Moments of Julian Read Online Free PDF Page A

and pulling out a chair. She collapses onto it and
props her feet up on Drake’s lap, who is sitting next to Dad and
Kale. They are looking at something on the computer. She pushes a
lock of blond hair off her forehead. “Things are good. Kids are
crazy as usual.” As if on cue, Lucian goes tearing through the
kitchen again, this time with a sword and a shield. I can only hope Pay is
still in her hiding place. “Babies seem to be growing fine. Drake’s
doing good,” she adds with a smile and pokes him in the stomach
with her foot. He smiles in return and squeezes it.
    They’re ooey, gooey romancey in love,
even after all this time.
    “ How long until you find
out if they are boys or girls?” I pull out one of the bar stools
and try to sit on it. It’s hard to balance when wearing
heels.
    “ Well, I’m only about
fourteen week’s right now, and they can’t tell unless you’re at
least seventeen, so a few more weeks.” She smiles and rubs a hand
over her stomach. It’s growing quickly since she’s carrying two of
them. I’m not sure how she’s going to fit two babies in that tiny
frame of hers. I fear she may explode.
    Some very small part of me wishes I
were domestic. The thought of raising babies and cooking meals and
eagerly waiting for the love of your life to return home from a
hard day at work does have a certain appeal.
    I’m just not made that way. I love my
niece and nephew, but having children of my own? Staying at home
all day? I can’t imagine that will ever be enough for
me.
    “ Well,” I say, pulling
myself back into the present. “I, for one, am thrilled you’re
having two more kiddo’s. I hope it is one of each. I could use a
few more nieces and nephews.”
    “ Have you met my
children?” Drake says with exhaustion evident in his voice. “You do
realize you are going to be the first person I call to babysit
my four children.”
    “ I wouldn’t mind,” I say
with a coy grin. “I get all the fun, cool aunt, rambunctious
playing parts, and then hand them back when they get out of
control.”
    “ Oh, thanks,” Kaylee says,
with a shake of her head and a laugh.
    “ Enough with the banter,”
Mom says, wiping her hands on a towel. “Let’s eat. Lucian!
Pay!”
    Instantly, the kids appear in the
kitchen. They both well know that when Nana says something, you’d
best listen.
    The kids are dished up and then the
adults are let to dig in. While the kids camp out at the small
table in the middle of the kitchen, daringly out of sight behind
the bar, us grown-ups gather around the table.
    “ Has anyone heard from
Lake lately?” I ask. I push a potato in my mouth, determined not to
worry about the calories for just today.
    “ We actually Skyped with
him yesterday,” Mom says as she wipes her mouth with a napkin.
“He’s getting a month long leave in five weeks. He flies into
SeaTac two days before Independence Day.”
    “ Kale, maybe you and Sage
could pick him up from the airport?” Dad says. “I’ve got a doctor’s
appointment that I had to schedule two months ago and I really
didn’t want to have to reschedule. Your mother’s got to drive
me.”
    “ Is it anything serious?”
I ask, setting my fork down as my brows draw together.
    Dad shakes his head. “Just one of
those embarrassing appointments you have to make when you start
getting old.”
    “ Well, thank heavens
you’re just getting old,” I tease. “And it’s not something we have
to be concerned over.”
    “ Little brat,” Dad says,
smiling as he scowls at me.
    “ Brat is a bad word, Mom
said!” Pay suddenly yells from behind the bar.
    Everyone bursts into laughter and Dad
shouts an apology.
    “ So,” Mom says,
redirecting the amusement. “Sage, can you and Kale pick Lake up? I
know you’ve got work.”
    “ What time?” I ask as I
pick my fork up again.
    “ I think he said he’ll get
in around three.”
    I nod as I swallow the mouthful of
delicious pot roast. “That should be fine. I’ll only