Willow

“I know my son demanded no baby talk, and I respect that, but can I give you a hug?” Rory asks.

I nod, and she pulls me into her tight, patting my back. “Congratulations, dear. I am incredibly grateful for you. So is John, who’s around here somewhere, waiting to corner his son and lecture him on keeping secrets from his mama.” John is Dallas’s father.

The majority of the crowd has ventured home, but a few people are still hanging around. Since we came back, Dallas stayed by my side until minutes ago when I finally convinced him to go to the bounce house with Maven and her doll. Some people have been pretending not to stare at me, others have refused to acknowledge me, and the rest have shamelessly watched every move I make.

“Don’t worry about them,” Rory says when she pulls away. “If anyone asks too many questions, you let them know they’ll have to deal with me.” She grabs a slice of cake and hands it to me. “You deserve this. I told Dallas to give you my number. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

I nod. “Thank you.”

She throws me another smile, pats my shoulder, and then walks over to a table of women hunched over while talking in hushed voices. Most likely about me.

“Holy shit,” Stella gasps, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “That was seriously something out of a movie. I need to use that in a script.”

“No benefiting from my problems for your career,” I mutter, leaning into her.

“How are you feeling?” she asks when we sit down at a secluded table.

“A million things at once. Mortified that this is how everyone found out. Relieved that we no longer have to hide it.”

She smirks. “He’s a good dad, Willow. He’ll be good to you and your baby.” She winces and pouts. “I mean, babies. Why do I feel like I’m not your first call anymore?”

“Sorry. It’s just been so overwhelming. I’m still digesting it myself. There hasn’t even been a call to anyone else.” I shake my head. “Hell, all of these people found out before my mom did.”

“You’d better call her. Blue Beech news makes national news.”

I laugh. “I saw the town’s newspaper. The front page was about some ribfest cook-off. I’m sure my mom subscribes because who can go about their day without finding out Sandy May’s special recipe?”

“Sandy May makes killer ribs. I’d never even had ribs until Hudson dragged me to that festival.”

“I’m sure there’s a plan in Dallas’s head to drag me to the next one.”

“It’ll be fun.” She pokes my side. “Now, if you get any more baby news, you’d better let me know. If I find out you’re having quintuplets from another six-year-old, I won’t be happy.”

“Maven didn’t tell you? It’s actually sextuplets. We’re waiting for another party to shock everyone.”

“Very funny.” She glances around. “By the way, I’m pretty sure Rory is over there, planning your baby shower.”

“God, her reaction was dramatic. Her fruit punch fell to the ground in slow motion. I thought she wanted to kill me for not telling her.”

“Oh, that was just the shock. You didn’t see the bright-ass smile on her face after you left. She’s not pissed. She’s fucking elated.” She laughs. “The only people who weren’t over the moon were the women who wanted to be the one Dallas had knocked up. You got knocked up by Blue Beech’s finest bachelor. You go, girl.”

* * *

“So, the news is out,” Dallas says.

“The news is out,” I repeat slowly.

Maven is passed out in the backseat, snoring like a man in a nursing home, and it’s almost eight o’clock. She apologized to me countless times for her outburst, but I couldn’t be upset at a girl sporting a Birthday Girl tiara and sash.

“You want to come over?” he asks. “Hang out for a bit? I have leftover cake.”

Jesus, does everyone think all I eat is cake?

The thought of spending more time with him excites me, but the problem is, going to his house doesn’t. It terrifies me. The memories from our night together might slash a hole in the connection we’ve been making. We’ve already been through enough today. Reliving those memories isn’t something I want either one of us to do.

“Not tonight,” I answer. “I’m exhausted.”

“You sure?”

I nod at the same time he pulls up to my apartment building, and I stop him from unbuckling his seat belt. “Don’t wake her up. I can walk myself in.”

“Okay. I’ll wait out here until I see your light come on, and you call me to let me know you made it in okay.”

And that’s what he does.

* * *

It’s seven in the morning, and someone is banging on my door.

“What is up with your family knocking people’s doors down at the butt crack of dawn?” I ask when Lauren walks in.

“Good morning, my future sister-in-law,” she sings out while walking into my apartment. “I brought doughnuts and green tea.”

Seriously?

“What do you want?” I mutter in my best cranky voice.

“You didn’t believe it’d be that easy to dodge me, did you, neighbor?” She plops down on a barstool at the island. “I was upset enough that I got called into work and missed my niece’s birthday party, and then I find out you’re having twins, and you didn’t tell me.” She crosses her arms. “As the girl who lives above you, I am extremely offended.”

I take a gulp of the green tea. Yummy. “We were waiting. No one knew.”

“Except the six-year-old.”

“Except the six-year-old,” I mutter. “Your brother apparently can’t lie to his daughter.”

“Yeah, he sucks at saying no to her. She’s got him wrapped around her finger. Now, if it’s a girl, I’d like her name to be Lauren.”

I side-eye her. “It’s too early to argue about baby names.”

“It’s never too early to hash it out over baby names. Trust me. I’ve heard stories from the maternity ward nurses about the kind of drama and chaos families have over baby names.”

“I’m naming them after my pet goldfish—Goldie and Nemo.”

She rolls her eyes. “Now that we’ve got Lauren Junior covered, what’s going on with you and my big bro?”

My brows lift. “Other than the fact that we’re having twins together, nothing.”

“His truck was here the other night when I got home at four in the morning. It seems to be here pretty frequently, if you ask me. Since we know you weren’t discussing baby names at four in the morning, what were y’all doing?”

“Discussing nursery decor.”

“You suck,” she grumbles.

I perk up. “You love me.”

“I do. But can I say something serious?”

“I don’t think I can stop you.”

“Don’t hurt him.”

This really catches my attention. “Huh?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t hurt my brother. He’s been through too much to lose someone else he loves.”

Deflection time. “I’ve made it clear, I won’t ever keep the babies from him.”

“I’m talking about you, girlfriend.” She annoyingly shakes her shoulders while drinking her smoothie through the straw.

“Your brother most certainly does not love me.”

She grins. “Not yet. From what my mother tells me, it’s getting pretty damn close, and my mama knows everything.”