As we were saying our goodbyes, Mom gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “That boy’s a keeper, Lucy Beth,” and all I could do was nod, knowing she was right.

All the apprehension I felt about telling Mom about the baby vanished when she said those words, but now the closer we get to Gulf Shores and to the other women in his life, the more the tension seeps back in and increases tenfold. I think deep down I always knew that Mom would accept it after her initial shock, and even though Kale’s mom has had plenty of time to prepare herself, I’m still terrified of what she’s going to think of me. Kale tells me not to worry, but it’s been a long time since I did the whole meet-the-parents thing. Aidan constantly bugged me about it, yet it just never felt like the right time—another reason why we didn’t work out. The thing, though, is that with Kale, I want to meet his family. No matter how nervous I feel, I want to be a part of every aspect of his life, especially now that we have something that will connect us for the rest of our lives. Plus, I know how important it will be for all of us if we get along with each other’s families, so for Kale, I’ll put my nerves aside and go into this headstrong. At least that’s what I tell myself.

“What happened to Chatty Cathy?” Kale asks, and I smile sheepishly at him.

“Sorry, babe. I’m just kind of mentally freaking out over meeting my boyfriend’s mother for the first time. How should I greet her? ‘Hi, Grandma’?”

I watch as he throws his head back in laughter, his shoulders shaking. “If you do that, she’ll probably love you forever.” He takes hold of my hand and brings it to his lips, smiling over at me from the driver’s seat. “Seriously, Luce. Relax. She’s been dying for grandchildren, and plus, she’s going to love you no matter what. There’s no way she couldn’t love you. It’ll be fine, I promise.”

I let his words wash over me and try to calm my nerves, at least a little bit. “If you say so.” I’m just glad I’ll have him there by my side the entire time.

He squeezes my hand reassuringly. “I do. Now my sisters are another story.” He whistles, and I can feel the color draining from my face. In all my worry over his mother, I didn’t even take into consideration what his sisters must think of me.

“Oh God, I didn’t even think of them. They’re going to think I’m a slut,” I groan, suddenly wishing I were still back at home dealing with Mom’s wrath instead of having to face three women who’ve had Kale as the number one man in their lives for as long as they can remember.

“Don’t even go there, Lucy. You’re not a slut and they won’t think you’re one. Trust me. My sisters are no innocents, and I’m sure they’ll be more than excited to find out they’re going to be aunts.”

Eyeing him suspiciously, I lean closer to him. “What do you mean? They don’t know already?”

“Nope. Only Mom knows. I didn’t want to start really sharing until you were ready, but it wasn’t something I could hold in. I called Mom the morning I left your apartment, and after I got her to stop squealing in my ear, she agreed not to tell them. I figured we’d tell them in person, like we did with your family. Trust me. They’re going to be thrilled. Stop freaking out.”

My heart fills with pure elation from knowing that he couldn’t contain his excitement about the baby even after I’d kicked him out of my apartment. I don’t know how or why, but Kale’s taken this whole pregnancy thing better than I expected. After watching him with Lily, I knew he’d be a natural. That being said, we’d never talked about our hopes and dreams for the future, so I had no idea if he even had any desire to be a father, to have a family. In the end, he was more ready that I was, and it puts me at ease when I think about my child’s future. He’s going to have the best daddy in the world, and I tell myself that over and over again, trying to push the thoughts of his sisters out of my mind.

I simply nod, letting him know that I’ll try. Leaning my head against the back of the seat, I close my eyes, already feeling exhausted and drained from dealing with one family. As I slowly drift off, the last thought on my mind is that I’m going to need a full day of sleep just to recover from all this anxious excitement.

Just like the scene at my mom’s, Kale’s shaking me to wake me up. “We’re here, sleepyhead,” he informs me.

Stretching out and then wiping my eyes, I look at him apologetically. “Sorry, Kale. Trips in the car have always made me sleepy, and then with this little one draining all my energy, I’m finding it hard to keep my eyes open at the most random times.”

He leans over the seat and gives me a sweet kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry about it. Get as much rest as you need to keep you and Sprout healthy, okay? That’s all that matters.”

Tears start to well in my eyes at the use of our baby’s nickname—one I’m becoming quite attached to. I try to blink them back, but it doesn’t work, and a few trickle down my cheeks. Kale’s hand cups my face as his thumb swipes them away.

“Hey, what’s all that about? I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

I wave him off and start to chuckle. Placing my hand on my stomach almost reverently, I turn to look at him. “Damn hormones. My emotions are all over the place these days. It’s just… I love Sprout. Not just the name, but him. I never thought this was possible, and even though he won’t be here for a long time, I already love him so much, Kale. That probably sounds weird. It’s just that once you gave him a nickname, the reality of it all set in, and I… I’m having a baby. I should be scared, and part of me is. At the same time, I’m thrilled.” I don’t know where all this is coming from, but the admission rolls off my tongue so easily, and I realize it’s true. I’ve always heard mothers talk about the love they feel for their unborn children, but I didn’t think I would really feel anything until he was finally in my arms. In this moment, I’ve realized that definitely isn’t the case. The love I feel for him is immeasurable, and no amount of explaining could ever match up to just how deep this baby has already ingrained himself in my heart. Just like his daddy.

His hand covers mine and he entwines our fingers. “We’re having a baby. It’s okay to be scared. Hell, part of me is, too. I have a feeling that’s natural for first-time parents,” he says, and I instantly feel better about my conflicting emotions. He drops his forehead to mine and looks directly into my eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve opened myself up to love. A long fuc–freaking time. But Sprout gave me no choice. He’s part me. Even better, he’s part you. There’s no way in hell I could ever not love him. It’s probably cheesy, but you know how they talk about love at first sight? I guess it’s like that, yet instead of sight, all it took was knowing he existed for me to be knocked on my ass. You will never know how much I love him, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for giving me the greatest gift a man could get. I only hope I get to show you my appreciation for the rest of our lives.”

A choking sob escapes me as his words wash over me. I understand the implication of them, and it’s not the first time he’s mentioned forever when it comes to us. Part of me is terrified that he’s all caught up in the baby excitement. That one day he’ll realize it isn’t necessarily me that he wants, but Sprout. On the other hand, deep down, I know that’s not Kale. He wouldn’t say something he didn’t mean, so I push my nagging doubts away and throw my arms around him.

“You’re the sweetest man I’ve ever met, Kale Montgomery,” I whisper as I hold him tight. He returns my embrace, and we sit there for a minute just wrapped up in each other. Finally the tears stop flowing and I pull myself back, giving him a teasing smile. “As good as it sounds to have you thanking me from now until forever, it should probably be the other way around. After all, I’m pretty sure it was you who gave it to me.”

He just shakes his head, an amused smile spreading over his face. “I guess you do have a point there. But it takes two, you know, so I guess we’re even. Now let’s get going before Mom sends out a search party.”

The sudden realization that we’re sitting in his mom’s driveway comes to mind, and I’m quick to pull down the mirror on the sunshade to assess the damage of my hormonal episode. Fortunately I’d gone light on the makeup today, and other than red-rimmed eyes, I’m no worse for wear. I smooth out my hair and then get out of the car, blinking when I see the house in front of me.

With all of Kale’s stories about his mom’s quirkiness, the last thing I expected was for her to be living in a quaint beach home, but that’s where we are. The only indication of her personality is the vibrant aqua-blue color of the home that sits between two pastel-yellow houses. It sticks out, but not in a bad way. Even from the outside, it looks warm and inviting, and I can’t wait to explore the inside.

He rounds the car and takes hold of my hand as he leads me to the front porch. Not bothering to knock, he opens the door and we’re immediately accosted by two small dogs who bark to alert the rest of the house of our arrival.

“Poppy! Scout! Sit,” he commands, and both of them immediately stop their prancing around and sit stock-still. He leans down and takes a moment to pet both of them between the ears, and they relish in the attention from him.

When he stands back up, he takes my hand again, and I follow as we walk down a long hallway before entering the kitchen. It’s empty, and Kale’s eyebrows furrow before he lets out a low, “Christ.” He looks at his watch then gives me a sheepish grin.

“Ready?” he asks, and the pit in my stomach begins to grow as rapidly as my heart’s now beating.

Letting out a deep breath, I nod. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I tell him, bringing a hand to my stomach as if I’m trying to get some sort of comfort from Sprout. Strangely, it is a comforting reflex, and I silently whisper thanks to the little bean growing inside me even though he can’t hear me yet.

Kale walks toward the back of the kitchen, where a sliding glass door leads outside to a deck, and he pulls me along with him. Once outside, I feel the chill in the air as goose bumps spread over my skin. The smell of the salt water is welcoming. It’s one I’ve loved ever since growing up in Gulf Breeze. Suddenly I notice Kale waving down the beach, and I follow his gaze. Three lithe women wave back, breaking away from the pose I recognize as vrksasana, or the tree pose in layman’s terms. Charlie and I have been doing yoga since college, and I smile, knowing I have an in with the Montgomery women.

We stand on the deck, watching them as they pack up their stuff and jog up the beach. Before we can brace ourselves, three sets of arms are wrapped around us and we form some sort of really big group hug. I’m caught off guard, having not expected this kind of warm reception, but I wrap my free arm around whoever I can and let myself give in to the moment. It feels good, it feels loving, and I feel at ease. All apprehension fades away as I enjoy the familial embrace.

All too soon, Kale steps back, pulling me with him. I take a moment to study his sisters, remembering he once told me that they’re twins. They’re both tall and lean with auburn-colored hair that shines in the sunlight. When I see his mom, I realize that the girls are nearly carbon copies of her. She’s at least five foot ten with a body to die for, especially for someone her age. Her hair is full of wild red curls, and if I didn’t know better, I wouldn’t believe she’s old enough to have a son who’s nearly thirty.

“Okay, okay. Let’s not crush Lucy or scare her off— at least not until after dinner.”

The women step back, giving quick apologies, and I wave them off, letting them know that I’m fine. Kale’s smiling down at me, and he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me in close. He looks up at his mom and sisters with a huge grin on his face.

“This beautiful woman next to me is my girlfriend, Lucy.”

His sisters move forward, ready to make introductions. “I’m Kalli,” one of them tells me as the other one chimes in, “And I’m Kaylie. We’re identical twins, but you can tell us apart by our eyebrows. Kalli plucks hers way too thin.”

Kalli elbows her sister, causing her to yelp. “At least mine don’t look like caterpillars!”

Her twin starts to argue when their mom steps forward, getting in between them. She doesn’t even have to say a word, and they silence the moment she gives them the look. I’m used to it from my own mom, and I grin, making a mental note to get that look down pat.