Page 72 of Not Part of the Plan
Joey whooped in victory. “Get your asses moving! We’re not missing this!” She dragged Reva out of her chair while Jax grabbed Caleb and threw the boy over his shoulder.
“You coming?” Jax asked Niko.
“Let me get my camera. You’re going to want some baby pictures,” he predicted.
They hustled toward the brewery’s front door where Niko promised to call Emma and let her know what was going on. When Jax and Joey’s entourage headed toward the stables, Niko peeled off to the house.
He burst through the kitchen door to the surprise of Summer and Carter who were stirring something on the stove.
“Geez, where’s the fire, Niko?” Summer said, patting a hand over her heart.
“Can’t talk! We’re having a baby!”
He ran for the stairs.
“Holy shit! Calypso?” Carter yelled after him.
“Grabbing my camera!”
Niko snatched his camera bag off the desk and thundered back downstairs. He heard a cry from the twins’ room and grimaced. “Sorry sorry sorry,” he said, running through the kitchen.
“I got this,” Summer said, pushing Carter after him. “Go see your baby horse!”
They hustled off the porch when she opened the screen door behind them. “And don’t think for a second I’m not going to ask you where you spent the night last night, Niko!”
Niko and Carter jogged along the dusty path connecting farm and stables. The night was alive with crickets and fireflies. “So you and Emma, huh?” Carter said conversationally.
“Yeah. It’s pretty new,” Niko said, realizing he’d never had this conversation before. How had he made it to thirty without ever telling a friend he was seeing a woman?
Carter pumped his fist in the air. “Yes!”
“I didn’t realize you were so invested in my love life,” Niko said wryly.
“I am when my wife bet Gia two nights of babysitting that you and Emma would hook up.”
“That’swhat a unit is?”
“Two glorious twin-free evenings,” Carter grinned. “Beckett’s gonna freak. This almost makes up for the beard.”
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Three hours later, Niko watched as Calypso’s foal struggled to his feet and took his first toddling steps. He had the coloring of his father, Apollo, the dark, arrogant stallion, and a white star on his nose that exactly matched his mother’s.
Joey knelt quietly in the doorway of the stall. Jax stood behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. Niko snapped a shot of them, catching the reverence and excitement that passed between them. Reva rested her chin on her hands as she peered over the front wall of the box stall, a ghost of a smile on her lips.
After making sure all was well with baby and mother, Carter had headed home to catch some sleep so he could check on the horses early.
“Well, we’ve got our baby, Jojo. What do you think?” Jax asked, stroking a hand through his wife’s hair.
“I think he’s pretty fucking awesome,” Joey said softly. Catching herself too late, she looked over her shoulder. “Shit. Sorry. Pretty freaking awesome.”
Reva gave a soft laugh. “It’s okay. Cale’s asleep.”
Niko snapped the six-year-old curled up on a bale of hay wrapped in an old quilt, sound asleep.
Calypso leaned down to gently nose her foal, and the baby’s tail twitched as if in recognition.
Instant family was fascinating to Niko.
