5 years later

HAYES

The family picnic was in full swing, and complete chaos. We were
behind Ma and Pops’ place. There were ten picnic tables, enough for all the
families and food.

Ma was beside the cooler just eyeing the group.

I went over to her, wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “You
good?” I asked.

“Oh yes. Look at all of us,” she said, with awe in her voice.

All nine of her kids were here. All of her grandkids, all
twenty-four of them. Yes, twenty-four, with two more on the way.

“You started it,” I told her.

She looked up at me. “I wanted a lot of babies.”

“You got ‘em,” I chuckled.

Trig had his youngest, Kyle, on his shoulders as he supervised
those running under the sprinkler. Beau was beside him, a baby carrier strapped
to his chest. Little feet stuck out the bottom.

At the closest picnic table were Lainey, Katie and Pops and four
kids, all eating popsicles Ma just handed off.

The bigger kids–now five and six–were over by the tire swing Pops
had put up. Sage was in an Adirondack chair, eyes closed. She was nine months
pregnant with her fifth, so everyone knew to give her a little time to rest.

I didn’t have to glance around the huge brood to find Cassidy. She
was sitting beside Zeb, with our little girl, Felicity, in her lap. They had
the same hair, the same eyes and even at two, I knew I was in big trouble. We
only had the one, but we’d been talking about another.

“I think Cammie’s pregnant,” Ma whispered.

I glanced at Zeb’s wife, who’d been working at the hospital as an
ER nurse for the past few years with Molly. She didn’t look pregnant, but with
this group, someone always was. Except those two had been good about their life
plans, building their house, getting Cammie going on her career, before wanting
kids. There were aunt and uncle to enough little Wilders.

“Time will tell.”

Pops got up from the table and came over, big smile on his face.
“Well, Ma, want my popsicle?” He waggled his eyebrows.

She giggled.

I wanted to groan, because no kid wanted to hear about his
parents’ sex life, but I couldn’t. They’d made this family. Made us the people
we were. We were passing on the love they set as an example.

“Always,” Ma said, then stole the frozen treat from him.

“I’m gonna go find my girls,” I said, letting them flirt all by
themselves.

Cassidy watched me cross the yard and settle beside them. Felicity
reached her arms up and I took her up, lifted her in the air and made her
giggle.

Cassidy set her head on my shoulder and we watched our crazy
family. Ma and Pops sneaked inside. “Want to go fool around in the barn?” I
asked.

My wife looked up at me. Grinned. Nodded.

I stood, passed Felicity off to Colt who was walking by. “Play
with Uncle Colt for a little bit.”

He eyed the two of us, then grinned. “Nine months?” He lifted
Felicity and gave her a raspberry on her tummy, which made her giggle and
shout, “More!”

I tucked Cassidy beneath my arm and grinned. “Nine months,” I
replied, meaning I was gonna get my girl pregnant.

Cassidy playfully slapped my chest as we dashed off. “Hayes! I
can’t believe you said that!”

I looked down at her. “What do you call me?” I asked, giving her a
fake stern look.

“Yes, Mr. Wilder,” she said, then picked up the pace, tugging me
now toward the barn.