Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Zachary, happy birthday to you!”
A round of applause, mixed with laughter, filled the room as five-year-old Zachary blew out the candles on his cake. “What a big boy you are, honey,” Kimberly cooed to her son.
“Jake, please grab Cameron and put him on your lap. Zane, hold on to Noah. That way I can get all the Taylor men in the picture,” Kimberly directed from behind the lens of her camera.
Jake and Zane exchanged knowing glances over the children’s heads. Jake mouthed “sorry” to his brother, even though they both knew they were stuck doing the impossible. Trying to control two squirming kids, with a third stuffing cake in his mouth, were beyond each of their abilities.
“Kimberly, I don’t mean to spoil your fun,” Zane paused, and then smiled for another photo before he continued, “but I have a wet nephew on my lap, and he’s getting wetter.”
“All right, that’s enough for now,” she agreed and placed her camera down on the patio table. “Jake, I’ll take Cameron and change his diaper, if you’ll clean up Zachary. You’ve got Noah, Zane. ”
Jake watched Kimberly smile at their oldest son, his face smeared with chocolate icing from the tip of his nose to the bottom of his chin and sighed. There was no way she could resist, and she didn’t, when she picked up her camera and snapped several more shots of her sons.
Each of the older Taylor brothers groaned simultaneously before Jake spoke up, “Kim, you’ve taken enough photographs for three albums this afternoon. And honey, Cameron is really wet.”
“You’re welcome to change him.” The sweet sound of her laughter filled the room. “You too, Uncle Zane.”
“No way, not me.” Zane held up his hands in protest. “I’ll clean up Noah’s face and hands, but that’s as far as it goes for me. Favorite uncle I may be, but diaper changer I am not.”
“I heard that, Zane, and you are not their favorite Uncle,” came a shout from the kitchen.
Kimberly, Jake, and Zane all laughed in unison. It had been an ongoing argument between George and Zane since the birth of Zachary as to who was ultimately the favorite uncle. After the birth of Cameron, the competition became even fiercer, and to the boy’s good fortune, it became a competition of which uncle could outdo the other in both gifts and attention.
“Are not!” Zane shouted back. He picked up Noah, and Jake hoisted Zachary under his arm.
“If we only had one son, I could understand the competition between you and George. But there’s three of these little guys, plenty to go around.” Jake laughed and patted his brother on the back when they entered the nursery.
“I wonder if they would fight like this over our daughters?” Kimberly commented with a challenging eyebrow in their direction. She laid eighteen-month-old Cameron down on the changing table, while Jake used a wet wipe on Zachary’s face before he passed him to his brother. He bent down and repeated the action with Noah.
Zane picked out a clean shirt for his oldest nephew, and Jake noticed that Zane intentionally passed over one that had been a present from George. Instead, Zane put the boy in a jersey that Zane had given to him for Christmas the previous year. Jake shook his head. His brother never changed.
“Yeah, well, we’re done having kids, so it looks like we’ll never know, right Kimberly?” Jake stared meaningfully in her direction. His smile grew, until Kimberly looked up from the changing table and smiled coyly at him. Oh, no, he knew that expression. Knew it all too well.
“Kimberly, don’t even say it. Don’t even say it,” Jake looked at his wife and then over at his brother. His gaze shot back over to his wife. His eyes grew wide.
“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Jake.”
“Whoa. I’m out of here,” Zane choked out between gasps of laughter. “Come on Zack, Noah. Let’s hit it.” He placed Noah on his hip and grabbed Zachary’s hand. The trio raced out of the room; Zane’s laughter echoed behind him.
“Kim.” Jake groaned although he couldn’t keep the smile from creeping upward on his lips. “Tell me you’re kidding? Please, tell me you’re kidding?” He reached out and grabbed his wife around the waist after making sure Cameron played safely with some blocks in the corner of the room.
“’Fraid not.” She circled her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers. “Jake,” she whispered between several passionate kisses. “I think a girl would be nice this time, don’t you?”