Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Haven took that question. “One of them has a birthmark, and that is how they can tell. But Rhett and Ryder like to play tricks on their mom and dad and pretend to be the other one.”
“I wish I had a twin,” Emma said. “Then we could trick you and Daddy!”
“I don’t want a twin,” Walker interjected. “I do wish we had a goat, though.”
Haven and I stopped walking and looked at our son.
“A goat?” we both asked at the same time.
Walker nodded. “Like Aunt Lily has. She has goats.”
Haven looked at me, confused. “She does?”
I shrugged. “If she does, I didn’t know about it.”
“Bear would chase the goats, Walker,” Emma said, her little hands on her hips. She reminded me of her mother so much that it was unreal.
“He’s too old to chase anything,” I replied to Emma.
Haven took Walker’s hand once again and started up the steps. “He still has spunk left.”
“Daddy?” Emma asked, pulling me to a stop.
Dropping down to look my daughter in her eyes, I asked, “Yes, darling?”
“Are you and Mommy going to have more babies?”
Walker cried out, “I hope not!”
I peeked up to see Haven smiling down at us. I winked and focused on my daughter. “As a matter of fact, we are going to have one more baby.”
Her eyes lit up. “You are? When?”
Haven and I hadn’t talked about when we were going to tell the kids about our happy little accident, but she was out of the first trimester now, and we would be telling our family sooner rather than later.
“Well, can you keep a secret?”
She nodded as Walker said, “I can! I can keep a secret, Daddy!”
I ruffled his hair. “I’m glad to hear that. Since you’re both the best secret keepers ever, we can tell you that Mommy has a baby growing in her tummy now.”
Walker’s mouth dropped open as Emma jumped for joy.
“Shhh,” I said as I put my finger to my lips. “It’s a secret!”
“Does this mean I won’t be the baby anymore?” Walker asked, tears filling his eyes.
Dropping down, Haven pulled him against her. “You’ll always be my baby, and so will Emma. We’ll just have a younger baby now.”
“Do I still get to do Sunday snuggle day?” Walker asked.
Haven smiled at him, and he smiled back. Walker had inherited his dimples from Haven. “Of course we will. Nothing will ever stop Sunday snuggle day.”
Walker looked relieved. “Oh, good. Then I’m glad about the baby. I think Bear will be too.”
Haven stood along with me. “I think he will be as well.”
“Are we ready to go in? We’re probably the last ones to arrive,” I said as I rang the doorbell.
Two seconds later, the door opened, and Grams stood there with a broad smile. “The last of my great grandkids has finally arrived.” She held her arms open as Emma and Walker ran to her and hugged her.
“Easy, Emma and Walker,” I said, motioning for Haven to walk in first.
“Oh, hush. I’m not that old, Nathan Shaw.”
“You’re not young either, Grams,” Walker stated with a solemn expression on his face.
Grams laughed. “Out of the mouth of babes.”
“Come on, Walker,” Emma said, grabbing her brother’s hand. “We need to tell everyone that Mommy is growing a baby!”
My mouth fell open as Haven started to laugh, and Grams let out a little yelp of excitement.
“You’re pregnant?” Grams asked as she took Haven’s hand.
“I am.”
“It was a bit of a surprise since, you know, I’m not supposed to be able to shoot bullets anymore.”
Grams laughed. “Well, sometimes the snip-snip doesn’t work.”
“Sometimes,” I said with a roll of my eyes before smiling at Haven.
We had barely walked into the family room before people started coming up and congratulating us.
“Well, so much for counting on the kids to keep any secrets,” Haven said as she hugged my mother.
“Another grandbaby!” Mom said as she went from Haven to me. “How did this happen?”
“Your son never went back in to see if he was shooting blanks,” my father replied as he shook my hand, then pulled me to him for a hug and a slap on the back. “You and Lily will be having one together.”
“What?” Haven asked. “Lily is pregnant?”
Dad leaned in closer. “Don’t say anything, it’s a secret.”
Haven turned to me. “Must be the Shaw blood.”
“Must be,” I said, kissing her on the cheek.
As we walked into the crowded living room, I surveyed everyone. Grams was in the thick of it all, smiling as all her grandkids and great grandkids surrounded her. There was a bit of sadness in her eyes as she looked at some of her great grandchildren. Rose and Bryson’s daughter, Milly, who was the same age as Emma. Tyson, born a month before Milly, was holding a kitten in his arms as Grams asked him what her name was. Josh and Sophia’s daughter, Katelynn, sat on the floor with another kitten in her lap and giggled every time it tried to grab and bite her hand. Grams never did get a dog of her own, saying she simply needed to focus all her time on the kids.