Chapter 17
Harley
“We need to get this done.”I sigh, glancing around at the white walls.
“What you need to do is not be in this small of a room with all these fumes around,” Bishop argues.“Which is why Caelin, Tyler, Liam, Drew, and I are going to do whatever you want.They’ll be here in a few minutes and then you can order us around like the queen you are.”
“I’ve never been a queen.”
“Negative.You’ve always been my queen.”He reaches down, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
This soft guy is the one that’s only mine.He doesn’t show himself to everyone.This one is mine only.“Look at you being all sweet before the guys get here.”
“I’m always sweet,” he retorts.“But can I tell you how surprised I am that you chose red and gray for his room?For some reason, I had it in my mind when we heard boy that it would be blue.”
“Are you new here?”I laugh.
“No, I’m not and, looking back at it, I don’t know why I thought you would go with that color.I admit gray and red goes well with Heaven Hill.”
“Of course it does.”I fold my arms across my chest.“I went back and forth.If it was a boy, should I encourage something else?Heaven Hill is our life, though.It’s what caused all of us to be here together and, if I discourage it, he’ll want to be a part of it even more.”
“Until he’s a teenager,” Tyler argues as the group of them walk in.“Then, he won’t want to do anything you want him to.He’ll argue with you at every single turn and you’ll wonder why you decided to have a kid.”
“Surely, I didn’t do that,” Caelin says from where he’s started painting one wall already.
“Oh, you did.You’re the reason your mother has gray hair.”
“And here I thought it was you who did that to her,” he jokes.
“I’m sure I have caused her some tense moments in our time together, but I’ve always relaxed her and made up for anything wrong I’ve done.Unlike you,” he argues as he starts painting next to him.
“Well, there’s no way in hell I’m going to be relaxing my mother.”
“Let’s get this done,” Dad says to Bishop.“Quicker we do, the less we’ll have to listen to these two.”
“Dear God, I’m gonna go see if Justice needs someone to hang out with.”Harley makes a quick break from the room.
“Hey Sis,” I greet Justice.
She’s sitting on the couch in the living room holding the remote.“I wondered how long it would take before you decided to come out here.All of them get together and it gets unbearable pretty quick.”
“Ain’t that the truth.Your father-in-law was talking to your husband about relaxing his mother.”
She shivers.“There’s absolutely no telling with them.So, I wanted to talk to you about something while I have you here.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you wanting a baby shower?Everybody assumes you do want one, but I know we respect one another enough to ask before we plan big things like this.”
I hadn’t thought about it either way, but I realize with clarity that I do.“Yeah,” I answer, a smile on my face.“I’d love one.”
“That’s not surprising and, since you do, I’d love to give you one.Mom and I.I’ll even make a special cake.”
My mouth waters as I think about Justice and her desserts.Once she started to get help for the trauma she’d been through when she was kidnapped, she came to realize baking calmed her down.The rest of us benefited from it by always having something sweet around.“Really?Will you pick out a good cake for him?You know my colors are red and gray, but it doesn’t have to be that way for the cake.Find something cute and make it your own.”
“You know I will.This is my nephew.He’s going to have the coolest cake around.”
I lean my head against Justice.“I have another question to ask you.”