Page 57 of Crossing Lines

I grinned. “Ah, but you forget, I won’t be pregnant forever either. One day, you big giraffe, I’m going to chase you down, skin you, and hang your hide from the eaves of my barn.”

“Jesus,” someone, I think it was Drew, maybe Jacks, laughed out.

I turned my attention back to Lana and Kris. “So now what?”

“You stop promising destruction and mutilation to people in front of impressionable little ears, and Lana,” Kris grinned at me, “and start opening your gifts.”

“As if.” I snorted. “Sorry, I will try though, I guess.”

“Good. You two sit there,” Lana pointed at Trace and me, “and open; do your worst. We’ll keep track of what is from who and mark it in the appropriate book.”

I was cut off from replying by the shriek of one pissed off baby. It wasn’t mine; he was curled up against AJ’s chest, sound asleep. Such a cute little man. Give him boobs and he slept like the dead.

“I’ve got her, y’all go on.” Derek hurried into the house to calm his one-year-old before she woke the dead. A moment later the shrieking started to lessen then quit. If it hadn’t, it looked like Dani Lynn was ready to run in after him.

I still couldn’t believe she was a grandma. It was some kind of trip for real.

“Stel, focus.” Trace squeezed my hand.

“Oh, dang. Sorry. All right, let me have the big one.” Trace helped move it closer and as a team, we pulled the paper free. A car seat stared back at us. It was some fancy shit, but I had to say, I loved it. Car seat, carrier, and it attached to a base to make a stroller. “Whoa. This is…wow.”

“That,” Lana started, “is a life saver. Noelle loves hers.”

“Thank you, guys.”

“I told ya she’d like it,” Carter grumped.

“You did, but I already had it in the buggy, so shush.” They glared at each other, then burst into laughter. These kids were nutty.

“Y’all hush up with that. Let’s keep going, okay?” Dani Lynn went to stacking and moving bags closer. And that was just what we did.

My fingers were sore by the time we got to the end of the table. We had everything needed not only for Ethan, but for our little peanut when they got here. Everyone stayed neutral on colors since we were unsure of the baby’s gender. I was thinking I’d want to be surprised...but then, maybe not. That would come later, though.

That’s not to mention the stacks of dishes, silverware, and bedding along with a few gift cards for the furniture store in Lufkin waiting on the other table. Everyone had done more than they should have. My heart was full, as my Gran once said. I had the best family and friends a girl could ever need.

Right now, I was emotional, tired, hungry, and in pain. Not a great mix, but it was how the day went.

“Thank you all so much.” I smiled, my eyes hurting from crying. I hated being so emotional. I wasn’t even sure I could blame this on the baby. Well, I could, but I wasn’t going to. Not yet.

“Good thing about most of the baby stuff, by the time Ethan no longer needs it, baby B will be here.” Kris nodded. “That will make life easier. The being prepared part anyway.”

In the sudden quiet of the yard, my stomach let out a T-Rex-sized growl. I looked around as everyone cracked up.

“Oh hush!”

“Bring out the food, boys. Let’s get something in her belly,” Daddy called out, causing me to chuckle.

With a little wiggling, I got my leg free of the chair they’d propped it up on and my butt to the edge of my chair and stood, slowly trying to let my lower half get the proper amount of blood flow.

I watched as the gifts from the table were moved free and carried inside the house. Our house. I shook my head, goosebumps running over me as that sank in. Our house. It was the perfect location too. If Daddy needed me, or if I needed him when Trace was away, he was only minutes away. Something about that seemed to settle the jittery nerves building inside of me. I had been figuring Trace would look for houses closer to the shop and to his sister. I’d have been okay with that, but I’d be honest, this was better.

I turned slowly to keep from losing my balance. I wasn’t a fucking flamingo, after all. And I hurt already; no need to rush it and go ass up trying to balance on one foot.

My brothers were coming out of the back door with an arm full of stacked bowls by the time I turned myself fully around. The aroma wafting off of them made my stomach growl more.

“What are you doing?” Trace asked, a chuckle escaping as his arms wrapped around me from behind. I wasn’t sure how to answer him. I was overloaded at the moment with everything. My head fell back against his shoulder and with him holding me up, I let myself relax.

“Is this all real? Or some elaborate dream?” I asked, needing to know for sure.

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