Page 42 of Blue Norther
“Missed you, Vee.” The familiar nickname made my throat ache. “Jessie’s been a real pain in my ass lately. Could have used that older-sister energy to put her in her place, you know.”
“I can, with one-thousand percent certainty, say I’d be on Jess’s side when it comes to dealing with you.” I laughed as he stepped back, his hand coming over his heart as his face crumpled in fake pain.
“Ouch.”
“Did I hear my daughter-in-law’s voice? Or am I just losing my mind?” Colt’s dad, Danny, stepped out from the hallway, a dish towel on his right shoulder and aKiss the Cowboyapron tied over his chest. “Well, I’ll be damned. Hey there, honey.”
I waved my hand, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
“Oh, bless us! Violet! Look at you!” Colt’s mother had tears already welling in her eyes as she pulled me into a hug. Dolly had been a second mother to me, really like a true mom, from the very first time I walked into her diner. But once Colt and I became inseparable, she was someone I talked to about everything. Her advice and the wisdom she shared meant everything to me.
“Hi, Dolly. I’ve missed you.”
She released me from the embrace, but her hands landed sternly on my arms. “None of thatDollystuff. I haven’t been Dolly to you in decades. Mama will still do just fine.”
“How about Grammy?” Colt asked from over my shoulder. Dolly’s face turned towards Beckett, who was busy riding back and forth on a rocking horse.
“Of course. You know I love that name. I hope you’ll let the baby call me that too, Violet. You know you’ll always be family. Even after…everything.”
“I appreciate that so much.” I knew what Colt was doing. He was trying to give me the chance to tell them, all of his family, that the baby was his. But I couldn’t get the words out. I felt the heat of their stares all over my skin and I…just couldn’t.
“Well, dinner’s done. Why don’t we all head into the dining room and eat. We have so much to catch up on!” Dolly’s hands waved out in front of her, ushering her family towards the table.
“We do.” Colt chuckled, and I fought the urge to send my elbow into his side. “Just give me and Vi one minute, okay?”
All those eyes were back on me again.God, I couldn’t do this…
One by one, the voices faded into the next room. Colt’s hand landed on my waist, turning me so I was facing him.
“What?” I asked.
“You need to breathe.”
I blew all the air out of my lungs.
“You know,” he chuckled, “I was trying to give you an in there. I basically set it up perfectly for you to give the news.”
“I can’t,” I croaked, scared I might fall with how hard my legs were shaking. “I mean it, Colt. I…you’ve already done so much for me, been so understanding about this situation, but I can’t be the one to tell your family.”
He nodded, pressing a kiss onto the crown of my head. “Alright, sweetheart. I can do that.”
My whole body went gooey at the term of endearment. This man had always been my undoing, and it was clear my body hadn’t forgotten that.
He stepped back, slipping his hand around mine before pulling me into the dining room. I noticed three chairs were empty.
“Where’s Lachlan?” I asked.
“He’s at home. Like always.” Colt shrugged his shoulders.
I expected him to elaborate on that, only he didn’t. He took two more steps into the dining room, and froze.
“Violet and I have an announcement to make.”
My eyes went wide as I watched his family turn, stunned at his booming proclamation.
“I know you all can very well see that Violet is pregnant. And I know that you’ve been walking around me gently since she came back into town and I had my little breakdown.”
Breakdown?I squeezed his hand, and he dropped his gaze from his family to me. “I started to tell you…but after dinner, when we’re back home in bed, I’ll finish the story.”
