Page 44 of Keeping Promises

“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself. I have to say, I’m surprised you even had a pink shirt. I thought maybe you would wear blue just for the hell of it.”

He laughs as he looks down, inspecting his wardrobe. “Nah, I had this in the back of my closet. Not that a man wearing pink is a bad thing. I’m secure enough with my masculinity to not have a problem wearing this,” he jokes.

A throat clearing turns both our attention toward everyone who has now moved toward the kitchen.

“Ready?” Asher asks, holding his palm up for me to take.

“You bet.” I accept his hand and let him lead me into the other room.

“Oh, thank God. Any longer and this would become a disaster. Cal has been staring at the cake the same way Ben eye fucks Lexi.” Brynn playfully shoves Cal next to her.

“Don’t make it weird, B. I’m not about to go allAmerican Piewith this cake.”

“Hey, I have no complaints,” Lexi chimes in as Ben comes up from behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “With the eye fucking, not the cake fucking that is.”

Ben kisses her temple. “Thanks for clarifying, babe.”

This is my family—our family. We all might be a little crazy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My hand goes to my stomach, rubbing back and forth over the bump.Whether you are a baby boy or a baby girl in there, you have lots of people that love you so much already. You are one lucky little peanut.

“I’ll give you the honors.” Asher passes me a knife.

“Why don’t we do it together.” I smile up at him, and he nods. Asher wraps his hand around mine on the knife handle and stands directly behind me, his other arm resting against the edge of the counter and caging me in.

One slice.

Second slice.

Sliding the knife under the slice, we begin to pull the piece out slowly. Here goes nothing.

One. Two. Three.

“It’s a girl,” everyone cheers in unison.

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