I Never Expected You (I Never 2)

“Fuck, Hails, what did you do that for?”

“Oh please, I barely hit you. Either way, your fiancé over there…” I point my drink in his direction. “…is staring at you like a raw piece of meat, ready to devour you, so I’m pretty sure he will make you feel better later.”

She smiles that signature Jacobs smirk and makes eye contact with Kyler. Shit, here we go again. I give up! I roll my eyes, place my drink on the table, and stroll over to where my husband and daughter are currently standing. I will never be tired of hearing that—my husband, my daughter.

In my peripheral vision, I see that Kyler has walked over to Dani.

“Hey, you two,” I say. They both whip their heads in my direction. “You cut that sh…stuff—” I catch myself from saying “shit” in front of Emme. I am determined for her first word not to be a curse word even though her daddy curses like a sailor. “—out. There are innocent eyes here that don’t need to see all the things her father has.”

I raise my eyebrows and laugh. Zach must be cringing at the awful memory of not only walking in once, but twice, on his sister. I personally find it hilarious; him, not so much. I turn around to see Zach’s face, and he is so serious, staring at me. I know that look. I’m definitely going to get it later—in the best possible way, of course.

I bite my lip, and his eyes darken. Would it be appropriate to kick our houseguests out and tell them they have to take my daughter for the night? My breath catches in my throat as I remember last night when he had me bent over the side of the couch. “Fuck, look at you so fucking perfect bent over for me. Your bare pussy on display begging for me. Tell me, baby girl, do you want my cock now, or do you want me to eat you like this?” It took everything I had not to wake up Emme or the neighbors even with the way he made me scream in pleasure.

The moment breaks when Emme decides she’s had enough being attached to Daddy and unleashes fury in her diaper, causing all of our attention to turn to her as her face turns extremely red while she poops. Dani and Kyler bust out laughing, and I try to hide my laughter knowing that she is attached to Zach and it’s possible that diaper was explosive and he has shit on him.

Zach finally lets out a loud laugh and looks down at Emme, smiling. “See what your daughter thinks about that awful memory you bring up.” His words are soft as he turns his attention to her. “Now what do you say we go change that nastiness in your diaper, sunshine? Daddy’s got you.”

It’s so sweet to see him with her—the same man who has such a filthy mouth with me. I remember back when he was a big manwhore, and I never thought the day I would see him with a child, let alone my child. Zach takes Emme to her room to change her as the three of us take a seat in the living room.

In the middle of the conversation, we hear Zach yell, “Sweet Jesus, what did she eat?”

We all start to laugh as Kyler yells to his best friend, “Yep, she’s all Jacobs!”

“Not cool, man. I never smelled like this before!”

Both Dani and I must have the same thought because we both say, “Umm, you sure about that?”

After a few moments, Zach and Emme walk out to join us, both sporting a new outfit. Emme is no longer strapped to her daddy’s chest, but is in his arms. I think there is nothing that could make this moment better, being surrounded by the ones I love: my husband, my daughter, my best friend, and her fiancé.

My emotions have been over the place lately, especially since having Emme, and I have been missing Emmett more than usual. Not wanting to let my feelings get the best of me, I hop up from the couch and pull Emme into my arms.

“Why don’t you boys go start the grill, and we will be right out with the sides?”

Zach looks at me, knowing me well—sometimes even better than I do— and can tell something is up.

Instead of making a scene, he walks toward me, cupping my cheeks, and whispers in my ear, “You okay, baby?”

I nod. He doesn’t push the subject and kisses my forehead before kissing Emme’s.

He leans to my ear one more time as he goes to pass and whispers, “I love you.”

He winks and then walks off behind Kyler toward the kitchen, leaving just us girls in the room.

I hate when those moments come on. I miss my brother every day, but some days, it hurts more than others. I look down at my daughter, who has since fallen asleep on my chest. She loves my boob, just like her father. I guess making a massive mess in her diaper tired her out.

I turn to Dani. “I’m going to go lay this one down in her crib, and then I’ll meet you outside.”

She nods before getting up and heading into that direction while I take my sweet girl to her room.

I join everyone on the patio and set the baby video monitor on the table.

“So, Haylee, I have to ask. Will you explain to me the part in your vows where you promised to stay away from Zach’s gym bag? Every time I ask this one over here…” Kyler nods in Dani’s direction. “…she starts laughing until she can’t breathe.”

Dani laughs uncontrollably, further proving Kyler’s point. Ugh, it was a horrible moment although now we can laugh looking back on it—at least I do; Zach, not so much. Zach groans over at the grill.

“You just had to put that in your vows, didn’t you?”

With an ear-to-ear grin on my face, I defend myself. “Hey, I made up for it by buying you a new bag! And if I remember correctly, you brought up my shitty cooking, so it was only fair.”