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“Can we leave that for another day? I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, and I’m soreeverywhere.”
“You want me to give you amassage?”
“Can you do it with yourtongue?”
He smirks. “I’d loveto.”
* * *
Stella sits downnext to me with a plate of cake in her hand. “Hudson said Dallas spilled the baby beans toMaven.”
We’re at Maven’s birthday party, and she’s started opening gifts. I showed up early, sat down so that the table would hide my stomach, and haven’t movedsince.
Maven’s face lights up with excitement as she opens each gift, and she thanks the gifter before moving on to the next. Dallas is saving ours for last. I peek over at him and smile at the happiness on his face as he watchesher.
He’s a gooddad.
He might be broken, but he managed to repair part of his heart and opened it up for her. I’m hoping he’ll do the same with ourbabies.
Half of Blue Beech’s population is here, eating the food Rory, Dallas’ mom, made—which is enough to feed the entire NFL—chasing their screaming children around, and staring at me like I have a nip slip. Maven has attempted to drag me to the bounce house dozens of times, and it looks like Disney vomitedeverywhere.
“She figured it out herself,” Ianswer.
“Noshit?”
“Apparently, I rub my stomach like some other pregnant chick around here does. She put two and two together.” I laugh. “Dallas broke the news because he couldn’t handle fibbing to a six-year-old.”
“Damn, kids are getting smart these days. I was still under the impression storks dropped babies off on doorsteps when I was herage.”
Maven squeals and jumps up and down when she opens Dallas’s gift. She screams again when opening mine, and then she runs over to give me a tight hug. “Thank you!” she yells, still jumping up and down. She sits down next to Stella and starts ripping open the doll box and all of theaccessories.
Stella bumps my shoulder with hers. “You sure you don’t want to take a run in the bounce house? It’ll be a first time forme.”
“You’ve never been in a bounce house?” I ask, looking horrified.Who hasn’t been the kid who fell down and tried to get up while the others bounced harder to stopthem?
“Nope. My mom considered having a childhood was an abomination, and all I needed to do was work.” She puts her hands together. “So,please.”
I point to my stomach. “No sudden movements,remember?”
“Oh, crap, I keep forgetting about”—she pauses and nervously looks around—“that.”
“She can’t go into the bounce house, Aunt Stella!” Maven shouts with a gasp. “She has to be very, very careful because there is a baby in her tummy.” She stops to correct herself and holds up two fingers. “I mean, two babies in her tummy because she and Daddy are having twins!” She slaps her hand over her mouth. “Uh-oh.” Her gaze sweeps over to Dallas with wide eyes. “Sorry, Daddy. I broke our secret. I’m so, sosorry!”
The noise in the backyard comes to a halt, and Rory’s cup falling to the ground is the only sound I hear before I freak the hellout.
Chapter Thirty
Dallas
Holy fuck.
This isn’t how I imagined this goingdown.
Willow looks like she’s about to vomit. My mom looks hurt. My dad looks like he’s ready to lay into my ass. Hudson is grinning like amotherfucker.
I clear my throat, ignoring every set of eyes on Willow, and bolt her way. I kiss my daughter on the top of her head. “It’s fine, May Bear. Why don’t you go show your new doll the bounce house,okay?”
“I’m sorry, Daddy,” she says again. “I’ve just been so excited.” She throws her hands out. “It just blurted right out of mymouth.”
