rules. This is me tempting you to give in *wink emoji*
Me:It looks like you begging me for sex *shrug emoji*
Ellie Fox:I don’t beg sweetie
Me:We’ll see…
