Claimed By The Devil - Joanna Blake Page 0,77

ready for it.

This time, not so much.

Get ready, girl. You’re about to be a mama to another brand-new baby. Gird your loins!

I laughed at my internal voice. It sounded a lot like Janet. Speaking of . . .

“Jan?”

She was instantly focused on me. She took in the look on my face in a heartbeat. I watched her sharp mind calculating wickedly fast before she figured out what was up. I loved my friend so damned much.

“It’s time?”

I nodded, relieved that I had my family with me. Jan and Dev would text my mom. I didn’t even have to think about it.

“It’s go time, people,” Janet said with a quick hand clap. Everybody sprang into action.

Dev ran for the car. Janet lifted me up, slinging one arm over her shoulder. Molly grabbed the baby. Everyone else ran toward me, including the newly engaged couple.

“Sorry to ruin the moment,” I joked to Melissa.

“Are you kidding? I can’t wait to meet him!”

We had been open about the sex of the baby with everyone. They all knew we’d been hoping for a boy to name after Dev’s little brother. He was such a sweet kid. I’d been devastated when he died in a car accident with his mother. Nothing would ever replace Johnny, but we knew he would love being an uncle and having a nephew with his name.

“Please, everybody stay here. This could take all night. You can come tomorrow,” I said as I hobbled toward the gravel parking lot. Everyone started arguing.

“I’m serious!” I exclaimed as people started loading into cars. Janet clapped her hands again and told everyone we would take shifts. Once again, I was extremely grateful for my bossy friend.

“You’re celebrating tonight,” I warned Melissa and Nick as Dev bundled me into the car. “I’ll text to let you know what’s going on. Or someone will.”

They exchanged a look and then nodded. In the end, only Janet and Jack came with us. I knew they’d all come by later or in the morning.

But I was glad my redheaded general was coming with. I needed the backup.

I was going into battle.

Chapter Fifty

Melissa

“Wow, that was . . .”

I looked at Nick as he handed me another drink. The grill was just starting to smoke. I had never been happier.

“It’s a blessing,” Molly said, giving my hand a squeeze. “A good sign!”

“Never a dull moment around here,” Sally said with a snicker, but she looked distracted. I knew she was thinking about her friend. She was worried. But they all obeyed Janet’s edict to wait until later to converge on the hospital.

Mac and Whiskey were looking at the house, pointing at the exterior and putting their heads together. Nick smiled at me with a look.

“They want to help. Jack, too. They were thinking we could expand the side but leave the porch and everything out front.”

“Like, add to it?” I asked. “We could really do that?”

“We could,” he said. We stared at each other. The word ‘we’ suddenly had new meaning. We were getting married. It was slowly sinking in. But when?

And how on earth were we going to pay for it?

“That sounds expensive,” I said doubtfully. “Do we really need that much space?”

"Of course, we do." Nick waited until I had taken a huge bite of my burger. "I'm hoping we will have a big family. Lots of kids. If you want to, I mean.”

I coughed, staring at him while he continued.

"You could be pregnant already," he said with a wide grin. “I hope you are. I want to fill that house up. How do you feel about a wedding in two weeks?"

"Two weeks?" I managed to choke out. He nodded, and he must have taken my silence for agreement because he wandered away when the girls came to sit with me.

“He looks so happy,” Molly said wistfully.

"He wants to get married in two weeks. And fill the house with babies."

Angel, Molly, and Susanna all looked at me and then burst out laughing. Sally just shook her head.

"Nick is full of surprises," she said. "Are you OK?"

"I . . . think so?"

Redheaded children ran in circles everywhere as I slowly ate my burger, lost in thought. Everyone was talking around me, laughing, and getting updates from the hospital.

Sally clapped her hands and did her best Janet impersonation.

“Pose for some pictures!” She smiled. “Janet said so.”

Nick was hovering nearby and pulled me to my feet.

“Lipstick and fluff!” Becky called out before applying some lipgloss to my lips. She fluffed my hair and