for the former.”
“It’s us,” a familiar voice called.
Renee, Natalie and Pallas joined them. Renee and Natalie each carried two large tote bags while Pallas had her son with her. Little Ryan squealed when he saw all his lady friends, writhing and waving his arms to be put down. Pallas obliged and the toddler took off, racing first to Wynn and then to Carol and Silver. All the women crouched down to get hugs and very wet kisses.
Just as the greetings began to calm down, Bethany walked in with her daughter Addison on her hip. Ryan clapped his hands and hurried over as fast as his chubby legs would take him.
It took several minutes to unload food and get the kids settled. Baby Bodey hovered on the edge of the picnic area, curious but cautious. Millie chewed on leaves and regarded them with bored disinterest. The only human she really loved was Carol. The rest of them were simply a part of the landscape.
“This was easier pre-kids,” Wynn said as she took a seat next to Renee. “But much less fun.”
Natalie sat down with Ryan in her arms. Her nephew leaned against her baby bump. “At the rate we’re reproducing around here, we’ll have to get a separate kids’ table in another year or two.”
Silver looked at Renee. “Pressure’s on you, lady.”
“To find a kids’ table? Sure. I can do that.”
Everyone laughed.
“I think she meant you should get pregnant,” Wynn said.
Renee shook her head. “I will. Eventually. What about you, Silver? You and Drew aren’t too old.”
Silver waved her hand. “I don’t know. We talk about it. Maybe. We like what we have now. Why mess with that?”
Wynn knew that Silver and Drew had a teenage daughter together. Silver had gotten pregnant in high school and had given up the girl for adoption. Over the years, she’d stayed close with the adoptive mother and had been a part of her daughter’s life. Drew had only found out about Autumn a couple of years ago, and the three of them were spending more time together. Wynn would guess Silver wasn’t sure about adding a baby to the mix. She wouldn’t want Autumn to feel she was being replaced.
They served themselves lunch. Conversation flowed easily between the friends as they caught each other up on what was going on.
“What’s the plan for the royal holiday season?” Natalie asked Bethany.
Bethany sighed heavily. “My parents,” she began, pausing when everyone laughed.
“What did the king do now?” Wynn asked. “I know the man loves royal proclamations. You should tell him to get them all printed at my shop. I’d give him the royal discount.”
“Because you have so many royal customers?” Pallas asked, her voice teasing.
“Not yet, but I’m willing to explore the market. I’ll be fair on the pricing. No gouging simply because he’s one of the ten richest men in the world.”
“I think he’s only fifteenth,” Bethany said.
“How tragic for you and your family,” Renee teased.
“We’re dealing with the ugly reality. As for the holidays, that’s an ongoing discussion. El Bahar doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving—what with it being an American thing. My mom does sometimes, but she’s kind of letting it go. Christmas and New Year’s are more complicated.”
Bethany was the adopted daughter of the King of El Bahar. He’d married Bethany’s mother nearly twenty years ago, adopting Bethany when her biological father later passed away. Bethany had three half brothers and was an actual princess, something her friends liked to kid her about.
When the king had first found out his daughter was pregnant, he’d insisted on sending over bodyguards...and a helicopter. It had followed her everywhere, ready to whisk her away to a medical facility should she have the slightest problem during her pregnancy.
“The current plan is to have Christmas here, then fly to El Bahar for New Year’s.” She drew in a breath. “There’s going to be some kind of national celebration. You know, because of the baby.”
Wynn laughed. “Poor you.”
“I’ll be okay. Cade’s not excited.”
“Who can blame him?” Pallas asked. “My brother is just a regular guy who fell in love with a princess. Now his life will never be the same.”
“I’m worth it,” Bethany said with a laugh.
Natalie glanced at Wynn. “Thanks for all your help with the snowman construction.” She turned to the table. “Hunter is making snowmen for me, along with Joylyn.”
The women exchanged glances.
“Who’s Joylyn?” Carol asked.
“Garrick’s daughter,” Wynn and Renee said together.
“Police officer Garrick?” Carol asked. “Oh, that’s right. He has a grown daughter. Is she nice?”
Wynn wasn’t