is the nursery done yet?” Allie asked, interrupting his thoughts. Always so practical. Ethan turned his head towards her, shaking his head to get rid of his thoughts … or in the negative; Luke wasn’t entirely sure.
“No, I better get on that.”
“You need help on this one. We don’t know what’s going to happen. This will be one less worry for you and Mia. Plus I know what Mia wants. She’d kill you if you mess it up,” Allie said with a knowing smile.
They didn’t know what would happen. The thought of those boys coming into the world premature and what that might mean was the big fear that they really didn’t want to discuss.
With a curt nod, Ethan replied. “Okay. Work with her, but she better be resting in her bed while this happens!”
“Ethan, unlike you, I can control your wife.”
Luke laughed out loud at that, unable to contain himself. Allie was right on. She was tough with Mia whereas Ethan gave in to her pleas.
Ethan glared at him. “Hey, I didn’t say it. She did!” Luke exclaimed, jerking his thumb at Allie.
Ethan chuckled. They all needed some lightheartedness, especially Ethan. He was such a worrier and when it came to Mia and this pregnancy, he was even worse. Luke made a mental note to make sure Ethan relaxed … somehow … over the next few months.
“Ouch!” came Mia’s voice from the hall, interrupting them.
Luke turned and saw Mia hunched over, supporting herself with a hand to the wall, a look of pain on her face. Ethan saw it too and was there in a flash.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice surprisingly calm. Luke was impressed with Ethan. Here he was freaking out and Ethan was the epitome of control—years of experience on the football field.
“One of your kids just kicked me really hard!” Mia groaned.
“My kids?” Ethan said, trying not to laugh.
“Ow! He keeps kicking my ribs! You’re so grounded when you get out of there, mister,” she spoke to her stomach before she straightened up, a look of disbelief on her face, and turned back to the bathroom.
“Suga?”
“The other just kicked me in the bladder,” she replied, hurrying into the bathroom.
“I have a feeling those two boys will cause her trouble the rest of her life,” Luke observed as they headed back to the kitchen.
Ethan started laughing. “You, my friend, are probably right.”
“What are you laughing at?” Mia called out as she made her way back to her husband.
“Those babies,” Ethan said tenderly, kissing her softly on the lips. “Where do you want to go?”
“Office. Can you get me a blanket? And my phone and iPad?”
“Sure thing. Go lie down. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
She nodded, her eyelids heavy and headed towards the office. Luke knew she’d be asleep in no time. Ethan excused himself and raced upstairs for her things and Luke turned his eyes onto Allie who had a grin on her face.
“What’s with the smile?”
“They are so in love,” she said, turning her head towards him. “I hated seeing her not with him. She just wasn’t the same. This is the Mia I met … though changed a little—for the better. She’s lighter—freer. And seeing the two of them together like this …”
“Look at you. Cool and calm Allie is a romantic.” Luke liked that piece of information.
She grinned before shaking her head. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t see her as much as I would have liked when they were apart,” he admitted, feeling a little jealous that Allie had had that time with her.
“She missed you. More than I think you realized. I’d catch her looking at pictures on her phone … of you and Kaitlyn, of the three of you together, or just you and her.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised at this but happy at the same time.
“Of course. So, how did you two meet?”
“We worked together. I was a sports reporter. She was the assistant to one of the editors. One day she literally barreled right into me and has been a part of my life ever since.”
“Were you always just friends?”
Luke scratched his forehead at that and then gave her a slight shake of the head. Not that he was ashamed of that part of his relationship with her. It just seemed so far removed from what they were now.
“You were a couple?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah, for about a year and a half,” he said before giving her a very short and sweet version of their previous relationship.