Southern Playboy (North Carolina Highlands 4)

“Uh-oh. Y’all are in trouble.”

“No kidding.” Maisie starts to fuss, so Annabel puts her back in the water and turns her attention to me. “I’m glad we’re finally getting to hang out. I’ve been dying for these two to meet. Things going okay so far?”

“All things considered, things are going pretty well.” Liam starts to kick his legs, mimicking his cousin, and I hold him by the stomach to let him move. “It helps that he’s such a good kid.”

“So I’ve heard. And Rhett? How’s he handling everything?”

Liam bumps into Maisie, making her laugh, and he shouts, “Mimi!”

“I wasn’t sure what to think when Rhett told me about Liam,” I reply. “But I think he’s really enjoying it so far—fatherhood. I think he could use a little more sleep—”

“Every parent of young children can use more sleep. Maisie was up with strep throat two nights in a row this week.”

I wince. “Ouch.”

“Yup. But during those moments, you just have to remember that this too shall pass.” Annabel lifts Maisie onto the pool steps, and immediately Liam cries out to join her. Smiling, Annabel lifts him too, and to my surprise, he lets her. “Hey, buddy. I’m Auntie Annabel. I’m so happy to meet you. Welcome to the family. We’re not perfect, but we are a lot of fun.”

“The most fun.” I look up to see Emma standing at the edge of the pool. Putting her hands on the small of her back, she smiles. “I heard y’all were out here, so I thought I’d swing by to say hello. I also haven’t met Liam yet. Hey, buddy.”

I reach for him and settle him on my hip, pointing at Emma. “Can you say hi to Auntie Emma?”

In true Liam style, he just stares at her, tucking his head into my neck. She laughs.

“Stranger danger?” she asks.

“Yup,” I reply. “Big time. I’ve missed you, friend. How’s married life? And the honeymoon planning?”

Because Emma and Samuel are in the middle of their busy season here at the resort (rooms are sold out through August), they decided to delay their honeymoon until the fall.

“It’s going great,” she says. “Samuel and I agreed that Italy is our happy place, so we basically plan to drank and eat our way through the lakes region, with stops at some fabulous hotels along the way.”

“Sounds heavenly,” Annabel says. “Beau and I are long overdue for an adults-only trip.”

“How’s the nannying gig going?” Emma asks, turning back to me.

I nod at Annabel. “We were just talking about that. It’s going really well.”

“Amelia told me Rhett is dominating the dad thing,” Annabel says. “No doubt helped by Amelia dominating the nanny thing too.”

“I knew you’d kill it,” Emma says. “You two make a great team, huh? You and Rhett?”

She gives me a look. The kind that makes me blush and turn away.

I want to tell her about my date with Rhett tonight. Emma and I have become pretty close, and we’ve talked plenty about our love lives. She knows Rhett and I were together in high school; she also knows things didn’t end well.

Emma would never judge me. But she would tell me the truth, and right now, truth is this date could very well be a bad idea. Still, it’d be such a relief—a thrill too—to say those words aloud to someone: Rhett asked me out on a date.

But that news belongs to him too. And Emma is part of his family now. I’d trust her not to share what I told her in confidence with Samuel. Still, this . . . thing between Rhett and me feels too new. Too delicate. I don’t want to jinx it. I also don’t want anyone to judge us. Yes, we have history. But more importantly, we have a third party involved now—Liam.

Liam always comes first.

“Anyway,” I say, smoothing his wet hair out of his face. “I’m having a blast with this little guy.”

Emma beams. “I can’t wait to hang out with y’all. He looks like Rhett’s mini-me, doesn’t he?”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Rhett

I don’t even get to finish the question when Mom yelps, “Yes! Yes, I’d love to babysit Liam. How soon can I come over?”

Because my family is my family, Milly shows up too, a laptop bag slung over her shoulder and a gigantic box tucked against her hip.

“What the hell is this?” I say, taking the box. I study the picture splayed across the front of a red inflatable monstrosity. “A bouncy house?”

She lifts a shoulder as she breezes into my foyer, glancing past me in a clear attempt to look for Liam. “I’m the cool aunt.”

“This thing is going to take up my whole backyard.”

“So? It’s not like you use your yard anyway.”

Mom leans in to press a kiss to my cheek, smiling. “I’m so glad we finally get to meet the little guy.”