Running into Love
Page 33

“It’s all good, calm down.”
“Calm down,” she breathes, staring at me. “Do you not remember when my mom suggested I get knocked up to keep you . . .” She pauses, throwing out her hand and pointing at me. “In front of you?”
“Take a breath.” I grab her hand and pull her to me, then take her face between my palms. “It’s going to be fine . . . promise. I’ll be right back.”
“This is the worst day of my life,” she pouts, closing her eyes. “We should just break up, because obviously fate doesn’t want us together.”
“Christ, you’re cute.” I laugh, kissing her pouting bottom lip quickly. “I’ll be back.”
“If you don’t find me when you get back, look out the window, because I’ve jumped to my death.” Shaking my head at that, I leave her in the bathroom and head out of the room, finding a few people still in the apartment, including Mac, who’s in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. “Do me a favor—go to your sister.”
“Is she okay?” she asks, looking from me to my bedroom door.
“She’s having a panic attack because my family just showed up—they’re downstairs.”
“Seriously, your family is here?” she asks with wide eyes that look just like her sisters’.
“Seriously”—I nod, heading for the door—“I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” she agrees, turning on the coffeepot before heading for my room, looking slightly amused and a little bit worried.
Swinging the front door open, I move to the stairs and jog down, pushing out of the building as soon as I get to the door. The sight that greets me makes me smile. My mom, dad, and brothers, plus their wives and kids, are all here. As happy as I am to see my family, I know this day is going to be a long one, and it’s the first time since meeting Fawn that I’m praying to get called into work. But if I do, I’m taking her with me.
“Mom.” I smile as my mom comes forward, wrapping her arms around me.
“Look at you . . .” She shakes her head. “So handsome.” She kisses my cheek, then lets me go.
“Dad.” I grin at my old man, and he holds out his arms and I walk toward him, hugging him tightly.
He pounds my back two times, muttering, “Son,” before letting me go.
“Uncle Levi,” my niece Madeline says, bouncing at my feet and holding her arms out to me.
“How’s my girl?” I ask, picking her up and swinging her around, listening to her giggle.
“Good.” She smiles, wrapping her arms around my neck and laying her head on my shoulder.
“So Fawn and her family are here?” my brother Lucas asks as his wife, Eva, comes forward to take their daughter, Madeline, from me.
“Yep, and she’s freaking out.”
“I bet,” Allison, my brother Cooper’s wife, says shaking her head at Cooper, who is holding their sleeping ten-month-old son, Jacob, in his arms. “I would totally freak if this kind of thing happened to me.”
“You always freak out.” Allison’s sister, Ruby, snorts, taking nine-month-old Emma from her husband, my brother Cole, as she starts to cry.
“Just keep that in mind when you meet Fawn. She’s a little overwhelmed with all of this.”
“It will be all right, she’ll see,” Mom says, and I nod, knowing she hasn’t met Fawn’s family yet, so she has no idea what she’s saying.
“We need to get the stuff from the car. Do you want to take Emma up for me?” Ruby asks, not giving me much of a choice as she hands the baby over. When my adorable niece’s bottom lip starts to tremble, I look at her mother’s retreating back for help.
“She’ll be okay, it’s just a stage,” Allison says stepping into the building. “Come on, Madeline,” she calls, and Madeline takes off at a run toward her. “Let’s go check out Uncle Levi’s apartment.”
“Okay,” she agrees, and I look at my mom.
“The code for the door is six, seven, three, eight—just punch it in and come on up.”
“Okay.” She smiles, then gets close, taking hold of my biceps to stop me from going in. “How serious is this thing between you and Fawn?”
“Serious, Mom,” I say quietly, and she nods, closing her eyes. “But Mom, play it cool. She’s a little skittish, so don’t freak her out.”
“I won’t freak her out. I don’t even know how to freak someone out.” She rolls her eyes at me, then looks at Emma. “Take her up, it’s too cold for her to be out here.”
“Do you remember the code?”
“Yeah, I remember,” she says over her shoulder as she heads toward where my brothers, dad, and sisters-in-law are all unpacking stuff from the cars they drove here.
“Mama,” Emma says, and I look down at her as she pounds her tiny fist against my chest. “Mama, Mama, Mama.”
“She’s coming, honey.” I kiss her soft forehead as I head up the stairs.
“This is the best day ever. Fawn just told me your family came to surprise you, too,” Katie says, greeting me at the landing between Fawn’s apartment and mine. Her eyes drop to Emma and light up. “Who’s this little angel?”
“This is my niece Emma,” I say, and Emma looks at her with baby curiosity.
“Hi, Emma.” She takes her hand, shaking it. “Oh my, isn’t she pretty.” She pulls her eyes from Emma to look at me. “Now, I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but the sooner you can give me one of these, the happier I’ll be.” When Emma reaches her tiny arms out toward Fawn’s mom, she scoops her up.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I mutter, feeling my lips twitch.
“Mom, what did I say about embarrassing me?” Fawn questions, coming over to stand next to her mom, and I realize that she’s changed out of her T-shirt into a long-sleeved dark-blue button-up top with pleats at the waist that show off her figure, dark jeans, and low-heeled boots. She looks beautiful—but then again, she always does; it doesn’t matter what she wears.
“I’m not embarrassing you, I’m just saying . . . I’d like one day, maybe sooner rather than later, to be a grandma.”
“Mom.” Fawn narrows her eyes.
“Stop raining on my parade,” Katie says, hugging Emma, who is focused on Fawn.
“Utt . . . utt,” Emma says, and Fawn’s eyes go to her and fill with a sweet softness as she reaches out to take Emma’s extended hand.
“That means she wants you,” says Allison, who’s carrying Jacob.
“Baby, this is Allison, my brother Cooper’s wife. Allison, this is Fawn and her mom, Katie.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Allison says quietly before nodding down to Jacob, who is still asleep in her arms. “This is my son, Jacob.”
“Nice to meet you two.” Fawn smiles, then drops her gaze to Madeline when she comes over to me, holding her arms up.
“I’m Madeline. Are you Uncle Levi’s girlfriend?” Fawn laughs.
“I am, and it’s so nice to meet you, Madeline,” she says as her eyes soften.
“You’re pretty,” Madeline states, and everyone laughs.
“Thank you.” Fawn smiles, then looks back at Emma when the baby gets ahold of her sleeve and tugs to get her attention. Taking Emma from Katie, Fawn tucks the baby against her chest and looks down at her, smiling as Emma starts to babble.
“Yes, we definitely need a few of these little angels around,” Katie says, looking her daughter and Emma with hope in her eyes.
“Mom,” Fawn warns.
“An old woman can wish, can’t she?”
“Don’t worry, Levi’s mom is just as bad. Jacob is only ten months old, and she’s already pestering me about having another one,” Allison says, nudging Fawn’s shoulder and gaining a smile from her.
“I do not pester—I merely suggest,” my mom says, coming up the steps carrying a tray of food that I reach out and take from her.
“Suggest every day,” Allison says, and Fawn giggles, making Mom’s face go soft.