Page 81

“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her. “Is Ryder excited?”
With them already having two girls, they were hoping for a boy, but Ryder is such a girl dad that he said he honestly didn’t care as long as the baby was healthy.
“He is,” Kira says. “I think he’s hoping it will even out the gender field, but I reminded him that three girls versus two guys means we still win, and we’ve decided after this little guy comes, we’re done. We’re good with three.”
“Three is good,” I agree, remembering theconversation Nate and I had regarding how many kids we want.
The thought of little Nates running around fills my heart with happiness…which is something I shouldn’t even be thinking about since we’re not even living together yet. He’s been spending the night at my place every night, but he still has the hotel room in Houston.
Because you asked him to take things slow,my subconscious reminds me.
Which has me wondering, at what point do we take the next step? And how will I know when I’m ready? The last time I moved in with a guy, I thought he was the one, and it ended horribly—with him choosing his job over us and then choosing my friend over me.
But Nate isn’t John, and it’s unfair to compare the two.
Unlike John, Nate is all in.
Then, why are you so scared to fully commit to Nate? To move to Dallas?
The second question hits me like a ton of bricks, forcing me to suck in a harsh breath. Move to Dallas? That’s not even an option…right? My house is here, my life is here…I told Nate I couldn’t move.
Then, why are you thinking about it like it’s a possibility?
“Have you told the girls they’re going to have a little brother?” Ana asks Kira, shaking me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, they’re excited,” Kira says. “Though Violet is a little concerned he might not be up for having teaparties.” She rolls her eyes playfully, and we all laugh.
“I’m sure she’ll bribe him into doing them,” Ana says. “That little girl could convince an Eskimo to buy ice by simply batting her lashes.”
Kira snorts out a laugh. “That is true.”
The waitress sets down our drinks, then takes our food order. Once she’s gone, Ana turns her attention to me.
“I know you’ve been busy with Nate, but how are things going?”
“Good,” I say, taking a sip of my orange juice.
“Umm, you’re going to have to give us more than that,” Kira says with a laugh.
“Things are good.” I shrug. “As you know, we went to Dallas for Nate’s birthday last month, and his family is amazing. His mom is sweet and excited to have another grandchild. His mom and sisters-in-law have added me to their group chat, and they’re all so kind, always asking how I’m doing and when we can get together again. They have a close family, and even though I’m not used to that, it’s really nice.”
Ana and Kira both nod in understanding.
“Julian’s parents are the same way,” Ana says. “I miss my mom like crazy, but it’s nice to be close to my dad and in-laws, and as you know, my stepmom is as sweet as it gets. She treats my kids like they’re her blood. It’s nice, always having someone around in case we need anything.”
“When they say it takes a village, they aren’tkidding,” Kira adds. “We only have Ryder’s grandpa and my mom here, but I’m so thankful for them both.”
“And you have us,” Ana points out. “But I get it. We’re all so busy with our own lives.”
“I feel bad we haven’t made it back to Dallas yet, but I’ve been so busy with rolling out the Kingston-Bradford partnership. I haven’t even gotten a chance to see my dad yet since we cleared the air.”
“Don’t put work above family,” Ana says, using that CEO tone she only uses when she’s dead serious. “Family is important. I’m glad I moved back to be close with my dad. Life is too short to not spend it with the ones we love.”
My heart drops because unlike Ana and Kira, my dad’s and Nate’s families are all long-distance. There won’t be any calling someone if we need anything, and if anyone wants to visit, they’ll have to fly to us. It will just be me and Nate and our baby…
“Everything okay?” Kira asks, noticing that I’ve gone quiet.
“Yeah,” I choke out. “Just have a lot on my mind.”