taking a bite of his food. I glanced over and noticed Kandra was on her last bite and smiled at her.
“More?” I asked.
She sighed, her eyes widening as she met my gaze. “Not yet,” she said softly, rubbing her belly with both hands. Before I could react, she grabbed Mom’s hand and put it on her stomach. “The baby’s kicking.”
My brothers crowded around and waited for permission to touch while I watched, adoring my wife and the way she glowed. They felt the baby move, and their faces lit up.
Even Bayden seemed to relax as the tiny one kicked his hand. I held back, aware that it was a joy I got to experience often, but it was reasonably new to my brothers. I couldn’t wait to be a father, and I was excited to introduce our baby to the world.
Kandra addressed Bayden as Ethan and Quinn moved back to their seats. “I bet Miranda would be cute pregnant.”
Quinn fell out of his chair, Ethan burst out laughing, and Bayden’s face went red. Mom covered her mouth and stared at Bayden, who actually smiled.
He freaking smiled when she teased him.
“You’ve thought about it!” Kandra’s surprised tone and the look on Bayden’s face said she’d nailed it right on the head. “Oh, honey, you better make a move. She’s a wonderful, beautiful person, and you’ll never forgive yourself if you miss your shot with her.”
He gave the barest hint of a nod, and I sat there, stunned. Of all of us, it was Kandra that got through to him? As shocked as I was, I was also impressed and secretly thrilled. Maybe now he would get serious about the pretty sheriff and try to build something worthwhile with her. We could hope, at least. The two would be great together, I just knew it.
He went back to his seat, refusing to look at the rest of us.
“Let’s leave Bayden alone,” Mom said before glancing at Quinn. “So how about you? Anyone special in your life?”
He shook his head.
Then Ethan shook his. “Me either, but I’m not in a hurry.”
I finished my dinner while I watched them all talk. As much as I missed my time with Dad, I couldn’t help but realize how incredibly lucky I was for moments like these. For family dinners. For family love, laughter, and teasing.
My brothers dug back into the food, and I looked at Kandra before nodding, asking her without words if she wanted more. She nodded with a big grin on her face.
I scooped up the shepherd’s pie, proud of how well my dish had turned out. It wasn’t officially a competition, but of course, my brothers and I treated it like one, and my meal was better than theirs, meaning I won. I needed to start stepping it up, though, because Bayden’s cooking skills were improving. No way I could let him be better at it than I was.
I added carrots and a roll to Kandra’s plate and passed it to her. She picked up the honey, split her roll, and dumped the sweet stuff on it. It was something she did and had gotten Ethan and Quinn stuck on. They’d never tried honey on rolls before, and now they were hooked. I admired her appetite, and given that she was growing a baby, she needed the extra calories.
“It’s not like I’m actively trying not to meet someone,” Quinn said to our mother while Bayden glanced at his phone under the edge of the table. I didn’t doubt he was texting Miranda, given the grin on his face. She was the only one that made him smile like that. I hoped he would find love and that the battles would be few.
As Quinn and Ethan chatted with Mom about their sad lack of love lives, I watched Kandra. She watched them talk but caught my eye and flashed a slight smile that lit up my life. We were going to have our child any day now—our child.
I’d slipped up and said something to the effect of you’re having my baby while we argued about her climbing a stepladder. I’d been so afraid she might fall that the words slipped out along with some variation of I’d never forgive myself if you got hurt. She’d smiled, then said, your baby? Ever since then, I said my baby or our baby, and I stood by that. I would love the child as my own. In fact, I already did. I didn’t give a shit who