here in half an hour.”
“Daniel asked for help boxing some furniture orders he needs to ship before the end of the year. Between his boys and us, we’ll keep the babies safe,” Travis promised. “You have Forest, though.”
The one thing Ashley never worried about in the Coleman family was their protective instincts around children. “Okay. Have fun.”
Cassidy cupped the back of her neck. “We’ll have more fun when we get back tonight,” he promised before searing her lips with a red-hot kiss.
And when Travis joined in, taking control before she’d had much of a chance to gasp for air, Ashley realized it might not be magic but a good old-fashioned lack of oxygen making the room sparkle with a million twinkling lights.
Dangerously sexy, seriously committed. Impulsively, Ashley wrapped an arm around both their necks and gave a huge squeeze before letting go.
Travis’s lips twisted up. “What was that about?”
“Just making sure I reset the magic button. I like what we’ve got,” she admitted. “I love what we’ve got. I want to recognize how blessed I am. How loved. How much I love you both.”
“Here I was going to make some smartass quip about your magic button, then you had to go and be all heart-achingly sweet,” Cassidy complained. “Love you too.”
Travis didn’t say the words but pulled her against him again for a brief, intense hug before briefly vanishing upstairs with Cassidy.
Her guys and oldest babies were out the door a few minutes later. Ashley sighed happily and slid into the kitchen to get the kettle going. She was still pumping on happy endorphins when her expected company showed up, all four of them.
Jaxi from next door arrived first. Ashley had been spending more and more time with her, much to both their amusement.
Melody and Allison crowded into the house next, laughing as they hung up coats and marched into the kitchen. They were not only cousins-in-law but had been good friends for many years before becoming related by marriage.
Add in Laurel, the youngest and newest Angel Coleman, and the kitchen was suddenly very full.
Melody looked at the stack of boxes lined up beside the sturdy kitchen table with something near to dismay. “You’re kidding. When you said you’d found some boxes, I thought maybe half a dozen. Have you been using these to insulate the walls?”
“I don’t understand why they’re still here,” Allison teased. “You’re supposed to nest before the babies arrive, not after.”
“She didn’t have time to nest.” Jaxi stole Forest from Ashley and cradled the teeny baby against her chest, sighing contentedly. “Now it’s not nesting but organizing. Admit it. You want these things out so you can have more room for art supplies.”
Ashley raised a hand in the air. “Nope. I confess. I have decided to become a clothes hound. I need way more closet space for all the shoes I plan to buy.”
Laurel snickered so hard she ended up gasping for air. Ashley helpfully patted her on the back until the younger woman wiggled away with a laugh. “See, if you’d said rubber boots, I might’ve believed you.”
It took a couple more minutes to get set up, Allison ordering Melody around. “Put the damn box down, pregnant lady. Jeez. You need to stop with the heavy lifting.”
“I’m pregnant, not broken,” Melody complained, but she settled and offered Ashley a wink.
“You’ll be tied up and duct-taped to a chair in your house if you go out on another vet visit,” Laurel said slyly. “Or so I heard Steve threaten after your little adventure the other day.”
Melody rolled her eyes. “I helped deliver kittens. It was not physically demanding.”
Allison patted her arm gently. “It’s hard to stop when you love your job. But go near anything bigger than a kitten, and the entire clan will intervene.”
“I know.” Melody rubbed her small baby bump. “I promise I’ll be good, kiddo, and it’ll be worth it.”
Boxes were opened, and Jaxi began passing out the contents. “Sort into garbage or history first, and later we can create family piles to deal with.”
Conversation continued, quiet and full of everyday things, including lots of discussion of the eclectic mix of items in the stash before them.
“Do we need a grocery list from sometime in the 1960s?” Laurel asked.
“Does it have the prices listed next to it? Because that would be cool, although it would probably break my brain and make me sad at the same time.” Melody leaned over her shoulder. “Nah. It’s just a list.”
“A lot of beans,” Laurel pointed out.
“Dangerous,”