“Want me to run you a bath?” Noah offers. “I could soap you up real nice…” His taunting voice makes me smile.
“You’re sure takin’ advantage of my hormones, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me, you’re the one who nearly jumped me in the shower this mornin’.”
“Pfft…I can barely walk. I came in to brush my teeth, and you all but caveman carried me in there.”
“Can’t help it if my baby mama is too damn sexy for her own good, and…” He feathers his lips on my neck, shooting a shiver down my spine.
His hands roam my body, and soon, I’m moaning his name as he touches me.
Just as I’m about to scream into a pillow, my phone goes off.
“Ignore it,” he begs.
“I can’t. It’s probably Gemma!” I reach over and see Tyler’s calling on FaceTime. “Oh my God, it’s them.”
Pulling the covers over my chest, I click the screen and smile widely at the precious baby sleeping on Gemma’s chest.
“Oh my goodness,” I whisper-squeal. Gemma looks exhausted but so damn happy.
“It’s a girl,” she announces, and this time, I can’t hold back my excitement.
“Ahhh, I can’t believe it! She’s precious! When can we come visit?”
Though it’s after midnight, and we haven’t slept yet, I’m almost too pumped to wait.
“First thing in the mornin’ if you want,'' Tyler answers. “After we get some sleep, though.”
“Congrats, you guys,” Noah says. “What’s my niece’s name?”
Tyler grins, then looks at Gemma. “You wanna tell them?”
“Scarlett Madelyn,” she announces, and I can see emotions soaring through her.
Scarlett…after their mother.
“Madelyn is after my friend, Maddie,” Tyler explains. “She and Liam named their firstborn after me, so I figure I’d shock the hell out of them and use it for Scarlett’s middle name.”
“I bet she’ll love that,” I say. “It’s a gorgeous name. I love it!”
“I do too,” Noah says. “Owen’s gonna be ecstatic that they’ll share a birthday.”
“And in a couple of months, this will be you guys. Enjoy the pain meds,” Gemma says with a grin.
“Times two.” I snort.
After a few minutes, we hang up, and Tyler immediately sends us pictures of baby Scarlett. I can’t get over how much she looks like Gemma. It makes me even more excited for us to meet our boys.
“You can’t possibly be getting baby fever when you’re literally pregnant with two…” Noah shakes his head, and I chuckle.
“I want to hold our babies so bad…” I stare at the photos. “But now I can’t wait to hold her. She looks so little and sweet.”
“Alright, sweetheart. Put the phone down and let me remind you how I plan to knock you up again by New Year’s.”
Noah captures my mouth, continuing where we left off and making sure I’m plenty aware of his intentions.
Chapter Twenty
NOAH
Since Gemma had her baby, life has been a little crazy. Being an uncle has been a trip, and I know life will be even crazier when I meet my boys. The moment I met Scarlett, I knew I’d never let anything or anyone harm her. Though Gemma had joked about us having kids around the same time in the past, I’m happy it worked out that way. Now they’ll grow up and go to school together. Trust me when I say that Katie and I are trying to prepare ourselves for all the trouble they’re going to get in as well. If they are anything like we were, we’re gonna have our hands full and then some. Though I’d like to believe we’re smarter than our parents were, I don’t think we’re prepared for what’s to come.
Owen has been such a great help since we moved into the house. He seems to love his new life, enjoys calling me dad, and is delighted he has a half brother with more on the way. Anthony comes over a lot. We treat him as our own and want the boys to make up for the lost time. They both share the loss of their father, but they’ve found strength in having one another. It’s funny seeing the two of them together because they act so much alike. Anthony’s a polite kid, but it’s obvious he never got the attention he deserved, and Loretta’s trying her best to change that. None of us can change the past, so we’re devoted to making the future better. Honestly, it all worked out better than I ever could’ve imagined.
Now that it's the beginning of October and the temperature has started to drop, I decided to plan something special for Katie. She’s dressed and waiting for me in the living room with Owen. After I’m ready, I get a text message and glance down, seeing Tyler’s name.
Tyler: Are you ready for today?
Noah: Been waiting a lifetime for it.
The thought makes my lips tilt up. Before I leave the bedroom, I grab the black velvet box and slip it inside my jacket pocket. The last thing I want her to see is the ring.
When I enter the living room, Katie laughs. “Finally! Sometimes you’re worse than a woman.”
I snort at her. “No, you’re just Ms. Impatient these days.”
She sighs. “I keep thinking about the candied apples and the warm pie at the pumpkin patch. It’s making me hangry!”
“And I want to do the hayride! Mom told me y’all went when you were teens.”
The memory of Katie holding my hand tight as we rode around on a lowboy stacked with hay bales nearly encapsulates me. The cool air and holding her close almost had me spilling my feelings, but I got cold feet. This time, I can guarantee that won’t happen.
“Loretta and Elliot might show up too,” I tell Katie, not wanting her to be shocked in case we run into them. “I invited them last minute so they could bring Anthony along if they wanted. Apparently, he’s never been to a pumpkin patch before.”
Her eyes soften. “Should we pick him up and take him with us?”
“Yes!” Owen yells.
“It’s up to you,” I say.
Owen nods his head. “Please, Mom?”
“Okay, okay. I’ll call Loretta and ask.”
While Katie is on the phone, Owen watches her like a hawk. Though he’s only a few months older than Anthony, he’s really taken on the big brother role. He doesn’t let anyone make fun of his brother at school and has become very protective of him.
Katie waits, then Loretta answers, and from what I gather, they’re already on their way there. I check the time and realize we need to get going too.
“Oh okay. I’ll tell Owen he can meet up with y’all then,” she says with a smile. “You too. Bye.”
“Time to go,” I say with a wink. “But don’t forget your jackets. It might get cool this afternoon.”
On the way out, Katie and Owen grab theirs out of the closet next to the front door, and she explains to Owen that Anthony’s coming. He’s giddy with excitement as we leave, and so am I. She has no idea what’s planned.
The drive to the pumpkin patch only takes an hour, and it’s easy to see the seasons changing based on the colors of the leaves. It’s outside of Lawton Ridge in the middle of a gigantic pasture that’s empty most of the year except during this time. Katie lets out a happy sigh as she places her hand on her stomach and looks outside.