No one could, especially when she turned those big green eyes my way. I would do anything to keep that smile on her face. I didn’t blame Lucas for falling so hard for her, even if he did start out as her professor. Hell, he had been my professor two years before Abby came to Columbia, my freshman year. He was one of the reasons I almost flunked out my first semester there, being the hard-ass that he was. Had I been five feet two with blonde hair and big green eyes, he might have gone a little easier on me.
Still couldn’t believe such a hard bastard like him got Abby to agree to marry him.
I smiled fondly at the thought of one of my best friends, only to come out of my reverie when there was a knock on my door. I looked up, and a smile instantly overtook my face.
Standing, I walked over to the doorway. “Ashley. Are you here to see Danny?”
She nodded, her hand moving to her bulging belly. She looked bigger every time I saw her. “Yeah. He promised me lunch.”
I looked down at my wristwatch. It wasn’t even eleven thirty yet. I raised an eyebrow in question, and she smile sheepishly at me. “I got hungry, and I couldn’t wait until twelve. But I didn’t tell Danny I was coming by early, so he’s in a meeting.”
She pouted a little at that, and I laughed, placing my hand on the small of her back. “Come on in. I’ll keep you entertained while you wait. And I think I might have some snacks you can munch on in the meantime.”
“Oh, I just came by to say hi. I don’t want to keep you from your work.”
I looked back at my desk, where the reports laid. I couldn’t even remember what the reports had been about. Last month’s accounts… maybe? Yeah, that didn’t sound fun.
I ignored her protest and led her to the black leather couch.
“And how is the little dude doing today?”
“He’s feeling rambunctious this morning,” she said, patting her belly, a soft smile on her face.
I smiled at that and walked over to the mini-fridge, which I had stocked with all of my partners’ wives’ favorite foods. They liked to drop in unannounced at times, and I found it was easier to always be prepared.
I grabbed the strawberry Greek yogurt and handed it to her. She smiled. “You are a godsend. Is Abby here yet?”
I took a seat on the lone recliner adjacent to the couch, and I took her in, my eyebrows raising in surprise. “How did you know she’s coming by?”
“Oh, we text each other. Along with Bethany. We have a group chat, you know.”
“God help us all. It is a dangerous thing when you all come together. What do you girls even talk about? World domination?”
“We women talk about that among other things.” She smiled wickedly at me. I didn’t like that smile one bit. “You and Jaxon need to hurry up and find someone. We need more people in our group for this evil plan of ours to work out.”
She added in a cartoonish evil laugh, and I couldn’t help but smile at her antics. When I didn’t offer any more, Ashley turned to me sharply, her eyebrows pulling together in a small frown.
“What?” I asked, looking anywhere but at her. Ashley was a sweet woman… usually. But she could be stubborn at times. And if she thought you were keeping secrets from her, she could be like a dog with a bone, never letting go until she got the truth out of you.
I felt bad for Danny, knowing he would never be able to keep anything from her.
“What aren’t you telling me, Dereck Anderson?”
“What makes you think I’m keeping anything from you?”
“Keeping what?” came a soft voice at the door. Ashley and I turned and found Abby standing there, a soft smile on her face and her hand wrapped tightly around another hand, smaller than hers.
“Uncle Dereck!” Nathan called out, pulling away from his mom and running toward me. I laughed and stood up, preparing myself to catch the little brat.
He jumped into my arms, laughing wildly when I swung him up in the air. His laugh was infectious.
“And how is my most favorite person in the whole wide world?” I asked, putting him down on the floor.
“I’m your favorite person, Uncle Dereck?” he asked, giving me a proud smile.
I smiled back and ruffled his soft blond hair. “That’s right.”
“Well, I am doing awesome! Mommy and I are spending the day together. And after we have lunch with you, we’re going to see Daddy. And, Uncle Dereck, guess what?”
“What?” I looked up and shared a grin with Abby. She looked tired, but that was expected, since she was in the third trimester of her second pregnancy.
Nathan pulled on my sleeves to get my attention. “We’re going to get ice cream, Uncle Dereck. Me, Mommy, and Daddy. Daddy promised. And Daddy never breaks his promises.”
“Is that right?”
He nodded vehemently, defending his dad’s good name with everything he had. I pulled him back into my arms and took a seat on the chair, Nathan on my lap. He played with my tie and looked up at me with those big brown eyes of his.
Nathan was Lucas’s son through and through. Aside from his blond hair, which he got from Abby, everything else was all Lucas. From his eyes to his pointed nose, mannerisms, and even his height. I knew he was the tallest kid in his class. He always bragged about that. And I loved the little dude more than I had ever loved any other children, though I sensed that would change soon enough.
Ashley was only in her second trimester, but Abby was due to deliver her second kid,
