It just wasn’t time.
Looking down at Ashlyn, she kissed her forehead. She was convinced her little niece was the prettiest baby ever. Such wide eyes and just adorable. She was wearing her little rose-colored flower girl dress with a big, huge, over-the-top rose bow. Both Lucy and Jace had protested the bow, but Avery and her mom loved it. Smiling at her, she decided it was pretty damn cute and popped her nose. “Pretty baby.”
“Because he’s gonna propose!”
Rolling her eyes, Avery grinned over at her, and Lucy shook her head as she took in her sister-in-law. Her hair was styled in a beautiful updo that had pieces falling along her shoulders, and her makeup had been applied by the amazing Claire to be soft and feminine. She was wearing the same rose-colored dress as Angie, Ashlyn, Baylor, and Claire, since her mom wanted everyone to match—except Lucy. Her dress was, in her opinion, way prettier, mostly because she had picked it. Instead of the lace and flowing style the other girls wore, hers was form-fitting with no lace, and it also made her boobs look great. She was sure Benji was going to just eat it up, if her mother would ever let them leave her sight. The woman was driving her bananas today! Angie was lucky to have escaped with Benji and the boys as soon as she was dressed.
“Don’t you think he’s a doll, girls?”
“I do. He’s really nice, Lucy,” Claire said, and Lucy was surprised how much that meant to her.
“I think he’s fantastic,” Avery announced, and Lucy smiled. Avery knew everything that had happened between her and Benji, so to have her finally meet him was really great. She got to see firsthand what Lucy got to see daily. “So really, though, you think he’s proposing?”
Lucy shook her head. “No. I’d know if he was. That dude can’t keep anything from me.”
Baylor smiled, glowing in her dress. It was funny how since Lucy had found out about her pregnancy, she saw her sister-in-law in a new light. Had she always been that glowy? She wasn’t sure, but man, she wanted to tell someone. It was killing her, but she kept her promise. Hadn’t even told Benji.
She felt she deserved cookies or something.
“It would be great if he did, wouldn’t it, Mom? All your kids married and happy,” Baylor said then and her mom beamed.
“Oh, I would be so full of love. Just need Lucy to bite the bullet and get it done.”
Lucy exhaled loudly. “Maybe I don’t want to get married again.”
That had everyone turning to look at her and she rolled her eyes. “God, yes, I want to, but I’m not rushing it! We’ve only been together a little over two months.”
“But it seems like forever. You guys are awesome together,” Baylor said and Lucy shot her a look.
“I know, but we aren’t ready.”
“I think you are,” Autumn said then and Lucy leaned back in the couch, Ashlyn cooing against her.
“I’m glad you know what I need, Mom.”
“Anytime.”
Frustrating woman, that Autumn Sinclair soon-to-be Moore was.
“Is he going to come down to Florida with you?”
Lucy nodded, running her finger along Ashlyn’s fat cheeks. “Yeah, unless he gets invited to play in the All-Star Game.”
“Oh, when do those invites go out?”
“The beginning of the month.”
“Fun! Well, hopefully, he can come. It will be nice to hang out.”
Lucy nodded. “I’m sure Jace will get invited.”
“Eh, we’ll see,” Avery said with a fond little grin on her face. She always got that look on her face when it came to Jace. “Any word from Rick? Has he called Angie for Christmas?”
Lucy let out a long breath and shook her head. “Nope, and what upsets me the most is that Angie hasn’t even asked. I mean, what father does that to his kid? Benji was so pissed and has been just so sweet to her all day. Not that he isn’t all the time, the girl has him wrapped around her finger, but still, he’s making sure her Christmas is extra nice.”
While it was wonderful that Benji was doing what he was doing and she loved him even more, she couldn’t believe Rick. Despite being a lowlife, he made a point to call her on her birthday and holidays if Lucy had her, and she did the same. She didn’t understand how he could be like that. But then, she really didn’t understand where he got off thinking he was going to get custody of their child. Who knew? The dude was borderline certifiable.
“So Benji is in this to win it, huh?” Claire asked, looking over at her. “Like legit, Angie is his kid, kind of thing?”
Lucy shrugged. “Yeah, I think so.”
“That’s so awesome. Because, let me tell you, no one ever wanted my mom because of me. Or maybe it was the kind of men she brought around. But no one ever looked at me the way Benji looks at Angie, until Phillip. That’s basically his kid.”
Lucy smiled as Autumn beamed. “Isn’t he just perfect? He loves that baby, and it just pleases me to no end. ’Cause Lord knows she needs a good man to love her momma and her.”