Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78793 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 315(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Me: Lies! You said you would tell us.
Corie: Sorry, toots. Nothing fancy. No cake or balloons for the big reveal. We just want everyone we love there to hear it together. Well, outside of Knox’s parents, of course. We called them.
Rowan: Rude.
Corie: Love you, ladies. See you Saturday at 6:00. Don’t be late.
I’m smiling down at my phone. I’m so happy for my best friend. It feels like I’m the one getting to announce the gender of my pregnancy. I’m so invested in her happily ever after. They deserve this and so much more.
I hit her contact, and she answers with a laugh. “Love you, Sloane,” she says, and even without the laugh, I can hear how happy she is.
“You can tell me. I can keep it a secret,” I tell her.
“Nope. Knox and I want to tell everyone together.”
“Corrriieeee,” I whine, and she laughs harder.
“It’s just a few more days.”
“It’s Tuesday.”
“You’ll be fine.” She giggles.
“I’m so happy for you, bestie. Truly. I love this for you. You’re gonna be a momma, Core.”
“I know,” she says, her voice cracking.
“Fine, I’ll give in to your demands,” I tease. “What can I do to help on Saturday?”
“Nothing. We have it all under control. I’m going to make pulled pork in the Crock-Pot, baked potatoes, and some other sides. All Crock-Pot stuff that doesn’t take much effort.”
“Fine, I’ll bring the dessert.”
“If you insist. Maybe some of the cookies that Knox said you made for the guys? He said they were delicious.”
I laugh. “Cam and I made cookies one afternoon. Well, Baker helped once he got home. Camden will be thrilled that we get to make another batch. He’s my little helper in the kitchen.”
“How’s that going?” Corie asks.
“He’s an angel,” I reply, knowing that’s not what she’s asking.
“And his daddy?” she prompts.
“He’s important.”
“Sloane, it’s me. You knew all my shit with Knox. Why are you holding back on me?”
“Because he makes me smile, Core. I’m happy here. I don’t miss teaching. I loved my students, but being here and taking care of Camden feels like what I am meant to be doing. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s the truth. It feels like this is where I was always meant to be.”
“I love this for you,” she says, emotion in her tone.
“I don’t know how I’ve been around him all these years and never fell for him, but here I am, and, Corie, it’s one of those situations that if this ends, I won’t recover. Losing both of them would shatter my heart.”
“You can’t think that way. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Baker is not someone to play games. He wasn’t before Camden, and he’s especially not now.”
“I know. He hasn’t been with anyone since Natasha,” I tell her, and immediately regret it. “I shouldn’t have told you that. Please don’t say anything.”
“Sloane, I’m your best friend. I’m not going to say anything, and that doesn’t surprise me. He was never big on sleeping around. And when he found out he was going to be a dad, he was all in with that little guy. Baker doesn’t do anything halfway. Trust that this is going to work. Give it your all so if you ever have to look back, you can say with certainty that you gave it everything. Sometimes things don’t work out, and life has other plans, but, babe, I feel good about this.”
“Me, too,” I confess. “I do, and I care about both of them so much. Camden, he’s stolen my heart, and I think that’s why I’m still a little cautious, but I’m not letting it hold me back. Baker and I have said that we’ll always be honest with each other, and we talked a lot about how it’s not just him, but Camden, too, and I’m in this. I’m so in this, I don’t know where he ends and I begin.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that we’ll have a wedding to plan soon. Just remember, your bestie is twenty weeks pregnant when you set a date,” she teases.
I chuckle. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Perfect. All right, I need to get back to work.”
“Have a good day. If there’s anything else I can bring for Saturday, let me know.”
“You got it. Thanks, Sloane,” she says, before ending the call.
After placing my phone back on the counter, I get started on dinner. It’s a taco recipe that I saw online. You’re supposed to use beef, but I’m using chicken to make it healthier for Baker. It’s basically shredded hashbrowns, chicken, and cheese with taco seasoning. It's not the most nutritious meal, but it’s yummy, and Baker has assured me that a few cheat meals won’t hurt him.
I check the chicken that’s been in the Crock-Pot for a couple of hours. It’s almost ready to be shredded. Then I’ll combine all the ingredients, cook for two hours on high, and dinner is served.