Southern Devotion (Southern Heart 4)

“How you feeling?” I ask her, deliberately changing the subject.

“Good. It’s kind of cool that Whit and I are just two months apart. I like that our kids are growing up together. Now if we can get the newlyweds on board and get you and David down the aisle, and get to work on making babies, we’d all be able to say that about you too.” She winks.

“I do like the sound of that,” I admit.

“Like the sound of what?” Whitney asks. She also has her hand over her even smaller baby bump.

“Yeah, we need details,” Jamie chimes in.

“I was just telling Liv that Jamie and Mike need to get this wedding underway and start working on adding to our clan.” She points to her belly. “And this one”—she points at me—“needs to stop letting fear and worry drive her, and say yes already so she can too.”

“Did he ask you again?” Jamie asks.

“Not technically, but it seems as though at least once a week he brings it up. More so since he found out Mike was proposing and these two”—I point to Whit and Kinley—“are expecting.”

Jamie holds her hand in the air, showing off her engagement ring, her face alight with happiness. “You know you want one of these,” she teases.

I easily admit, “I do.”

Whitney reaches over and rests her hand on my arm. “Do you love him?”

“More than anything.”

“Does he love you?” she asks.

“More than anything.” I know where she’s going with this, and my mouth turns into a smile.

“You have your answer. Stop worrying, and live, be happy,” Kinley says.

I put my arm around her and Whitney, and they do the same to Jamie, bringing us all into a circle. “I love you, guys.”

“We love you too,” they say in unison.

“Your place or mine?” I ask Olivia as we leave the restaurant.

With her head resting against the back of the seat, she turns to look at me. “Yours.”

Reaching over, I take her hand and bring it to my lips. “You okay?” She’s been noticeably quiet toward the end of the party.

“Yeah.” She smiles softly. “Just thinking.”

“You want to talk about it?” If there’s something bothering her, I want to know about it so I can fix it. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her.

“Nothing’s wrong. Just processing the night, that’s all.”

“You girls looked like you were in deep conversation at one point.”

“Just girl talk,” she evades.

“I see how it is,” I tease. Things with Olivia have always been easy. For years, I watched her, longed for her really, not for the lack of looking like a pussy. I always thought she had a thing for Aaron, but when Aaron and Whitney got together and she was fine with it, happy for them, I moved in. No way was I letting some other schmuck come in and take her from me. She’s all I’ve ever wanted.

We ride to my place in silence, not uncomfortably so. She has something on her mind, and I want to give her time to work it out. She’ll fill me in when she’s ready. She always does.

“You ready for bed?” I ask as I pull into the driveway. My house is a two-story farmhouse. It’s been completely remodeled with a small pond out front and a big backyard. Perfect for a new family. It’s why I bought it three months ago, and it is definitely not the house of a bachelor. Olivia’s place is nice too, just smaller and not with much yard space.

“I am.” She places her hand over her mouth, covering a yawn. “Shopping wore me out.” She laughs, climbing out of the truck.

She was part of the “keep Jamie away” plan while we set everything up at the restaurant for the engagement party. We all knew Jamie was going to say yes though. All you have to do is look at the two of them together and you can see it.