pee his pants.”
Laughing, I reach into the picnic basket and start rooting around for sustenance.
“Hey,” Ever says. “We’re not ready to eat yet.”
I glare at her and growl, “Don’t mess with the pregnant woman.”
Ever laughs but I see the look of longing when she glances at my stomach. She and Linc have been trying to have a baby for the past two years, but aren’t having any success. They’ve been trying IVF and she got pregnant on the first try, but lost the baby at six weeks. My heart broke for her then and sometimes, I feel guilty that it happened so easy for Flynn and me. I got pregnant within two months of going off the pill.
“How are things going with you?” I ask pointedly.
Ever puts on a brave smile and says, “It’s going. We’re going to try one more cycle and if it doesn’t work, we’re going to adopt.”
Reaching over, I grab her hand and Danny lays a hand on her shoulder. “It will happen, Ever. Whether you get pregnant, or you adopt... it will happen.”
Ever smiles and the light reaches her eyes. “I know it will. I’m just so anxious to be able to sit around with you girls and tell baby stories. I can talk hockey stats ‘til I’m blue in the face, but I want to dish about baby poop.”
Renner wrinkles her nose. “I’m so over baby poop. I’m ready for this kid to get potty-trained.”
Danny laughs. “You have a ways to go, Ren. I hate to tell you that the poop is going to be around for a while.”
“Well, I’m not looking forward to getting fat like Danny and Rowan,” Emily pipes in. “You look miserable.”
“Hey,” I say in mock outrage. “I’m not fat… I’m pleasantly plump.”
As if to prove my point, I find a piece of fried chicken in the basket and pull it out. Before I can even get the basket closed, Danny grabs it out of my hand. I look at her in surprise.
“Hey, like you said... don’t mess with the pregnant woman,” she says, and then takes a huge bite.
Shrugging my shoulders, I reach back in and grab another piece. Taking a bite myself, I moan in ecstasy. “Damn, this is good. Almost better than pregnant sex.”
The girls all look at me with their mouths hanging open.
“What?” I ask with my mouth full. “Didn’t you guys have sex like all the time when you were pregnant?”
“Nope,” Danny says.
“No way,” Renner chimes in.
“Hell yeah,” Emily says.
I give Emily a dismissive glance and then look back at Renner and Danny. “Really? I thought it was a pregnant thing. Flynn and I are screwing like bunnies.”
Danny chokes on her chicken and I give her a slap on her back. Gasping for air, she says, “Not Ryan, he’s afraid he’ll give the baby a concussion.”
Ever starts laughing and bends over, holding her stomach. “You’re kidding, right? He can’t really believe that.”
Danny chuckles. “I know. The doctors told him it’s safe, but when we have sex, he goes at it with the speed of a turtle. He likes to be super gentle, and while I like it tender, there’s something to be said about a good hard...” Danny stops and glances at Amelia, who thankfully isn’t paying attention while she loves on Capone. She lowers to a whisper, “Well... you know.”
“Well, when I was seven months pregnant, the only thing I wanted from Cillian was for him to keep me supplied in ice cream and to massage my feet. He was a good sport though.”
Ever, who is still snickering, says, “I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant anymore. If I had to give up sex with Linc, I’d die.”
“Well, if you’re anything like Flynn and me, you won’t have to,” I assure her.
“So, is your mom going to come in for the birth?” Ever asks.
“Yeah, she and Peter are going to come and spend a few weeks here. Thank God we moved into the larger apartment so we have room for the nursery and to put them up as well. It will be nice to have the help.”
I am so looking forward to my mom coming in. Over the years, our relationship has healed and then grown very strong. Next to Flynn, she’s become my best friend and we talk several times a week. At first, I know she was trying to make up for lost time, but I assured her we had all the time in the world to get to know each other again. My heart has never felt lighter because of it.
My dad... not much to tell there. He died about six months ago. My mom called to tell me and I had a moment of sadness that he died all alone. But then I put it out of my mind. He was a virtual stranger to me and there was no bond there to miss.
I did, however, gain a new dad with Peter. He’s awesome and I’ve grown to love him very much. He walked me down the aisle when I hitched myself to Flynn.
Looking out at the guys playing football, I think about what type of father Flynn will be. It’s probably the thing I’m looking forward to the most... watching him hold our child. We have no clue if it’s a boy or a girl, both of us wanting to be surprised.
If it’s a boy, we’re going to name him Nathaniel Nixon and if it’s a girl, she’ll be Elizabeth Anne. I’m secretly hoping for a boy, but more than anything, I’m hoping for good pain medications.
Us girls lounge around and chit chat, dishing on babies and sex, but we find ourselves having to talk in code around Amelia. I eat another piece of chicken while Danny abstains and I wonder why I’m as big as a whale.
The men eventually tire themselves out, or get bored, since they’re done playing in about fifteen minutes and head back to the group. Flynn sits behind me and pulls me back into his arms, so my back can take a rest. His arms come around my waist to rest on my belly. The baby gives a little kick in response and Flynn chuckles.
“I think it’s a boy... that’s a football kick if I ever felt one.”
“Yeah, and I think it was to my bladder. I got to pee.”
“Come on, hot mama. Let me help you up.”
With Flynn’s help, it’s not so hard getting to my feet and he walks with me to the bathroom.
“You don’t have to walk with me to the bathroom,” I tell him.
He grabs my hand and squeezes. “I’m never leaving your side.”
“You can’t go in with me,” I tell him sternly.
“I’ll wait outside. I’ve got your back... and hopefully your ass tonight.”
“You have the most awesome pillow talk, baby.”
We’re silent as we walk, swinging our hands back and forth. I look down at my belly, taking note that I can just see the tips of my shoes briefly flashing with each stride. It’s just one of the things I find I will treasure about pregnancy.
“Flynn?”
“What’s up?”
“I feel bad for Ever not being able to get pregnant. I mean... as much as I bitch about it, knowing that she might not be able to experience this is kind of tearing me up.”
“I know. Linc’s having a rough time, too.”
I’m careful with my next words, because this potentially could cause a fight. “What do you think about me offering to carry their baby for them? If she can’t get pregnant?”
Flynn snaps his head toward me and looks at me in surprise. “You’re kidding, right?”
“I don’t think so. I actually think it’s something I really want to do. I mean, they could say no, but I think I’d like to offer it.”
“I thought you said you were never going through this again.”
“Pfft,” I scoff. “We’re definitely having at least two kids... maybe three. Because it is oh so fun trying to get pregnant.”
Flynn bursts out laughing. “That it is.”
“I would never offer that to them though, unless you were on board. It’s my sexy body you’d be giving up for a while.”
Flynn stops walking and turns to me. Taking both of my hands in his, he looks at me with such adulation, that my heart skips a beat. “Rowan... you are the kindest, most wonderful woman on the face of the earth. I’m so
