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“I'm sure she's seen just about everything,” I point out, even though I'm still a little embarrassed, myself. “And hey, now I don't have to break the news while I'm in labor. She can be prepared to see all of you again when the day comes.”
As we leave the hospital, I run a hand over my belly, relieved and grateful. I doubt we'll have a night like last night again until after the baby is born—and as much as that will suck with my body in a constant state of arousal and three healthy men in my life, something tells me we'll all learn to live with it. They were just as worried as I was, even if they pretended otherwise for my sake.
“Just another adventure in parenthood,” I joke as Ash helps me into the truck.
“And just think how much more fun it'll be when the baby gets here.” He looks and sounds exhausted but relieved as he closes the door.
39
HARLOW
The funniest thing about being a hugely pregnant woman is how quick everybody is to try to do things for you.
“Let me get that. You shouldn't be carrying things.” Corey doesn't wait for me to hand over the canvas tote I'm carrying around the farmer's market before practically ripping the thing off my shoulder.
“Corey.” I can't help but laugh, even if she is trying to be helpful. “I'm not an invalid. I'm just pregnant. Women have been doing this for thousands of years.”
“Sue me for trying to be a good friend. But you're carrying... all that.” She waves a hand in the general direction of my belly. “The least I can do is carry a bag.”
Frankly, my feet are too swollen and my back aches too much to argue. “Thanks. Honestly, my back is a little tight, so that helps.”
“Then let's go. We don't need to walk around here anymore.”
“We've only been here for ten minutes,” I remind her as I check out a barrel full of ripe peaches.
“And I only suggested we come out because you said you wanted a little exercise and some fresh air. But we can totally go back to your house if you want.”
It is sort of tempting. “Actually, no. I have all this energy. And the guys are putting the finishing touches on the baby's room, and I know I'm not going to be able to sit still without trying to help, and they're just going to get annoyed because they keep treating me like I'm going to shatter at any minute.”
“Well, I mean, you did say you thought you were going into labor last week. That probably shook them up.”
“It shook me up, too, but otherwise everything's been great.”
“I have to admit, you look and sound a lot better than I would expect.”
“I'm pregnant, not sick.” So pregnant, that seems like everywhere we go, somebody is staring at me. I know my stomach is huge, but I've gotten used to it over the time it's grown. Maybe it's unusually large? No matter who the father is, they’re a rather large athlete. So I guess it makes sense that the baby would be large, too.
“But I'm just saying, you're glowing. You look fantastic.”
“Now I know you are just saying that to be nice,” I tell her with a laugh as I waddle along next to her. “I look like somebody stuck the end of an air pump in my mouth and blew me up.”
“Not even close. And you still have all three of them drooling over you, right?”
“You're right about that,” I confess. “Not to brag or anything, but they're the reason I ended up in the hospital in the first place.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know.” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively until she bursts out laughing.
“Oh, my God! So you did it so much, it felt like you were going into labor?”
“That's pretty much it, yeah.” I'm torn between cringing and laughing. “The doctor said it was normal, but it was kind of embarrassing when she figured out what kicked it off.”
“Geez. After all those months, I guess they were feeling... Excited?”
“They weren't the only ones,” I confess. “I swear, there have been times I could hump the corner of a coffee table.”
She laughs so hard she has to stop and leave the bags on the ground while she composes herself. “Oh... my... God. You are too much!”
