Chapter 13
BLAKE
We’ve been driving for forever. At least that’s what it feels like.
The car trip has been an emotional war zone, with arguments, tears, a few moments peace when the iPads came out, and then a beautiful throw-up from Nichelle that has made the car freaking stink.
I shouldn’t have let her have a milkshake with dinner. But she really wanted it, and Grady had already said no to apple pie à la mode, so I quickly jumped in with a yes before she was denied anything else.
His eyebrows had buckled with irritation, but he hid it because the girls were watching.
And now I get to spend the next however long dreading that moment when it’ll just be the two of us and he’ll gently bring up the topic of parenting and how I need to stop letting the girls have whatever they want.
Ugh.
We’ve had this discussion so many times, and I just can’t seem to explain myself to him.
I never expected us to have different styles. We’re so aligned in every other area of our lives, but when it comes to the girls, he wants to be all strict, and I want to let them figure out stuff on their own.
I really don’t want to get into an argument about it this weekend, so I’ll do my best to just avoid being alone with him. Thankfully, the house will be bursting with people, which will make my goal that much easier to achieve.
“Here we are.” Grady slows the car, peering at the letterbox. “Is this the one?”
I double-check the email Sienna sent us, scanning my phone screen and nodding. “Yup, down the driveway about half a mile, and there’s plenty of parking on the left.”
“Sweet.” Grady drives through the light snowfall, the wipers sweeping across the windshield as more soft flakes skip down to the car.
“Snowing!” Kendall giggles. “Snowman, Daddy?”
“Yeah, we can build a snowman.” Grady grins.
“Now?”
“In the morning, snuggle bug.”
“I want now.” She taps the window with her little finger.
“It’s too late now. It’s dark, and we need to get inside and say hi to everybody. We’ll build one in the morning, okay?”
She huffs but doesn’t argue with him, thank God. I can hear the edge of tension in his voice. He’s so over being bad cop. This trip has been a tough one. Maybe when we leave, we should aim for the evening so the girls can just sleep their way home. Sounds good to me.
We slowly make our way down the tree-lined driveway, and I lose my breath when we round the final corner and a freaking mansion appears.
“Oh my gosh,” I whisper.
Grady brakes, and we take a moment to drink in the colossal white house with the pillars out front and the rows of windows on both stories.
“How many rooms does this place have?” Grady glances at me.
“I think about a million,” I reply with an impish grin. “Sienna outdid herself this time.”
He laughs, accelerating forward and parking next to a minivan with rental stickers on the side.
“Uncle Wily!” Nichelle squeals from the back, and Kendall immediately starts wrestling with the buckle of her car seat.
“Slow down, snuggle bug. Just let Daddy turn the engine off. I’ll come help you,” Grady says.
“Don’t need help.” Kenny’s little fingers struggle with the clip while Nichelle flings the door open and jumps out the door.
“Uncle Wily!” she screams, raising her hands in the air and rushing him.
My big brother turns around, a smile lighting his face as he crouches low to collect her up, throwing her into the air and catching her before pulling her in for one of his bear hugs.
“Unca Wyweeee!” Kendall yells, fighting her restraints like she’s been kidnapped.
“Okay, okay. Calm down.” Grady’s made it around the side of the car and calmly releases the buckle, lifting her out of the seat. She rushes away from him, and he has to catch her before she face-plants into the snow.
“Slow down,” he warns her, but she ignores him, slipping and sliding her way to her favorite uncle, who leans down to gather her up and lift her into a hug as well.
My girls squeal and giggle in his big arms as the front door opens and Satch and her horde of beautifully behaved children walk out to greet us.
Dom, my oldest nephew, gives me a grin and walks straight to the back of our pickup truck, offering to carry in our luggage.
Jane and Charlotte run toward me for cuddles, and Sebastian launches himself at Grady with a flying hug that my man is only just able to steady himself for.
They end up slipping in the snow, and Grady laughs while he swings his wild nephew around before placing him on his feet and ruffling his hair.
“Aunty Blake!” someone shouts from the doorway, and I glance up to find Portia running toward me, sweet Harley only a few steps behind.
I let go of Jane and Charlotte so I can hug the twins, and we stay out in that light snowfall, laughing and smiling and hugging and greeting each other.
Nylah stays in the doorway, soon beckoning us all inside before we get too cold.
We all trail into the deliciously warm house, and I give Nylah’s very round belly a hello and a quick kiss before hugging her.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like a waddling whale.” She laughs. “I can’t wait for him to come out already. But I’ve still got two months to go.”
I groan in sympathy. I so remember that feeling.
We stay by the door, chatting about the trials of pregnancy.
Satch hovers nearby but can’t really join in the discussion because she breezed through all five of hers.
Seriously, it’s like she was born to be a mother, because she never had any morning sickness, no back aches, pains, nothing.
And her last labor was so freaking fast, they didn’t even make it to the hospital.
Paris ended up popping out in the back seat of their minivan, in a shopping mall parking lot that Wily had to pull into on the way to the hospital.
She must have had a total of like ten contractions or something.
Me, on the other hand? I had a forty-two-hour labor with Nichelle. It ended in a C-section, and I chose to have an elective with Kendall, because the idea of going through that again was giving me major anxiety.
Nylah’s hand rubs over her big belly, and I glance away when Satch moves to wrangle the kids into… I don’t know what. She’ll have something planned. She’s always so freaking amazing at these weekends.
Checking on my family, I wince when I spot Kendall stomping her foot with an emphatic “No!” Every other kid in the room is standing to attention, willing to do anything for Aunt Libby, but not my little girl.
“No?” Satch laughs at her. “Well, yes, young lady, you can.” She crouches down, gently holding my girl’s hands. “You know why? Because I think you’re smart enough and kind enough to play this game with me. I’d be so sad if you missed out.”
Kendall purses her lips, her dark eyebrows dipping together before her gaze seeks me out. I nod, smiling at her, silently begging her not to make a fuss or cause a scene.
Satch and Wily’s children are always so perfect. It makes my little hellion seem a million times worse than she is.
“Come on, Kenny. Let’s play.” Jane smiles at her. “You can sit by Charlotte.”
Charlotte’s blonde curls bounce as she nods and holds out her hand.
Kendall moves around the circle, finally taking a seat beside her cousin. Charlotte takes her hand, smiling at her, and even though they’re basically the same age, Little Lotti is so much more settled and calm and… mature than my girl.
Can three-year-olds be mature?
I don’t know, but those kids are freaking amazing.
And as if to prove my point, Dom appears at the bottom of the stairs, pushing up his sleeves and informing me, “I’ve put all your bags in your room, and the girls are set up in the one next door. They’ll be sharing with Charlotte and Jane. I hope that’s okay.”
“That’s perfect.” I squeeze his shoulder, surprised by how tall and buff he’s gotten, even since Christmas. The kid’s only nine, but he’s going to be a beast, just like his father. “You’re amazing.” I smile at him, enjoying the light blush of his cheeks.
Honestly, he’s the sweetest boy.
“Mom wasn’t sure how you wanted to assign the rooms.”
“Well, there are so many of them. Plenty to choose from.”
“Yeah.” He grins. “She drew up a plan and tried to make sure the kids were sharing with people they’d get along with.
I’m in with Logan and Cole.” His smile grows a mile wide.
Those three are tight. It’s such a shame they live in different cities, because I’m sure if they lived near each other, they would be together all the time.
When Zander and Sienna finally get here, it’ll take all of thirty seconds for those three boys to be off and doing their thing. Watching them grow up together has been the best.
“The only one she’s really worried about is Zoey having to share with Portia and Harley, but they are seriously so excited about that.” He cringes. “I just hope she doesn’t mind.”
“Zoey’s a good sport.” Nylah smiles. “She’ll be fine.”
I nod, not wanting to disagree with Nylah, because… will she?
She’s fourteen, and I’m guessing the last thing she wants to be doing is sharing a room with her four-year-old “cousins.”
Has Nylah forgotten what it was like to be that age?
I certainly haven’t.
I may have been a well-behaved, trying-to-be-perfect teenager, but I was still determined to start being seen as a young adult, not the girl who has to have a sleepover with preschoolers.