“I’m not sad; I’m so fucking hormonal I cry during Doritos commercials.” She sniffs and wipes the tears from her cheeks. “This is really wonderful. I have a crush on Alecia now.”
“Me too,” I laugh.
We wander back inside and I see that my eldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy and my niece Sophie are here. I scoop the sweet baby girl into my arms and blow kisses in her neck, making her giggle.
“Hey, Nate!” I call across the room and motion for him to join me. He excuses himself from the guys and joins me, placing his hand at the small of my back.
Isaac frowns and eyes Nate up and down, and I roll my eyes.
“Nate, I’d like to introduce you to my oldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy, and my gorgeous niece, Sophie.”
Sophie immediately holds her arms out to Nate to hold her and he responds without hesitating, bracing her on his forearm, and spreading his other big hand along her back to hold her steady.
Oh my.
“Wow,” Stacy says with a laugh, rubbing her own round belly. She’ll be having their second baby in just a few months. “That’s a first. Soph’s been going through a stranger danger phase lately. She doesn’t usually go to anyone she doesn’t know.”
“I’m good with kids.” Nate shrugs and smiles at Sophie. “Hey, gorgeous.” Sophie squeals with delight and slaps his cheek.
Is there no woman in the universe that Nate can’t charm?
Probably not.
“Where are Brynna and the girls?” I ask Stacy. Her cousin, Brynna, and Brynna’s five-year-old twin girls recently moved back to Seattle from Chicago.
“The girls have colds, so she decided to keep them home,” Stacy replies.
Isaac hasn’t said anything, he’s just watched Nate with his daughter, but finally looks over to me and gives me a slight nod.
Nate has passed the test with three brothers and my father.
Maybe Caleb won’t show up.
Luke’s parents arrive along with Luke’s older sister, Sam. His younger brother, Mark, is on a fishing trip up north, so he won’t be joining us. I make more introductions as Natalie joins the boys around the food to chat and snack.
Nate keeps a firm grip on Sophie, who has now laid her sweet little blonde head on his shoulder, as he shakes everyone’s hands.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Nate,” Luke’s mom, Lucy, says and winks at me.
“Definitely great to meet you, Nate,” Sam agrees and smiles at me with the look that says I-so-want-details-later.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Julianne,” Nate says and kisses Sophie’s cheek before handing her back to Stacy. “Should we move this party to the tent? There’s more seating out there.”
“Good idea.” Now he’s hosting this party with me.
Oh my God, we’re a couple.
“Let’s load up some plates and head out to the tent you guys. It’s heated, and there’s a lot of seating.” Somehow, Goddess Alecia managed to have my sound system wired out into the tent as well, so the music follows us.
The gift table is over flowing with wrapped boxes and bags and bows and Natalie catches my eye with a frown. I just smile sweetly and look away.
I’m spoiling this baby, damn it!
“Julianne,” Will says in a sarcastic, sing-songy voice, “would you please hand me a napkin?” He winks and I want to deck him. Nate snickers next to me, not at all bothered by my brother’s teasing.
“Julianne,” Matt’s face is perfectly serious. “How is work going?”
“Fine,” I spit out between clenched teeth and my brothers laugh.
“So, Ju-li-anne,” Isaac stretches my name out, enunciating each syllable, earning a smack from Stacy. I want to kill them all. They know I hate it when people call me Julianne.
Except Nate.
“What?” I snap. Nate links his fingers through mine and clenches tightly beneath the table, making me look up at him. His eyes are laughing.
“Don’t sweat this,” he murmurs.
“Boys, leave your sister alone,” Mom warns.
“We’re not doing anything,” Will murmurs with a sulk and I bust out laughing. What are we, five?
Across the table from Nate and I, Luke is leaning over, whispering in Natalie’s ear, and she’s smiling softly. God, they’re disgusting in public. But so in love. I need to stop worrying about Nate and my family. This party is for them.
“Presents!” I jump up and down in my seat and clap my hands.
“Jules,” Nat frowns and swallows hard. “Can I just say thank you all so much and open them at home?”
“No,” I pout. “This is the fun part.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Luke jumps in. “There’s a lot here. It’ll take all afternoon.”
“I don’t mind,” Stacy agrees, and there are nods and agreements around the room.
“Well, hell.” I mutter. “Okay, but will you just open mine? ‘Cause I want to see your face when you see it.
“Okay,” Natalie smiles and I clap again. My present isn’t on the table with the others, it was too big.
“I’ll be right back.”
I run through the house and out to the garage, and thank God that I have that upper body strength Nate’s dad mentioned last weekend because this mother is heavy.
I manage to get back to the tent, and Nate jumps up to help me when he sees me come through the door.
“Christ, why didn’t you ask me to help you?”
“I’ve got it.”
“Jesus, Julianne, you’ll hurt yourself. Give this to me.” Nate wrestles the large wooden sign out of my hands and I notice the grins of delight on my family’s faces as we walk around the table to Natalie and Luke.
“Okay, turn it around.”
Natalie gasps and her hand flies to her mouth as she reads the words that I painted on the rough wood. I know she has a thing for old barn doors, and inscriptions, and I decided to give her both.
I had the door cut down to three feet by four feet, and I sanded and stained it, and painted the inscription in dark gray and pink, the colors Natalie chose for the nursery.
“Read it,” I murmur.
“No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you. After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”
“Jules, where did you get this?” Luke asks.
“I made it.” I shrug and grin.
“You made this?” Nate asks, surprised.
“Yeah, I can be crafty if I need to be.” I flush and smile at Natalie. “Do you like it?”
She’s started crying again, and I hope that’s a good sign.
“Oh, it’s perfect.” She stands as quickly as possible, which isn’t terribly fast and I walk around to hug her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Caleb!” I turn around at my mom’s excited voice and find my brother glaring at Nate from the doorway.
“Who the fuck are you?”
Chapter Thirteen
“Caleb!” I turn to march toward him, but Nate stops me with a hand on my shoulder. His eyes are locked on Caleb’s, ice cold, but his face is completely expressionless.
If this is how he looked at his opponents in the ring, I’m surprised they didn’t turn and run and cry for their mommy.
“I’m Nate McKenna.” Nate steps forward and extends his right hand. Caleb doesn’t take it, he just keeps staring at Nate.
I frantically look around the room for help, but everyone is just watching the show, wondering what’s going to happen next.
“Why are your hands on my sister?” Caleb doesn’t move, his face is also expressionless.
Fuck, I was afraid of this. Of all my brothers, Caleb has always been the most protective. He’s a Navy SEAL, he can kill someone and make it look like natural causes, and I think if you look “testosterone” up in the dictionary, there would be a photo of his handsome face rather than a definition. H
e’s the same height as Nate, and roughly the same build.
He’s scary.
And he loves me.
Not a good combination.
“Caleb,” I try again, but Nate puts his hand up to make me stop and I frown at him.
“I am Julianne’s date today,” Nate states simply.
That’s a good way to put it. I like it.
Caleb doesn’t seem to.
“I think we should take this outside.” Caleb turns toward the door, and Nate follows.
“With pleasure.”
“STOP!” I scream and both men stop and turn to me. “This is not about you, Caleb. Stop being a testosterony asshole.” He frowns and starts to yell back at me, but I walk over to him and kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear, “Stop. I love him. He’s a good man. If he fucks up you can kill him.”
Caleb pulls back and looks into my eyes, then his face softens and he tugs on my ear. “Okay.” He looks back at Nate, then to our brothers, who seem to give him some kind of weird subliminal message that I’ve never been in tune with, and then extends his hand to Nate. “Caleb.”
Nate takes it and grips it firmly. “Pleasure.”
Caleb laughs. “Right. Sorry I’m late, guys. I’ve been packing.”
“Where are you going?” Natalie asks, tears in her eyes again.
Jesus, she never turns off the water these days. Is this what pregnancy does? Makes you a slow moving, emotional wreck? Ugh.
“I can’t tell you that.” Caleb smiles at Natalie and hugs her close, rubbing his hand over her belly. He always did have a crush on her. “I’m afraid I won’t be here when the bambino gets here.”
“Oh.” Natalie looks at me and back at him. I know how she worries for all of us. After losing her parents so unexpectedly a few years ago, she always worries. “Please, be careful.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be excited to come home and meet… what are you naming her, anyway?”
Natalie and Luke look at each other and grin. “We’re not telling,” Luke responds.
“Fuck that, I won’t be able to be reached for a good three months, so tell me.” Nate and I take our seats, he kisses my cheek, and I rub his thigh under the table.
“Watch your mouth!” Mom yells and Caleb rolls his eyes at her.
He’s so gonna get it.
“It’s a surprise.” Caleb frowns at Nat and we all laugh. “No one is allowed to get on the phone and call TMZ, got it?”
“Whatever. Spill it,” Will calls out.
Natalie looks at Luke and he grins and nods his agreement to tell us.
“Her name is Olivia Grace. Grace is for my mom.” She rubs her belly and smiles and I feel tears start to roll.
“Hey, you okay?” Nate asks and wipes my tears off my cheeks.
“Yeah, Natalie’s hormone issues are contagious.” I laugh and dab beneath my eyes with a napkin, careful not to smudge my makeup. “It’s a beautiful name, sweetie.”
***
“So, Nate,” my father begins from the table next to ours, and Nate swivels in his chair to face him. “What is it that you do?”
I cringe inwardly. Of course this question was going to come up. Natalie and I share a look before I look back to Nate who smiles at my father.
“I work with Julianne.”
“What do you do there?” my dad asks.
“I’m a senior partner, sir.”
Dad nods and narrows his eyes at me. “So you’re her boss?”
“Yes,” Nate states, his eyes not leaving my dad’s.
The whole room has quieted now, and everyone is listening to the exchange happening between my dad and Nate. Dad’s not being a jerk, but we all know this is the official inquisition.
Nate laces my fingers with his and squeezes gently, reassuring me.
“And what, exactly, is going on between you and my daughter, son?” Dad leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest, his handsome face neutral, but his eyes narrowed.
Without missing a beat, Nate states in a strong, sure voice, “A mutually respectful and loving relationship, sir.”
Wow.
“Damn,” Matt mutters, and I look around the room to see the girls grinning and the boys looking at Nate with respect on their handsome faces and I feel a wide smile blossom on my lips. My dad continues to eye Nate, sizing him up, and finally nods once and grabs his beer.
“Okay then.”
He winks at me and I wink back and we all return to our lunch, chatter breaking out again amongst my brothers.
“So, Jules, I get to surprise you now.” Natalie wrestles her way out of her chair smiling at me and I look around the room, confused.
“Huh?”
“Well, it was your birthday this week, and we didn’t get to throw you a party, so we’re celebrating now.” Natalie smiles smugly and walks into the house, Luke and Will following her, and I look around again, to find everyone grinning at me.
“You’re all in on this?” I ask.
“Honey, you didn’t think we forgot your birthday?” My mom grins at me and I frown.
“You all sent me flowers and texts and called me.”
“Those aren’t presents, kid, that’s just what you do on someone’s birthday.” Will states as he walks in the room, loaded down with gift bags.
Holy shit.
“This is Nat and Luke’s party.” I state firmly and shake my head.
“Jules, shut up,” Natalie murmurs and leans down to kiss my cheek on her way back to her seat.
I look up at Nate who is grinning delightedly at me. “Did you know about this?”
He shrugs. “Of course.”
Well, hell.
Will sets the gifts on the table and takes his seat. “Open them, kid.”
“Stop calling me that,” I mutter, my usual response to his nickname for me.
“No,” he responds with a grin.
I frown at the gift bags and look around at my family again to find everyone watching me. Finally Nate chuckles and hands me a bag. “Open them, baby.”
I work my way through the gifts, delighting in the new silver bracelet from Luke and Nat, a gorgeous scarf from Isaac and Stacey, and a wide array of generous gifts from my whole family. By the time I’m done, I have tears in my eyes and a wide smile on my face.
“Thanks, guys. This is fantastic, and unexpected.” I loop my pretty new red scarf around my neck and slide the bangle bracelet on my wrist.
“We have one more thing,” Natalie says and smiles at me.
“What?” I ask.
“A full day at the spa, you and Natalie, after the baby comes,” Luke says with a smile.
“Nice! Thanks, I won’t turn that down.” I grin at Natalie and she smiles back.
Suddenly, Nate places another small, gold gift bag on the table in front of me. I look up into his gorgeous gray eyes and frown.
“You already gave me my birthday present.”
“Julianne, everyone is giving you gifts today. Do you think I’d come empty-handed?”
“But…”
“Stop,” he murmurs and cups my cheek in his hand, making me look into his eyes. “I’ve already told you how I enjoy giving you gifts. Just open it.”
I hold his gaze for a moment and then look inside the beautiful gold bag. Nestled inside is a red Cartier box.
“Nate…”
“Just open the box, please.”
Inside is a beautiful, sparkling white and pink diamond tennis bracelet.
“Oh, my,” I murmur.
“Holy shit, that’s beautiful!” Samantha exclaims.
“How lovely,” my mom breathes.
Nate takes it out of the box and fastens it around my wrist, then kisses my hand. I cup his face in my hands and kiss him, tenderly, and his hands glide down my back to my waist.
“Watch your hands, McKenna,” Caleb warns, making us all laugh.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
***
Well, no o
ne died. No one even got maimed.
All of the guests have finally left, and it only took three cars to load up all of baby Olivia’s loot to get it back to Natalie and Luke’s place.
I close and lock the front door and go search for Nate. The house is a mess, which I expected, and is another reason that I’m so glad I found Alecia. She’s arranged to have a crew come in tomorrow to clean up and remove the tent and tables and chairs.
God bless her.
I find Nate in the kitchen, tossing paper plates in the garbage and stowing left-overs in the fridge.
“We’ll be eating left overs for a week,” I comment as I walk into the room and help him finish sealing the containers and place them in the fridge.
“Did you have fun?” he asks with a grin.
“After you were introduced to everyone, yes.” Nate wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses my hair.
“You didn’t have to worry about me. I was fine.”
“I know, it’s just a nerve-wracking thing. My brothers are good guys, but they’re really over-protective, and I didn’t want them to be douche bags.” He smiles against my hair and leans down to kiss my neck.
“They were fine, baby.”
“Well, I’m sorry about Caleb.” Oh, God, I love it when he kisses my neck like that.
“Caleb was protecting you. I’d do the same. No harm done. Besides, he and I had a long talk before he left, and we’re good.”
“You did?” I turn in his arms and search his handsome face. “I didn’t notice that.”
“You were doing girl stuff.” He sneers and brushes his lips on my forehead. “Thank you for including me today.”
“I didn’t have much of a choice, did I?”
“Of course you did.” He frowns and suddenly looks worried. “If you didn’t want me here today, you should have said.”
“No,” I run my hands down his chest and back up to his shoulders, loving the way his muscles feel under my hands. “I was just nervous. I’m glad you met my family.”
“I want to learn everything about you, Julianne.” He runs his fingers down my face, and gazes deeply into my eyes. “I plan to be around for a long time.”
“Oh.” What else can I say to that? He’s so much more than I ever realized. He’s the controlled business man, the playful bad-boy, and he’s just so… sweet.