Page 93 of Can We Try?

“A little birdie told me you helped plan this.” I wave my hands around our living room. Amanda was tasked with getting me out of the house while everyone else set up for my baby shower.

“Maybe,” Lachlan says, dropping a kiss on my neck. “I just wanted today to be perfect. I wanted it to be here, so you didn’t have to worry about lugging your gifts home, and it’s a memory for us.”

“So many memories,” I say, leaning into him.

“Our little man got spoiled today, huh?” he says, looking at all the opened boxes and gift bags. Among them are the pink and blue blankets that Grandma knitted for us. Lachlan made sure they were on display with a card that read Made with love by Doris on them.

“He really did. I don’t know that there is a single thing we’re going to have to buy. Our friends went above and beyond.”

“You mean, other than all the stuff we’ve already bought,” he teases.

“Hey!” I turn to look at him over my shoulder. “You’re the one who kept ordering online.”

“It’s the ads. You scroll through social media and something cool pops up, and your kid needs it. It’s a crisis among dads,” he tells me, trying like hell to hold in his laughter.

“True story,” Forrest says, coming to stand next to us with baby Willow in his arms. She’s two weeks old today, and the most precious baby.

“What’s a true story?” Briar asks. She looks amazing for just having a baby. She settles onto the couch, props her feet up, and smirks at Forrest. She knew he was going to tell her to rest.

“That the ads on social media and the late-night purchases are a crisis among dads.”

Briar’s body shakes with her laughter. She winces, but it doesn’t stop her from laughing still. “Shall we tell them, my dear husband, about your latest purchase?” she asks Forrest.

“Babe, it had to happen,” Forrest defends himself.

“This I’ve got to hear,” I say, moving out of Lachlan’s arms and going to sit on the couch next to Briar. I also prop my feet up because they’re swelling, and I know Lachlan is going to remind me to do it. “Let’s hear it,” I say, once I’m settled.

“So, this guy orders a robot vacuum. You know the little circle vacuums that do it all on their own?”

“That’s not so bad. It actually sounds kind of helpful,” I tell Briar.

“Oh, I agree. However, that’s not why he bought it.”

“It was the baby riding the sweeper, wasn’t it?” Lachlan asks. “I almost did the same thing, but I knew it would be months before Sean can take a ride on his own.”

Briar turns to look at me, and she’s grinning like crazy. “See what I live with.”

“Babe, it’s like her own personal amusement park ride, right in the house,” Forrest tells his wife.

“I’m doing it,” Lachlan says, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

I watch them with a smile on my face. “It could be worse,” I tell Briar.

“For sure,” she agrees. “He’s the best man I know, aside from the other four. They’re all amazing men, and if this is what they want to do for fun, something that whole-heartedly involves our children, who are we to stop them?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Time for cake!” Monroe calls out.

“This can wait,” Lachlan says, shoving his phone back into his jeans pocket. “Mags, cake.” He steps in front of where I’m sitting on the couch and offers me his hand to help me up. Together, we make our way into the kitchen to start passing our cake to our guests.

“Save me that corner piece,” Lachlan tells me. “It has more icing.”

“Why not take the bear and the blocks?”

“That’s the center.”

“Yeah, but it will have more icing on top.”

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