Squeezing her eyes shut, she nodded her head.
“I’m so sorry, but when I went in the other day the doctor asked again if we wanted to know. I said no, we had agreed to be surprised, but then I asked him to write it down and seal it in an envelope and the moment I got in the car I tore it open! I don’t know what came over me!”
Ryder laughed and pressed his lips to Ava’s. Courtney instantly started crying as she turned and jumped into Reed’s arms. “Another girl!”
Liza started clapping in the pool along with Corinne. “Aunt Ava is having a baby!” Corinne yelled out as everyone laughed.
Glancing over to my precious Kate, she was still fast asleep sucking her thumb.
“She’s having another little girl, Corinne! We have another girl in the family!” Liza cried out.
“Oh no. Not another girl!” Nicholas moaned as Walker picked him up and threw him into the pool.
“Will she be starting school with me?” Corinne asked.
Ava laughed and looked down into the pool. “She will have to wait a few years like Kate did.”
Ryder cupped Ava’s face with his hands and smiled. I glanced up and saw Reed’s reaction. I knew it made him happy to see how much Ryder loved Ava. Just like it did for me when I witnessed Walker’s love for my daughter and their two kids.
Nickolas walked up and stood next to Ryder and Ava. He was dripping with water from just climbing out of the pool. He puffed his chest out and I couldn’t help but smile. Damn how I loved that boy. He had already started asking his daddy if he could start working on the ranch. My heart ached for a moment. I’d have given anything for my parents and Mike to be here.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Ryder and Aunt Ava. My dad told me since I’m older it’s my job to protect the girls. If anyone hurts them, I’ll kick their ass!”
Corinne gasped and turned to Liza. “He said a bad word, Mommy! Nickolas said a bad word.”
Everyone looked at Walker as he took a few steps back.
Ava turned to Reed. “He’s your son, so this is your fault.”
Narrowing his eyes at her, he asked with a confused expression, “My fault? “How in the hell is this my fault?”
Corinne gasped again. “Grandpa!” Shaking her head, Corinne looked at Courtney. “Grammy, you better spank Grandpa for saying that bad word.”
Courtney sighed. “Oh, sweet little girl, if I did that Grandpa would like it too much.”
Liza and Ava both covered their mouths in an attempt not to laugh, but it was too late. Everyone started laughing. Even Nickolas and Corinne who had no idea why we were all laughing.
Standing up, I smacked my beautiful wife on the ass and pulled her in for a kiss. Moving my lips to her ear, I took in a deep breath and let her heavenly scent settle in. “I think that sounds like something I might like as well. Oh the wicked plans I have for you tonight after everyone leaves.”
Whitley hit me on the chest and pulled back. Our blue eyes each burning with desire. “How in the world can you make my stomach dip all these years later with something like that, Layton Morris?”
“Sorry we’re late!” Jase called out.
Turning, I grinned when I saw my son carrying his daughter, Emma, on his shoulders. Taylor held onto Mason’s hand as they made their way over to us.
“How was the party?” Courtney asked, holding her arms out for Mason. He quickly ran and jumped into her arms. “Grammy! Emma lost her tooth!”
Whitley gasped next to me as we all looked at Emma smiling with a huge smile on her face.
Jase peeked up and laughed as he said, “And tell Grandpa how much the crazy tooth fairy left you.”
Emma’s face lit up. “A hundred dollars!”
Everyone looked at Taylor.
“Thank God my child is sleeping and didn’t hear that,” Ava said with a chuckle.
Taylor chewed on her lip as she peeked over to Walker and Liza. Both Corinne and Nickolas had their mouths dropped open.
“She thought it was a ten!”
Corinne turned to Walker. “Daddy! Is she going to leave me a hundred dollars?”
“Yeah, Dad! Is she?” Nickolas asked.
Walker rubbed his hand on both their heads. “No y’all, she is not. Emma’s tooth fairy was one in training and probably got put in timeout for leaving such a large amount.”
Walker looked at Taylor who blushed and said, “Oh trust me. She did.”
Jase laughed as he leaned over and kissed Taylor on the cheek. “I love you.”
I sat back down and watched the whole scene play out in front of me. I imagined what it would be like to slow life down and do this every weekend.
My eyes soon found hers. Smiling, I couldn’t help but notice the tightness in my chest as Whitley smiled at me. She made her way over to me, reaching up and kissing me softly on the lips.
“Tell me what you’re thinking right this very second.”