Page 100 of Offside Angel

“We’re together, but we aren’t married yet. That’s what the wedding is for.”

Aiden spins around so fast that his shaggy blonde hair whips across his forehead. I mentally add haircut to my growing to-do list. “But you live together! Jalen’s parents live together and sleep in the same bed and they’re married. What does a wedding do?”

“That’s true,” Reeves chimes in. “Good point, Aiden. Do explain to all of us how that works, Zane.”

I flip him off behind my back so Aiden can’t see.

“Mira and I love each other very much, so we want to show everyone how much we love each other.”

Aiden’s blue eyes narrow as he thinks very hard about something. “Does marrying mean you have babies?”

“Oh, shit,” Davis hisses through a laugh. “The baby talk. Little man does not waste time.”

Reeves leans forward to whisper, “This is probably Jalen’s fault. We had a version of the talk with him last week. He’s been telling all of his friends.”

“Open and honest communication. That’s what kids need,” Daniel adds. “I vote we tell him.”

I wave them all off. “Marrying does not mean we’ll have babies. If you’re worried about that, don’t be. It’s just a party.”

He lifts his chin and looks directly in my eyes. “I’m not worried. I want you to have babies. Lots of them.”

My groomsmen erupt in more childish laughter, and Mira’s elopement idea is sounding better and better by the second.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “I want a little brother.”

I can’t help but smile. At the thought of Aiden in the backyard, a little toddler trailing after him, yes—but also at the thought of Mira in her frilly sundresses, her hand on her growing bump. Of Mira pregnant with my baby.

“It might be a sister.”

“Both!” Aiden adds excitedly. He grabs my sleeve and tugs. “Can we have both?”

“It’s not completely up to me, buddy. We’ll have to talk it over with Mira.”

“But we have more rooms at the new house,” he argues. “You and Mira share one and I can share, so then we can have…” He twists his face into deep concentration. “Five babies!”

“That is one pragmatic kid,” Daniel muses.

“I’d love it if we had five babies.” I kneel down. “So how about you and I both talk to Mira and try to convince her that you need five brothers and sisters?”

“I won’t even get the dinosaur for one dollar. We can save the money. For the babies.”

I pull him in for a hug and kiss the top of his head. “You’re the best big brother already.”

38

MIRA

“Are the flowers here yet?”

Taylor doesn’t even look up as she nods. “Yes.”

“And the cake?”

“Chilling in the downstairs fridge as we speak.”

I worry the lace of my dress between my fingers. At this rate, all the beading on the front of my gown is going to be gone by the time the ceremony starts. “Oh, crap. The catering! I didn’t order?—”

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