23. Stella
Chapter 23
Stella
I felt the heartbeat that was pounding in my chest move to my ears. It was loud, so loud, that I think I momentarily went deaf.
Normally, I hated being surprised. It led to people being hit, or in that one rare occasion, shots were fired. That wasn’t my fault though, dammit. Right this second though, I was torn between genuine shock and embarrassment. Why was I embarrassed? Hell if I knew.
Trace had said this was our house, right? I wasn’t having a stroke and losing my mind? My ears and brain were working together just fine. Our house?
“I can’t believe it!” Peter cracked up.
“What?” Trevor asked.
“He’s stunned her to silence.” My brothers laughed. “She’s never been silent. It’s a miracle.”
I looked up from my hands to Trace’s face. He looked worried. My silence must have caught him off guard too. I couldn’t help the small grin that tried to pull up my lips. I fought it back. My big man was worried about his nuts, not really my response. Probably. Maybe. I could be wrong though.
As I watched him, his brows drew together into a tight line. I knew that look. He was definitely worried that he’d fucked up somehow.
“What’s wrong with her? Is she broken for real?”
When I got up, I was going to use my crutches to beat the stupid out of Peter even if it took me a week. Shana would appreciate it later on; I was sure of it.
I let out a long breath of air and even though my hands were shaking, my heart was melting. He’d done this for us, for our growing family. I was completely blown away and possibly in a bit of shock. Flip a coin, either would work right now.
The giggles and loud whispers coming from my right had me turning slightly. The parade of littles made my heart melt even more. Some were carrying balloons, which were tied to their wrists from the looks of it.
Lana and Carter each carried a platter of drinks in their hands, moving slowly toward the table. Derek had a big wrapped box in his. My nephews, my devilish little hellions, ran to me, their hands gripping the handles of two small brown bags. The yellow tissue paper crinkled as they leaned into my legs.
My eyes closed as I sucked in a pained breath. Someone had just clobbered my leg, and I was afraid to move or open my mouth; I’d probably scream, and I really didn’t want to scare them. They didn’t need that. It wasn’t their fault that the inside of my calf decided to get infected. Nor was it their fault that the stitches had to be removed so it could finish healing from the inside out. It was almost there. But…man alive, the fires of hell were escaping through the poor battered leg right now.
I chanted ‘it’s not their fault’ in my head until I felt the coolness of their bodies being removed. A finger ran under my eyes, and I realized I was crying.
“Damn, Stel, I’m sorry. They didn’t mean to hurt your leg.”
I looked up and shook my head at Anna. “No, they’re fine. Come here, babies. Give Auntie a big hug.” Trace stood and helped each of them up onto my lap. I kissed their faces and took the bags they shoved at me.
Laughing, I wiped my face again.
“You alright, princess?”
My head fell back so I could see my daddy. My grin grew. “Yeah, Daddy, I’m okay, just…” My hand waved around us at nothing in particular. I wasn’t sure what I was. This was a lot to take in at once. “I’m overwhelmed.” I looked over at Trace and let my smile free then.
This house sat on a huge plot of land just up the road from my dad’s. He’d taken my feelings into consideration and surprised me with a house I’d love. I’d been here while this one was built and after. It was huge and absolutely gorgeous inside and out.
My heart couldn’t take this much happiness at once. I mouthed “I love you” and watched his grin brighten that handsome face.
“Steya!”
“Sewa!”
“Stella!”
The little voices had me rolling my head to the right. The entirety of the next generation stood there, beaming. They had their cute little dresses and jeans with dressy shirts on. Sunday best, looked like. My heart clenched. Happiness radiated through me again.
I felt like the Grinch when he got his heart back. Or it grew to normal size, whatever.
Don’t ruin the allusion for me.
“My sweet little munchkins.” I leaned to the side, allowing myself the tears I felt coming again. Each hug had me melting more and more. Kaitlyn, Tyler, and Ryan stood to the side, grinning and giggling. I shook my head.
They were too damn cute sometimes.
“We got you something,” Lana said, cutting her eyes to where Derek stood with a big wrapped box. “If you don’t like it, we can exchange it.”
“Or you can kick your brother, he was the one who insisted this was ‘the one,’” Derek stated, laughing as Carter, still recuperating himself, took a seat at the table.
“You know, when I can punch you without dying, you’ll regret being an asshole,” he grunted, pain radiating along his features.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure.” Derek chuckled.
Everyone laughed as more gifts were set on the long table.
“All right, you have a lot of things to open, woman. Let’s get to it.” Dani Lynn set a notebook down where Lana sat and another where Kris sat beside her.
“What are those?” I asked, pushing myself over to see them. They turned them over, and my eyes once again tried to leak. The book Lana held had a baby boy on the front. He was holding a rattle, his diaper hanging low. The book Kris had was adorned with a pair of wedding bells, ribbon, and said ‘Just Married’ in a gold filigree script.
“You guys are making her leak. It’s a little unnerving,” Peter announced. “Please stop it.”
I glared over at him. “I won’t be on crutches forever. You do realize that, right?”
He had enough sense to take a step back. “I’m not scared of you. You’re pregnant, and I can outrun you too, so…”
I grinned. “Ah, but you forget, I won’t be pregnant forever either. One day, you big giraffe, I’m going to chase you down, skin you, and hang your hide from the eaves of my barn.”
“Jesus,” someone, I think it was Drew, maybe Jacks, laughed out.
I turned my attention back to Lana and Kris. “So now what?”
“You stop promising destruction and mutilation to people in front of impressionable little ears, and Lana,” Kris grinned at me, “and start opening your gifts.”
“As if.” I snorted. “Sorry, I will try though, I guess.”
“Good. You two sit there,” Lana pointed at Trace and me, “and open; do your worst. We’ll keep track of what is from who and mark it in the appropriate book.”
I was cut off from replying by the shriek of one pissed off baby. It wasn’t mine; he was curled up against AJ’s chest, sound asleep. Such a cute little man. Give him boobs and he slept like the dead.
“I’ve got her, y’all go on.” Derek hurried into the house to calm his one-year-old before she woke the dead. A moment later the shrieking started to lessen then quit. If it hadn’t, it looked like Dani Lynn was ready to run in after him.
I still couldn’t believe she was a grandma. It was some kind of trip for real.
“Stel, focus.” Trace squeezed my hand.
“Oh, dang. Sorry. All right, let me have the big one.” Trace helped move it closer and as a team, we pulled the paper free. A car seat stared back at us. It was some fancy shit, but I had to say, I loved it. Car seat, carrier, and it attached to a base to make a stroller. “Whoa. This is…wow.”
“That,” Lana started, “is a life saver. Noelle loves hers.”
“Thank you, guys.”
“I told ya she’d like it,” Carter grumped.
“You did, but I already had it in the buggy, so shush.” They glared at each other, then burst into laughter. These kids were nutty.
“Y’all hush up with that. Let’s keep going, okay?” Dani Lynn went to stacking and moving bags closer. And that was just what we did.
My fingers were sore by the time we got to the end of the table. We had everything needed not only for Ethan, but for our little peanut when they got here. Everyone stayed neutral on colors since we were unsure of the baby’s gender. I was thinking I’d want to be surprised...but then, maybe not. That would come later, though.
That’s not to mention the stacks of dishes, silverware, and bedding along with a few gift cards for the furniture store in Lufkin waiting on the other table. Everyone had done more than they should have. My heart was full, as my Gran once said. I had the best family and friends a girl could ever need.
Right now, I was emotional, tired, hungry, and in pain. Not a great mix, but it was how the day went.
“Thank you all so much.” I smiled, my eyes hurting from crying. I hated being so emotional. I wasn’t even sure I could blame this on the baby. Well, I could, but I wasn’t going to. Not yet.
“Good thing about most of the baby stuff, by the time Ethan no longer needs it, baby B will be here.” Kris nodded. “That will make life easier. The being prepared part anyway.”
In the sudden quiet of the yard, my stomach let out a T-Rex-sized growl. I looked around as everyone cracked up.
“Oh hush!”
“Bring out the food, boys. Let’s get something in her belly,” Daddy called out, causing me to chuckle.
With a little wiggling, I got my leg free of the chair they’d propped it up on and my butt to the edge of my chair and stood, slowly trying to let my lower half get the proper amount of blood flow.
I watched as the gifts from the table were moved free and carried inside the house. Our house. I shook my head, goosebumps running over me as that sank in. Our house. It was the perfect location too. If Daddy needed me, or if I needed him when Trace was away, he was only minutes away. Something about that seemed to settle the jittery nerves building inside of me. I had been figuring Trace would look for houses closer to the shop and to his sister. I’d have been okay with that, but I’d be honest, this was better.
I turned slowly to keep from losing my balance. I wasn’t a fucking flamingo, after all. And I hurt already; no need to rush it and go ass up trying to balance on one foot.
My brothers were coming out of the back door with an arm full of stacked bowls by the time I turned myself fully around. The aroma wafting off of them made my stomach growl more.
“What are you doing?” Trace asked, a chuckle escaping as his arms wrapped around me from behind. I wasn’t sure how to answer him. I was overloaded at the moment with everything. My head fell back against his shoulder and with him holding me up, I let myself relax.
“Is this all real? Or some elaborate dream?” I asked, needing to know for sure.
“Not a dream. This is the start to our new life together.” His hands moved to cover my stomach. A small bump was the only evidence that I was pregnant. To be honest, if someone didn’t know I was preggers, I’d just look a little pudgy in the front.
“Together,” I repeated. My attention was pulled from my handsome fiancé when a chorus of cries filled the air. I chuckled. “Seems the littlest ones of this group are hungry too.”
“I know the feeling,” he muttered.
I grabbed for my crutches but stopped and sat back down. AJ brought Ethan to me; I’d lost track of who’d had him this time. I swear they passed kids around like they didn’t all have their own.
His face was beet red, his hands balled into fists. I kissed his cheeks and settled him against my arm. Trace had his bottle out, shaking it to mix the formula and water.
“Hold on, bubba, your daddy is slow in his old age.” I laughed at the look on Trace’s face but instantly sobered.
It was as if he’d been struck with something.
“Trace?” At my question, AJ moved to her brother.
“Dude, pull yourself together. Don’t be a girl,” she teased.
I watched as he smiled then leaned over me. The bottle in his hand came up, and I took it, quickly settling Ethan to take it.
“I like the sound of ‘Daddy’ coming from those lips.”
My smile grew. “I liked saying it. You better get used to it. We’ll be saying it for the rest of our lives.”
He leaned in and captured my mouth with his. I knew at that moment that this was all going to work out for the best. Together, with our family around us, we’d figure out this whole parenting thing. It was going to be hard but doable. So worth every minute of missed sleep, tears, 3:00am feedings, dirty diapers.
Everything would be twice as chaotic, but I welcomed it.
The next generation was coming, and I for one couldn’t fucking wait.