Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80304 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 402(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 268(@300wpm)
“First of all, I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend.” I raise our joined hands. “We’re officially official.” I grin at my family, and their wide smiles in return tell me they’re happy for me. For us.
We’re swarmed with hugs and pats on the backs, which I expected. Once everyone is settled and back in their seat, I start again. “That was my first gift, but I got another one. I love them both equally, but one came before the other.”
“Would you stop beating around the bush and tell us? Crosby, did you buy him a new PlayStation?” Maverick asks.
She turns to look at me. “No. Did you want one?”
“No, these knuckleheads want one of us to buy one, so they can play it,” I tell her.
“Hey, you can’t blame us for trying. We’re the babies of the family, remember?” Merrick asks. “Besides the one we have is old and getting slow.”
“No, Uncle Mer, that’s Remi, Beckham, Orion, and me, but now I’m a big girl,” Blakely tells him.
“Come here you.” Merrick holds his arms out for Blakely, and she rushes to him, giving him a big hug.
“Tell us already,” Orrin calls out.
I smile down at Crosby and mouth, “I love you,” before facing my family once again. “We found out two days ago that we’re having a baby.”
I pull Crosby into my arms, her back to my front as our family surrounds us. We’re one big group hug, with everyone talking at once, and it’s the exact reaction I was expecting. It takes some time for everyone to calm down, but when they do, I keep going.
“She’s moving in with me. We just found out, so she hasn’t been to the doctor yet, and as soon as I can convince her, she’s going to be my wife.” I find Sterling’s eyes in the room. “You better step up your game, brother. I’ll be married before you are.”
“Not unless you’re planning a spring wedding,” Sterling announces.
“You set a date?” Mom asks.
“We did.” Alyssa nods.
This time it’s my brother and his fiancée who get the praise, and my girl and I are just fine with that. I continue to hold her as we watch everyone laugh and talk.
“Your family is incredible, Rush.”
“Our family.” I place my hand on her belly. “You and this baby, you’re a part of all this now, Crosby. They’re just as much yours as they are mine. Don’t ever doubt that.”
“Is that what happens when two people stay together?” she teases.
“Just us, baby. Just us.”
“Is it time for gifts?” Blakely asks.
“Sure is, kiddo,” Ryder tells her. “Why don’t you go see what you can find under the tree with your name on it?”
Blakely looks to Declan and Kennedy and they nod, giving her permission before she bolts for the family room, with all of us trailing behind her. Our family was already huge, but we’re growing, adding wives, fiancées, and babies. We’re sitting on every surface, the floor, and the chairs from the dining room table have been brought in so that everyone can be together for opening gifts.
I’m sitting in the recliner with Crosby on my lap. She protested, but once she realized that my brothers and their wives were in similar seating situations, she relaxed against me. We spend the next hour opening gifts, well, mostly, Blakely and the littles get help from Blakely and their parents. It’s perfect. It’s one of the best Christmases I can remember having since I was old enough to understand there was no Santa Claus. I owe all that to the woman who gave me her heart, the same woman who holds mine.
“Well, that’s a wrap,” Archer says. He stretches out on the floor surrounded by paper with Remi lying on his chest.
“Not exactly,” Mom says. She stands, reaches behind the tree, and grabs an envelope. I glance at my brothers to see if any of them seem to know what she’s doing, and they all look as confused as I do. When Mom makes her way to Crosby and me, my brows furrow. “One more.” Mom smiles as she hands the envelope to Crosby.
“You’ve already done too much,” Crosby says. “Today has been—everything I ever dreamed it could be. Thank you all for giving me this day with your family.” She turns her head to look at me. “Thank you for sharing your family with me.”
I lean in and kiss her, which has my brothers cheering me on, and Blakely giggling that I kissed her teacher. The kid and I need to have a chat. Crosby is going to be her aunt, sooner rather than later if I have any say-so.
“This isn’t anything we bought for you,” Mom tells her. “It’s something I know you’ve been wanting, though.” She gives Crosby the same grin she would give us as kids when she knew something that we didn’t think she knew. Moms really do have eyes in the backs of their heads.