Page 16 of If Our Hearts Collide

Nic joins us in the foyer, smacking hands with me in greeting. He knows I’m here for business and as a family friend—a relationship that has evolved over the course of employment. While celebrating the birthday girl, I still plan to assess the situation and see just how much effort I’ll need to make to keep Penny content and safe.

She must be getting antsy, and her brothers just want what they think is best for her. Who could fault them for wanting to keep her safe from the cruel and mindless negativity of the world? I would be doing the same if I had any siblings—especially a baby sister.

The sound of the door opening causes us all to turn to see Graham and Angie arrive hand in hand—looking more in love than ever.

“Good to see you, Collins,” Angie says, separating from Graham to give me a hug. She pulls back from me to look with awe over my appearance. I think she likes to try to get me to smile. She probably even makes a game out of it. “Hmm, never thought I’d see the day where you would choose to wear jeans and a T-shirt. Very casual. I like it.”

Graham wraps his arms around her from behind, nuzzling the side of her neck. “You better not be flirting with my staff, sweetheart. We know that never ends well foryou.” His voice trails off to the point where I can no longer hear, but Angie’s cheeks turn pink, and I glance away to avoid seeing her in her state of vulnerability.

At one time, Graham may have been serious about the accusation. However, there should be zero doubt in his mind that his wife would ever turn an eye to anyone other than him. She is so utterly in love that her entire demeanor outwardlyexpresses just whom she belongs to, and I can’t see that ever changing.

“Stop,” she scolds, smacking him on the arm. “Ignore him, Collins. As you know, my husband’s jealousy streak has not lessened since our nuptials. If anything, it has?—”

“Gotten more extreme,” Donna chimes in, making us all laugh. “If you all will excuse me, I need to check on a few things for the party. Make yourselves at home and relax.”

I shake hands with Graham when he detaches himself from his wife, who hits him on his side to keep him from smothering her.

“Where’s Claire?” I ask Nic directly.

“She’s upstairs helping Penny get ready. I sure wish she would just stay off her feet and quit it already with this need to do all the things. She thinks the baby is going to change her life so drastically that she is in marathon mode trying to be everything for everybody.”

I give a nod. Claire definitely is a ball full of energy. It’s hard to imagine that giving birth will cause her to calm down entirely.

“I’m doing my part,” Angie says softly. “But I can only force her to take so many breaks in the office before she starts shooting me with her daggers of sarcasm.”

Nic sighs, running his hand over the back of his neck. “I’m on the verge of hiring a nanny for her while the baby is in the womb. I’m going crazy worrying about her every second she is away from me. She’s probably upstairs doing Pilates or human pretzel twisting exercises just to prove to herself that she still can.”

“Just wait until the baby is born,” Germain says, joining us. “Your attention will be split between the baby and your wife. You’ll be too exhausted to worry.”

Nic growls at his dad. “I’m going to go nuts.”

Germain excuses himself into the kitchen and returns with four bottles of beer under his arms. I am about to decline whenone is offered to me—since I never drink on the job—but Graham shoots me a look across the room to signal that I can relax my standards if I so choose.

I guess one drink will be fine. It’s a birthday party after all.

“If I need to pull out the hard stuff, I won’t object,” Germain says, patting Nic on the back. “It doesn’t feel like that long ago when your mother was pregnant with you, and I was worried sick over her drive to manage everything. Women are superheroes in my eyes. They can basically do it all, but why should they?”

“Exactly,” Nic says, clinking bottles with his dad.

At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, we all look over, expecting to see Penny. Instead, Claire is walking down. Even though she’s not even at the halfway mark, I can see the hint of a bump growing round on her petite frame.

I suck in a breath and brace myself for the middle Hoffman’s wrath. I can almost predict his exact words before they are spoken.

“Hold on to the damn rail, woman,” Nic scoffs, joining her mid-descent to assist with a hand. “They aren’t there for decoration.”

“I’m pregnant, Nic, not some invalid.”

“You’ve been getting dizzy and?—”

“I’m sure you’ll be assigning some watchdogs to me. Or better yet, a water person. You know, someone who follows me around with one of those liter bottles with the huge straw.”

Claire’s eyes glance to me, making me take in another deep breath. Angie and Claire are best friends. However, they have very different personalities. Where Angie is subtle, Claire leaves nothing up to the imagination in what she is thinking.

And I know she’s a bit salty over me being assigned to her prior to my vacation time off.

“Be careful what you suggest,” Nic says smoothly, but it is obvious by his tone that he is on edge. “You are only supplying me more ideas.”

“And they better be bitches and not your intrusive militia man squad who hover more than bees on flowers.”

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