Page 81 of The P Arrangement

“Aw, thank you.”

Vivian smiled. “Yeah, Delaney, congrats.” She rubbed her hands together. “Where is she?”

Holding up a finger, I yelled, “Preston, they’re here.”

A few seconds later, he came downstairs with our daughter in his arms and Paxton trailing behind him.

“Mommy, the baby had a poopy diaper. It was stinky. Daddy said a bad word.”

“You would have, too, if you had to change it,” Preston said, defending himself while I tried not to laugh.

I wasn’t the only one. Someone behind me coughed to cover their laugh.

“Hey,” Preston said when he reached us.

“Congrats, man,” Dominick said.

I took the baby from Preston as he said, “Thanks,” with a big smile while he picked up Paxton.

Shifting my arms so everyone could see better, I said, “This is Everly Marie St. James.”

“Oh, she’s beautiful,” Rayne said as I gave her the baby to hold.

“She really is,” Vivian agreed.

“I Paxton.”

Cade put his fist out. “Put ’er there, Paxton?”

Our son grinned and gave Cade a fist bump.

“You know, I’m a big brother too,” Dominick told Paxton, also giving him a fist bump.

Preston put his free arm around me. “Why don’t you all come in? Delaney put out some appetizers.”

Once we got to the kitchen, he asked, “Can I get anyone a drink? We have beer, wine, pop, water…”

Everyone put in their requests, and while I got wine for my friends, Preston grabbed beer for the guys.

“How did you and Preston decide on a name?” Rayne asked.

I set Paxton on the counter and gave him a plate with chips on it. “Preston came up with it. My mom’s name is Evelyn, and my middle name is Marie.”

Preston took a drink of his beer. “Her mom started crying when we told her.”

“How did his mom take it?” Vivian asked in a low voice.

After Preston and I had told my parents about the two of us getting back together, I’d met with Vivian and Rayne and given them our whole backstory from our divorce to our reunion. I’d also told them about my mother-in-law and how Preston had stood up to her for me.

“She didn’t say a word,” I said. Which was true, but she’d looked like she’d just finished sucking on a lemon, her mouth pursed so tightly.

Preston snorted. “She was pissed as hell, but a lady never complains.” He said the last half with sarcasm.

“Moms, man,” Dominick said.

“How is your mom, Dominick?” I asked. “Is your brother still living with you?”

Vivian and Dominick had moved out of her apartment and bought a house together around the time I was selling mine, and since most of my furniture was no longer needed, I sold it to them. With Spencer in high school, they wanted him to have some of his own space, so they’d made sure to purchase a home with a finished basement so he could hang out down there while they had the upstairs more to themselves.

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