Chapter 27 #2
Mick came up to me, taking a few crackers for himself and laughing when he saw me watching the guys.
“It’s just a sign that they take him seriously,” he said. “After all, they gave me the talk too when I first started dating Amelia.”
“Yeah, but I think I’m gonna go play referee anyway.”
With a sigh, I put down my plate, tiptoeing toward the group. I was hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation before they noticed me.
No such luck.
“Tess is behind you,” Ryker told Cole.
I rolled my eyes, putting my hands on my hips. “Really? What is this?”
“We’re just getting to know Liam better,” Cole said nonchalantly.
“And I can’t hear that conversation?” I challenged.
“Well, you can. But then you might kick our ass,” Hunter said.
I glared at him. “I might do it anyway. Just for fun.”
Ryker winked. “Well, I think we’re about done anyway.”
I looked at Liam, noticing the corners of his mouth tilted up in a smile.
“Really? You didn’t sound done to me. Tess, I think they’re just waiting for you to leave again. They were just explaining to me all the ways they’ll make me pay if I mess up,” he said casually.
I ran a hand through my hair, at a loss for words. My brothers seemed proud of themselves, as did Hunter.
Behind us, someone chuckled. Dylan. He, Ian, and Isabelle were just one foot behind me and had clearly heard everything.
“You guys gave him the talk and he’s not even a little worried? You’re losing your touch,” Ian said.
“Oh no, no. We’ve got enough with Hunter, Cole, and Ryker on his case. No one needs more testosterone,” Isabelle declared.
Ian smirked. “Want us to keep it all for the next guy you introduce to us?”
Dylan grinned. “You don’t want to bottle up the testosterone, Sis.”
Isabelle gave me an apologetic nod. “Sorry. If I’d known they were going to misbehave, I wouldn’t have brought them. Liam, these are my brothers. Don’t pay them attention. They’re all talk, no bite.”
“Is that why you never introduce us to any guy you’re dating?” Dylan replied.
Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest.”
“No, I’m quite enjoying it,” Liam said. “The first few times I spoke with Tess, she roasted my ass. I respect that trait. Now I see it runs in the family. Even the extended one.”
Oh wow. I could see my family’s acceptance for him skyrocketing.
Dylan whistled. “Liam, I think you’re okay.”
Before anyone could say anything else, Mom spoke loudly. “Okay, everyone, sit at the table, please. The turkey’s been resting enough. It’ll get cold otherwise.”
There was a lot of noise in the room as everyone headed to the table and pulled out chairs. I made sure Ellen sat between Mom and Liam.
I loaded my plate with a bit of turkey and a lot of cinnamon rice. Mom had experimented one year with half a dozen side dishes, and the rice had won by a decent margin. It was a staple in her Thanksgiving dinners ever since.
Hunter was pouring everyone drinks, except for Josie and Heather, who were sticking with water. I smiled to myself, feeling on pins and needles. Maybe they’d announce the pregnancy today. This was very usual in our family, waiting for the gang to be gathered for spilling important news.
As we all ate, I kept glancing around the table, listening to bits and pieces of conversation.
Cole, Laney, and I spoke quite a bit about the wedding.
The planner had finally sent decent proposals for the shabby chic theme, and they’d decided on a location.
It was a gorgeous restaurant in a nineteenth-century mansion just outside New York.
Afterward, I turned my attention to the rest of the group.
My goal was simple: check how everyone was doing. I knew I couldn’t solve anyone’s problems, of course, but I was very good at listening and also at improving people’s mood.
Half an hour later, I was happy to report that no one was in trouble.
Heather was a little tired due to the pregnancy but otherwise perfectly healthy.
Ryker seemed to be even more attentive to her than usual, which made my heart happy.
He’d always been so adamant that he wanted to be a bachelor for life.
I caught Liam’s eye. I sensed he’d been watching me for a while.
“What?” I whispered.
“You’re adorable, checking in on everyone like this.”
My cheeks heated and I shrugged. “I always do this.”
He nodded, squeezing my hand under the table as everyone was going for seconds.
I would have done the same, but I was already full when we left Ellen’s place.
I still wanted to save room for Mom’s trademark Thanksgiving pie—a unique mix of pecans, honey, apple, and pumpkin.
Also, I couldn’t wait to drink punch. The scents wafting from the kitchen were strong and delicious, but we all knew better than to drink before dinner.
Mom’s punch was strong enough to get drunk on half a cup.
“Mom, I always forget how good your Thanksgiving pie is,” Cole exclaimed a while later, when we were all indulging in the dessert.
“And the punch,” I added with a wink.
Hunter cleared his throat. “Since we’re all here, Josie and I have an announcement to make.”
Yes! I pressed my lips together, determined not to give them away.
The table was silent as Josie spoke. “I’m pregnant. We’ve known for a while but wanted to wait for the first three months to pass before telling you.”
She didn’t get to say anything more because everyone jumped to congratulate them. I caught Mom’s eye across the table. She didn’t seem surprised. Perhaps they told her, or she guessed, just like me. Ian and Dylan looked particularly pleased as they hugged their sister.
“Now we have an even better reason to finalize the move,” Dylan said.
Isabelle clutched at her chest. “You mean Josie and I weren’t enough?”
Ian winked at her. “Not at all, Sis. Just that we’re extra motivated to not drag this out too long.”
“Amelia, looks like your table is going to be even fuller next year,” Ellen exclaimed.
Mom beamed at her. “The more the merrier.”
“You’re lucky. I’ve been waiting for great-grandkids forever.”
It took me a second to realize she was speaking about Liam. The tips of my ears felt hot. Liam looked at his grandmother as if he was seeing her for the first time.
“Okay, okay. I’m behaving,” Ellen said with a grin that clearly indicated she planned to do no such thing. Then she leaned closer to Amelia and whispered for the whole table to hear, “They’re so adorable, the both of them. They’ll make beautiful babies.”