"Holy shit, Wren!" Navy launches herself at me, pulling me into a hug before I can react. "You didn't tell me it was this serious! I thought you hated him."
"I—we—it's complicated," I stammer, awkwardly patting her back.
"Complicated my ass. That," she points at my belly, "is pretty straightforward."
"Navy, let her breathe," Reed says, standing to offer me his chair. "She's already had a long day without you interrogating her."
"How do you know what kind of day I've had?"
"Because someone," Reed shoots Kasen a look, "has been texting me every two hours with questions about your blood pressure, stress levels, and whether you're eating enough protein."
I turn to glare at Kasen. "You've been doing what now?"
Kasen stares me dead in my eyes without a single hint of remorse. “Don’t act like you don’t like it.”
Banks’ laugh interrupts our stare off. "Welcome to the family, Wren. Fair warning—we're all up in each other's business whether you like it or not."
Family. The word hits me square in the chest. Is that what this is? What I've stumbled into?
"And speaking of your blood pressure," Reed says before I can reply tothat. "I'm guessing it’s spiking right about now, so how about we let you sit?"
Kasen's hand wraps around my waist, guiding me toward the chair Reed gave up for me. "He's right. You should sit."
"I'm fine," I protest, but I sink into the chair anyway, and bite back the groan from the relief of getting off my feet.
"Beer?" Banks offers Kasen, holding up a bottle with a Timber label.
"Thanks." Kasen takes it, then perches on the arm of my chair, his thigh brushing my shoulder. It's a casual possessiveness that doesn't escape anyone's notice, judging by the looks exchanged between the others.
Well, that and his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck again.
"So," Clover says, settling onto a nearby bench with Noble in her lap. "When are you due?"
"November," I answer. "Right around Thanksgiving."
"A boy, right?" Banks asks, flipping a burger. "Kase mentioned you're having a son."
Welp, it’s my fault for telling Kasen he’s in charge of telling them everything. And I guess that meanseverything.
"Yep." I still can't quite believe it myself. A son. A little boy who will hopefully have Kasen's blue eyes and not my stubborn streak. Or his.
Yeah, I’m not that lucky.
"That's perfect! Noble will have a little cousin close to his age," Clover gushes. "They'll grow up as best friends."
The way she automatically includes our baby in their family circle makes something twist in my chest. This easy acceptance isn't what I expected. I've spent so long building walls, expecting rejection, preparing for battle, that I don't quite know what to do when met with open arms instead.
"So, how exactly did this happen?" Navy asks, waving her hand between Kasen and me. "Last I saw, you two could barely stand to be in the same room together."
Kasen and I exchange a glance. How much do we share? How much do they already know?
"You know how it is in Vegas," Kasen says, taking a swig of his beer.
Reed snorts. "Yeah. But you two went from enemies to,” he gestures between us, “this real quick."
"It’s been an adjustment," I say, feeling defensive of our situation. Even I don’t really know where we stand. And after last night, the things Kasen said… how much of that did he mean and how much was just because the sex was life-changing?
I reach up to play with the ring hanging around my neck, but at the last minute catch myself and stop.
