Page 46

“You’re welcome.”

Roselle continued talking gibberish, but I listened intently to every word she said.

“We’re going to go swimming after lunch,” I promised her. “Unless you have to take a nap. Then I’ll take you swimming after your nap.”

“Oh, she’s ready for that. She told me this morning.” Skye had walked up and placed her hand on my arm as she smiled at me. “Hi, Liam.”

Leaning toward her, I wrapped my arm around her back and pressed a kiss on her cheek to greet her. “Hey, Skye. I’m just trying to plan out my day with my favorite girl.”

Her eyes shifted between her daughter and me after I took a step back. “She really does love you.”

I grinned. “Well, we know she gets her smarts from her mama, right?”

Cooper moved toward his wife. “You’ll get no argument from me on that one. Now, come and join the rest of us, Liam.”

With my niece still in my arms, I finally made my way over to the rest of my family and greeted them.

“You’ve got perfect timing, Liam,” my mom declared. “We just got the last of the food out, so we’re all set to dig in.”

“Sounds great. Everything looks amazing, Mom.”

“Well, you know I had help. Ivy took care of the planning, decorating and setup, and Gram helped me with all the food. As always, Jules oversaw the dessert.”

Jules was the baker of the family, so that came as no surprise.

But it was at that moment I realized I hadn’t yet spoken to my youngest sister. “Where is Jules?”

A look of concern washed over my mom’s expression, and her eyes darted around the outdoor space. “Oh, um, she must have gone inside for a minute. I’m sure she’ll be right out.”

While I was undeniably close with my brothers—Wyatt, Cooper, and Tate—and I had a great relationship with my older sister, Ivy, as well as my siblings-in-law—Rhea, Skye, Ava, and Marco—there was something special about the bond I had with Jules.

I didn’t know if it was because we were the youngest in age, only two years separating us, or if it was something else. When I’d gone through the most difficult and trying time in my life, my entire family had supported me. But nobody had been there for me the way Jules had.

“Would you like me to take Rosie so you can eat?”

I looked to my left and saw that my grandmother had approached. It was no secret that Roselle had become thecenter of attention in the family. She was the first grandchild for my parents, the first niece for my other siblings and me, and the first great grandchild for Wendy and Larry Westwood.

No matter how much I adored the woman standing beside me with that hopeful expression, I couldn’t miss the way her eyes were fixated on my niece. So, I turned slightly to the right, keeping a firm hold on the girl in my arms.

“Sorry, Gram. You get to see her more often than I do. She’s staying with me for now.” Roselle let out a squeal of delight, forcing the laughter to spill out of me. “Plus, look how happy she is that I’m here.”

Gram accepted her fate and walked away without the baby. I decided to grab a seat and spend some time playing with Roselle while everyone went about getting food.

After everyone had gotten something to eat—I’d even snagged a few bites while holding on to my niece—Wyatt warned, “Hey, Coop. I don’t know how soon you intend to open any gifts, but the gift Rhea and I got for you to open today is more for your daughter than you.”

Cooper rolled his eyes and laughed. “Anything that might occupy her or make her happy is a great gift for me, so I’m not mad about it.”

“That’s good to know, because it’s kind of the same with Marco and me,” Ivy chimed in.

“You mean, my own best friend didn’t want to get me a present?” Cooper teased.

Marco laughed. “It just feels wrong to buy youpresents now that you’re a dad. We did get you something small, and I do think you’ll love the gift we did get you. Roselle just has a couple of her own to open. That’s all.”

I held my niece up in front of me and asked, “Do you hear that, Rosie? Everybody got presents for you on Daddy’s birthday.”

Her hands were balled into fists, and she brought them to her mouth as she smiled at me and drooled.

“We do have one other gift for you, Cooper,” Rhea declared. “It’s just that it hasn’t arrived yet.”