“Hi, baby,” he speaks against her stomach. “How’s my little man?”
“Carter, for fuck’s sake, help your sister up and stop assuming the sex of our baby.”
“Okay, bossy pants.” He hoists me back to the couch, then cups Olivia’s face and presses a kiss to her lips. “But you’re gonna feel awfully silly when that baby comes out all man.”
“You’re the one that didn’t want to find out,” I remind him.
“Because I just know.” He taps his temple and winks. “Call it a father-son connection.”
“Call it ignorance,” Olivia mutters, then smiles brightly when Carter sets a treat-filled plate on the coffee table. “Mmm, come to mama.”
“Weren’t you on a no-junk-food kick?” I ask as they dig in.
“I’ve learned it’s best to have no goals or expectations when pregnant. That way I don’t get upset with myself when I accidentally go through the Taco Bell drive-thru, order three tacos, one Crunchwrap Supreme, and large chili cheese fries, then devour all four in ten minutes.”
“Should we find out?” Carter asks suddenly. “The gender? We still have a month. We could find out. Do you wanna find out?” He holds up a hand. “No, don’t answer that. I don’t wanna find out.”
He flops down in a chair, drumming his fingers. Is his eye twitching? His jaw definitely is. He sweeps his hand out and then second-guesses, bringing it back in, resting his chin on his fist.
“What if it’s a girl? It won’t be, right? No, because my mom had me first, and your mom had Jeremy first, so that means we’ll have a boy first. It’s just, like, science.”
I open my mouth to tell him that’s not how it works, but Olivia touches my hand and gives her head the tiniest shake, continuing to watch Carter. He’s alternating between staring off into space and tugging at his hair, going off about genetics and DNA, both of which he’s not qualified to talk about.
Suddenly, he leaps to his feet, eyes wild as he lays a hand on his chest. “If it’s a girl, Olivia, I will die. I. Will. Die.” He storms down the hallway, shoving his fingers through his hair and muttering to himself. Heavy footsteps pound up the stairs.
“What the hell was that? And did he just call you by your full name?” The only time I’ve heard it in conversation is when they said their vows. It’s Ollie, Ol, Liv, princess, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, or Mrs. Beckett, but never Olivia unless he’s singing that song he likes.
Olivia waves a dismissive hand through the air. “He’s just made himself a girl dad in his head, and now he’s thinking about the fact that one day somebody will try to take her from him. It really upsets him. He needs some time to cool off.” She hooks her toes beneath the coffee table, dragging it closer, and snatches another cookie off the plate. “Happens about once a week.” She looks down the hall. “You only have fifteen minutes to freak out, Carter! You need to be showered, dressed, and ready to go in a half hour!”
“I’m not freaking out!” Carter screeches back. “You’re freaking out!”
She twists her cookie apart. “Six foot four, well over two hundred pounds, crushes people into the boards for a living, and the idea of a seven-pound baby girl terrifies the living hell out of him.”
“I so hope it’s a girl.”
“You and me both, Jennie. You and me both.”
“Carter, if you do the Darth Vader voice one more time, I’m leaving.”
Olivia says it, but I’m 100 percent on board with her decision. The three of us are out for dinner before we meet everyone else at the club, and Carter’s garnered so much attention talking to Olivia’s bump.
“Fine, but when that baby is outta there, I won’t be stopped.” He sips his beer, eyes flitting to the three men at the table next to us as they holler at the TV, empty beer pitchers and glasses strewn across the table. He looks back to us. “Anyway, it was fun today, with all the kids. They were so psyched we were there. Adam’s talking about hosting a couple extra fundraisers this year so they can upgrade the facilities, see if we can get these kids meeting some families, that kinda stuff. Cara’s going to help plan them.”
“That man is the sweetest human being on this planet,” Olivia says. “I hope he finds the special person he’s looking for.” She grins mischievously at me. “Hey, Jennie, maybe—”
“No.” Carter pats her head. “No, pumpkin.”
I snort a laugh as my phone vibrates. If the idea of me dating Adam Lockwood, golden boy, is any indication, telling him about Garrett and I is going to be a dumpster fire.
Bear: U gonna have an attitude later tonight?
Me: Already got one, big guy.
Bear: Perfect. Feel like pulling ur hair and fucking ur throat.
The spot between my legs tingles with anticipation at the promise, and I shift in my seat.
“Garrett’s friend was there too,” Carter says. “Emma? Your neighbor.”
“Emily,” I correct.
“Apparently she does pro bono work there every now and then, works with the kids. Some of them really struggle.” He snickers. “Garrett thought she was a cheerleader.”
Bear: PS. Did u know Emily is a child psychologist??? She was at the home today.
A vague memory runs through my mind of her telling me her job was boring and unimportant, waving me off when I asked the question a half hour after she punched Kevin in the face.
I pull up her contact and type out a message.
Me: Boring and unimportant job, huh?
Emily: Shut up.
Me: My little softie.
Emily: Don’t ruin my bad bitch image, J.
“I’m pretty sure her and Garrett are still fucking. ’Cause he says he’s not dating that photographer girl, but he had scratches all down his back in the change room last week, and him and Emily were talking in the corner today.”
Bear: She pulled me aside and asked if I thought Jaxon and Adam were up for a threesome.
Emily: Can you talk your boyfriend into hooking me up with his sexy friends? He didn’t think I was serious, but if I were to get pegged by two guys at a time, I’d at least want to be absolutely wrecked, you know? They looked capable.
Me: I don’t think Adam’s a threesome kinda guy, Em. Sorry.
Emily: sigh Yeah, I got that vibe as well. I’d probably ruin him. Hey, wanna have a girls’ night next weekend?
Me: A girls’ night?
Emily: Yeah, you know, takeout, movies, nonalcoholic wine…
Something blooms in my chest as Carter prattles on about having enough kids to build their own hockey team, and even though Olivia’s sitting right in front of me, she texts in our group chat with Cara asking if we want to have a sleepover when the boys go away next. Emily starts listing off other things we can do if I don’t want to stay in, like going for dinner or out dancing. Garrett sends me a picture of the small charm on the keychain I got him for Valentine’s Day, the bear and the sunshine looking up at me from his palm, with a message telling me he loves me and he’s already worked out a plan with Adam and Jaxon to get us sitting together at the club, and I feel so full it’s nearly painful.