“Every other Saturday, but Kelly had to go out of town for a little while so I’m taking the weekends off until she gets back.” Brody followed Avery into the living room. Lily still hopped up and down on two feet with boundless energy two-year-olds were so famous for. Mason had left Tyler’s lap and directed his attention to the cartoon. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”

“They’re really good at entertaining themselves. Except when Lily is having a terrible-two moment or Mason won’t take his nap, like he’s supposed to be doing right now.”

The tow-headed mini-version of Chase tried to mimic Lily’s bouncing but was much less coordinated on his stubby legs. Tyler picked up a toy football and tossed it in Mason’s direction, hoping to snag the toddler’s interest. Mason spared the ball a quick glance before returning his attention to the television.

“I came by to see Lacy. How’s she doing?”

Avery handed the cup to Mason and the crackers to Lily. “She took about a two-hour nap this morning. I think she’s drawing right now.” An amused grin lit up Avery’s face. “I feel so bad for her. I know she’s dying to get out of that bed. And I know it’s killing her not being able to take care of Mason.”

Brody settled on the ottoman in front of the couch. “I’m sure she appreciates all you’re doing, though.”

Avery glanced at the children. “It’s the least I could do. Besides, I know she’d do the same for me.”

The two women had hit it off as sisters-in-law. Lily had only been about a year old when Mason had been born, and the two children had fast become good playmates. Then Lacy got pregnant with twins on hers and Chase’s belated honeymoon, and Avery selflessly offered to help out with Mason while Chase was at work.

Mason let out an ear-piercing squeal when Lily took the toy football right out of his hands. Big, fat tears rolled down the boy’s face. Avery dropped to her knees in front of her daughter. “We talked about how to play nice, remember, Lily? Mason had the ball first and you need to wait your turn. And we ask; we don’t just take.” She turned Lily to face her bawling cousin. “Now give the ball back to Mason like a good girl.”

Mason reached his chubby little fingers out to swipe the ball from Lily’s grasp. The two-year-old held the ball just out of Mason’s reach and stuck her bottom lip out. Mason’s white-blond eyebrows tugged together in a thunderous scowl. He stomped his feet and tried once again to get the ball back.

“Lily,” Avery commanded in a firm voice. “If I have to start counting, you’re going to lose a sticker on your chart today. You know what happens when you lose all your stickers.”

Lily dropped the ball on the carpet and walked to the couch so she could bury her face in the cushions. She sobbed like her poor little heart had been broken in two from having to give up a ball neither of the kids had been interested in a moment ago. Brody chuckled when Avery rolled her eyes.

“Maybe Noah and I won’t be having more kids after all.”

“Why are they so cranky?” Tyler asked Avery.

Avery glanced at her daughter, who still had her head buried in the couch. “They haven’t had their naps today. Lily thinks she’s too old and I can’t get her to lie down anymore. Mason screamed for twenty minutes before I got him up.”

Brody’s gaze followed Tyler as the boy wandered into the kitchen for something to eat. “That must have been rough, dealing with two cranky kids.”

Avery lifted one shoulder in an elegant shrug. She pulled Lily into her lap when the girl finally calmed down. “I can handle it. My main concern is keeping the peace for Lacy. After the twins come she won’t have time to lie around anymore.”

“Something tells me Lacy will welcome it.” Brody left Avery to the two kids while he walked down the hallway to see Lacy. His sister-in-law was propped against the wooden headboard with a sketch pad resting on her enormous belly. The pencil in her hand flew over the paper as she drew whatever image was in her mind.

As teenagers they’d been close friends and had developed a brother-sister bond. Being gone from Trouble for college hadn’t weakened their bond one bit. After Lacy had returned to Trouble several years ago, the two of them had instantly reconnected. Lacy understood him probably better than anyone else and was the only person who saw through him. At first, he’d been taken aback when he learned of her relationship with his brother Chase. But he’d gotten over that quickly and had nothing but happiness for them when they’d married a year and a half ago, after Mason had already been born.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said when he walked through the bedroom door.

Her eyes lifted to his and an ear-to-ear grin broke across her face. “It’s about time you came to see me. What was all that screaming about?”

He sat next to her on the edge of the bed. “Just a domestic dispute between two cousins. How’re you holding up?”

She set her sketch pad aside. “Let’s see, I feel like a beached whale, I don’t sleep worth a damn, and I have never-ending heartburn. Other than that, I feel great.”

He flicked the tip of her nose. “You’re such a ray of sunshine.”

Her grin widened. “I know.”

“Maybe you should go on birth control.” The twins she carried had been a surprise, along with their older brother Mason.

“I was on birth control when I got pregnant with the twins. It didn’t work.” She picked at the balls of lint on the ancient blanket covering her belly. “I blame your brother completely.”

Such was the way with women. This was what Brody needed to keep his mind off Elisa: a little dose of a cranky pregnant woman.

“I feel bad that Avery has to sit here day after day dealing with my cantankerous son.”

“I don’t think she minds.”

Lacy shifted her position on the bed and rested both her hands on top of her belly. “I know, but she’s giving up so many hours at the youth center to help me out. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her.”

Brody smiled to reassure Lacy. “I guess it’s lucky for you she’s on a volunteer basis. Avery says the kids keep each other entertained.”

The mother-to-be sighed. “I’ll be glad when this one’s over. I am not having any more kids for a while.”

He tugged on a strand of her long hair. “That’s what you said after Mason was born. I give you six months before you’re pregnant again.”

She slapped his hand away. “No way. I had good intentions though.”

He lifted a brow. “So did I. Good intentions only get you so far.”

“Not everything is your fault, Brody.” She placed a comforting hand on his arm. “You did what you could.”

Doing everything he could hadn’t been enough. He hadn’t been able to keep his family together, and he was struggling to keep the restaurant afloat.

“What’s eating you?” Lacy asked him.

“What do you mean?” Were all the past weeks of stress and sleepless nights starting to show on the outside?

“Something’s on your mind.” When he didn’t answer her, she pressed on. “Chase said things at the restaurant aren’t going well.”

“Actually I think they’re taking a turn for the better. We filled more than half our tables last night.” They hadn’t had that many diners in more than two months. Brody only hoped it was sign things would get better. He filled Lacy in on what Chase hadn’t already told her, about promoting Anthony and the disagreement with his father. “Now I just don’t know how to spread the word about the new menu. I can’t seem to get another reviewer in there.”

Lacy leaned her head back against the headboard. “You know, Avery mentioned earlier that she’s organizing a fundraiser for their summer camps. She said she’s been having a hard time finding a caterer.”

He studied his sister-in-law for a moment. “Are you saying you think we should cater for the youth center?”

She shrugged one shoulder beneath her old shirt. “Their fundraisers are always a pretty big deal. The last one I went to had half the town there. It could be a good way to spread the word about the new food.”

He considered the option for a moment. The youth center where Avery volunteered was the only one in town and generally got a lot of recognition and donations from people. And Lacy was right; its fundraisers usually had a pretty good turnout. If the Golden Glove provided the food for one of those all-day events, they could potentially make a favorable impression on half the town. He’d have to convince Avery, then pitch the idea to his father.

“That’s not a bad idea,” he told Lacy.

She rubbed her belly like it was a Buddha statue. “See? I am good for something other than birthing children.”


“Dad, look at Mason.” Brody walked back into the living room just as Tyler gestured toward the couch and then disappeared in the kitchen again. Chase and Lacy’s hell-raiser son had crawled onto the couch and passed out cold, with one chubby leg hanging off the edge. The corner of Brody’s mouth turned up at the sight that reminded him so much of Tyler at that age.

“Knocked himself out, did he?” Brody asked.

“Just as I knew he would.” Avery perched on the edge of the couch and ran a hand through Mason’s baby-fine hair. “He’s a sweet boy.”

Brody stood in the middle of the living room and studied Avery as she stroked the boy’s hair. She was so patient and natural with kids. The dispute between Lily and Mason could easily have escalated to full-blown tantrums. She’d diffused the situation as though she hadn’t given the problem a second thought.

“When are you and my brother going to be adding to your family?”

Avery kept her attention on the sleeping toddler. “Whenever nature decides to bless us with another.”