Anyone But Nick (Anyone But... #3) - Penelope Bloom Page 0,92

Rich had aged were the faint lines appearing at the corners of his eyes.

“Deep in thought, like usual?” he asked.

I grinned. “Just thinking how crazy it is that we all wound up back here. How we all got the girl in the end, you know?”

“Yeah,” Rich said, nodding seriously. “It’s just too bad only one of us could get the best girl. But the early bird gets the worm, you know?”

I punched his shoulder and grinned. “I’m going to give you a pass because you’ve got an infant, and you’re probably sleep deprived as hell.”

“Hey,” he said, gripping my neck and giving a little squeeze. “It took Kira and I a long-ass time to get pregnant. A long-ass, enjoyable time, okay? So don’t sweat it. Just keep doing your husbandly duty, and it’ll come.”

I chuckled. I hadn’t meant it to come out that way, but I could see how Rich would think I was bitter or resentful that he and Kira had managed to get pregnant. Miranda and I had been trying for four years now. I had to admit that trying to get her pregnant and failing easily qualified as one of the most enjoyable activities to fail I’d ever found, but it still stung. We were both so damn ready to have our own kid, but month after month, we were let down. It didn’t stop us from doing all the things we wanted and loving it, but every year that went by made me wonder more if it would ever happen for us.

“Not all of us can be Cade, the sperm bank, I guess,” I said.

Rich laughed. “No. I have to give him credit, though; he’s really taken well to fatherhood.”

“In his own way, yeah. I walked in on him sitting with all the kids in a semicircle a couple weeks ago. He was basically giving a lecture on snails to them, and all the kids were enthralled. Even the infant.”

“You’re right. Maybe he’s only taking so well to it because he likes the idea of building a small army of Cadelings.”

“Exactly what I was thinking.”

“Look on the bright side. If you guys never manage to get pregnant, Cade will have so many extra kids that I’m sure he’ll be happy to lend you one whenever you want.”

I groaned. “That’s exactly what we don’t need.”

Rich patted me on the back and smiled before he headed back to where Kira was lying beside their newborn, Erik, who was currently asleep in his carrier.

Something hot shot me in the ass, making me jump and grab my butt cheek. I turned to see Cade and Bear aiming two lit roman candles at me. I ducked for the nearest bush and hoped they would have enough brain cells between the two of them not to set it on fire.

Once they were out of ammunition, I cautiously stepped out of the bush and raised my arms. “Are you two done?” I asked.

Bear lobbed one of those little white exploding packets my way and made me flinch. He and his dad cracked up laughing at how scared I’d been, but I knew enough to fear Cade and his son, who was growing up to be unfortunately similar to his dad.

Bear even looked like a small version of Cade. At ten years old, he’d apparently worked his way through most of what he called the “cream of the dating pool” at his school. He was also big for his age, which meant he enjoyed dominating all the team sports he had time for.

“We saw you trying to brood over here and decided you could use a little fire in your ass,” Cade said.

“I just don’t ask questions when Dad says I can aim fireworks at people, so . . . sorry, Uncle Nick.”

“Don’t apologize,” Cade said. He put his arm around Bear’s neck and started leading him back to the tents. “Apologies are only for girls you really, really like. And even then, they are a last resort. You apologize when all the other tools in your tool belt won’t work, and if . . .”

I couldn’t hear the rest of Cade’s undoubtedly bad advice as the two of them walked off.

A few hours later, when all the kids had fallen asleep for the night, Miranda and I met our brothers and their wives at the edge of the hill overlooking town.

Miranda gave my hand a little squeeze.

Cade yawned. “What are we doing here, exactly? Snail hunting?”

“No,” Rich said. “Why would any of us want to go hunting for snails?”

Cade shrugged. “Because maybe you got your heads out of your asses and realized we could learn a lot from them? Miranda is pardoned from that, by the way. She’s the only one who really appreciates what our shell-backed friends have to offer.”

Iris rolled her eyes.

“Actually,” Kira said, “I wanted us to come out here so we could make one last oath.”

“Oh, cool. This is like The Lord of the Rings now,” Cade said. He stuck his fist into the center of our little circle. “I’ll ride with the dwarves. I enjoy their humor and drinking songs.”

“I’m being serious,” Kira said. “I want us all to make an oath.”

“I oathe to never believe dinosaurs are real, no matter what Rich says,” Cade said.

“Oath isn’t a verb, dumbass,” I said.

“What is the verb form, then, Mr. Genius?” Cade asked.

“Vow, maybe?” I said.

“Okay, I changed my oath,” Cade said. “I vow to buy a big-ass dog, teach it to poop on command, and then take it to Bark Bites Resort and command it to poop in that big, stupid bone-shaped swimming pool for dogs.”

I sighed. “I vow to make sure you and your dog never step foot in one of our resorts.”

Iris raised her hand.

“You don’t have to—” Kira said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I was kind of planning to tell you guys what the oath was, not ask everyone to just throw one out there.”

“Well,” Iris said, ignoring Kira. “I vow to never lose the keys to the handcuffs again. Especially when Cade is tied to the bed.”

Cade nodded his head sadly. “Good vow, Iris. Good vow.”

“Rich?” Cade asked. “Do you have a vow for the class, or do we need to call home?”

“I’m planning on letting Kira finish what she was going to say, unless Miranda had one.”

“Actually,” Miranda said, “I did have one little oath. I vow to do everything in my power to make this little thing growing in my belly the happiest baby on the planet.”

It took me a few seconds to realize what she’d said. Cade was already squatting down with his fist over his mouth when it dawned on me. I turned to face her. “You’re serious?”

She nodded, biting her lip. “Serious,” she said.

I picked her up and then promptly set her back down as carefully as I could. “Oh shit. I shouldn’t be picking you up like that if you’re pregnant.”

She laughed. “I think it’s safe when it’s this early. I just found out two days ago. Since we were planning to meet here, I thought this would be the best place to tell you.”

Iris and Kira leaned in to hug and congratulate us, and when they were done, Kira cleared her throat.

“So,” Kira said. “Tonight, I wanted us all to swear just one oath. No matter what happens, I’ll never love anyone but Rich. And Erik,” she added with a little grin, then squeezed Rich’s hand.

He smiled and bent down to kiss her.

Cade took Iris’s hand and knelt in front of her. “Sorry, baby, but I’ve got to swear the oath. Kira’s orders.” He scooted over to kneel in front of Rich and tried to take Rich’s hands in his. “No matter what, I’ll never love anyone but Rich.”

Kira groaned. “You’re supposed to modify it to fit the person you love, Cade.”

Iris gave Cade a little whack on the back of his head. “No matter what, I’ll never love anyone but Cade and our little army. So help me God,” she added with a little sarcastic grin.

Miranda reached out for my hands. “And no matter what, I’ll never love anyone but Nick. And our baby on the way.”

“Not to be a downer,” Cade said, “but we all know how the last oath sworn up here went. Are we sure this is really the best symbolic gesture?”