Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23556 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 79(@300wpm)
“Posey, you don’t have to be strong around me.”
I look over at him and meet his gaze. “The last thing I feel right now is strong, Boon.”
His shoulders fall as he squeezes my hand. “You are the strongest woman I know, and I love you, lovely. So damn much.”
I swallow hard as I nod, and then I push the door open. The snow crunches under my feet as I stand, ignoring the pain I feel. I move to open the back door, and Zac looks right up at me from his car seat. His eyes light up, his toothy grin filling me with such joy as I smile back at him. “Hello, my love. Are you just waking up? Look at that wide smile for Mama.” I kiss him all over as I unbuckle his car seat. I reach for the large blanket beside him and wrap him up. I know that Boon gets mad at me for not putting him in a coat, but I am terrified of the car seat with Zac in a coat. Shelli calls me a helicopter mom, but I know for a fact that she’ll turn into one too.
We were raised by one.
I shut the door with my foot and walk around to the rear of the car as the snow falls on us. Zac laughs loudly as I playfully try to catch snowflakes with my tongue. “Me, me!” he yells, and he mimics me as Boon watches with a smile on his face. We meet at the back to get our bags.
“You have a good nap, bud? That was a long trip, huh?”
“Dadadadadadada,” Zac squeals, reaching for him. Boon takes him, along with our bags, as I reach for the bag with the presents. When I reach for it, I realize totally forgot that I put our sign in the car when my mom was coming over the other day. It’s just a simple wooden sign, but it might as well be neon, flashing and making a siren noise. I can’t stop staring at it.
Baby number 2. Coming this summer!
We were going to have Zac carry it in, but that won’t be happening. I feel Boon’s eyes on me before he comes up beside me. He sees what I’m looking at and exhales heavily. “Come on, lovely,” he whispers, taking the bag of presents from me. “Your mom is wondering where you are.”
I don’t move, though. I just keep staring at the sign. “It’s not fair.”
“It isn’t.”
“This one was supposed to stick.”
He nods, leaning into me and kissing my jaw. “I know.” Boon kisses my cheek and then my nose. “But we have an appointment to meet with the doctors after the new year, and we’ll see what’s going on.”
“What if I’m unable to keep a pregnancy?”
He touches his forehead to mine. “Posey, don’t go straight to the worst case. Let’s wait to see what the doctors say.”
“I want another baby,” I whisper, and I don’t even realize I’m crying until he wipes my tears away. “I feel like I’m failing you.”
“Posey,” he says sternly. “Never.”
“But you want a huge family.”
He forces me to look into his eyes. “No. I want you. Everything else is a bonus.” I swallow hard, and he kisses my lips. “You give me everything I could ever need and more, Posey.”
I nod slowly as I lean into him. “I love you.”
He kisses my nose. “I love you,” he whispers, and then he takes my hand. “Come on. It looks like Santa threw up Christmas in there.”
My lips quirk as I nod. “It’s her favorite season.”
“Yeah, where is my Christmas skit, like last year?”
I grin. “Not happening. In her defense, she made sure the chalet was ready.”
He sighs. “Great.”
Boon wraps his arm around me, and we walk in together. To complete chaos. Which, really, isn’t surprising. Pretty sure the only person we’re missing is God himself. Though, if you ask my mom, he’s already here. I walk around with a fake smile on my face and greet all my family. The Brookses are here and the Titovs. When I get to my aunt Grace, she kisses my nose and hugs me tightly.
I can smell the wine on her breath. “So, you’ve been drinking all day?”
She nods. “Your mom stresses me out, and I haven’t gotten laid in six months.”
“There is an app for that,” I suggest, but then our billet kid, Benson, raises his hand.
“I will totally take one for the team. You’re hot, Aunt Grace.”
Grace looks at me with such shock on her face that I can’t help but laugh. She leans in and asks, “Is it wrong if I take him up on it? I know it will be like dirty old lady cougar stuff, but I’m pretty sure he’d be using me to get over that girl who broke his heart.”