“That, I assume, was her way of saying she would back off.” Cane and I looked ahead at Eden, who was walking back inside with her father at her side. I could tell Mr. Miller really did love her. He was proud of Eden—probably proud to be able to call a child his own, period.
“Huh.”
“Bitches get weak when babies are involved,” Lora slurred, and I laughed. She’d clearly had one too many glasses of wine. “I can’t wait to see what your baby will look like, Kandy.” Lora leaned between the console, and Cane chuckled, glancing over as Lora twirled a loose piece of my hair. “You have such great skin and nice cheekbones, and Cane has those weird eyes that always seem to change colors with the seasons or his emotions. That baby is going to turn all of us to mush.”
I couldn’t fight my grin. I was glad she was speaking the baby into existence, and not treating it like a maybe or a hopeless feat. I needed to do the same, because this baby was going to happen. I was going to have him or her, and I was going to love the baby with my whole heart.
Lora finally sat back and rested her head on the window, watching the streetlights, and Cane grabbed my hand, bringing it on top of the middle console and squeezing it.
He didn’t have to say much in this moment. His full smile said it all—he couldn’t wait to see our baby too.
Chapter 14
KANDY
The entire house knew that between two and four in the evening, I took my daily nap. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. By that time of day, I was completely exhausted, and nothing could keep me up. But for some reason, my man wanted to disturb my peaceful slumber, and I wasn’t happy with it.
“Kandy,” Cane called.
“Ugh, Cane.” I groaned, pushing his hand away when he tapped me again.
“Kandy, wake up.”
“What?”
I rolled onto my back, looking through the corner of my eye at him. “I need to show you something,” he said.
“Can it wait? I’m really tired today.”
“No. It can’t. And you’re tired every day. Plus, Lora said you’ve been sleeping since two, and it’s now six. You gotta get up.” He grabbed my hand and tugged on it. “Come on, girl. I ain’t got all day.”
I huffed a laugh, throwing an arm over my face. “You’re insane, man.”
He chuckled, bending over to kiss my exposed lips. Then his lips trailed down to my neck. “Up, baby. I think you’ll love what I have to show you.”
Sighing, I caved and sat up, rubbing my eyes. He helped me out of bed, and I felt the weight drop right to my lower belly, making me lurch. “It better be worth it, Cane. I mean it.”
“Ohh, you are a grumpy little thing,” he teased with a grin.
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t not smile. With my hand still in his, Cane led the way downstairs and through the foyer. We walked down the hallway to the kitchen, where the lights were off. Cane flipped the switch on, and out of nowhere there was a loud “SURPRISE!”
I gasped with a hand to my chest as Mom, Dad, Miss Cane, Lora, and Frankie stood in a kitchen full of colorful balloons. “Oh my gosh!” I squealed, staring up at Cane. “What is this?”
“Just a little something for my queen.” He shrugged. “Happy birthday, little one.” Cane kissed my cheek while I looked ahead at the two-tier cake and food on the counters, then at Mom and Dad. I focused most on Dad and said a quick prayer of gratitude that I wasn’t showing yet, or he would have had a fit.
“Happy Birthday, kid,” Dad said, meeting up to me and hugging me tight. I hugged him back.
“I’m surprised you guys are here. My birthday isn’t for two more days.”
“Well, Cane planned something a bit earlier,” Mom said. “And I’m glad he did.”
“Oh—I got you something.” Dad reached for a wrapped gift on the counter behind him and handed it to me.
“What is it?”
“Open it and see.”
I tore the gift wrap off and noticed it was a jewelry box. I looked up at Dad warily before opening it. It was a pair of diamond earrings, this set bigger than the pair he’d given me when I was seventeen.
“Oh my gosh!”
You like them?” he asked, his smile getting bigger.
“Dad, are you kidding? I love them!”
“Your mother helped me pick them out. Consider it a gift from both of us.”
“I love it so much. Thanks you guys.” I hugged them both around the neck.
“Okay, okay! Enough of the sappy mess! I need to say hello to my bestie!” Frankie grabbed my arm and twisted me around. She pulled me in a for a hug, and I laughed, as did my parents, then squeezed her just as tight as she squeezed me. “So…I didn’t bring a gift, but I do want to plan a night out with you tonight. I’m off—no work. Clay is taking care of Mom.”