Leo
Yeah. You’re gonna have to share Henny, Evie.
Gracie
Ummm . . . Hello . . . We've got dibs on Henny.
Hendrix
Why are you on this text chain?
Everly
Damnit. Dinner was supposed to be a surprise.
Nixon
Might not want to text the group chat with her in it next time.
Everly
Fuck off. You have no clue what baby brain does to a person.
Leo
What?
Hendrix
Holy Shit!
Gracie
OMG!
Nixon
Dad’s gonna lose his shit.
My twin sister is having a baby . . .
Wow.
Kerrigan and Jaxon are Cross’s kids from a previous relationship, but as far as anyone is concerned, Everly is their mother. She adopted them once they were married. I never got to hold either of them when they were born.
I’m missing it all.
Ares
“God of war,” Everly calls out from where’s she’s sitting on the porch swing on their back porch.
I pop my head through the open glass doors and laugh when I see the same book in her hands that Gracie had on the plane this morning. Jesus. Was that only this morning? Jet lag is a bitch when you’re going backward. London is five hours ahead of us. So even though it’s eight o’clock our time, my body thinks it’s midnight, and it’s been up and going since stupid early o’clock.
“Did Cross tell you we’re doing dinner soon?”
“Yeah. Is your whole family coming?” There’s a fuck-ton of them.
“No. Just my brothers and Gracie and you and Bellamy... I think Caitlin was going to hang with Maddox, Callen, Brynn, and her brother tonight.” She sips a sweet tea and frowns.