Page 74 of The B!tch List

“What’s eating him?” Lily asked.

I shrugged wishing I knew. I didn’t think about it any longer though because Ellie and Bronte came running into the yard, jostling with each other. We all watched in rapt attention as they started to jog across the lawn toward the house, elbowing each other out of the way. When they got to the house, they both rushed inside yelling about bathrooms. As they disappeared, Hunter and Carter strolled into the yard. Rett immediately left the blanket that he and Tia were now playing on and ran to his daddy.

Carter bent down and picked him up and kissed each of his cheeks in turn and then blew a raspberry on his belly. Rett’s laughter sounded out and that space in my heart twinged again.

Hunter sauntered over to us, rubbing a hand up and down his face. “Who got inside the house first?” he asked.

“Ellie by a nose I think,” I replied. “Is it what I think it is?”

“I fucking hope so, Nance, because I’m tired as shit. I have to perform when we go to bed, perform when we wake up. Pretty much perform at any given time.”

“Hunter,” Lily protested. “Have we not had this conversation.”

“Sorry, Lily but I need a break from sex.” He rubbed his hands against his cheeks. “Who’d have thought it Hunter Delaney saying he needs a break from sex. I’m broken. Truly fucking broken. That woman has fucking broken me.” He shook his head and muttered under his breath about his penis breaking off.

When I then looked over to Carter to see if he was just as tired, I saw that Shaw had joined him. He was holding Tia who was playing with Rett passing a ball between the two of them. When Rett dropped the ball Tia turned to Shaw and started playing with his chin. The smile that he gave to her was huge and if there hadn’t already been bright sunshine it would have lit up the sky. God, I wanted him and was sick of the love/hate game that we were playing. It seemed though that Shaw was not on the same wavelength.

“Hunter!” I turned to see Ellie standing on the threshold of the patio door, beckoning her husband over. “Hunter.”

Hunter turned and Lily and I watched as he looked at her. When she nodded and bit on her top lip the look that crossed his face was one of pure wonderment. The love between them was clear and brought tears to my eyes. When Bronte then came rushing up behind Ellie with a huge grin on her face, she made to move past her. She must have also seen the look on Hunter’s face though because like the beautiful person she was, Bronte smiled softly and took a step back into the house.

Hunter rushed to Ellie and took her in his arms and held her tight. When he whispered the words, “God, I love you so fucking much,” I didn’t think that I’d seen anything more beautiful or anything that I’d wanted as much for myself.

“Looks like they get to steal the day then,” Lily said, her gaze on the same place as mine.

“Looks like it.”

The gate into the garden then burst open and Lynn-Ann and Janice-Ann, Jefferson’s sisters burst in.

“Hey everyone,” they cried together. “Guess what, we’re getting married!”

“Oh shit,” Lily groaned. “Jefferson is going to bust a nut.”

When I looked over to their brother, I could see Lily had a point. He was now a deep shade of purple.

I looked over to Hunter and Ellie wondering whether they were upset that the twins had stolen their thunder. Looking at them though it didn’t appear that it had even registered with them, they were so wrapped up in each other and their own news. Wanting them to keep their moment private I looked away and my gaze landed on Shaw. He was standing right next to me.

“Oh hey,” I said, feeling a blush creep up my neck.

“Quite the day for announcements.” He nodded to Carter. “He told me where he and Bronte got to. It seems it was quite the race with Hunter and Ellie.”

I glanced over my shoulder to see that Hunter and Ellie had now disappeared, so they had probably gone inside the house to have their moment alone.

“Nothing you want to announce?” Shaw asked, surprising me. “To add to the day.”

“Me?” I pointed at my chest. “I don’t have anything I need to announce, no.”

He shrugged and looked me up and down. “Funny that, I was sure you were going to tell us all you were back with Minnesota.”

What the hell was he talking about?

“Why would I do that?”

This time the look he gave me had a curled lip and felt like he might hate me a little bit.

“Desperation, Nancy,” he replied. “Because let’s face it no one else seems to want you.”

I’d been used to Shaw’s comments before. We’d played the game for a long time, but never before had he made me want to cry. This time though, I could have sobbed.

---