"It's a grandmother's right. Besides, you know she won't wake. She sleeps like … a baby." Callie's free-spirited mother could be surprisingly adamant when it came to her only grandchild. And she took sly delight in pushing any advantage she could over her new son-in-law. It was a subtle interplay they both seemed to enjoy.
Smiling down at his daughter, Nick reluctantly relinquished her, then took the opportunity to come and sit beside Callie. Beneath the table, he laced his fingers through hers and they watched as Gypsy sashayed around the gathering showing off her granddaughter to renewed oohs and ahhs. She paused beside Michael, who was flirting shamelessly-but to no visible effect-with Shannon.
Callie leaned in to Nick. "I'm so glad Shannon could come over for this. She's loving running the New Zealand office."
"You knew she would."
"And with the new designer they've taken on, they may not even need me to come back."
"We'll all always need you. Just remember, the freedom to choose is yours."
"I know." Callie turned to Melody seated beside her, before the love in Nick's eyes had her taking his hand to leave the celebration early. "How are you doing?" she asked, looking at where Mel's fingers rested over her gently pregnant belly.
"We're doing good." Mel was under the close watch of her obstetrician and had so far breezed through the pregnancy. But they were taking no chances. "Everything's progressing as it should." She leaned in a little closer. "I felt the first movements yesterday." Her smile proclaimed her joy. Mel turned that smile on Jason, as he came to stand behind her, resting his hands possessively on her shoulders, massaging gently. He bent his head between Callie and Mel. "Rosa's knitting again," he whispered as though revealing an addict's relapse. "More booties."
Nick laughed. "Rosa," he called down the table, "you have to stop knitting. There are only so many booties a baby needs."
Rosa smiled, a knowing twinkle in her dark eyes, and spoke into a lull in the conversation. "But twins need so much more."
A sudden hush fell over the table. Melody and Jason looked at one another, eyes wide and smiles even wider. "Guess that saves us deciding when to share that particular news." Mel reached up to cover Jason's hand with one of her own.
That night, as Nick and Callie stood looking down at their daughter sleeping in her crib, Callie turned to him. "Are there any more Brunicadi predictions I should know about?"
Nick touched a finger to her cheek, and his eyes darkened, even as his dimple appeared. Callie couldn't stop the bone-deep reaction that was as swift as it was powerful.
"Yes," he said as he reached for her hand. "I have a feeling it's going to be a very good night."