Page 27 of Tiny Precious Secrets (The Brothers of Calloway Creek The Montanas #4)

The smirk on her face makes me want to ground her for a month. “Fine.”

When Bug is out of the kitchen, I turn to Allie and put my hands on her shoulders. “Do not take that out of context. And please don’t let her get to you. I promise I’ll deal with her attitude.”

She rubs her belly and sits on a barstool. “Asher, if I weren’t pregnant, would you be moving here?”

“I think I would be.”

“You think?”

“I know . With Mel moving and Bug wanting to start over at a new school, and with Marti and Charlie living here, I absolutely would have moved here. It just might have taken me a bit longer to figure it out is all.” I take her hands in mine.

“Even if these babies weren’t coming, I’d still be here.

I would have been moving here because I love you.

And if you hadn’t said you loved me, I’d still be here trying to convince you that you do. ”

I watch as her eyes become glassy. She swipes a finger under one. “Sorry. Hormones.”

I laugh. “Please take what Bug says with a grain of salt. I don’t know if she’s going to try and pull shit like she has in the past to break up a relationship, but it’s not going to fly this time. I swear to you, I’m going to figure this out.”

Her eyes focus on the bar. “How are the three of us going to live together in just a few weeks?”

“She’ll come around.”

“What if she doesn’t?”

“She will.”

Someone clears their throat, and Allie’s father comes into the kitchen. “Sorry to interrupt, but your realtor just arrived.”

“I’ll go get Bug and meet you in the foyer,” I say, kissing her forehead then scarfing down the sandwich in just a few bites as I walk away.

I find Bug sitting on the guestroom bed, staring at the wall.

I’m mad as hell at her, but I’m also trying to be sympathetic to her situation.

I sit next to her and take her hand. “You have to go easier on Allie. None of this is her fault. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me. I’m the one moving us here.

I’m the one who fell for her. I’m the one disrupting your life. ”

Her head falls to my shoulder. It’s like she knows exactly what to do to remind me how much I love her.

“Nothing will ever be the same,” she squeaks out in a voice so small it breaks my goddamn heart.

I move my arm around her and pull her tightly against me.

“You’re right about that. It’ll be better.

Just wait until you see those little eyes staring up at you.

Bug, you’re going to be a big sister. You’ll be just about as old as I was when I became a big brother.

And, oh my god, how they’re going to love you and look up to you and count on you.

You are going to be their favorite person in the whole world. ”

“It’s not the same. You and Aunt Marti had the same mom and dad.”

“You think they aren’t going to love you because you don’t have the same mom?”

She shakes her head.

“Then what is it?”

She looks at the door. “She’s not my mom.”

“Bug, do you think Allie is incapable of loving you because she’s not your mom?”

“How could she?” she scoffs.

“Do you think Dallas doesn’t love Charlie because he isn’t his biological child? And how about Ellie—do you think she doesn’t love Maisy?”

“That’s different.”

“Different how?”

“None of them have other kids, Dad.”

I get on my knees in front of her and lift her chin so she’s looking at me. “Sweetie, is this because you don’t think Allie will love you as much as she’ll love the twins?”

“No,” she says, not at all convincingly.

“Well, I hesitate to say you’re not making it any easier.

” I sit on the bed again and run a hand down her back.

“This isn’t easy for Allie either. She thinks you hate her.

She’s about to share a household with a teenager who she’s terrified will stop at nothing to break up our relationship. How do you think that makes her feel?”

“Maybe she shouldn’t have gotten herself in this situation then.”

“Darla, that’s it. You need to stop blaming Allie. I’m the one who got us in this situation.”

“ She’s the one who got pregnant.”

I laugh disingenuously. “It takes two, and I know you know that.” I sigh, taking a beat to breathe in and out so I don’t say things I’ll regret because I’m mad.

“Listen, getting used to this is going to take time, but I’m telling you right now, I’m not going to stand for you disrespecting her in front of me.

That shit ends right now. I don’t want to ground you or take away your phone, but I will if I have to, is that understood? ”

She rolls her eyes.

“Darla?”

“Yeah. Fine. Whatever.”

I stand and hold out a hand. “Now let’s go look at some houses, okay?”

“Do I have to?”

“Yes, you have to. Otherwise we’ll end up with a two-bedroom house without a pool or a theater room where you have to share a room with the babies.”

Her eyes practically roll out of her head. But she stands and follows.

Allie meets us at the front door. “Ready?”

Bug pastes on the fakest smile I’ve ever seen. “All set.” She turns and heads out the door. “My bedroom better be gigantic.”

Allie and I share an amused look, then I take her hand and we trail after Bug.