by Jiffy Kate
Soon, we’re all seated at the dining room table, passing around plates and bowls of delicious food and having loud conversations. Before the baby is big enough to sit at the table, we’re going to have to get a bigger one. There’s not an empty seat. We have to add an extra seat from the breakfast nook as it is when we’re all here, which is often. On nights that Grace and Will join us, we send Jack and Emmie to the bar to eat.
“So, when do we get to cut the cake?” Jack asks as he’s shoveling food into his mouth.
“Manners, Jack!” my sister admonishes.
“Just like his father,” I contribute, shaking my head in mock disgust.
“I’m going to have to thoroughly kick your ass later,” Ben says, never looking up from his plate.
“Language!” Liza says, slapping her hand down on the table.
“That’s a dollar, Dad!” Emmie tells him.
“I said ass! It’s in the Bible,” Ben says, rolling his eyes in frustration.
“Is it okay for Emmie and Jack to say?” Liza asks, trying to make her point.
“So, when are we cutting the cake?” Ben asks, attempting to take the attention off of himself.
As soon as everyone finishes, we quickly clear the table and bring in the cake. The excitement and anticipation are written all over every face around the table.
A flutter of nerves hits me.
Every ultrasound and doctor’s appointment has made it feel more and more real, but this?
This makes it so fucking real.
I’m going to be a dad.
“Are we ready?” Loren asks, smiling over at me.
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” I tell her, meaning that on so many levels.
I look up and see my mom holding her hand over her mouth. Liza is leaning over on Ben’s shoulder, while Ben hasn’t taken his eyes off the cake. Olivia is holding Wyatt’s hands, practically bouncing out of her seat. Emmie has her eyes closed, and her fingers crossed, saying a silent prayer, and Jack is just sitting there, mimicking his dad’s stare-down with the cake.
“Go on. Let’s see what we’re having.”
Loren’s smile is so wide that it causes her eyes to crinkle at the edges, and they glisten in the warm light.
“I love you,” I mouth to her. She leans over and kisses my cheek, whispering it back to me in my ear.
As the knife cuts through the cake, I close my eyes, wanting to stay in the dark for just a few seconds longer.
“It’s a girl!” Loren exclaims, placing the first piece of cake on a plate before turning and kissing me soundly. The entire table erupts in cheers and congratulations—hugs, kisses, and tears of joy.
Today is one of the best days of my life. Every best day has included Loren, but this one is extra special because now we know that pretty soon, we’ll have a sweet baby girl to love.
I hope she looks just like her mama.
Maybe we’ll name her Ania.
IN CASE YOU didn’t notice, there are two of us.
We’re both from the south, one just a little further than the other.
Jiff was born and raised in Louisiana. She’s now living in Texas with her two teenagers and two bulldogs, Georgia Rose and Jake. She loves purple, 80’s movies, and geeking out at Comic Cons.
Jenny Kate was born and raised in Oklahoma. She’s the mom of a twelve-year-old and two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Wrigley and Oliver. She loves Kris Bryant, the Chicago Cubs, and coffee.
Some people think we’ve been friends forever, but in reality, we’ve only known each other for five years. Four of those years, we’ve spent spinning tales and writing words. Our first published book, Finding Focus, was released in November 2015.
If you like romance set in the south, then you’ll love our southern fried fiction with heart and soul.
Connect with us
www.jiffykate.com
or find us on
www.facebook.com/jiffykatewrites
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www.goodreads.com/jiffykate
Facebook Reader’s Group—Jiffy Kate’s Southern Belles
First and foremost, we’d like to thank our families. You’re the ones who have to put up with our lack of domesticity while writing words. Thank you for being so understanding and willing to make yourselves meals and play hours of Minecraft and watch dozens of videos on YouTube while we write.
For this story, our team of support started long before these pages were ever published. So, we’d like to thank the people who’ve been there since the beginning. Our kick-ass beta, Christine, and our amazing pre-readers, Pamela and Rachel, thank y’all so much for your expertise and time.
We’re so grateful for our editor, Nichole, at Perfectly Publishable. You’re so good at coaching us in the right direction and giving us a pep talk when we need it, and most importantly, you make our words shine.
Christine, our formatter, and the other half of Perfectly Publishable, you’re a beam of sunshine. You have been a godsend from the very beginning. We’re still in debt to Heather Maven for putting us in contact with you. Thank you for always being so generous with your time and for making our pages pretty.
Jada, thank you for another gorgeous cover!
And vodka. Always vodka. Vodka gets us through the hardest parts.
Also, a special shout-out to Amanda Daniel and MaryLee Teneyuque Huerta, for being some of our first pre-readers when we decided to publish this story. You’re awesome! Thank you for your time and feedback.
And there is no better pimp than Lynette Nichols! We’re so happy you’re our friend and that you love our stories! We love you! Thanks for always being willing to help and read our words and telling everyone about them.
Thank you to THE FANDOM (you know who you are) for accepting and loving this story. It was a risk for us to write TOO and, now because of you, we can take an even bigger risk and put this story out for everyone to read. We’re forever grateful for all you’ve done for us.
If you’ve made it this far, bless your heart.
We’re so thankful for you, our readers. Writing is what we love to do, but having people read our words is what makes it worthwhile. If you loved this book or even liked it a little, we’d love to hear from you! Your reviews make our day.
Until next time,
Jiff and Jenny Kate