Page 56 of Rescuing Erin

“Um?” I could hear the uncertainty in Colin’s response. He must have thought I’d lost my mind. “Are you laughing?”

I nodded.

Yes, I’d gone from bawling my eyes out to cracking up. Olivia, being Olivia, had pulled me from my self-pity that quickly.

“You look like you’ve eaten a beach ball, Livie. You sure you have room in there for food?”

I slowly pulled away from Colin and looked at my beautiful friend. She was glowing. Marriage and motherhood looked great on her.

“I know, right? It’s all the food Leo’s mom force feeds me. I swear they think I’m growing a linebacker.”

“I’ve seen your husband. That’s a strong possibility.”

Olivia’s face broke out in a smile and she held out her hand. “Damn, I’ve missed you. Missed this. Life has been . . . incomplete without you. Now let’s go get me a soda before Leo comes out here.”

“I heard that, tesorino.”

Olivia rolled her eyes even though her husband could see her. “There was no doubt you wouldn’t.”

“You have two more weeks.”

“I’m well aware.” Olivia rubbed her belly. “All ten pounds of her is currently sitting on my bladder.”

“Ten pounds?” I gasped. “Is that possible?”

“I’m joking. At least, I hope I am.”

“Sweet Jesus, I was going to pray for your vagina if that were the case.”

“Um. Not sure what I just walked in on.” Jaxon chuckled when he joined the group. “Violet, Ivy, and Jas are up in Zane’s office. I’ve been sent to tell you that they’re going to eat without you.”

“Damn. You people are serious about your food.”

Liv grabbed my left hand and stared at my ring. “I was getting ready to tell you to hurry up so we could tell you the latest gossip, but it looks like you have some explaining to do, missy.”

“I’ll be in the conference room if you need me,” Colin told me.

“Okay. Love you.”

“You, too, sunshine. Please be careful.”

“I’ll keep an eye on her.” Leo and Colin both groaned. Liv twisted her lips trying to hold back her smile. “What? It’s not like we can get into any trouble in here. This place is like Fort Knox.”

Liv and I left the men standing near the elevator, both of them chuckling and shaking their heads. And just like that, we picked up where we’d left off. Like no time had passed. True friendship can weather time, hurt feelings, and words unsaid. I knew Liv loved me, and she knew I loved her. At the end of the day she was my best friend—my sister. No matter what.

“What took you so long? Ivy wouldn’t tell us her secret until you got back.” A beautiful brunette said.

“Keep your pants on. Vi, Ivy, this is my best friend in the entire world, Erin Anderson, soon-to-be Mrs. Colin Doyle. Erin, this is Ivy, Zane’s woman, and Violet’s man is Jaxon.” Liv pointed to each woman in turn.

That was one of the many things I loved about Olivia. I was simply me, not the first daughter. She never introduced me as anything but Erin.

“And my cousin returns,” Jasmin said from the couch where she sat with the twins on her lap.

She looked damn good for having two babies not too long ago. I hadn’t grown up with Jasmin. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t known she existed until recently. Before her parents, my Aunt Erin and Uncle Robert died, they’d drawn up their will and asked my dad to let their close friend, Noah, raise Jasmin in case anything happened to them. My dad had already begun his political career, and ironically, they didn’t want Jasmin to grow up the way I had. Stuck with guards and living behind a fence. He’d reluctantly agreed and had kept his promise to his sister and hadn’t contacted Jasmin. I never knew Erin and Robert had any children and Jasmin hadn’t known anything about her parents. Now that the secret was out, she and Lincoln had been to the White House a lot. My dad was thrilled she was in our lives, and so was I.

“Hey, Jas. How are my baby cousins?” I smiled at her, then turned to Violet and Ivy. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

“Getting big. Come take one.” Jasmin held out one not so tiny bundle.