Thane, my second-eldest brother and their father, said from beside me, “Then you both may be excused from the table, but Uncle Arran is still eating.”
Eilidh frowned at me, and I tried not to laugh as she said with extreme disappointment, “You’re so slow, Uncle Arran.”
“Apologies, my lady.” I bowed my head.
She giggled and slipped from the table. “You can make up for it later.”
Snorting, I nodded, but found my gaze drawn back to Eredine. Her eyes were lit with affection as she grinned at me.
My heart lurched in my chest.
Thane nudged me, and I reluctantly pulled my focus from her.
My brother gave me a searching look. “I hope you know what you’re doing there.”
Indignation filled me. “What does that mean?”
His expression softened. “I’m not worried about her, wee brother. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Excuse me!” We heard a gasp, and I looked around just in time to watch Arro jolt back from the table and bolt out of the room.
“Is she all right?” Thane asked over my head to Mac.
Mac, concern etched in his brow, left the table with a mute nod to march after her.
“Everything’s cooked properly, right?” Lachlan glanced frantically from plate to plate. “Usually Robyn cooks the chicken,” he said, inspecting his half-eaten tortilla, “but the smell was giving her the boak.”
“The what?” Regan asked.
“Making me feel sick,” Robyn translated.
“Ooh, that’s a new one.” Regan looked at her fiancé, Thane. “You’ve never used that phrase before.”
“It’s not exactly a sexy word,” he muttered dryly, eyeing Robyn with suspicion.
“What is it?” I asked, looking at my sister-in-law.
“Nothing,” he murmured before taking a drink.
It took less than five seconds for my attention to be drawn back to Eredine. Even as Eilidh and Lewis started fighting over the TV remote in the living room and Thane yelled in my ear for them to quit, I didn’t tear my gaze from her. She was watching the hallway where Arro and Mac had disappeared, a pinch of worry between her brows.
I could still hear Lachlan clucking over Robyn to make sure her food tasted all right, that he’d cooked everything okay, like he was a fucking mother hen. And I wondered if I really wanted to do that to myself. Give myself to another person so completely—it would change me. Thane, Lachlan, and Mac had changed. Not dramatically, but in small ways. Well, maybe Mac’s transformation was a wee bit more dramatic than that of my brothers.
But as Eredine turned those gorgeous hazel-green eyes on me, I realized I had no choice.
I wanted to see what could be between us more than I could remember wanting anything.
Eredine’s gaze flew over my head and widened with concern. “Arro, are you okay?” she asked.
Everyone turned to watch my sister walk back into Lachlan’s large, open-plan living area with Mac’s arm around her shoulders. Her cheeks were pale. They halted before the table, sharing a look with one another before Arro heaved a sigh. “I guess there’s no better time to tell you since we’re all here together … We’re having a baby.”
“Oh, bloody hell.” Lachlan shocked us all by slumping back in his chair.
Arro scowled. “Not really the response I was hoping for, big brother.”
He blanched. “No, it’s not that.” He looked to Robyn, but her back was to me, so I couldn’t make out her expression. But then she turned to Arro and Mac, and she seemed ready to burst into laughter.
“Um … You will not believe this.” Her eyes flicked to Mac, her father. “But I’m pregnant too.”
The table exploded into a chatter of surprise as we all flew from our chairs to congratulate the couples. When the hugging and exclamations died down, Robyn asked Arro, “How many weeks are you?”
“Fourteen.”
“Holy shit,” Robyn huffed. “I’m fourteen weeks too.”
“Could this family get any weirder?” I asked. Because Robyn had married Lachlan, and Mac (Robyn’s dad) was engaged to Arro, Lachlan’s sister, that meant that any kids each couple had would not only be cousins, but Arro and Mac’s child would be half uncle or half aunt to Lachlan and Robyn’s child because Robyn would be Mac’s child’s half sister. It was weird before, when Arro was technically Robyn’s new soon-to-be stepmother via Mac and sister-in-law via Lachlan, but now she’d be auntie to Lachlan and Robyn’s baby. And the final cherry on top of the weirdness… Mac would be grandfather to Robyn and Lachlan’s baby.
Fuck, that hurt my brain just trying to work it out.
And now the kids will be the same age.
Robyn snorted. “So we conceived—”
“Don’t,” Mac cut her off belligerently, and Arro pinched her lips tight to keep from laughing. “No. Nope. Fucking no.”
“Mac, there are children present,” Regan admonished primly.
“Sorry. But no. We are not discussing the details of this strange, bloody situation.” Mac glared at Lachlan. “This is all your fault.”