Page 54 of Home Run

I thrust the smoothie at her as she opened the door, holding it wide for me, and I followed her inside.

“Good morning, my beautiful neighbor.”

The freshly showered scent of her lingered in the air. It was one I’d never been able to get enough of. My body was yet to become immune to the effect she had on me every time I saw her—the racing of my heart, my dick jerking, my smile widening—and I wasn’t just talking about since she’d gotten pregnant. I’d never been able to get enough of her.

Leaning down, I smacked a kiss to her cheek. It was still a marvel to me that she let me, and I wasn’t about to lose my cheek-kissing privileges by taking it too far—pushing her up against the wall and making out with her until she could no longer stand, that kind of thing.

I was still walking on cloud nine after our post-scan kiss, and I planned on having many more.

Patience comes to those who wait, and all that.

She brought the straw to her lips. “You don’t need to do this, you know.”

“That would be more convincing if you hadn’t just slurped down half of it in one go.” I winked.

“I mean, I’m not saying I’m not enjoying it, and I’m not grateful. But I can make my own breakfast.”

“Then think of it as me making the baby’s breakfast,” I said, stopping by the elevator doors that opened in her apartment, and hit the call button.

She ran a hand across her belly. “Baby says thank you.”

I bent down close to where her hand rested, and whispered, “You’re welcome.”

“Do you want a coffee?” she asked, but I shook my head. A moment of panic flickered on her face. “You’re going to see themnow?”

“Yeah, they got in last night and Holiday’s planned an announcement breakfast.” I didn’t add the groan I’d let out when Holidayannouncedher announcement breakfast. I also pleaded with her not to call it that.

“Oh my god, they’re going to hate me.”

“Are you kidding? They going toloveyou. My mom will immediately try to make herself your new best friend, so you’d best warn Radley.”

“They won’t think I’ve done this on purpose to trap you?”

“No…” My eyes narrowed, and my head slowly tilted while I tried to conceal my amusement at her worry. “Wait, did you?”

“No.” She scoffed. “Of course not.”

“Damn, I thought you were about to admit you were in love with me.” I huffed loudly, stepping inside the elevator when it arrived. “Oh well, there’s always tomorrow. Catch ya later, baby. You, too, Baby Mama.”

“Stop calling me that,” she yelled through the gap in the closing doors.

“Never.”

Twenty minutes later I pulled into the underground parking of the brownstone Holiday was renting in Greenwich Village. She’d been here since last fall when she began filming a movie with Martin Scorsese—a two-part epic feature on the history of New York starting with the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.

I hadn’t been here since Millie had moved across the hall. Holiday had been working night shoots and I’d been flying back and forth for away series, so our schedules had clashed. Plus, every time I’d arrived back in the city I’d wanted to be close to Millie and the baby. We still spoke a dozen times a day but even so, the moment she opened her front door, I pulled her into a big hug, like it had been years since I’d seen her and not an hour ago on FaceTime.

“Where’s Millie?” she asked, pushing her hair out of her face. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, she’s at home,” I replied. “But can I ask you a favor? You have the weekend off, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah, you want me to check in with her?”

“Can you take her shopping? She keeps complaining about not having any clothes that fit.”

My sister’s eyes widened, bright blue eyes exactly the same as mine, even down to the tiny flecks. “You’re asking me to go shopping?”

“Yeah, is that okay? You said you wanted to, but I can get my stylist to send her things.”

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