Page 5 of What About Us
“You hungry?” I ask, knowing Wren has suffered from some horrible morning sickness with her pregnancy and has to eat small meals more frequently.
She swears she’s hungry all the time. And apparently, mamas carrying multiples are more susceptible to morning sickness. So, every time she’s over, I make it a point to try and feed her.
She shakes her head no, though. After putting the pizza into the fridge, I motion for her to follow me upstairs.
Crossing the open loft area to the other side of the house, I almost trip over the pile of laundry in the hallway. Wren snickers behind me.
“Shut up,” I say on a snort and flip on the light in the small office space turned bedroom for my best friend's daughter, Paige.
“Ohhh, that bed is perfect.” Wrenley breathes reverently, rubbing a hand over her swollen belly, while taking in the wood, A-frame style bed against the wall.
I nod. “Right? Hutch did such a good job with it. Paige is gonna flip.” I grin and unfold the new set of sheets I bought with little, pink daisies on them. They perfectly match the coat of light pink paint Wren and I added to the walls last weekend.
Hutch, Hudson’s brother, has his own carpentry business, as well as his general contractor license, and is crazy talented. Hudson asked him to make something special for Paige, hoping it might boost her spirits on the off chance she’ll struggle with the move. Until yesterday, the bed had been sitting unassembled in my garage, but Hutch came last night and put it together for me.
“Did I tell you he’s making bassinets for the girls?” she asks, lowering herself on the folding chair in the corner of the room.
“I can’t wait to see them. If I know Hutch, they’ll be perfect,” I say. “Gonna be a tight fit in the cabin for a minute, though.” I chuckle, tucking the fitted sheet under the edge of the mattress.
“Just for a few months, until the house is done.” She blows out a breath as she stretches her long legs out in front of her and leans back so her messy, blond bun smooshes against the wall behind her. “I’m going to miss it once we move.” A faraway look glazes over her eyes, and I’m pretty sure she’s thinking about her fiancé Hank.
Their cabin in the woods is tiny. It can’t be more than seven-hundred square feet—half the size of this place—but they’ve lived there comfortably together for the last eight months. If the babies weren’t coming, I’m pretty sure they would be content to live there forever.
When Wren moved back to Timber Forge after her granddad’s death, she sold her grandparents’ house. With Hudson’s help, I bought it and opened my bed-and-breakfast, Timber Haven.
My brows draw together when I hear the front door open and footsteps on the stairs a couple of seconds later.
“Expecting someone else?” Wren asks.
I shake my head. “Hudson said he’ll text when they’re close, and I don’t expect them ‘til after ten.”
I move to poke my head out the bedroom door, but as I do, Hank strides into the room, nearly bowling me over.
“Sorry, Finn,” he says, with a hand out to steady me so I don’t fall over. Then, his eyes land on his fiancée propped up in the chair. Her eyes meet his, and I swear I see hearts in them. “You left your water in the truck, Wrennie Girl.” Hank crosses the small room in three long strides and hands her the water bottle. He bends to kiss her forehead and runs a hand over her belly.
“You didn’t have to come all the way back.” She smirks at him. “Finn has water.”
“I do. A whole tap full. Bottled water, too,” I say from across the room, with a sassy tip to my lips.
“There’s also this thing on the front of the fridge that dispenses it. All you gotta do is stick a cup under there. Push a little button…et voilà!” Wren jokes.
He rolls his eyes. “You two are fucking hilarious.”
Wren and I dissolve into laughter.
“I love you. And thank you, baby,” she says. She tips her head back and offers up her lips for a lingering kiss. He holds his lips against hers so long, she starts to laugh.
I swear they are the sappiest couple I know. They’ve loved one another for half of their lives, and they’ve been completely obsessed with each other since Wren’s move back home last summer. It’s been amazing having my childhood friend living back in Timber Forge. Even if her baby daddy dominates most of her free time.
She wraps a hand around his neck, pulls him in close, and presses her lips to his ear, whispering something. He lets out a long groan.
“You’re gonna kill me, woman.” He kisses her again and she chuckles.
“Get a room, you two,” I tease and turn away, my cheeks turning pink. I love the way they love each other, but they are constantly touching and whispering things to one another, and damn, if I’m not envious sometimes. Ok, all the time.
“Love you. I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Hank says, straightening. He turns his attention to me. “Don’t let this one get on the ladder. No step stools either.”
I throw up a salute. “Yes, sir.”
