She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,108
a knowing look. Roxie pressed her lips together, but there was no squelching her smile or the guilt in her eyes as they darted away from her daughters.
“Oh no. No, no, no,” Piper said. “I want my key back.”
Roxie shrugged. “It already worked.”
“No it hasn’t,” Piper said sharply. She hiked a thumb at Harley and said, “I’ve been showering with him for weeks. There’s no way I . . .” She realized everyone was looking at her like she’d said something she shouldn’t have. “Oh shit. I mean, I’ve been staying at his place. I mean . . .” She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’m a grown woman. I can stay wherever I want.”
“So that’s why Harley needed a bigger shower,” Dan teased.
“With two showerheads,” Aurelia chimed in.
Remi said, “I want two showerheads.”
“We’ll hire Piper to put them in,” Mason suggested.
Piper’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “How do you know we . . . he has two showerheads?”
Bridgette waved from the other end of the table. “That would be my fault. I didn’t know the details of his bathroom renovation were a secret.”
Harley couldn’t stop smiling, but he knew better than to open his mouth and get in the middle of this.
“Okay, enough,” Piper snapped. “Bottom line, Mother, is that we’re safe from your fertility potions, and I want my key back.”
“Why? Look how adorable Harley is with a baby,” Roxie pleaded.
“She’s right,” Talia said. “He looks really good with Bea.”
“Everyone looks good with Bea,” Ben said.
“I would love more grandchildren,” Debra said. “Ever since Sophie spent the night with Ben and Aurelia, she can’t stop talking about wanting a baby, and Delaney has put her foot down.”
“She’s right,” Delaney said. “I’ve done my duty.”
Roxie and Debra looked around the table.
“Don’t look at us.” Zane leaned back and put his arm around Willow. “My wife and I have other things to focus on for the next year.”
Emerson was fast asleep on Bodhi’s chest. He patted her back and said, “We’ll be happy to take some of that fertility potion in about six months. Until then, all we want are a few nights of sleep.”
“Guess you’re up, Tal,” Willow said.
Talia reached for Derek’s hand and said, “I don’t think we need fertility potions. We weren’t going to say anything yet, but we just found out I’m eight weeks pregnant.”
The girls squealed and jumped up to hug Talia and Derek, while the guys cheered their congratulations.
“Oh, how wonderful,” Flossie exclaimed.
Ben patted Derek on the back and said, “Get ready for sleepless nights.”
“We’re ready,” Talia said.
“We’re thrilled and nervous.” Derek hugged Talia against his side and said, “We have a lot to figure out, but we’re counting on Roxie and Dan, Bridgette and Bodhi, and Ben and Aurelia to teach us all the tricks of the trade.”
“Happy to,” Bodhi said. “You can start by babysitting next Friday night, if you’d like. Get up close and personal with two kids at once.”
“We’d love that,” Talia said excitedly.
“This is so exciting. Wait until I tell Aunt Marilynn!” Roxie whipped out her phone and thumbed out a text.
Ben put his arm around Aurelia and said, “I think you have double the news for her, Mom. We weren’t going to say anything for another few weeks, but Aurelia just found out she’s six weeks pregnant!”
“Oh, goodness! Two new babies!” Flossie’s eyes teared up. “We are so blessed.”
There was another round of cheers and hugs.
Piper put a hand on Harley’s shoulder as she walked back to her seat after hugging Aurelia and said, “Auntie Piper is always up for babysitting, and I bet Uncle Harley would love to change a few diapers.”
“I’m not afraid of dirty diapers,” he said, wondering if she realized she’d referred to them as Auntie and Uncle. That might just be his favorite slipup ever, even better than her earlier slipup of we when she was talking about his shower, which he also thought of as their shower.
The conversation turned to baby showers and baby names. Bea wiggled off Harley’s lap and toddled over to Ben, who scooped her up and smothered her cheeks with kisses. Bea shriek-giggled and squirmed out of Ben’s hands, toddling across the lawn toward the other kids who were playing in the yard.
Ben stood up and said, “Who wants to celebrate with a quick pickup game of b-ball?”
The guys pushed to their feet, though Bodhi opted out so as not to wake Emerson.
Harley looked at Piper and said, “You coming, babe?”