How to Rattle an Undead Couple - Hailey Edwards Page 0,58
our foreheads, he backed toward the door. “I’ll be in the office.”
“I’ll yell if I feel the least bit fumble-y,” I called, then settled in to admire the results of nine months’ worth of effort. “You really do look like your dad.” That made me ridiculously happy. “Let’s hope you take after him in temperament too.”
Happy to listen to me, LJ blew rather impressive bubbles that popped and slid down his chin.
“You’re going to have to go easy on us until we figure out all this parenting stuff.” I touched his tiny hand, and he took it as an invitation to hold my finger. “Neither of us had normal childhoods, and yours is off to an interesting start too.” I smiled as his eyelids drifted lower. “We might not always get it right on the first try, or the second, or—honestly, kid—the third is looking sketchy, but we’ll keep at it until we do.”
“You’re doing great.” Lethe entered the room bearing gifts. “Switch with me?”
The plated cinnamon roll did look tasty, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to trade one warm and gooey feeling for another yet.
“See?” Lethe took a bite. “Your motherly instincts are already kicking in. You sacrificed your belly for your baby.”
“I did that six months ago,” I countered. “I’m going to be in Mom jeans for a while yet.”
“Eh.” She waved off that concern. “Nobody said motherhood was stylish. Embrace the spandex.”
The bubble blower on my chest lowered his drowsy eyes and drifted off for a nap.
“You terrified me, just so you know.” She tore off a bite and passed it to me. “Dr. Rogers made noises about LJ being an only child. Any future children will be high-risk pregnancies.”
“Linus didn’t mention anything.” I recognized the sweet as coming from Mallow. “I don’t think he did, anyway.”
“He probably wanted to wait until you recovered to lower the hammer, but it’s one of those things I would have wanted to know the second I had Eva. I always figured there would be more kids, you know? More pregnancies. Just more. But I only got the one time, and that might be it forever.” She took another bite. “I would have wanted to know so I savored each dirty diaper, each spit up, each everything.”
“I’m glad you told me.” I had to admit, “We didn’t expect LJ to manifest powers quite so early.”
We were so very lucky he hadn’t learned his trick sooner, or else I might not have needed that C-section.
“Leave it to Linus to help spawn an overachiever.” Lethe snorted. “Eva is dying to meet her new cousin.”
“Send her over tomorrow. I ought to be fit for company by then.”
“I’ll let her know.” She pressed his cute button nose. “This place is going to be a zoo with all the kids.”
From newborn to tween, we would span the spectrum. “It’s going to be so much fun.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” She shook her head at LJ. “Wait until Kaleigh starts walking.”
“I don’t suppose you feel like circumventing doctor’s orders to give me the scoop on Abayomi?”
“She’s still in the dungeon.” Lethe grinned, loving the ability to claim she had one. “Your mother-in-law is upstairs, snug as a bug in a rug being under the same roof as Linus again. Adelaide and Boaz have gone home. They want to meet LJ when you’re up to it. Neely has called fifty times, and so has Marit.”
“Now I feel bad I didn’t fight harder for an all-inclusive baby shower. The family one is ruined.”
“We’ll still have the party. We’ll just rebrand. It can be a cookout where we all dump gifts at your feet.”
“As long as there’s still cake,” I decided, “I’m good.”
“Excellent.” She rubbed her hands together. “I’ll call in the meat order tomorrow. We have enough grills in storage to cover the turnout.” At my look, she shrugged. “A cookout means I’ll have to feed the pack, or the ones who aren’t on patrol will cry like babies. I’m not saying I’ll invite them over to crash your party, but we can have a runner take them plates as they’re ready.”
“I thought I heard voices.” Corbin entered the room. “You’re awake, but are you lucid?”
“What’s that in your hand?” I frowned at the clicking noise near his thumb. “A lighter?”
“A gift.” He presented it to me on his open palm. “For you.”
“A Pumba Pez dispenser.” I accepted the present. “You shouldn’t have, really.”
I would have to hide it from Keet, or I would never see it again. He