Page 43 of For Her

“My stomach feels weird. Am I nauseous?”

“You’re not having a sympathetic pregnancy! Get over it!” Annie had yelled between yacks in the bathroom.

Despite her feeling extremely subpar, our photos came out beautifully, and we allowed Annie to submit them toCelebCrazemagazine and collect all the royalties, giving she and Tyler plenty of cushion for them to comfortably buy The Cedar from the current owner since he offered it to them. It’s also boosted her photography bookings through the roof, and she’s had to hire an assistant.

My hair is tied up in the messy bun I desired, I make sure my boobs are secure in my bikini, and head downstairs and outside to the pool where Jack and I have lunch set up. I’m just getting comfy on a lounger when Jack comes out the slider in his swim trunks with Felix snuggled up on his bare, tatted shoulder in a fresh new diaper.

Okay, that thing? The whole shirtless, tatted, hot guy holding a baby thing? It really isa thing. It’s both sweet and hot AF, and I can feel my ovaries waking up from their ten-month nap.

Jack lays a sleepy Felix down in his playpen that we have stationed nearby in the shade. He gives his signature whistle and the dogs come bounding over and lie down by the pen, ready to guard their new brother while Jack and I take a respite by the pool.

“So…” he starts as he climbs onto the lounger beside me.

“So?”

“Everything checked out at your six-week appointment,” he hints, restating a fact we both already know.

“And?” I tease, knowing exactly where he’s going with this.

“And I’m ready to get you pregnant again,” he snickers, nibbling my ear.

“Jack!”

“I’m kidding! Sort of…”

While I’m in no hurry to relive the debilitating nausea, demonic mood swings, and annoying back aches, I am raring to bang my rock star husband. It’s been way too many weeks. I should probably haul us both into the pool to calm down, seeing as how we’ve got company showing up in three, two…

“Where’s that baby?” I hear my father boom as he and my mom come out the slider and onto the pool deck.

“Shhh!” I hold a finger to my lips over my shoulder. “He just went down.”

He grimaces but doesn’t lose his grin as he tiptoes over to the playpen to look down and have a proud ogle of his grandson.

After a few minutes, Jack’s dad, Bill, also shows up, and we enjoy a leisurely family lunch with pool time. All three grandparents take turns fawning over my sleeping baby, but the more time that ticks by, the more nervous I become.

“He’s going to have three grandparents who have raised five children between them doting over him tonight,” my mother’s voice inserts itself in my brain when she catches me spaced out and staring over at my baby who is back in his father’s arms as he talks to both granddads. “Relax.”

“I just feel like six weeks is too soon,” I start fidgeting and squirming. “What if he wants me? What if he misses me and doesn’t know where I am and gets scared?”

“One, he’s going to be too busy sleeping,” my mom reasons, “And two, when he wakes up, he’s going to be loved on so hard it will more than make up for it.”

“I know,” I concede quietly. “I think I’m the one that’s going to miss him.”

“It’s only for a night,” she reminds me. “I bet you guys will get in just in time for his 3a.m. feeding and plenty of snuggles.”

“Speaking of which, I better get as many in now as I can to hold me over for tonight,” I say and make my way over to my husband, intent on taking my turn with our still so tiny baby.

“Any ideawhy the guys wanted us in the crowd tonight?” I ask my sister-in-law as we grip hands and follow our bodyguard, Shane, through a cordoned-off section of the amphitheater.

“None,” she answers when we reach the entrance to a roped-off VIP section of the audience that is front and center with the stage.

The local radio station is throwing itsHot Throws of Summerrock music festival, and none of the fans know that Turn it Up is making a surprise appearance at the very end. It’s sure to be a huge bombshell with crazy fandemonium sure to ensue. Fortunately, who the audience thinks will be the last band is in the middle of their set, so Melanie and I are hard to notice in the middle of the pounding music and flashing lights as we find our seats.

We go wild with the crowd when the last band finishes their last song with a bang, and while most of the crowd starts to look around for their belongings and try to slowly shuffle into the aisles, the lights stay low, offering almost no sight to anyone. Only a moment ticks by before a familiar voice reverberates through the speakers.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I giggle when I see a few nearby faces look up in confusion, and my lady bits give a squeeze as I’ve heard him say that in our home on more than one occasion.

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