“Corn and potato chowder.” Finn turned to go up the steps to the kitchen, like he’d been here before and knew what to do. Which, of course, he had and did.
“You’re looking so good,” Edith said with a smile. She held out her hand. “Can I feel him?”
Caroline smiled and nodded. Edith pressed her hand to her baby belly, and when the baby stayed still, she shrugged. “He’s being shy.” She hugged Edith and took the bowls from her. “Shiloh will take these up to the kitchen.”
She handed the bowls to Shiloh, who went by with her younger brother Dallas. She went up the steps, then turned and said, “Aunt Caroline, there are a bunch more people here.”
“Stay away from the cake,” someone from inside the house called, and alarm pulled through Caroline. Surely someone wouldn’t even think to touch Dawson’s birthday cake. Would they?
She moved as fast as she could to get inside, where she found Henry Marshall hovering dangerously close to the perfectly frosted German chocolate cake. Angel glared at him, their little boy in her arms.
JJ and Ruby Walker had arrived too, and they laughed at something Link had said. Caroline didn’t see Misty or their kids yet, but she hugged JJ and Ruby, then Clara Jean and Tate, and Conrad and Glory Rose.
All of them Walkers, they usually stuck together at big functions like this. “Duke built a fire out back,” Caroline said. “We’re doing appetizers of s’mores and Starburst out there.”
“Daddy,” Sarina said, her eyes instantly wide. “I want a Starburst.”
Conrad scooped the five-year-old up into his arms. “Let’s go get one, baby-bug.” He took the Walkers with him, which freed up more room in the house. “S’mores outside, everyone.”
“S’mores?” Henry repeated, and he took Wrangler from his wife and followed everyone else. “Come on, guys. Come with Uncle Henry.” He led Link and Misty’s boys out of the house too, leaving Caroline to grin at the two of them.
“Thanks for taking Dawson today,” she said.
“No problem,” Link said easily as Caroline gave him a light hug and quick kiss on his cheek. “You can send him my way any day. That man knows how to work.” He grinned and moved out of the way as Zona wheeled in a massive cooler, Misty right behind her.
“Drinks,” Zona said needlessly. “I put Dawson’s favorite root beer in the fridge just for him.”
“Thank you, Zona.” Caroline beamed at everyone who’d come to support her husband. She’d never had such a robust circle of people she could count on, trust, and care for. Yes, her life had truly become something she hadn’t even dreamed it could be.
“Hey, there,” a woman said, and Caroline turned to find Brielle Marshall leading in her husband, as well as Alex, Nikki, and their twins. “We brought mac-salad.”
“Bless you,” Caroline said. “I love that stuff.” Her mouth watered at the thought of it, as she’d had Brielle’s macaroni salad before, and it tasted like perfection and a side of mayo. She did a quick check around, trying to figure out who they were missing.
“Libby,” she said.
“She’s around back,” Edith said. “But I don’t see Mitch and Lacy. Or Brandon.”
“Brandon better be with Dawson,” Caroline said. “Or we’re in trouble.”
“The two of them are trouble all right,” Link said with a laugh. He didn’t ever get more than two feet from Misty, who was even more pregnant than Caroline. In fact, Misty should’ve delivered her third baby last week, but the infant hadn’t come yet.
She looked utterly exhausted, and Caroline counted her blessings that she wouldn’t be that miserable for a few more months yet.
Someone clapped, loud, booming sounds that made Caroline cringe. All eyes turned toward the front hallway again, where Mitchell Glover stood beaming. He started signing, and while Caroline had picked up a little sign language over the years of knowing Mitch, she certainly couldn’t speak it.
Link could, though, and he laughed right out loud, his hands moving as he spoke. “Yeah, the party’s arrived all right.” He moved to hug Mitch and Lacy, quickly returning to Misty’s side.
“Hey,” Caroline said, signing hello. “Thanks for coming.”
Lacy signed everything she said, and then said, “Of course. We wouldn’t miss it.”
Mitch signed, and Lacy asked, “Where should we put the gifts?”
“Oh, I have a table in the backyard for them,” Caroline said. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
Lacy’s hands flew as she translated for Mitch, and then they made the same signs at the same time, as if they’d rehearsed it. “Of course we did,” Lacy said, and she picked up the bright blue gift she’d set on the cooler.
Pure chaos reigned around her, and Caroline wouldn’t be anywhere else. She couldn’t stop smiling, and then the doorbell rang. And then rang again, and then again.
