I burst out laughing. "No, nothing beats that. But I've seen a rise in mother's maiden names being used as the middle name. And since we aren't getting married or anything, it could be a way to represent both of us without giving a hyphenated last name."
"So Kaylee Bishop Jamison?" he confirms.
"Yeah. Does that sound too strange?"
"No, I love that, actually." He leans against the counter with his ankles and arms crossed.
Talking about our plans puts me in a better mood, and my spirits are slightly higher.
Unfortunately, that feeling lasts all of twelve seconds because I get a text from Kane.
Kane: Since you weren't at the B&B earlier to hear the news, we didn't want you to miss it!
Then I see the selfie of him and Ivy holding up a positive pregnancy test.
Jealousy fuels my veins, and before I can think better of it, I throw my phone and storm out of the kitchen toward my room.
"What the fuck?" Payton follows me, and when I don't give him an explanation, he grabs my elbow and spins me around. "What just happened?"
I hate myself for crying and being upset over something so exciting for my brother. But I can't help it.
"Ivy's pregnant."
Payton rubs over his trimmed jawline, then scrubs a hand through his hair. "Kate, I—"
"I'm acting selfish, I know, and I really am happy for them." I blow out a frustrated breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "Someone else in the family is pregnant again, and it's not me."
"I don't know what to say besides I'm sorry. You can be excited for them and disappointed that you aren't at the same time. That's completely valid, Kate."
My shoulders slump, and I frown. "I should respond before he thinks I'm ignoring them."
He follows me into the kitchen, and I grab my phone off the floor.
"Wow, not a scratch or dent," I say, impressed.
"Thank God you had an indestructible case on it."
"It needs one when working around horses all day."
He watches as my fingers fly over the screen, congratulating Kane and Ivy and telling them how excited I am for another niece or nephew.
Maybe it’s good timing. If I get pregnant soon, at least our kids will be close in age.
The following night, I come home after a long, hot day at work and hear soft spa music drifting from my bedroom. As soon as I walk in, I'm hit with a strong lavender scent and see candles burning along my dresser.
What in the world?
"Oh, good. You're home. Get naked," Payton says from behind me.
I turn and blink up at him, wondering if he's drunk.
"Are you tryin' to seduce me?"
"Considering I'm still tryin' to recover from a couple of weeks ago, you don't gotta worry about that. However, you're getting a massage. They can be good for fertility, plus you need to relax. Being too tense and stressed can affect your ability to conceive."
Since when did he become the expert?
"And you know this how?"