She glares at me and lifts one out of the box. “Not that I care what you think of me, but I figured I’d better at least take it out of the box.”
I shake my head, laughing, and continue putting some groceries away. Dean would do it but he got called back into work tonight because of the snowstorm. He works for the city and in the winter, he helps make sure the roads are clear of snow and spreads salt. He’s a fucking gem of a man. And not just because he puts up with my sister’s shit, but because he practically raised his siblings when his dad ran off and his mom had to work three jobs to support the family. As the oldest, he stepped up to the plate and finished high school a full year early. Rather than even considering college, he went straight to work.
He’s what I strive to be as a man in general. Loyal, hard-working, caring, humble as a person can be, generous, and fiercely protective of his family. Dean would do anything to ensure his family was not only safe, but also happy, healthy and thriving and now that he and Josie are expecting one of their own, that protectiveness has only quadrupled. There was a point right after they found out she was pregnant after having two miscarriages where it felt like it could become unhealthy, but he reined it in after they hit twenty weeks.
Now, he’s working himself to the bone to make as much money as possible, go to every doctors’ appointment Josie has, building the baby a crib by himself, and remodeling certain rooms in the house. I don’t know how he’s not exhausted, but every time I talk to him or see him, he’s smiling and thrilled as can be that he has the privilege to do what he can to make his family’s life great.
Not to mention, he loves my sister fiercely. He’s a mountain of a man and she’s an itty bitty thing. They look like an odd pairing at first glance, but that’s where it ends. One look at the couple together and it’s impossible to miss the love they share.
If I can pick up groceries and other essentials and help out a little around here with little things to take the burden off both of them, I’ll do it. They deserve it.
“You gonna leave any of those doughnuts for Dean?”
“Verdict is still out on that one,” she mumbles around a mouthful of food.
“Such an asshole.”
“He knows the deal. You snooze you lose around here.”
I raise my eyebrows at her as I put some ground beef in the freezer. “You mean, since he’s working his ass off to clear the roads he doesn’t get to eat doughnuts?”
“Right.” She grins, licking the glaze off her fingers. “Did you get the maxi pads?”
“Yeah. But why do you need them, anyway?”
“For after the birth.”
“Enough said.”
“So… this girl might be pregnant?”
Even though it’s scary as hell and inconvenient as fuck, I smile. “Yeah. I think so. I saw her at the store while I was buying your pads and I’m pretty sure she thought they were for a girlfriend or something. She started acting a little shifty about it. I should be hearing from her tonight whether or not your little guy will be having a younger cousin by about eight months.”
“You’re smiling,” she says, standing up to help me put the rest of the meat away in the freezer then squeals when she sees I picked up not one, but two Party Size bags of Cool Ranch Doritos. Something she’s been craving the entire pregnancy. Seeing the snacks makes me wonder what kinds of food Ashley will crave, if any. It also makes me wonder if she’ll allow me to be there for her.
“Not the worst thing that could happen,” I admit.
“You don’t know her,” she reminds me gently, putting away a box of pasta.
“Don’t I?”
She gives me a look that I’m sure will one day remind her children who’s boss but it does nothing to me. “All I know is that I felt comfortable around her and when I saw her at the store today, I was… I don’t know, happy. It was good to see her.”
“Even though she told you that she could potentially be pregnant with your child?”
I flinch. “I know. I know. That was definitely unexpected and actually pretty scary. My gut instinct, though, tells me it’s a good thing.”
“You’ve always been one to follow your gut,” she says.
“But it hasn’t always led me in the right direction,” I remind her.
I pull the pizza box out of the oven where we had it keeping warm and we take it with us to the living room, Josie carrying a can of Coke for me and one of Sprite for her. She’s held off on drinking even an ounce of caffeine since they started trying to get pregnant but she says sometimes she needs something fizzy, especially when she’s eating pizza.
“Want to watch a movie or a show?”
“Movie.”
“Good. I was hoping you’d say that.”
With a slice of pizza raised in my hand, I pause, noticing her grin and tone of voice. “Josie. No.”
“It’s Christmas.”
“It is not.”
She huffs. “It is in two days. Please? Come on, Dean never lets me watch it and I feel weird watching it alone. I need someone to banter with! You know you love it.”
“I do not.”
“Okay, maybe love it is wrong but seriously, Niko. I’d love you forever and ever!”
“You already do,” I tell her, smiling wide and taking a giant bite of the cheesy goodness. Normally I go for a lot of toppings on my pizza but Josie was begging for one with only extra cheese and honestly, it didn’t sound awful.
“Maybe I’d love you even more. How can you deny a pregnant lady her last wish?”
“You dying and forget to tell me?”
She places her hand on her stomach and sits back in the couch, groaning and making a huge spectacle. The entire pregnancy she’s been incredibly healthy and goes to yoga classes to keep her body in shape. But right now she’s lying back like a wounded animal. If I didn’t know her well, I’d feel guilty for rolling my eyes.
“You’re so full of it. You’re so dramatic.”
She throws her hands up. “You don’t know me!”
I bark out a laugh. “Ha! Right. Let’s try that bullshit on someone else, shall we?”
She quickly covers her stomach. “Watch the language around the little one!”
“Again. You’re so full of it. Just last night I heard a cocksucker slip out while you were cooking supper. You can’t bullshit a bullshitter, Josie. No fucking way you’re making me sit here and watch White Christmas with you. If I have to listen to that damn ‘Sisters, Sisters’ song I’ll gouge my ears straight out of my head.”
“Now who’s the dramatic one?”
“Let’s watch Die Hard.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t. Die Hard’s the best Christmas movie there ever was and you can’t even deny it.”
“But…”
“But nothing. You’re not going to manipulate me.”
“You’re going to be a terrible father.”
“Correction: I’m going to be a fabulous dad because I won’t let my kids walk all over me.”
Her eyes instantly well up with tears and she puts her plate of pizza down on the coffee table, scooching closer to me. Josie wraps her arms around me as she sniffles. “You’re right. You’re going to be amazing. I’m just crabby and emotional and want Dean home instead of out on the roads so I’m picking a fight.” Then she mumbles, “I don’t even like White Christmas all that much.”