Until Autumn - Sheridan Anne Page 0,69

as we stand at the door of his Aunt and Uncle’s home, looking as though he’s about ready to pass out.

“Are you okay?” I ask, reaching up to feel his forehead with a smile stretching across my face. “You look sick.”

He knocks my hands away with a goofy grin and a roll of his eyes. “Don’t start that shit with me,” he laughs. “I’m fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Are you sure? You look as though someone has you by the balls and is forcing you to walk inside that door.”

“First off, you have me by the balls, and after this dinner is over, you’ll understand,” he tells me. “I’m just trying to be a decent kind of guy and warn you that what you’re about to walk into is some next-level bullshit, alright? They’re going to love you and they’re not going to hide it. You’ll never be free after this.”

I push up onto my tippy-toes and press a kiss to his lips. “Of course they’ll love me,” I say with a proud, smug grin. “I’m awesome, and not to mention, I’ve delivered two of the Mayson babies and mended a broken arm. What’s not to love? I’m every family’s dream come true.”

“You won’t have any issues fitting in here,” Thorne tells me as he reaches out to press the button for the doorbell but before he gets a chance, the door is pulled wide and the woman I’d met in the ambulance bay stands before us with a wide, excited smile.

“Thorne,” she coos, instantly grabbing him and pulling him into her chest. “How are you, my dear?”

Thorne hugs her and the warmth between them is as clear as the blue sky above. “I’m good, Aunt Susan. Really good. What about yourself?”

She releases her hold on him and steps back to look over me. “Oh, sweetie, I’m doing perfectly fine now,” she tells him before stepping right into me and pulling me into a big, welcoming hug. “I never thought we’d see the day Thorne brought home a girl.”

I look up at him over her shoulder and give a smug grin, which only makes his eyes roll more. “Tell me about it,” I laugh. “I never thought that I’d see the day that he actually asked me on a date.”

Susan laughs and pulls back before taking me by the hand and dragging me into her home. “You really must tell me all about it,” she says as Thorne’s left to follow behind, closing the door as he goes.

We get all of three steps into the house before November comes flying out of nowhere with three little girls barreling behind her. Not a moment later, the entryway is flooded with bodies, and children are everywhere. I stare wide-eyed as Susan goes around the group, introducing every single one of them.

I do my best to focus; the last hour spent with Thorne trying to explain this very thing all but wasted. Susan starts with November and Asher, which is easy to remember, along with their many gorgeous daughters. But I can guarantee that if they weren’t named after the months of the year that I would have forgotten them instantly. November crashes into me with a warm hug as the kids crowd around, making it nearly impossible to move.

Susan moves on to Trevor and Liz who have Hannah and Cobi, then Cash and Lily who have two adorable little kids, Ashlynn and Jax. But when she turns to the last couple, my mouth drops.

It’s a freaking tribe.

“This here is Nico and his beautiful wife, Sophie,” Susan explains, pointing toward the couple who each hold a toddler in their arms with about a billion more children around their legs. I mean, woah. That’s a lot of kids. If they just stood still for a minute, I’d probably be able to count them.

“Yes, I remember,” I tell Susan, glancing around at the many couples. “You were all at the hospital when little June broke her arm, but I didn’t except quite so many children. You guys could start your own football team.

“Tell me about it,” Sophie says, adjusting the little girl in her arms. “They certainly keep me busy. I can’t even remember if I ate breakfast this morning, but judging by the way my stomach has been grumbling, I think there’s a good chance that I forgot.”

Within seconds, Asher’s hands whack the backside of Nico’s head. “Hey, what was that for?” he demands.

Asher sends a scathing glare