Nate has passed the test with three brothers and my father.

Maybe Caleb won’t show up.

Luke’s parents arrive along with Luke’s older sister, Sam.  His younger brother, Mark, is on a fishing trip up north, so he won’t be joining us. I make more introductions as Natalie joins the boys around the food to chat and snack.

Nate keeps a firm grip on Sophie, who has now laid her sweet little blonde head on his shoulder, as he shakes everyone’s hands.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Nate,” Luke’s mom, Lucy, says and winks at me.

“Definitely great to meet you, Nate,” Sam agrees and smiles at me with the look that says I-so-want-details-later.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Julianne,” Nate says and kisses Sophie’s cheek before handing her back to Stacy.  “Should we move this party to the tent?  There’s more seating out there.”

“Good idea.”  Now he’s hosting this party with me.

Oh my God, we’re a couple.

“Let’s load up some plates and head out to the tent you guys.  It’s heated, and there’s a lot of seating.”  Somehow, Goddess Alecia managed to have my sound system wired out into the tent as well, so the music follows us.

The gift table is over flowing with wrapped boxes and bags and bows and Natalie catches my eye with a frown.  I just smile sweetly and look away.

I’m spoiling this baby, damn it!

“Julianne,” Will says in a sarcastic, sing-songy voice, “would you please hand me a napkin?” He winks and I want to deck him.  Nate snickers next to me, not at all bothered by my brother’s teasing.

“Julianne,” Matt’s face is perfectly serious.  “How is work going?”

“Fine,” I spit out between clenched teeth and my brothers laugh.

“So, Ju-li-anne,” Isaac stretches my name out, enunciating each syllable, earning a smack from Stacy.  I want to kill them all.  They know I hate it when people call me Julianne.

Except Nate.

“What?” I snap. Nate links his fingers through mine and clenches tightly beneath the table, making me look up at him.  His eyes are laughing.

“Don’t sweat this,” he murmurs.

“Boys, leave your sister alone,” Mom warns.

“We’re not doing anything,” Will murmurs with a sulk and I bust out laughing.  What are we, five?

Across the table from Nate and I, Luke is leaning over, whispering in Natalie’s ear, and she’s smiling softly.  God, they’re disgusting in public.  But so in love.  I need to stop worrying about Nate and my family.  This party is for them.

“Presents!” I jump up and down in my seat and clap my hands.

“Jules,” Nat frowns and swallows hard.  “Can I just say thank you all so much and open them at home?”

“No,” I pout. “This is the fun part.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Luke jumps in.  “There’s a lot here.  It’ll take all afternoon.”

“I don’t mind,” Stacy agrees, and there are nods and agreements around the room.

“Well, hell.” I mutter.  “Okay, but will you just open mine?  ‘Cause I want to see your face when you see it.

“Okay,” Natalie smiles and I clap again.  My present isn’t on the table with the others, it was too big.

“I’ll be right back.”

I run through the house and out to the garage, and thank God that I have that upper body strength Nate’s dad mentioned last weekend because this mother is heavy.

I manage to get back to the tent, and Nate jumps up to help me when he sees me come through the door.

“Christ, why didn’t you ask me to help you?”

“I’ve got it.”

“Jesus, Julianne, you’ll hurt yourself.  Give this to me.”  Nate wrestles the large wooden sign out of my hands and I notice the grins of delight on my family’s faces as we walk around the table to Natalie and Luke.

“Okay, turn it around.”

Natalie gasps and her hand flies to her mouth as she reads the words that I painted on the rough wood.  I know she has a thing for old barn doors, and inscriptions, and I decided to give her both.

I had the door cut down to three feet by four feet, and I sanded and stained it, and painted the inscription in dark gray and pink, the colors Natalie chose for the nursery.

“Read it,” I murmur.

“No one else will ever know the strength of my love for you.  After all, you’re the only one who knows the sound of my heart from the inside.”

“Jules, where did you get this?” Luke asks.

“I made it.” I shrug and grin.

“You made this?” Nate asks, surprised.

“Yeah, I can be crafty if I need to be.”  I flush and smile at Natalie.  “Do you like it?”

She’s started crying again, and I hope that’s a good sign.

“Oh, it’s perfect.”  She stands as quickly as possible, which isn’t terribly fast and I walk around to hug her.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Caleb!”  I turn around at my mom’s excited voice and find my brother glaring at Nate from the doorway.

“Who the fuck are you?”

Chapter Thirteen

“Caleb!” I turn to march toward him, but Nate stops me with a hand on my shoulder.  His eyes are locked on Caleb’s, ice cold, but his face is completely expressionless.

If this is how he looked at his opponents in the ring, I’m surprised they didn’t turn and run and cry for their mommy.

“I’m Nate McKenna.”  Nate steps forward and extends his right hand.  Caleb doesn’t take it, he just keeps staring at Nate.

I frantically look around the room for help, but everyone is just watching the show, wondering what’s going to happen next.

“Why are your hands on my sister?”  Caleb doesn’t move, his face is also expressionless.

Fuck, I was afraid of this.  Of all my brothers, Caleb has always been the most protective.  He’s a Navy SEAL, he can kill someone and make it look like natural causes, and I think if you look “testosterone” up in the dictionary, there would be a photo of his handsome face rather than a definition.  He’s the same height as Nate, and roughly the same build.