Walker laughed his ass off as he climbed out of the pool and shook his hair, wetting Ava again. She tried to get up but had a harder time than normal. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Damn, that girl is so much like you, Court, it’s unreal,” I said.
“You have no idea,” Reed injected while Courtney shot him a dirty look.
Walker walked up to Ryder and lightly slapped him on the shoulder. “I hope you’re ready for baby number two.”
Beaming with pride, Ryder replied, “You better believe I am.”
Looking between Ava and Ryder, he poked more fun. “I would bet the ranch it’s a girl.”
Ryder’s smile dropped as he looked down at his daughter sleeping. When it was naptime, little Kate would drop wherever she was and sleep. Today it was on the lounge chair next to her daddy.
Reed had taken her for a horseback ride this morning. She had been beyond the moon happy she was having a date with her granddaddy.
Reed laughed. “Leave him alone, Walker.”
Holding his hands up, Walker shrugged. “I’m just saying, I think with three girls in the house, Ryder might feel outnumbered.”
Ava set her Kindle down and stared at Ryder. “Is that true? Do you wish it wasn’t a girl?”
Ryder went to answer, but quickly closed his mouth. “Wait. What do you mean do I wish it wasn’t a girl?”
Whitley quickly stood up and took Courtney’s hand in hers. “Don’t freak out yet, Court. Stay calm.”
“I’m trying. I will . . . stay calm. How could she keep that kind of a secret from me?”
Ava smiled and waved her hand like she was trying to brush off what she just said. “I mean . . . um . . . well, I um . . .”
She looked at her father who said, “Don’t look at me, princess. I can’t pull the foot from your mouth.”
Ryder skillfully maneuvered around Kate so he didn’t wake her. “Ava, how do you know?”
Ava’s eyes quickly began looking around at everyone. Liza and Corinne had moved over to the other side of the pool closest to Ava and were now waiting anxiously for her to spill the beans.
My chest felt as if it would burst. I loved having my family together and for knowing Ava’s slip up was going to make Courtney beyond the moon happy. I hoped it eased the pain of them leaving tomorrow.
Chewing on her thumb, Ryder reached his hands down for hers and pulled her up. He placed his hand on her round seven-month belly. “You little sneak. You got the doctor to tell you, didn’t you? And worse yet, you’ve been hiding it!”
Squeezing her eyes shut, she nodded her head.
“I’m so sorry, but when I went in the other day the doctor asked again if we wanted to know. I said no, we had agreed to be surprised, but then I asked him to write it down and seal it in an envelope and the moment I got in the car I tore it open! I don’t know what came over me!”
Ryder laughed and pressed his lips to Ava’s. Courtney instantly started crying as she turned and jumped into Reed’s arms. “Another girl!”
Liza started clapping in the pool along with Corinne. “Aunt Ava is having a baby!” Corinne yelled out as everyone laughed.
Glancing over to my precious Kate, she was still fast asleep sucking her thumb.
“She’s having another little girl, Corinne! We have another girl in the family!” Liza cried out.
“Oh no. Not another girl!” Nicholas moaned as Walker picked him up and threw him into the pool.
“Will she be starting school with me?” Corinne asked.
Ava laughed and looked down into the pool. “She will have to wait a few years like Kate did.”
Ryder cupped Ava’s face with his hands and smiled. I glanced up and saw Reed’s reaction. I knew it made him happy to see how much Ryder loved Ava. Just like it did for me when I witnessed Walker’s love for my daughter and their two kids.