When Emily walks in the door, Logan’s face lights up like he’s seeing her for the first time. She’s stunning, with dirty-blond hair and a blue streak right behind her bangs that runs all the way down over her shoulder. She has a little blond-haired, blue-eyed girl with pigtails gripping her hand, and a baby with a blue cap on his head on her hip.
“You have two now?” I ask as I say hi to Emily.
“We’re trying to catch up with you,” Logan says as he gives me a playful slug on the arm.
I look over and find Katie clutching her stomach. “Hey, Jake,” she says.
“Hey, Katie,” I reply. “You okay?”
“I think it’s time,” she says. “And the last one proved they don’t just walk out.”
“You mean now?”
“Now, Jake,” she bites out around a grimace.
I reach for my wallet to pay for my tattoo, but Logan tells me this one’s on the house. “Are you sure?” I ask him.
“Positive.”
“Jake,” Katie warns.
“Oh, shit,” I say. “We need to go.”
“Unless you want to have it right here,” Katie says.
All the Reeds rush to help us out and get us into a cab. “Good luck to you, Jake.”
“Let us know how it goes.” And the door of the cab slams.
“Oh my God,” Katie says. “I just went into labor at Reeds’ Tattoo Parlor. I’ll tell this story forever.”
I call Pop, who brings the kids to meet us at the hospital, and five hours later, we have a seven pound, six ounce baby boy. His name is Erik Jacobson, III and he is perfect. Katie’s tired, but fine, and we spend the night at the hospital while Pop takes the kids back to the hotel. Gabby can help Pop with Hank.
“I think we might miss the wedding,” Katie says. She smiles at me as I sit next to her holding Erik.
“We’ll send them a nice present,” I say.
Katie laughs and opens her arms. But I don’t just give her Erik. I give her me too.
“Did you set up the appointment for your vasectomy?”
“Not yet.” I tuck Erik’s little hand under his blanket. “You sure you don’t want to try for a girl named Summer?”
“No.” She glares at me.
“Sure?” I bat my lashes at her.
“I’m fairly positive.” Then she rolls her eyes. “You know we can play Scrabble as much as we want, even if we don’t have more children, right?”
“I know.” And to tell the truth, I’d be happy forever with the family we have now, but I also wouldn’t be opposed to having a little girl with Katie’s dark hair and my green eyes.
“I’ll think about it,” Katie mutters. She pretends to be annoyed.
“You still feel like summertime,” I tell her, and I kiss her.
I hope summer never ends.