“You should put the salmon on now!” she yells, but Jake shoos her away and turns his back on her.
“I’m going to wait an extra two minutes to put the salmon on now.”
“I knew I liked you,” I reply with a smile. “And yes, Cami’s sweet. Are you going to warn me too?”
“‘Too’?”
“Mia and Kat have already pretty much said they’ll cut my balls off if I hurt her.”
“Nah. I’m not going to do that. You’re both adults, and you know what’s what. Besides, they all warned me off of Addie. I’ll never divorce her just to preserve my manhood.”
“If you hurt Blondie,” I reply, perfectly serious, “you won’t have to worry about your manhood. I’ll simply kill you and make it look like an accident.”
“Point taken.” Jake laughs and pulls the meat off the grill. “Come on, let’s listen to Mia tell me all about how I did this wrong.”
“I just don’t want any wine,” Addie says, and looks to Jake for help when we step inside. “Seriously, babe, they won’t leave me alone.”
“You know, peer pressure is bad,” I say slowly. “Just in case you forgot from when you were teenagers.”
“Addie loves wine,” Kat insists, but Cami’s watching with a thoughtful gaze. She’s rubbing her lips with her fingertip. She glances over at me and gives a slight nod, and I know what she’s thinking.
I know what’s happening here. Just wait and see.
“So tell them,” Jake says with a shrug. “I told you to tell them a month ago.”
“Holy Mary, Mother of God!” Mia shrieks. “You knocked her up!”
Cami grins. Everyone gasps and stares at Addie wide-eyed as tears gather in her pretty blue eyes.
“He totally knocked me up,” she says, getting choked up. “Isn’t it just the sweetest thing ever?”
The girls squeal and rush over to Addie to give hugs and kisses and belly rubs.
“How long?” Riley asks.
“Do you throw up all the time?” Cici asks.
“I want to throw the baby shower!” Cami says.
“I feel great,” Addie says, and smiles brightly at Jake as he walks over and kisses her cheek, then hugs her from behind. “I’m about three months along. I wanted to make sure everything was okay before we announced it. I know, that seems silly because it’s you guys, but—”
“We get it,” Riley says, patting Addie’s hand.
When the girls are all finished fussing over Addie, I saunter over and pull her in for a big hug. “I’m so happy for you, Blondie.”
“Thank you, handsome.”
“You should stop wearing those shoes. You don’t want to fall and hurt yourself.” The room goes absolutely quiet at my statement, and then all of the girls bust up laughing.
“You’re so sweet,” Addie says, patting my cheek like I’m a little boy who just said something funny. “But you’ll get my sexy shoes off my cold, dead feet.”
“Addie and Cami are very serious about their shoes,” Kat says.
“And you’re not?” Cami asks Kat, looking pointedly down at her cherry-red high heels.
“Not like you guys. You make shoe shopping into an Olympic sport. Have you seen Cami’s shoe-closet dream board on Pinterest?” Kat asks me.
“No,” I reply, smiling at Cami as she blushes.
“Oh God, you have to see it,” Riley says as Jake motions for all of us to file through the kitchen and dish up buffet-style. “The girl knows how to daydream about a pretty closet.”
“My shoes deserve a pretty closet,” Cami says softly, then latches on to my arm and buries her face in my shoulder. God, she’s funny. “I spend a fortune on them,” she mumbles into my shirt.
“I want to go play in Addie’s closet. Since we’re here anyway,” Mia says, and sniffs at the salmon. “These spent about a minute too long on the grill.”
“Sorry, chef,” Jake says, and rolls his eyes. “Eat steak instead.”
“I’m trying to steer clear of red meat,” Mia mumbles, and takes a piece of salmon, along with salad. No dressing. My heart hurts a bit for my sister. She’s beautiful, extra pounds and all, but she’s beat herself up for not being thin enough her whole life. “Addie, let’s go stare at your shoes after dinner.”
“We can totally do that,” Addie says happily, shoving mashed potatoes in her mouth. “God, I’m hungry.”
“I was constantly hungry when I was pregnant,” Cici says with a laugh. “I gained ninety pounds with my first.”