Two days before the Hallsteads’ Christmas party, Tatum takes a pregnancy test and proves what Mom declared a week ago. My seed hit pay dirt!

Dancing around the bedroom, punching invisible opponents is probably the least mature response to learning I’m a father. However, very little in this world is as exciting as Tatum carrying my child.

“We shouldn’t tell anyone until I’m past three months,” Tatum says from the bed where she pets Camel Toe and watches me act like a fool. “Cricket said the first three months are when most miscarriages happen, and that’s why she didn’t tell Poet.”

“She’s lying,” I say and kick an imaginary threat. “Not about the miscarriage thing, but about why she didn’t tell Poet. She thought he might not want her, and she really wanted him. I know Cricket, and she was different after the weekend she got banged by Poet. That girl had Dirty Biker Fever.”

I jump on the bed, landing next to Tatum and scaring off the cat. The furball never warmed up to me, but she adores the gorgeous blonde. While Camel Toe marches off, I snuggle against Tatum.

“I hope the baby looks like you,” I say, kissing her throat. “And acts like you. And smiles like you. The only thing the baby should take after me is the snark. Our kid must have snark, or she won’t survive this family.”

“I don’t have snark.”

“You do especially when drunk.”

“Well, I’m taking a break from Mistress Booze for a while.”

“You won’t have to go dry alone. I’ll give up booze too. Our baby girl expects us to be a team, right?”

Patting her stomach, Tatum smiles. “I think it’ll be a boy. Chipper Junior.”

“Nope, it’s a girl. I can feel it in my balls, and you know they never lie. After all, they were right about you,” I murmur and wiggle my brows.

Tatum caresses my hair while I rest my head on her lap. She glances upward, and I know she’s thinking about her mom.

“You’ll be an amazing mother,” I whisper. “When you don’t know what to do with the baby, just ask what your mom would do, and that’ll be the right answer.”

Tatum’s green eyes well up with tears, but she never loses her smile. In the last month, she learned how to keep her grief from consuming her. She’s stronger now, and I see her improving every day. Yet she’ll feel the sorrow from losing her mother and best friend until the day she joins her in heaven. I have no doubt about this fact, but Tatum definitely sees more light than darkness these days. Knowing I had something to do with her recovery makes me feel like a bigger stud than if I bagged a hundred women. Breezy is the prize I didn’t know I needed.

I get to show off Tatum at the Christmas party where she shines in a sparkly red top and black slacks Cricket and Bianca Bella helped her pick out. They also gave her a decorative braid that I keep caressing.

“Do I look okay?” she asks before we leave our house.

“I want to make another baby inside you this very moment.”

“You’re sweet,” Tatum says before sidestepping my clingy hands. She hurries to the front door and reaches for the black jacket she borrowed from Bianca Bella. “Help me survive this party, and you can strip me naked once we get home.”

Despite her anxiety at meeting the Hallsteads and Rutgers, Tatum doesn’t hesitate when we walk through the front door of her aunt Alice’s purple Victorian mansion in Hickory Creek Township. The grand ballroom isn’t nearly as crowded as I expect. I immediately spot Cricket, Poet, and the mini-twins in matching red shirts. The foursome shakes their asses on the dance floor to “All I want for Christmas.” Minnow eventually gets tired, forcing Poet to finish the dance with her snugly in his arms. Next to them, Murphy jumps up and down like a crazed kangaroo, completely mimicking the crazy person who gave him life. Cricket might be the worst sober dancer I’ve ever seen. She only knows how to do the twist and jump from side to side.

“My sister is such a dork,” I tell Tatum who frowns. “No one that sober should be willing to dance that badly in public.”

“Wait until you see me dance.”

“I’ve seen you dance plenty,” I tease and lean down to kiss her freckled cheek.

“I mean sober dancing.”

“Oh, yeah, you and Cricket should start a lame dance troupe. It would be fucking amazing to watch, though I prefer your naked dancing.”

“Stop making me think about nookie when I’m around all these people.”

“No matter what happens tonight,” I whisper in her ear, “don’t forget that I’m sporting a hard-on. That stiffy ain’t going anywhere until we get home and you tend to it.”

Tatum giggles behind her hand. “What if want to dance?”

“Then it’ll be the three of us.”

“Well, four,” she says and then looks around to make sure no one is listening to our conversation. I don’t know if she’s more worried about people knowing I’m horny or she’s pregnant.

“I’ll get us sparkling apple cider. In those fancy fucking glasses, it’ll look just like sparkling champagne. No one will be the wiser.”

The waiter takes my drink order moments before I spot Chevelle entering the ballroom and making a beeline for her family. Before moving to Jamaica, she was still a girl in many ways. Her new life made her a woman. Every time I’ve seen her since Chevelle left, I feel as if she’s become more of a stranger. Tonight, I nearly don’t recognize her at all.

Curly hair cut short, Chevelle looks so much like Ruby. I also notice her smile matches her son’s. Two-year-old, Jamal, rides high in his father’s arms as they stand with Bonn and Adric.

Before we get drawn toward them, Ruby appears with the Hallstead sisters in tow. The three blonde broads take turns giving Tatum a hug and congratulating us on our wedding. Eloise makes a minor dig at how she wasn’t even aware we were engaged. Hint: we should have invited them to the ceremony.

“It was an impromptu wedding on Thanksgiving,” Tatum says, bullshitting like a pro.

“So romantic,” the eternally single Alice coos. “We want you to know your father isn’t welcome at this party or in our homes. You’ll never have to worry about running into Jude while visiting us. We know how he is.”

Tatum gives them a brilliant smile she totally inherited from Marissa Dole, and the women are charmed. I swear I could disappear and the Hallstead women would never notice.

Keeping the smile plastered on her face, Tatum meets Clara Hallstead’s sons, Camden and Dayton, who then introduce her to their wives, Daisy and Harmony, who introduce her to their children...

Around the room we go, stopping to meet one group of people after another. I have no doubt Tatum won’t remember most of them, but she never stops smiling. Only once does she look even the tiniest bit nervous, and that’s upon meeting her niece, Chevelle.

“Mom told me all about you,” Chevelle says and hugs Tatum.

The awkwardness ends immediately. Chevelle is quite a good hugger. Tatum looks at me and smiles reassuringly. Only then, I realize I’m the one who’s really nervous. I refuse for my relationship with my first love to upset my relationship with the woman who’ll be my forever love.

“Can I speak with Chipper for a minute?” Chevelle asks.

Before she can respond, Tatum gets distracted by the mini-twins’ squeals when they catch sight of her. While she coos over them, I wink at Dexter and walk a few feet away with Chevelle.

“She’s really hot,” Chevelle says immediately. “She must look like her mom.”

“Oh, yeah. So Dexter seems like the possessive type,” I say and grin at her tall, dark-skinned hunk of a husband. He’s desperate to break up our reunion. “Do you think he could take me in a fight?”

“No. He’s tough, but you cheat.”

“All the best people do, Chevelle.”

Grinning, she playfully punches my arm. “You can’t know how relieved I am that you fell in love with someone so beautiful and sweet. I was really worried I broke you permanently when I dumped your clingy ass.”

“It was all about the nookie between us.”

“Dexter’s better in bed,” she says immediately.

“Well, Tatum giggles more in bed than you ever did, so take that.”

When Chevelle laughs, her husband looks ready to storm over. “I think I should get back to Dexter and Jamal.”

“He’s a handsome kid. Looks a lot like his dad, but I see you in his smile.”

“You always say that when you see Jamal.”

“What the fuck else am I going to say?” I ask, throwing my hands up dramatically. “He’s two, and I don’t know shit about him besides he craps his diapers and eats carrots.”

“If you want to know him better, why not visit us in Montego Bay? I bet Tatum would enjoy the beach since she’s from Florida.”

“Ruby gave you the entire backstory on Tatum, huh?”

“Oh, yeah, she was on the phone like five minutes after meeting her. It was a damn conference call with Daisy and Harmony. Nana Sally even jumped into the chaos. I mean, shit, Chipper. Howler’s bastard daughter shows up out of the blue and moves into your house days later. That’s grade-A gossip.”

“Did you hear about Howler’s dentures?”

“Yeah,” she says, patting my arm. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to yank out his teeth. I’m sure you cried when you realized your big plan was a bust.”

“Bitch.”

“Pussy,” she taunts before turning to smile at Dexter who can no longer stand aside.

“What are you talking about?” he asks.

Chevelle immediately says, “Chipper cries too much.”

“Your wife is mean,” I point out.

Dexter looks relieved that he won’t have to throw down to defend his woman’s honor. While he whispers to Chevelle, I catch sight of Tatum watching me from the floor where she sits with the twins.

“She never uses a chair,” I mutter. “She’s going to make a great mother.”

Chevelle takes Jamal from his father. “You better get started on that immediately. You’re not getting any younger, and Cricket’s already ahead by two.”

My sister appears just in time to hear how she’s winning. “Poor Chipper,” she says and hugs me. “You’re shooting blanks, aren’t you, pal?”

Rolling my eyes, I push her off and walk to Tatum. “Younglings, let the poor woman get off the ground.”

“She’s our friend,” Murphy says, sounding as possessive as Dexter looked minutes ago.

“Yeah, but her ass needs off the ground.”

Tatum grins at me and takes the drink I offer her. Cricket wraps an arm around my breezy and sips her cider. Grimacing at the flavor of what she assumes is booze, my sister takes a moment to put two and two together.

“Shut up,” I warn.

“I love you so much, Chipper Wilburn!” Cricket yells, scaring the shit out of everyone.

This is the moment Hayes, Mom, and Bianca Bella arrive. Triple eye rolls ensue as they join us. I pray Cricket will keep her big mouth shut. Before I can make threats, Tatum whispers into my sister’s ear. Just like that, Cricket’s big mouth zips closed, and our secret remains undisclosed.

Well, for now. I have no doubt my family will be talking about the baby at the Waffle House on Monday. Tatum must know too because she only grins at me. My family is hers now, and none of their antics surprise her.

Tonight is when I officially turn Breezy into one of us. I swear Tatum’s never looked happier.