Page 41 of Shameless With Him

I narrowed my eyes. “You said I didn’t have to play.”

“You don’t. But Thea wants to play. Therefore, I’m going to sit next to her and help her smell random mushed peas and beans to figure out which one’s which.”

I gagged. “Why are baby games so disgusting?”

“I’m trying not to ask myself that question, other than the fact that I think they’re trying to prepare us for the amount of bodily fluids that are going to be sprayed on me when the baby’s born. And after.”

I visibly shuddered as Dimitri walked off to join his wife. I looked down at Zoey. “You know, this sort of makes me not want to have kids at all.”

She snorted, shaking her head. “But then you get to hold your niece or nephew and smell their little baby powder head and hold them close and feel their little fingers wrap around yours. You’ll fall in love. You’ll forget the fact that they poop and they throw up and they constantly cry and they never sleep.”

“Do you think that’s just what the media tells you that babies are like?” I asked.

“You mean this is a conspiracy? Probably not. But I figure I’ll see soon when Lacey and John are ready for a baby.”

“They’re going the surrogacy route, right?”

She froze, blinking at me. “How on earth do you know that?”

“John talks to me when he’s nervous.” I held up my hands after I set down my glass since she was glaring at me. “He doesn’t talk with everybody about personal things like that. But he talks to me. Has for a while. I guess it came with the fact that we were out one night waiting for a storm to die down, and we talked about a lot of personal shit. But he doesn’t blab about his and Lacey’s life to most people.”

“I hope not, because Lacey doesn’t need that.”

“John’s the most amazing guy I know. You know that.”

“I do, but I’m still overprotective. She’s my baby sister.”

“Since, according to my baby sister, I’m an overprotective asshole, I feel you.”

“You did threaten to beat up Tucker.”

“He dared to touch my precious, innocent, little sister.” I narrowed my eyes. “And you should stop laughing so hard. People are starting to stare.”

“Oh, no, it’s just that you think she’s precious and innocent. And probably going to be a virgin until her wedding night, too.”

“She can stay a virgin always. Isn’t that the way things are?”

“I’m totally not a virgin, bro,” Amelia said as she walked past, Tucker right on her ass. He had his hands on her hips, and I narrowed my eyes. “Why do people keep surprising me like that?”

“Because you’re standing between two doors, so people can come up behind you easily,” Zoey said, laughing. “Plus, the more you talk about other people, especially when they’re in the same room, the more likely it is that they’re going to show up and scare the crap out of you. That’s sort of how science works.” I laughed.

“That’s not even real science. Or even close to science.”

“No, but it’s karma. As for John and Lacey, yes, they’re going the surrogacy route. But if John brings it up again, please do not let him think that I’m so eager to be that baby’s oven.”

I choked on my water, having taken another sip before I set it down on the table between us. “You, wait? What?”

She shook her head, laughter dancing in her eyes. “Yeah, that was my reaction, too.”

“They asked you to be their surrogate? Wait, does that mean your egg, too? Ugh, that’s way too personal. Sorry.”

“They haven’t asked, but Lacey’s hinted. So, I have no idea what they want. I’ll see what my answer will be if and when they actually ask, but you never know.”

“You really would do anything for your baby sister,” I said, awed.

“I might do anything for her. However, if she keeps pissing me off about this whole wedding planning thing, I might not.”

“I don’t believe you. I think if she asked, you’d do it in a heartbeat.”

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