Fight with Me
Page 31

And we have the same genes, so he’s hot in a he’s-my-brother-and-he’s-gross-to-me-but-all-of-America-wants-to-bang-him kind of way.
It runs in our family.
“I enjoyed last season,” Nate states as he holds out his hand for Will to shake.  Oh, he’s good.
“Yeah?  Why’s that?” Will asks and shakes his hand.
“Well, we kicked Green Bay’s ass, you didn’t get injured, and you helped me win a bunch of money during the playoffs. Next season looks promising.” Nate replies.
“He can stay,” Will declares and goes back inside to find food.
One brother down, three to go.
And my dad.
I need a drink.
Nate winks at me and slides his arm around my waist.  “Stop worrying,” he whispers.
“I’m not worried.” I lie.
He laughs and I lead us back inside so I can put some music on.  Will is eating a bowl of spinach dip with corn chips and talking with our brother, Matt.  Matt is the most laid back of my brothers, and I know he’ll be polite to Nate.  Matt gestures for Nate to join them, and I breathe a sigh of relief while I plug my iPod into the sound system and bring up the playlist I made for today.
Adele starts to croon about finding someone like you and I turn as Nat and Luke walk into the room.
Well, Nat waddles.
“I love this song,” she says as she hands Luke her coat and hugs me close.  She’s adorable in a black maternity dress and black flats.
I rub my hands over her belly and laugh.  “You play Adele for this baby way too much.  She’s going to be born bitter and angry at men.  Give the poor girl a fighting chance, Nat.”
“Hey, Adele is brilliant.”
“I agree, but start the baby out with something more optimistic.”
“It’s beautiful in here,” Natalie kisses my cheek and I grin.
“I know.  Alecia, my new bff, is brilliant.  Wait until you see outside.”  I glance over at Nate, to make sure no one has killed him and hid the body, but he’s joking and eating with Matt and Will and my dad and Luke have joined them, and my dad seems relaxed and cool.
Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.
“Nate seems to be enjoying himself,” Natalie murmurs.
“So far, so good, but Caleb’s not here yet.”
“Oh,” she says.
Yeah.  Oh.
“Come on,” I grab her hand and pull her out into the tent.
“Oh, Jules, this is just…” she stops and takes in the pretty party room and bursts into tears.  “I love you so much.”
“Nat, don’t cry.  Don’t cry.”  I hug her close and rub her belly.
“I’m not sad; I’m so fucking hormonal I cry during Doritos commercials.”  She sniffs and wipes the tears from her cheeks.  “This is really wonderful.  I have a crush on Alecia now.”
“Me too,” I laugh.
We wander back inside and I see that my eldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy and my niece Sophie are here.  I scoop the sweet baby girl into my arms and blow kisses in her neck, making her giggle.
“Hey, Nate!” I call across the room and motion for him to join me.  He excuses himself from the guys and joins me, placing his hand at the small of my back.
Isaac frowns and eyes Nate up and down, and I roll my eyes.
“Nate, I’d like to introduce you to my oldest brother, Isaac, his wife Stacy, and my gorgeous niece, Sophie.”
Sophie immediately holds her arms out to Nate to hold her and he responds without hesitating, bracing her on his forearm, and spreading his other big hand along her back to hold her steady.
Oh my.
“Wow,” Stacy says with a laugh, rubbing her own round belly. She’ll be having their second baby in just a few months. “That’s a first.  Soph’s been going through a stranger danger phase lately.  She doesn’t usually go to anyone she doesn’t know.”
“I’m good with kids.” Nate shrugs and smiles at Sophie.  “Hey, gorgeous.” Sophie squeals with delight and slaps his cheek.
Is there no woman in the universe that Nate can’t charm?
Probably not.
“Where are Brynna and the girls?” I ask Stacy. Her cousin, Brynna, and Brynna’s five-year-old twin girls recently moved back to Seattle from Chicago.
“The girls have colds, so she decided to keep them home,” Stacy replies.
Isaac hasn’t said anything, he’s just watched Nate with his daughter, but finally looks over to me and gives me a slight nod.
Nate has passed the test with three brothers and my father.
Maybe Caleb won’t show up.
Luke’s parents arrive along with Luke’s older sister, Sam.  His younger brother, Mark, is on a fishing trip up north, so he won’t be joining us. I make more introductions as Natalie joins the boys around the food to chat and snack.
Nate keeps a firm grip on Sophie, who has now laid her sweet little blonde head on his shoulder, as he shakes everyone’s hands.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Nate,” Luke’s mom, Lucy, says and winks at me.
“Definitely great to meet you, Nate,” Sam agrees and smiles at me with the look that says I-so-want-details-later.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Julianne,” Nate says and kisses Sophie’s cheek before handing her back to Stacy.  “Should we move this party to the tent?  There’s more seating out there.”