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“Only a few more weeks,” Katie reassures her from where she’s reclining back on her elbows on the other side of Allie.
“Then you’ll be wishing you could sit down and do nothing,” Bec adds. A laugh bubbles out of her before she continues. “It doesn’t get much better than relaxing on a beach with friends while watching your husband chase after your giggling toddlers.” Bec is our nominated authority on coping with babies, as the mother of two-year-old twins, Sophie and Amelie. It’s their birthday this weekend and the reason for the Carlson family gathering.
I chuckle softly, finally blinking my eyes awake in the brilliant sunshine. “Yes careful what you wish for, Trudy.” A yawn pulls on my mouth as I stretch my arms and legs to their longest points. Before I had children, I couldn’t have imagined having an afternoon nap; now, these thirty-minute breaks are a necessity and all I need to restock my energy reserves. I pull up to sitting and turn my gaze in the direction of the men and children a little further down the beach near the water’s edge.
Jase, as if sensing my eyes on him, looks my way, then bends to Benji’s level and they both wave at me. I wave back enthusiastically. Damn, I love that man and my babies.
Ava whimpers behind me, and I jump up to collect her, burying my nose in her sweet powdery scent before walking over to the empty deck chair beside Trudy to feed her.
Watching our men and children, I can see why Bec was laughing. Those giant Carlson men bent over double pretending to chase little children along the beach is funny, especially when the younger children’s little legs struggle to walk in the sand. Hunter and Blake grab a twin each, swinging them high, and more delighted giggles fill the air.
Hunter is going to be a great dad; he’s had plenty of practice doting on his nieces and nephews. It’s been hard for Trudy and him watching us all start families when they have struggled to fall pregnant. Thankfully, this last round of IVF has been successful and soon, we’ll be celebrating another addition to the Carlson clan.
Little Anna’s voice rises above the rest. “Faster, Daddy,” she demands of Drew. His car accident all those years ago has left him with a slight limp but it’s not enough to stop him from chasing his daughter and son.
“How did my daughter get to be so bossy?” Katie wonders aloud.
Allie’s laughter rings out. “Katie, that girl was born to lead. She’s like a mini you.”
Allie’s right. Anna often takes control of her younger cousins, directing them to follow her in a snaking line. The funny thing is they follow her happily, especially the boys—Lachlan, her three-year-old brother, Noah, Logan and Allie’s three-year-old, and my Benji. Just like their fathers were with Katie growing up. I’m sure Anna already understands the power she wields and will be as formidable as her mother when she grows up. When Ava is a little older, she’ll do well to pick up a few tips from her older cousin, like how to make Carlson males comply to her every wish.
My gaze drops to my baby girl, her blue eyes staring up at me as she sucks. Not going to lie, being a mother has been the greatest gift of all.
Jase appears beside me. “How are my girls?” he asks, bending to kiss me on the forehead before dropping to the sand beside me.
“Happy,” I reply, a smile stretching my mouth wide.
His gaze captures mine and he’s grinning broadly. “Me too.”
Ava finishes, and I lift her to my shoulder, gently rubbing her back. Jason jumps back up beside me. “I can burp her.”
Standing, I pass her into her father’s solid muscled arms, and with one arm holding his daughter, he wraps his other one around me. My arms slip around his waist, and I melt into his embrace.
“I love you,” he murmurs close to my ear before trailing three little kisses along my neck.
A shiver ripples across my heated skin. Jase’s touch never fails to make my heart flutter. “You too.”
“Hey, you two, enough of that stuff, it’s time to grill,” Logan shouts, interrupting our moment, and we notice that the others have started packing up around us.
Jase laughs. “It’s not stuff when you and Allie are doing it.”
We separate reluctantly to pack up too. And soon, we are traipsing back up the sand behind the rest of the family on our way back to the beach house for another memorable Carlson celebration.
The End
