“Yeah, let’s talk privately.”
Darby’s eyes lock with Evin, and I know the instant the twin bond kicks in. Her smile beams brightly. “Come on, Poppy, we have a chair saved for you.”
Evin tugs me gently back and brushes his lips along my forehead. “I’ll see you soon. Call if you need anything.”
“If she needs anything, we can have it delivered. She’s in expert hands,” Scottie notes.
“I’m trusting you to keep an eye on her.”
“What the hell is it with you guys? Pierce and Miller said the same thing. We have a party of five women, two of which are pregnant, and two gay men. What is going to happen?”
Darby giggles loudly, and I swallow down my humor. Evin slices his eyes to the side, clearly not amused. I flash him a smile before Darby ushers me to the patio.
“This day just got much more interesting!” Ashlyn claps.
I drop my bag, remove my dress, and reach for a towel when there’s a sharp intake of breath followed by a low whistle.
“Holy shit, did Evin see you in that suit before you came down here?” Billy inquires.
“Yes, why?”
“He let you out of the room?”
“What’s wrong with the suit?”
“Not a goddamned thing. It’s not the suit. The body, the ink, the piercing… it’s the entire fucking package.”
There’s a chorus of “mmhmm” around the space and heat creeps up my cheeks.
I don’t have a chance to respond when there are a series of clicks and I whirl to find Stephanie with her phone.
“I’m plastering these everywhere to keep me in check. You are my inspiration,” she informs me.
“You have a gorgeous body.”
“I’m getting married and the motivation is high. I need your workout regimen.”
“I don’t know if it’s a regimen as much as a job,” I joke, situating myself on the chair. “Dancing up to seven nights a week is more like a lifestyle.”
“I’m going to start dancing,” Megan declares, raising her cocktail in the air, “right after my sister’s wedding.”
“Send me those pictures, Steph. I’ll need them for after this baby gets here,” Darby instructs, rubbing her hand over her stomach.
“When are you due?” I point between her and Ashlyn. “When are you both due?”
“I’m due in December, but if this baby is like Devin and comes early, they could be Irish twins.”
At the term Irish twins, a jarring pain stabs in my chest. Faintly, Ashlyn’s response of January registers before a dull ringing fills my ears.
Stop this! My subconscious screams, and I instantly am back to normal. All eyes are on me. “Sorry, I was registering how wild that is.”
“You have no idea. I’m putting my foot down after this girl gets here,” Darby goes on.
There’s a pregnant pause, then a loud cackling from my other side. Ashlyn, Stephanie, and Megan are all in fits.
“You do that. Put your foot down.” Stephanie throws her head back, slapping the side of her thigh. “Can’t wait to see how that goes.”
“How what goes?” Scottie rejoins us, his phone in hand.
“Darby’s going to ‘put her foot down’ about more children when their daughter is born.” Ashlyn uses air quotes.
Scottie glances between the two pregnant women and looks appalled. “Both of you might as well give it up. That ain’t happening anytime soon. Annie already told me Pierce is working on plans to add to your house. And Miller did the preliminary planning with the mansion.”
Darby lets out an exasperated moan at the same time Ashlyn cradles her abdomen.
“It sounds like your husbands want huge families.”
“You’re working tonight, right?” Scottie asks.
I nod.
“Too bad for you, these tales are more fun with cocktails.” He digs in the cooler and hands me a sparkling water, then refills his cup with a bright pink liquid. “So, here’s the cliff notes version. Pierce will do anything in the world for Darby. But with his mission to build his family, he’s relentless. We all guess there are at least four more years of this.”
I gasp, slinging my face to her. “How many children do you plan to have?”
“I said three, he wants five.”
“I thought he already has two from his first wife.”
There’s a silence that settles in the air, and a sense of dread fills me. Before I can backtrack, Darby shocks me by asking, “My brother isn’t coming home with us tomorrow, is he?”
“I don’t think so.” My answer comes out soft and shaky. I clear my throat and revise, “I hope not.”
There’s a collective sigh before Darby’s girly squeal breaks the tension. “I knew it.”
Scottie perks up and shakes his head. “He’s not leaving, Flower Child. I’ve already extended his stay.”
“You work fast.”
“Occupational tendency. I get things done.”
“That he does,” Stephanie agrees.
“Are you okay with that?” I watch for any sign of disapproval from Darby.
“Of course, this is awesome!”
“Doesn’t it seem impulsive and spontaneous?”
“Poppy, you do not know who you’re surrounded by. We may seem like normal and composed people, but there’s a lot under the surface.” Ashlyn draws my attention back to her. “My story is the most spontaneous of the crowd. I walked out of an awful business function and into the bar next door to drink my irritation away. Miller was on a business trip and we hit it off. I spent the weekend with him and snuck away, leaving a note and a fake name. Months later, fate brought us back together, and now we’re married and having a baby.”
“Wow.”
“My story is boring. I met Todd at Darby’s wedding and had the best weekend of my life. Then rejected his advances until he wore me down. He was so sure of us he relocated his life and his business to Charlotte and gave me no choice but to fall in love with him.”
“Those are beautiful stories.”
“They didn’t come without struggles, but Darby’s is the real fairytale.”
“Does it have anything to do with why Evin despised Pierce for twelve years?” I blurt out and slap my hand over my mouth, horrified at my bluntness.
Darby’s eyes stay bright. “Oh yeah. And he had good reason. My brother is fiercely protective, and the aftermath of my split with Peirce caused a lot of heartbreak and rage for everyone. The feeling was mutual from both siblings. Miller despised me as well.”
“Oh God. You and Pierce split up?” It seems rude to ask, but my heart is racing, wanting to know more. Flashbacks of my last twelve years pass through my mind; there was so much that happened. Then it sinks in. “Twelve years is a lifetime.”
“That was the twelve years of hatred and misunderstanding that we both lived in hell.”
“Not everything was bad. You created your business and brand, built an empire that eventually became sought after, met me, and made some great friends,” Stephanie chimes in with a motherly tone.
Darby flashes her a grateful smile filled with love.