Baby Daddies - Tara Brown Page 0,100

of a winter. I’m a summer.” She leans in and kisses my cheek this time. The smell of her attacks, making me want to take this snuggle back to the house or, God help me, a limo. But there’s no chance work Sami will mellow out. Not until every single one of our friends is married.

I glance at Rich and wink. “Your turn next, buddy.”

“You know it.” He beams at Carson who shakes his head in tiny twitches.

“Oh my God, yes! Next summer! What do you say, Lori?”

He gives a thumbs up and goes back to kissing Jenny as their family surrounds them, both the mothers holding a baby.

“I love you,” I whisper to Sami.

“I love you too, Beast.” She snuggles into me as Eli squirms to get down and runs back to the princess.

It’s a good life.

The best, actually.

Epilogue

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Lori

“Happy one-year anniversary,” I whisper, waking Red up. We’re anniversary people. I decided it this morning.

She groans and writhes in the sheets, making a rustling sound. “No, it’s not morning. Go back to sleep.”

“It’s brunch time, babe. You gotta get up. Everyone else wants to eat.”

“What?” Her eyes pop open. “What time is it?”

“Ten thirty. You have like five minutes to shower and be downstairs.”

“No, my God. Why did you let me sleep so late?” she grumbles and climbs from the bed, pausing in the door to the bathroom. She turns back to me and smiles wide. “Happy one-year anniversary, Lori.”

I climb off the bed and scoop her up, kissing her. My body reacts the exact same way it did when we met. But there’s no time right now. I kiss her and put her down, adjusting myself and making her laugh.

“I’ll be fast!” She hurries into the shower, and I drag myself from watching her getting naked and wet.

When I get downstairs, I hear the commotion. “Dadda!” Adeline calls from Josh’s arms when she sees me. He and Claire are leaned in closer lately. But they’ve spent a lot of time together recently with Josh buying a place in New York to be closer to us.

“Hello, Princess Addy!” I kiss her cheeks but she doesn’t reach for me. Not when Uncle Joshy is around. “I see Uncle Joshy still has you under his spell.”

“Kids are like dogs, Lori. They can sense who’s the coolest. I can’t help it if all the chicks in your life like me better.”

“Jenny totally likes me better,” I scoff at him.

“There’s no way,” Bev says as she stuffs a sausage into her mouth and bites down.

“How are you eating already?”

“Stole it.” She glares and walks into the front room where Geoff is taking pictures of the ocean from the doorway to include the sheer curtains.

“Where’s Sami?”

“Right here,” she answers as she comes down the stairs holding Evelynn, their newest addition, with Liz beside her rubbing her swollen belly. Baby number two is coming fast for her and Mike.

“Where’s Smolinsky?” I ask.

“He’s coming.” Liz rolls her eyes.

“Brunch is ready.” I point at the deck doors.

“Is everyone seated?” Sami asks with an arched eyebrow.

“Going now!” I start motioning with my arms for them to move it as I make my way, collecting people from the house as we walk. Carson and Rich are already seated, Rich is glowing still. Which makes me happy since Brady and his douchebag brother had words at the wedding last night. William is lucky Brady didn’t give him another beating. I was rooting for it.

But Nat was satisfied enough that he’d gained weight and was losing his hair and was back to dating Annalisa, one of his old flings from before. She was a notorious cheater as well and apparently they deserve each other.

My hope was still for a fight.

“Are the families coming?”

“No,” Carson answers me too quickly. “There are way too many kids for my parents.”

“It’s getting pretty aggressive,” Bev adds as she sits.

“What is?” Jenny is huffing her breath as she sits, sporting a messy bun instead of washed hair.

“All the children.” Matt carries in Eli who squeals with joy as his dad flies him in the air.

“Well, I won’t lie, when I met y’all back in the day, this is not how I imagined it would play out. The mansion on the sea, yes. The gay wedding at the mansion on the sea, sure. But the kids and Matty quitting hockey and Jenny marrying Lori. No way.” Bev points at Cap and Sukii strolling in with the lovesick looks on their faces. “I didn’t see that