Page 84 of Wild King
This is news to me. What am I not remembering?
“We were just there for Thanksgiving last week. Why do we have to go back there tonight?” I ask as I follow her into our bedroom.
She searches through the closet looking for something to wear to whatever this event is that I’ve completely forgotten and explains, “I can’t believe you forgot. They’re having the entire family over tonight. They said it’s a surprise, but I think I figured it out.”
The mention of this sparks a memory, but I still don’t recall us agreeing to drive all the way out to their house on a Friday night. “Okay. I think I remember. What’s the surprise you figured out?”
Salem leans back and smiles. “Ava’s pregnant again, I think.”
“Really?” I ask, stunned by this news. “Does my brother know?”
I think if Matthias had even the tiniest clue he was going to be a father for a second time, he would have been screaming it from the rooftops. He talks almost nonstop about Theo and shows dozens of pictures every time he’s around anyone.
“I would think so, Kellen. He was there when it happened. I highly doubt she’s kept it from him. That’s why I think they wanted all of us out there. Marius and Ronan will be at the house too. I swear we had an entire conversation about this earlier in the week. We were right there in bed when I told you Ava texted me about this.”
Walking up behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to me. “See, that explains it. We were in bed. I can’t be held responsible for not remembering you telling me something when we’re naked. It’s a rule.”
She turns in my hold and chuckles. “It’s a rule? Who made that rule up?”
“Men. We have a hard time focusing on anything when the woman we love is naked next to us. I don’t make these rules, Salem. I just live by them.”
Grimacing, she hums, “Hmmm…this does not sound like a real rule of life, but I’ll allow it. Nevertheless, you need to get dressed so we can leave. It’s going to take us ages just to get out of the city.”
I nuzzle her neck, smelling that soft perfume she wears that drives me crazy. “I’d rather stay right here and get naked so I can forget more things you tell me. I’ll call my brother and pretend you had to work late so we can’t come up until tomorrow. I’m sure they can give us the good news on a Saturday.”
That gets me the Salem look of disapproval, which means I need to get dressed to go listen to my brother and Ava surprise us with something I already know. “Okay, okay. Driving out to the house is what we’ll do.”
“Thank you. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
She returns to searching for what she thinks is the perfect outfit, so I kiss her neck once more on the off chance that will convince her to bail on this whole family affair, but it doesn’t work. “By the way, I love you.”
Looking back at me, she smiles. “I love you too, Kellen. And I promise when we get back, we’ll spend all weekend in bed so you can forget a ton more things.”
“Perfect.”
The things we do for love.
Marius and Ronanare sitting near the fireplace in the living room when we get to Matthias and Ava’s, so when Salem starts chatting with Eleanor and Ava’s friend Eden, I make a beeline to my brothers to find out what’s been going on with them.
“The latest casualty in the war between the sexes,” Marius says in his usual tone of disgust when it comes to love. Or romance. Or anything close to it.
“Give me a break, okay? You live with a woman like Salem and see if you don’t fall head over heels for her. What can I say? It was my time.”
Both my brothers look at one another and then back at me. “I get it. I’m not sure I thought you two would move in together so soon, but I get it,” Ronan says.
“That’s because you’ve been whipped since you dated that Kate girl in high school. Even then, you were a sucker for love,” Marius says before taking a drink of what looks like whisky.
Time to change the subject before he starts in on how love is for fools. Whenever he gets too much booze in him, it’s always the same tune. Love sucks. Women are succubi. He’s never going to be tied down. It’s the same old thing with him every time.
“So what’s the surprise here tonight? They get you guys to fly in from all parts of the world, so it must be big.”
The two of them shrug and shake their heads. “No idea. Ava looks very happy, so maybe it’s another baby? She really does seem to love being a mom,” Ronan says.
“That’s my guess,” Marius adds.
The three of us watch Matthias bounce his son on his knee and talk babytalk to him before looking at one another and smiling. “Have you ever seen him so happy? Who knew all it took was reproducing a son that looks just like him?” I say with a chuckle.
“That’s why I think it might be that they’re having another baby,” Ronan says. “I guess with a house like this the need to fill it with people comes over you. It seems to have come over Mom and Dad.”