Page 81 of Shifting Sands

She grins and asks, “Doyou love him?”

I consider the question.

“Last night, I was exhausted and caught in that place between sleep and consciousness when he pulled me close and said those three little words. My response was automatic. I didn’t think it through, didn’t weigh the pros and cons, didn’t worry about what anyone would think or any of the what-ifs,” I say. “And now, in the light of day, I am.”

“There’s your answer,” Jena says. “You’re overthinking it now. Last night, you were too tired to fight it.”

“I guess.”

“Do you think the guys are having this same conversation?” Tabby asks.

“No way,” we say in unison.

The men make it back to the house just before five p.m. Tucker and Caleb are proud to present the bounty of fish they caught and cleaned.

“We’re having a fish fry,” Caleb declares. “Brew said if we caught ’em, he’d cook ’em.”

“Is that right?” I say as Brew walks over and bends over my lounger to give me a kiss.

“I called Lennon. He’s on his way,” he whispers.

“Good plan,” I reply.

Taeli, Ansley, and I scout out Brew’s kitchen and make a list of things in order to make fries, slaw, and hush puppies and send Anson and Parker to the market.

Tabby refills my glass from the cocktail shaker. “There’s one more drink left. Taeli, are you sure you don’t want to try it?”

Taeli shakes her head.

“Do you want me to open a bottle of wine?” I ask, but she shakes her head again.

“How about a beer?” Jena suggests, moving in closer.

Once more, Taeli shakes her head.

“Do you have something to tell us?” Jena asks.

I notice that Taeli’s eyes begin to water, and she shakes her head again.

“Oh my God,” Ansley gasps. “Finally?”

At that moment, Taeli loses the fight, and tears start flowing down her cheeks.

“How far along are you?” I ask.

“Eight weeks. We haven’t told anyone yet, and we don’t want Caleb to find out until we’re at least twelve weeks along. If everything goes well, we’ll tell him when he gets home from Chicago on New Year’s Eve.”

We all gather around Taeli and wrap her in a group hug as we bounce up and down, crying tears of joy.

Garrett walks in, carrying a brown paper bag, and when he sees us, he says, “Dry it up, ladies. Tuck and Caleb are right behind me.”

We break apart and turn to him, wiping our eyes.

“Graham spilled the beans to me last week. I bet him you’d break before Christmas,” he says to Taeli as he kisses her cheek. “Congratulations, Momma.”

The boys come barreling in with Parker and Anson following close behind, each carrying a bag of groceries. They quickly place the bags on the counter before rushing back outside to the pool.

Lennon and Amiya arrive shortly after, and we begin peeling and slicing potatoes and shredding cabbage while Lennon goes outside to start battering and frying the fish.

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