Page 93 of Afterglow
“You’re perfect.”
“Well, if you don’t quit looking, my nipples are gonna get hard and everyone will see.”
“Worse things have happened.” My head tips in her direction, close enough for my lips to skim the shell of her ear. “What if I want everyone to, huh? What if I want them to know how worked up I can get my wife without touching her?”
She glares. “You’re really horny in the morning.”
My confidence soars, and it’s all because of her. “Learned from the best.”
“I’ve created a monster.”
The doors split open, and Wade and Gabe await us in the open doorway of their unit, welcoming us in with bright expressions.
“Donny!”
“Not letting go of that nickname, huh?”
Gabe and Bea coo over her growing belly while I slap Wade lightly across the face. He returns the favor before we break into laughter and pull each other into a tight embrace. Their joy is infectious.
I jab his arm. “Look at ya. Baby Boner’s all grown up.”
“That’s Daddy, to you,” Wade gloats.
“Ew,” Gabe intones. “He isnotcalling you that.”
“Seconded.” Bea shakes her head. “The only person he’ll call Daddy isme.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.” Wade waves it off, but looks to me and stops. “But then again, it kinda does.”
The door swings open, and Landon and Indi stride in, each carrying a child wearing matching grey puffers. We repeat the exercise.
“Oh, hey, Captain.” Landon offers a side hug while Akhila clutches his torso. “Swiss League looks good on you, bud.”
“Lucked out.” A hockey club happened to be recruiting to build a new team, and being a veteran player paid off. I motion to Bea, who’s fawning over the girls. “I got a helluva lucky charm.”
“I know how it goes.” Landon slides his eyes to his wife. “I got one of those, too.”
“They’re getting so big, Indi,” my wife coos.
Indi agrees but interrupts herself with a squeal. “What is that!” She grabs Bea’s hand, drawing attention to the ring on her finger.
Landon gasps.
“What is that?” Behraz redirects, pointing to the swell of Indi’s midsection. “Are you pregnant again?”
“Yep. Are you two married?”
There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and yet Bea and I both weather through a stormy blush. “Yes,” she and I say together.
Pterodactyl screeches ending in congratulations from the four adults incite the two little girls into terrified wails. The group hug doled out doesn’t help console them either.
Heavy barks join in the ruckus as scampering paws and a furry tail whips about to break up the huddle.
“Jesus.” Jaeger tugs on Doug’s leash and shushes the overexcited golden retriever. “Calm down, bud.”
Wade gets down on one knee and babbles in baby talk while scrunching up Doug’s face and playing with his ears. “You’re such a good boy! Don’t listen to that old grump. We’re all so happy for Fletch, yes, we are…”
“Aw, man, what’d we miss?” Skylar whines.
