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Chapter Thirty Nine

After arriving at the hotel, we all checked into our rooms and took a couple hours to relax. Liv took a much needed shower and I changed Brooke and I out of our soggy clothes.

Liv was still in the bathroom and I was sprawled on the bed with Brooke and Noah when a loud rap sounded on the door. I hopped up and answered the door. Bri was standing there holding Kayleigh. She broke into a big smile and waved.

"Hey, what's up?"

"I just thought I'd come and show off," Bri said with a smile.

"She's getting big. I'm really sorry we missed her birthday party," I said.

"Well, our first wedding anniversary and a trip to St. Thomas were pretty good excuses," Bri said lightly. He set Kayleigh down. She stood up and began to toddle around. I laughed.

"She looks like Shirley Temple. She's a chubs-ter."

Bri slid his hands in his pockets. "It's baby fat. I happen to think it's adorable. Leighanne was a chubby kid."

I watched as Brooke leaned over the end of the bed and looked down at Kayleigh. She looked surprised and excited to see another little person around her size.

"GAH!"

Kayleigh looked up. She broke into a smile and pointed. "GAH!"

Noah crawled onto Brooke's back. "ACCC!"

Before both of my kids tumbled off the bed and split their heads open, I scooped them up and put them down on the floor. Bri and I sprawled out in the two easy chairs in the room and watched them roam around the room. Brooke found the suitcase packed with toys and started yanking things out. Kayleigh was only too happy to help.

"What's all the noise?"

Bri and I both looked over as the bathroom door opened. Liv was standing there wrapped in a towel. She saw Bri, let out a little yelp and slammed the door. I laughed.

"Maybe I should go."

"Naw, don't worry. Give her a few minutes."

Five minutes later Liv came out fully dressed and still blushing right up to the tips of her ears. Bri smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, I brought Kayleigh over."

"It's okay," Liv said. "My bad." She turned to look down at Kayleigh. "Oh she's adorable! Look at all that hair!"

Brooke and Kayleigh looked up at the exact same time. Brooke grinned and held up a plastic duck.

"MAMA!"

Liv knelt down and started to quack with the duck. Noah came over and plopped himself down at my feet. I think the estrogen was getting too much for him. I was about ready to say so out loud when Bri's cell rang.

"Hello? Hey Kev."

He listened for a few minutes, did a few 'uh huh's' and hung up.

"Kev said he's going to put on some burgers and hot dogs for all of us," Bri said. He stood up.

"I'm going to tell How."

With a few loud protests from Kayleigh, Bri scooped her up and headed out of the room. Brooke's bottom lip quivered. She stood up and tried to walk right out the door. Liv scooped her up.

"Nope. You'll see her later."

"I'm going to go tell J," I told Liv. She nodded. I walked out before Brooke started to cry. I hated when she cried.

I passed Howie's door. Bri was leaning in the doorway talking to him. I walked a little farther down. AJ's door was open a crack. I didn't bother to knock. I just stuck my head right in.

"Hey J, Kev just called and he's grilling burgers for all of us."

AJ and Molly were standing by a port-a-crib. They looked extremely close; I had a feeling I just interrupted something. AJ turned to look at me.

"Sorry...just...thought you'd want to know. About...the meat."

I ducked out of the doorway and headed back down the hall. The door to my room was closed; I had forgotten my keycard. I knocked and waited for Liv to let me in.

Something told me AJ was going to be grumpy tonight.

--------------------------

"Wow, this isn't something you see every day."

Kevin was standing at the grill, staring at the bus in surprise as we all unloaded. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail. I hadn't realized it had gotten that long.

"What's with the bus?"

I turned around and pointed to Brian. Noah clung to my arm and smiled.

"Ask your cousin."

"It was the only thing that would fit all of us," Brian argued.

"He's just a little guy that likes driving big things," AJ remarked. He hopped off the bus, ignoring the last step all together. Then he turned around and gently took a carseat.

Addy came out of the house carrying a large covered platter. My stomach growled. She set the tray down on the table and walked over to Kev. Her arms looped around his waist. He turned his head and they kissed.

"I'm so excited for you two!" Liv said happily. She was in a much better mood now that she didn't smell like strained beets and digested beef chunks. Now she smelled like oranges.

I love oranges.

Kev laughed. "Thank you."

"Need some help with the meat?" Bri asked. Kev and Bri stood shoulder to shoulder staring down at all of the hamburgers and hot dogs. They both nodded in appreciation.

"Where's Mason?" I asked. Addy turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"MASON!"

I tried to remember the last time I had seen Mason. I wasn't sure, but I thought it might have been at my wedding. Therefore, I wasn't horribly surprised at how big he had gotten. His blonde hair had been cut and spiked out. He looked like was five going on fifteen. He jumped off the porch without touching even one of the stairs. He looked like he had spent most of his summer outdoors; his skin was a golden tan. He was wearing cowboy boots. It was hard to believe, what with being Kevin's son and all, but he looked like a big bundle of mischief.

"Wow! There's a lot of people here!" he said. He ran over to Addy. He watched her uncover the tray.

"Is grandpa coming?" he asked her. She smiled.

"He said he'd stop by after he sees Mrs. Walker."

"HEY!"

Everyone turned. Red's, er Molly's, daughter Shelby was standing on another picnic table. She had changed from her 80's look. Now she was sporting a cowgirl hat, rubber gardening boots, and a giant flannel shirt with humongous stickers of Big Bird all over it. She pointed at something, her eyes wide.

"THAT'S A HORSE!!!"

I don't know what it was, probably the high level of sugary excitement in her voce, but Brooke and Kayleigh started to squeal too even though I knew for a fact Brooke couldn't see the horse from where she was in Liv's arms.

"THAT'S FIONA!" Mason yelled. He ran over to the picnic table and scrambled on top.

Even Baylee couldn't help but get excited. He stood on the picnic table and towered above the two smaller kids.

"Hey Uncle Kevin, can I ride the horse?"

"Horse?"

James took off. I don't even know where he came from. All I knew was that he flew from behind Howie's leg and ran off towards the picnic table.

"Christ, how did there get to be so many kids?" AJ called out.

"We're a really affectionate group!" I called back.

"Who wants hot dogs?" Kevin called out.

"Do they make hot dogs out of real DOGS?" Shelby called out. Her and Mason seemed to be the leaders of the picnic table. After Baylee didn't get an answer about riding the horse, he had jumped off and headed for a tire swing off to the side of the house.

Shelby's comment started off a panic.

"I don't LIKE hot dogs!" Mason yelled.

"You LOVE hot dogs!" Kevin said. His big bushy eyebrows were knitted so close together he was centimeters away from a unibrow.

"Nu-uh!"

"Then have a hamburger."

"What are hamburgers made out of?" Mason yelled out. I think he was just enjoying being loud. Shelby nudged him.

"They're made out of HAM!" she screamed in his face.

I was suddenly glad that both of my kids were still under the age of two. Brooke just looked confused and Noah was happily sucking from a bottle on a big blanket in the yard. Molly got Shelby down and they walked off for a little 'quiet' talk. Mason swung his legs over the edge of the table and sat on the top.

"Howie, where's James?" I heard Leigh say. I glanced at the table. He had gotten down.

"Crap. James?" Howie called out.

"Maybe the potty monster got him," I said with a grin. Howie gave me a look.

"He's potty trained, thank you. He has been for almost a year now. JAMES?"

I looked around the yard. AJ was right. There were a lot of kids. Baylee was hanging upside down, his legs through the tire swing. I glanced at the side of the house. I started to laugh.

"Howie, I see him!"

I pointed to the side of the house. James was standing there bare assed pissing on the siding.

"Does he know how to use indoor plumbing?" I teased. Howie groaned and ran towards him.

"James, dude you can use the potty!"

"I think we should have a whole bunch of teen girls spend the day with the guys and the kids," Leigh said. I looked over at her. She was watching Howie yank up James' pants. "I think we alone could solve the teen pregnancy problem. Ten minutes and they'd think twice."

"Yeah, Addy, remember this," Liv said. Addy had just come out of the house with a big covered bowl. She just smiled.

"Don't listen to them Ad," Kev said. He set down two huge platters of hamburgers and hotdogs. They shared another kiss.

"How do you like Kev's hair, Addy?" I asked. She glanced at the ponytail and sighed.

"Are you finishing off this stupid bet tonight?" she asked. Kev looked at me. I crossed my arms, smirked, and nodded.

"Oh, yeah. This is the night that I've been waiting for all my life."

Liv leaned across from me and grabbed a potato chip from the bowl. She bite into it, looked at me, and smiled.

"That's nice to know."

I laughed. "Shut up. You know what I mean."

Miraculously everyone got the kids corraled and engrossed in food. I grabbed a plate of food and sat down at the picnic table next to Liv. I glanced back at Kev's house. It was an old farmhouse but somehow it suited him. I could imagine him living him when he was old and gray reminiscing about the days when he used to keep up with the amazing, fabulous Nick Carter. I smiled and took a big bite of hamburger.

In a few short hours I was going to have the taped confession of a lifetime. I had a stylist from Lexington on the way up here.

Everyone probably thought I had some other crazy ideas too.

I didn't...but it was nice to keep them on their toes. After all, I had a reputation to maintain.