Page 65 of No Place Like Home
James leaned toward Darcie. “Not true!” He yelled. “You’re just a mean old little witch.”
“Kids.” I put my hands on each of them. “We can’t talk to each other like this. Especially on Aunt Kora and Uncle Kai’s wedding day. That’s not nice. If you want to talk things out, you should do that, but yelling isn’t the answer.”
“So, we should fight and break each other’s noses like Uncle Rowan did to Lance?” asked James.
“What?” Darlene bellowed, suddenly paying attention to the kids’ conversation. “No, James. Not acceptable.”
I laughed and some of the concern oozed from my chest. “James, your mom’s right. You should never fight. Your uncle was sticking up for a friend.”
“Oh, so when someone picks on one of the girls at school, then I can punch them in the nose?” James asked.
“Good God, James,” I said, and glanced at Bryson or Rowan for help. They still were useless. “No, you can’t. Now, why don’t you each see if your grandmas will get you a piece of cake?”
“Yay, we can have cake!” they cried as they bounded away toward the grandmothers.
I watched the kids run across the pavilion, then took a big swig of my drink. Damn, they were a handful.
“You’re so good with those kiddos,” Darlene said. “I can’t wait till you get to meet our baby. You’ll have to babysit.”
I laughed. “Of course! You know I loved sitting for James and Darcie.”
Darlene took a sip of water and spoke over the top of her glass. “You’d make a great mother one day, Summer. I’ve always known that.”
I shrugged. “Maybe, but no time soon.”
“Watch out, Rowan,” Bryson quipped, “or she’ll have you getting ready for a child soon. Even without marriage.”
“I don’t think we need to talk about that,” Rowan said as he choked on his drink.
“Why, don’t you want to be a dad?” Jamison asked.
“Of course I do. More than anything. Someday. But . . .”
And that’s all I heard. Rowan wanted to be a parent more than anything. My heart, which was still floating from Rowan’s closeness just minutes ago, plummeted in my chest so hard it was like a plane crashed in my gut. I didn’t even feel this upset when Lance was putting me down at the bar. I glanced around at everyone, wondering if they’d seen my shift in mood, and then tried my best to keep up with the conversations around me, but failed miserably. Lilly sat close to Jamison, his arm draped over the back of her chair, and Bryson leaned his elbows on the table, head of the conversation as usual.
Couples were everywhere. I glanced around the room, and my eyes fell on Leila and Adler, who sat with the book club ladies, deep in conversations as the kids ate their cake. Leila was also pregnant, due in February. Then, of course, there were Kora and Kai, snapping pictures with guests, both of them glowing. I would guarantee she’d be pregnant by Christmas. I knew they didn’t want to wait.
Everyone happy. Everyone a family.
Darlene was talking to Rowan, and I caught part of their conversation. “I’m glad you’ll be here to be a part of this one’s life from birth. She’ll need her uncle around to keep her grounded and keep her daddy from going ballistic. You’re the focused and calm one of the three, Rowan,” Darlene said as she rubbed her small belly. “Well, usually.” She winked.
Jamison agreed. “You’re like Dad that way. He had so much patience and was always so even-keeled.”
“He had to be,” Bryson said. “Look at Mom. Talk about opposites attracting.”
The music picked up tempo and the DJ announced it was time to do some line dancing. Lilly and Darlene pulled me on the floor, soon followed by the guys, and all talk of children was forgotten.
Chapter 29
Rowan
Damn, I needed water, or a beer. We’d been dancing forever, but Summer was my permanent partner, so I was not complaining. Dancing with her was always a party. Shy, she was not—her craziness came out on the dance floor. She started a line dance and pulled me down the center with her at one point.
I leaned into her ear as one song ended and another began. “What do you say we get a drink?”
“Sure.”
Thank God. I pulled her from the floor and wove our way around tables to the bar. I ordered two waters—hydrating was more important now than alcohol. We found a quiet table and sat, relaxed. Kora and Kai were both still on the dance floor, surrounded by our friends and family. “I don’t know how they’re going to have much of a wedding night. They’ve got to be ready to collapse.”
