“Like mother like daughter. Wait until she puts some words with all the jabbering ... there will be two of them.” If Drew was screwed, Dodd was royally screwed.
“Yay!” Lili opened the door beaming. Jesus, we were fun and all and she was excited to see us, but this smile was right up there with her wedding day. “Everyone’s out on the patio, come on.” She zeroed in on Tack and pulled him through the door. I shrugged back at him, who knew what crazy plan she had concocted.
“Midnight chocolate.” Tack raised his cake-filled hand, breaking the awkwardness. Smooth kid.
“Oh my god, you went to Flour.” She came out of nowhere. “That’s the devil’s food cake with the chocolate buttercream!” Sierra bounced from the cake box to Talia and back. No, she seriously bounced. “Girl, I love you. You have no idea.”
“Delicious, I’ve never been, but the girls at work rave about it. Thanks, guys, maybe now she’ll quit bugging me when she gets her fix.” Lili teased her BFF.
“Flour is one of the best. I made Dodd Google every freaking chocolaterie in ten square miles, just in case. And I may have memorized the menu—don’t judge, I need to be prepared.” Mental note to introduce Dodd to the bags, he was going to need the escape.
“T ... T…” Layla squeezed past her mother, who I could only assume was hormonally jacked, with eyes for only one. I couldn’t blame her; my eyes were on the same target. She toddled up to Talia and raised her arms. Worked every time. Tal scooped her up and swung her in the air.
“How’s my sweet girl? TT missed you.” She snuggled Layla into her chest while I silently imagined all the years she held Tack that same way. No doubt they had so much fun together. And I missed it.
I tickled behind her chubby thigh and she giggled that adorable baby laugh. “Hey, I’m stealing a kiss from my princess. TT told me all about your last girls’ outing. You lucky girl and you even got to meet Tack at the park—heard I missed out on feeding some ducks.”
“I feed fucks … feed fucks … wack, wack.” Layla quacked.
Tack may have shared Layla’s choice words for ducks, but I couldn’t contain it. I busted out laughing, ignoring the evil eyes from the two women to my right. Not sure what was worse—the fuck or the wack wack. Only Sierra’s daughter.
“Don’t encourage her,” Lili mumbled.
I searched for a little back-up and saw Tack turned around, clutching his side.
“So much for the D sound being the first.” Sierra shook her head, looking way too serious. “And we’re going to interview for nursery school in a couple of weeks. We are so effed.”
I laughed harder. Perfect timing, Dodd emerged from the kitchen, beers in hand. With a quick chin raise, one was now in my hand. The guy mastered the tune out.
“Hey, you must be Tack. Dodd. My daughter keeping it lively out here?”
Layla wiggled free from Talia’s hold and made a beeline for Dodd. A true Daddy’s girl and you could tell Dodd loved it.
“Are you showing off your potty mouth, pretty girl?” Dodd flung her over his shoulder, suspending her by just a leg.
“Dodd, she just freaking ate, she’s gonna puke.” Sierra righted her gravity defiant daughter.
Dodd shrugged. “Never win, man.” Yup, Dodd could use a few rounds in the ring.
Lil grabbed the cake from Tack and corralled us toward the terrace. “Enough hanging by the door, it’s awesome out today.”
Lil poured some bubbly for her and Tal, while I did a quick scan. The terrace was empty. You had to be shitting me. “Gorgeous, where’s your other half?”
“Oh, he had to run back to the hospital a couple of hours ago. As soon as he hung up with you he got a call. Nothing crazy, he promised. I just spoke to him. He’s already out of the OR and getting changed. He’ll be here in fifteen, twenty tops.” Lil emphasized the promised. We were on the same page.
“Good.”
Sure that he overheard, I looked to Tack first. He seemed—for lack of a better word—good, casually chatting it up with Dodd. My woman, on the other hand, gave me a weak smile, her simmering nerves bubbling up.
I met her on the other side of the terrace, kissing her forehead before I mumbled against her ear. “You okay?”
“I’m good,” she whispered back, smiling. Hell, if good was the sentiment of the night, I’d take it.
“So I can’t wait, sorry. Chase will have to get over it. It’s not our fault he has to be some fancy-ass mega important neurosurgeon. He can be pissed at me, but then again, can he really?” Sierra made no sense half the time, but we were used to it. “I’m telling. Cause I want that cake, and I want it before dinner. And that’s weird. So guys, I bet you never thought it possible, but this chick knocked me up.”
The shriek that exploded out of Tal was so not like her, it threw me. The three women collided into a giant bear hug, giggling, and for all intents and purposes, purring lots of affectionate words at each other. Honestly, it was kind of hot. Actually women touching in general was hot, and because I was in love didn’t mean I lost my routes.
Tack pulled me from my fantasy, asking, “What’d I miss?”
He may have agreed with me that women touching was hot, obviously not these three, but he missed the telltale sign of a pregnant woman. It was a given after the chocolate cake orgasm, but her pass on bubbly sealed the deal. As for the over-the-top excitement regarding her second pregnancy, I chalked that up to Sierra drama. I stopped trying to figure that out.
I slapped Dodd on the back, congratulating the crazy bastard. “So Layla’s gonna be a big sister?” Three pairs of eyes simultaneously bulged, all female. Sierra looked at Tal and Tal looked at me with her fiercest you’ve got to be kidding me face. Feeling as naive as Tack, I echoed him, “What’d I miss?”
“Your Green Giant brain is full of freaking peas, huh? Hell no, Layla is not ever gonna be a big anything. What do you think I’m crazy? This family is complete, finito, capped, ideal, perfect.” Sierra smiled at Dodd and they exchanged glances. I swore Dodd shoulders broadened with pride. “Cousin, yes; big sister, no.”
“Holy Shit.” I wasn’t sure what my face looked like when I finally figured it out, but it must have been priceless because the three women in front of me were grinning like fools.
Shocked into silence, Tal had to spell it out for Tack. “Sierra’s carrying Lil’s baby.”
What the hell did you say to that? The pint-sized spitfire never failed to shock me. But today she amazed me. Dodd deserved every inch of pride. His woman took generosity to a whole new level.
“Wow.”
“Yep. Sure, just when I got my body back. I’ll have you know I wouldn’t eff this shit up for just anyone.” She winked at Lil, whose baby blues were pools of glass, watching her best friend ramble on as if she did something as simple as loaning her a car. “My ass has been shaking at Zumba since January and living on freaking rabbit food. I’m finally skinny. Give me a month, then poof it’ll be gone. Not to worry, I now have my personal nutritionist counting my calories and making sure I eat enough protein. And Chase will be on the hook for my personal trainer and tummy tuck if needed. I might even tack on a lift for the girls. And I’m putting it out there—just because I’m housing your kids for nine months, don’t think I’m squishing out any milk for them. You’re on your own for that one. Love ya, but these puppies’ G rating expired with Layla. NC-17 from here on out.”
“Them?” Tal questioned, looking as surprised as I did two minutes ago.
Lil’s smile reached her eyes and she lost her battle, happy tears spilling down her cheeks. Damn, the lump at the back of her throat had to be huge. The entire room felt it.