Page 117 of Sometimes You Fall

“What are you two talking about?” Dallas comes up to us now, inserting himself into our conversation.

“Grady is thinking about proposing,” Penn tells him.

Dallas turns his eyes back to me. “No shit. Well, I guess that makes sense. It’s not like you guys aren’t already having a baby together or anything.”

“Exactly. And I want her to be my wife.”

Dallas blows out a breath. “I know that feeling. If Willow didn’t want to plan a wedding, I would have married her the minute after she said yes to my proposal.”

Penn nods. “Astrid wanted to wait a year before we talked about it, but I bought a ring two months ago. The second that day comes, I’m sliding it on her finger.”

I shake my head at my friend. “God, you sound the way I feel.”

“And how’s that?” Penn asks.

I look back over at Scottie, fighting the urge to growl as I look at her, swollen with my child. “Possessive.”

Dallas and Penn nod in unison. “Yeah, welcome to the club,” Dallas says, patting me on the back.

“All right, everyone. It’s time to open presents!” My sister claps her hands, gathering everyone’s attention. “If you could move into the tent, grab a cupcake as you sit down, and get ready to see just how spoiled this little girl is already, that would be great!” She says something to Willow, and then heads straight in my direction. “Hey, big brother.”

I lean down and press a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you again for this.”

“My pleasure.” She lowers her voice and continues. “By the way, I have Chase and his friends on duty for later.” She flashes me a wink and I feel a slight relief in my chest.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure how we were going to coordinate all of that, but luckily, teenage boys can be pretty eager to help with the right bribe.”

“What did you offer them?”

“A pool party at your house next weekend.” She pats me on the shoulder and then begins to walk away. “You’re welcome!”

Grumbling under my breath, even though I can’t deny that my sister has been the biggest source of support for me throughout the past few months, I remind myself that all of this will be worth it once Scottie says the one word I need to hear from her later tonight.

As if my heart conjured her, Scottie waddles over to me, rubbing her stomach. “You ready to help me open gifts?”

I lower my head and press my lips to hers. “Of course, baby. How are you feeling?”

“Big as a house,” she says, glancing down at our daughter.

I line my lips up to her ear. “You look so fucking gorgeous, Scottie. God, I want to defile you so badly.”

She giggles. “You have issues.”

“No, baby. You’re carrying my child. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that is sexier.”

When she pulls her head back, she smiles up at me. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Scottie.” Taking her hand in mine, I lead her over to the chairs Astrid has positioned in front of the backdrop of an apple orchard. A sign that saysShe’s the Apple of Our Eyehangs above the two chairs, and wooden buckets full of apples are scattered around the scene. As soon as Scottie takes a seat and I sit right next to her, we begin opening the gifts our family and friends have brought for us, only confirming for me how I’m right where I’m supposed to be in my life—with Scottie by my side, and hopefully soon, as my wife.

***

“What a day.”

I lift Scottie’s hand and press my lips to the top of it as I drive us back to my house. “You doing okay?”

She lets out a yawn, the fifth one that’s left her lips since we left the baby shower. “Yeah, just tired. Who knew opening presents would be so exhausting?”

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