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Her eyes roll. “You worry about her too much.”
“She’s thirteen. That’s a very worrisome age. You have no idea because you’re not a mom.”
Allie swallows, her playfulness gone in an instant like a curtain is drawn over her face. Maybe my words offended her because she’s a tried-and-true aunt who spends a lot of time around kids.A lot.It makes me wonder if she’s ever thought about having them herself.
“Hey.” I run a hand down her arm. “Just out of curiosity, do you see kids in your future?”
She blows out a long, drawn-out breath, as if I’d asked her the meaning of life. “Children aren’t in the cards for me.”
“Ever?”
She shakes her head.
“But you’re so young.”
“Ever,” she reiterates in a tone that tells me this is not a topic for discussion.
I’m not sure if the question freaked her out because ofus, or if it’s something deeper. Can she not have kids? Does she have a medical condition that would prevent her from getting pregnant? With as much as Stella and I tried and failed to give Bug a half-sibling, I know personally how hard it can be for some people.
Sensing the need for a change of subject, I say, “Bug can’t stop talking about the wedding. She’s never been out of the country.”
Allie’s shoulders visibly relax, apparently glad I’m not pressing the situation. I guess I need to learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to talking about the future. Because maybe she just doesn’t see me in hers.
Now I’m the one who’s depressed.
“So how’s it going to work when we’re there?” she asks. “Is it going to be like when the two of you come to Cal Creek?”
“You mean are we going to avoid each other so you aren’t on the receiving end of my kid’s wrath?”
“She’s not stupid, Asher. You know she suspects something. It’s why she won’t let me call her Bug.”
“I guess we’ll have to figure something out. Ways to keep her occupied.” I pull her close. “Because I’m not about to be stuck in a tropical paradise without making love to you under the stars.”
Finally, she cracks a smile again. “Under the stars, huh?”
“And maybe in the ocean.”
Her nose crinkles. “Water sex is overrated.”
I stiffen, trying not to think aboutanysex she’s had in the past. I brush it off. “Is that so?”
“Most of the body’s natural lubricants are water-soluble, so it can get pretty abrasive down there.”
Okay, so no water sex. But not because of any so-called abrasiveness.
My thoughts are overstepping the boundaries of our relationship. Who am I to be possessive about a woman I haven’t even had one single conversation with about the future?
“You know”—she smiles deviously, oblivious to my internal musings—“I think I have a way to keep Bug busy. My whole family will be there. Lucas and Regan are making a honeymoon out of it. Dallas and Marti will be busy with preparations. Blake and Ellie will probably treat it like a second honeymoon.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So they all have kids. And they’ll need babysitters. Say… some teenager who would be happy to earn twenty bucks an hour for playing with children.”
I lean in and kiss her below the ear. “It’s brilliant.”
“I’m just protecting myself, Asher. I do not want to end up on your kid’s shit list. The things you’ve told me she’s done to the other women in your life.” She gives me an exaggerated shiver.“What was it you said about her replacing your cologne with fish guts?”
I laugh. Bug is nothing if not creative. “It was fish-gut water. And holy shit, I couldn’t get the smell off me for days, even after showering.”