Page 31 of Free to Live

I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to tell him by the time by the time the babies are here, yes.

I choke. Corinna screams. Loudly.

All eyes turn to us. Colby jumps up. “Princess, are you okay?” he demands.

A new text comes in.Say anything, and I really will take retribution for the hair dye incident.I burst out laughing remembering how Corinna dyed Ali’s hair red because she assumed it was Ali who ate Colby’s birthday cake in college, when we found out only a few years ago it was Colby himself. “We’re fine, Colby. It was just a spider.”

“Two of them, actually,” Corinna calls out. “I just got jumpy since I’ve never seen two.”

“Not from there,” I correct.

“No, not from there.”

Ali cracks up laughing. I beam at Corinna and then turn my wonky smile on Ali. “You two are completely nuts,” she declares.

“That’s us,” Corinna agrees, throwing an arm around my shoulders. She’s squeezing me hard. Containing this much joy is next to impossible, but I’m not taking Ali’s threat idly.

“God, she better tell him soon,” I mutter.

“Now I feel like Phil, and that’s just wrong,” Corinna announces.

We look at each other and burst out laughing. Corinna picks up a towel to wipe her tears of laughter before handing it to me to do the same.

Fortunately, the doorbell rings. Throwing down the towel, I call to the room at large, “I’ll get it.”

Jogging for the front door, I look through the peephole to find Joe and Grace Bianco on the other side. “Well, hey! Welcome to the farm. I didn’t know you guys were coming to dinner.”

Joe looks anxious for a moment. “Did I get the date wrong? Cassidy put something on my schedule…”

I smile before stepping back. “Not at all. It explains the extra place settings. Welcome to the madhouse.”

Even as Joe passes by, I see Grace whisper something to him. He closes his eyes briefly before a small smile touches his lips. “Baby, I told you in the car, Miss Holly’s hair isn’t actually fire. If she lets you, you can touch it.”

She ducks her little head into her father’s shoulder, and just like that, my heart melts.

Joe looks at me and shrugs.

“Hey, Kalie’s Grace,” I call to her softly. Her head flies up so fast, she almost clocks her father in the chin. I bite my lip in amusement. “Laura, and Jon are in the big room. Do you want to go see them?”

“Can I, Daddy?” she asks. He plunks her down on her feet and begins removing her hat and coat.

“You sure can, but remember what I said in the car.” She nods furiously.

“No running around the table. Say pwease and thank you. Eat slow.” Joe rolls his eyes heavenward as his three-year-old parrot begins to repeat literally everything he must have reminded her about good manners.

I swallow hard to keep the laugh in. His deep blue eyes cut over to me in a warning. “That’s right, baby. Now, go have fun.”

She takes him literally, screeching, “Kaaaaaaallllliiiiiieeee!”

I wait about two seconds before the laughter bursts out from me. “Grace was adorable the first time I met her. I’m so thrilled to see that hasn’t changed.”

“She’s really excited to be here.”

“We’re thrilled to have you both with us,” I say magnanimously.

“Even though you didn’t know we were coming?” I sense vulnerability behind the question.

“Joe, not kidding, Cassidy literally arranges for Caleb’s brother and husband to show up. We normally have no idea until they walk through the door.”