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By the time we’d showered and headed downstairs, West was a little less grumpy. Had it been embarrassing for Avery and the others to find us naked and in bed? Of course. And yet, he was the parent and had to know that sometimes kids barged in when you least expected it.
I stole a glance at West and wondered what it would be like to have kids with him. He’d admitted once, right before he fell asleep, that he loved having a big family growing up. I wasn’t sure if I wanted five kids, even with two already half-grown, but I’d like at least one more.
However, none of that could happen until we dealt with his in-laws.
And the first step toward conquering that was to talk with his kids and figure out the future for us going forward.
We entered the dining room, where Sabrina was placing a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table. She smiled at us. “Good morning.”
She glanced at West holding my hand and then at me, approval shining from her eyes. She added, “Beck’s nearly finished making breakfast. Avery’s been helping him with pancakes this morning, and Wyatt is on toast duty.”
West grunted. “I’d better check on them. Wyatt gets distracted, and it wouldn’t be the first time he burnt toast.”
I sensed he just wanted to be near his kids, and given what had happened yesterday, I felt the same.
We entered the kitchen to find Avery frowning at the pan in front of her as Beck tried to tell her how to flip the pancake without breaking it.
Avery growled. “I’ve tried that before, and it always breaks.”
“Patience, Tater Tot. Sometimes you just need to practice until you get it right.”
West squeezed my hand, released it, and went over to Avery. I noticed Wyatt staring at the toaster, as if willing it to hurry up, and I walked over to him. “Do you have superpowers that make toasters work faster?”
He shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. This isn’t one of our stories.”
“Well, it’s kind of like watching a pot and wanting it to boil. It takes ten times longer for some reason. So how about this—in between batches, let’s see how long you can keep a spoon on your nose.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “Because it’s silly and fun and helps pass the time. And it’s way harder than you think it is.”
He frowned. “I don’t think it’ll be that hard.”
I went to the silverware drawer, took out two spoons, and handed one to him. “Then let’s have a competition.”
It was almost adorable to watch Wyatt scowl—so like his father—each time the spoon fell off his face. I managed an entire toast time, and soon Wyatt listened to my advice. By the time the last round of toast was done, he’d managed to keep it on his nose for about fifteen seconds.
I went to grab the plate of food, but Wyatt beat me to it. “I’ll carry it, Emmy. Otherwise, Uncle Beck might think I didn’t do my task.”
I bit back a smile. Not wanting to damage his pride, I nodded and put the spoons in the dishwasher.
Once we entered the dining room, I blinked at how many people were there: Zach, Nolan, Aunt Lori, Abby, Sabrina, and West. Avery and Beck were right behind me and Wyatt. The only family missing was Zane.
And your brother, said a small voice inside my head.
Determined not to let that thought ruin our meal, I sat beside West, and he took my hand under the table.
The meal went on as if nothing had happened yesterday. Zach teased Avery and Wyatt, Nolan dropped quiet words at just the right time to make everyone laugh, and Aunt Lori said inappropriate things just to shock us.
By the time breakfast was over, Nolan herded everyone but me, West, and the twins away, as if knowing the four of us needed to talk. Nolan might be famous and always in the headlines, but he never acted like anything but one of the family whenever he was home.
West, the kids, and I cleaned up and then sat around the big island in the kitchen. West propped his forearms on the marble counter and looked at each of his kids in turn. “We didn’t have a lot of time to talk last night, so ask me your questions now. I don’t want you to worry or assume anything again. Because I promise you, I won’t let anyone take you away from me. Do you believe me?”
Avery bobbed her head. “We do, Daddy. But why do Grandma and Grandpa want us to live with them? They always scolded us and usually didn’t even say why, just that I was reckless and not acting like a lady should.”
From the bits and pieces West had told me of his in-laws, they were old-fashioned and thought boys and girls should act certain ways. Girls, in particular, were supposed to be seen and not heard and should only think about finding a rich husband.
The thought of them trying to crush Avery’s spirit only made anger churn in my belly.
