Miss Match: a Lauren Holbrook novel by Erynn Mangum

Author:Erynn Mangum
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Nav Press
Published: 2009-08-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

I make a slight detour on the way home. Park on the street, walk up the three steps to the front door, and find the blue ceramic frog, christened Bill, in one of the flowerpots.

I pull the key from Bill’s innards and unlock the door.

“Hey!” I shout into the quiet house.

“Auntie Lauren!” Three little kids yell from somewhere in the direction of the kitchen.

“Hey, Hon, we’re eating!”

I walk into the kitchen holding Bill. Everyone is sitting around the table eating spaghetti. Both of the boys have morphed into meatballs, I assume, because sauce covers them from the hair down.

“Hiya.” I kneel beside Laney’s chair.

She smiles at Adam and looks at me. “What’s up, Lauren?”

I give her a look. “You know exactly what’s up.”

Dorie finishes swallowing, hops out of her chair, and grabs me around the neck, planting a big wet one on my face.

“Hey, Favorite Niece.” I hug her back. “How are you?”

“Guess what? Guess what!”

“What?” I touch her button nose.

“Mommy’s having twins!” Dorie exclaims.

I sit right there on the kitchen floor.

Laney bursts into laughter and tears as she looks at me.

“Really?” I’m quiet, my mouth widening in a smile, my eyes starting to tingle from the incoming blubber-fest. Tear ducts, ready!

“Really,” Laney whispers. Tear ducts, fire!

I push myself to my knees and give her a hug around her middle, pressing my face into her stomach. “Hi, babies.” I kiss them through Laney.

Laney brushes her fingers through my hair. “I like your hair like this, Lauren.”

“Thank you.” I sit back, clear my throat, and resume business. “Boys or girls?”

“It’s still a little early to tell.”

I look at Adam. “Five kids.”

He fakes a long sigh and looks at his kids gravely. “I know. And see, I always thought we were a maximum four-kid family.”

I look seriously around the table. “Guess you’ll have to get rid of one of them.”

Jess’s mouth drops open, spaghetti lolling around inside. “But, Daddy,” he sniffs, getting teary. “Can’t we stay wif you, please?”

“Yeah,” Jack says. “I will make my bed now.”

Adam leans next to my ear. “I could get some chores out of these kids for the next eight months.”

“You’re a cruel man, Adam Knox.”

“Runs in the family.”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t I know it. Look what your brother did to me today.”

I show them my bruise.

“Ouch,” Laney says. “Get some ice on that, Lauren, it’s swelling.”

“I’m going to when I get home.”

She raises her eyebrows.

Uh-oh. Dad.

I wince. “Then again, maybe not. Man. I want a minifridge/freezer for my birthday, okay, Laney?”

“I’ll remember that. Get some ice, Honey.”

I stand. “Okay, well I’m going to go. Call Dad so that he knows about the babies when I get home.”

“Already did, Laur. I called everyone except you because you were at lunch and I couldn’t remember your cell number.”

I open the freezer, fill a plastic bag with ice, and write my number on her to-do list. “There you go.”

“See you later!” Laney calls.

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