She needed a man first, though.

Unfortunately.

“Three a.m.”

“Jesus,” she muttered. “Why are you awake now?”

Kacey had no clue, but she was pretty sure it was because the last time she’d slept in her bed here, Jordie had been on top of her. Not that she was going to tell her sister-in-law that.

“Not sure,” she sighed before taking a long pull of her coffee. Meeting Lacey’s knowing gaze, Kacey smiled. Lacey knew all about Jordie, but they didn’t speak of it when Karson could be in hearing distance. It wasn’t that Karson hated Jordie, he loved him, but Jordie wasn’t good enough for Kacey. No one was, in the eyes of her older brother, but if he found out how Jordie had basically cut off all communication with her and everything else, she was sure that Karson would kill him. So before Lacey could ask anything, Kacey said, “You look gorgeous, Lace.”

“Please.” She scoffed, waving her off. “I’m as big as a house.”

“Whatever.” Kacey laughed. “Pregnancy looks good on you, sister.”

Lacey grinned before looking down at her belly, her chest rising and falling before glancing back over at Kacey. Her eyes were full of worry, something Kacey had seen a lot of since they announced the baby was coming. “Yeah. I guess I just feel big.”

“It’s all in the belly,” Kacey promised, and it wasn’t a lie.

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” she said, rubbing her belly in a very protective way. “I wish she could stay in there, y’know?” she whispered, almost so low that Kacey didn’t hear her. Thankfully, she did though.

Biting into her lip, Kacey reached over, taking Lacey’s hand in hers. “Lacey, she’s gonna be perfect and healthy. Don’t worry so much.”

“I try not to,” she said honestly, looking over at Kacey and squeezing back. “But it’s so damn hard. I worry that she’ll go through what I did, and I don’t want that for her.”

“None of us do, Lacey, but the good thing is she’ll always have us. Between me, Ma, Dad, and you guys, that little buttercup will never be alone through the fight. But I promise you don’t have to worry about that right now. If ever. Let’s be positive about it.”

Lacey’s lip started to wobble, and before a tear could even fall, Kacey was up and around the island, her arms around her sister-in-law, holding her tightly. She knew that Lacey’s past with breast cancer still weighed heavy on her beautiful heart. Despite the support groups, Lacey just couldn’t shake the worries that ate her alive. It worried Kacey, but Karson had said one of the main things was reassuring her that it wouldn’t happen, to stay positive. Holding her tightly, Kacey kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, Lacey, don’t worry. Enjoy this. You are having a baby, a little you and Karson. What a blessing!”

Lacey wrapped her arms around Kacey’s middle since she was so much taller than her, nodding her head against her arm as her body shook with small sobs. “I know. I want to be happy and excited like Karson and you guys are, but I’m just so nervous.”

“Don’t be,” Kacey urged against her hair. “Enjoy it.”

“I am. Really, this is the most amazing thing in the world,” she said, and Kacey knew it was more for herself than for her. Sending her a grin, she slowly parted from Lacey. “But the nerves do eat me alive. And that’s why I’m so glad you’re here, ’cause when Karson isn’t around, I get a little crazy.”

Kacey grinned. “You, crazy? Please.”

Lacey smacked her playfully before turning to mix the potato salad. She looked perfect doing it too, if that were possible. She made being a wife look so damn good, and Kacey hated how jealous she was of her. “I want your life, Lacey.”

Lacey scoffed. “Say what? You have a great life; you’re a gold medalist.”

She nodded. “Oh yeah, I know and it’s awesome, but I want to be the successful wife making potato salad while my kiddo grows inside me.”

“One day, don’t worry,” Lacey said with a wink. “Then I can sit there and tell you what to expect and warn you of the sleepless nights and scare the shit out of you. Man, the team’s wives don’t hold back.”

Kacey laughed. “Um, I bet! Especially with Elli—I’m pretty sure she’s been through everything.”

“She has and, good Lord above, it’s scary.”

Grinning, Kacey nodded. “I bet, but I’ll sit back and watch you. Learn from your mistakes,” she added with a wink and Lacey laughed.

“I’m sure there will be a ton!” she groaned as she added the pickles.

“Doubt it.”

Lacey grinned before she shrugged. “So, no new man in your life?”

Kacey looked up and made a face. “I’ve been dating nothing but idiots for the last year.”

“Eh, not all of them were that bad,” she said with a knowing look.

“Ha. Please.”

“So you haven’t spoken to him?”

They both shared a long look. It didn’t take a genius to know exactly whom her sister-in-law was speaking of. Shaking her head slowly, she picked at a hangnail as she answered. “Not since I walked out of his cabin seven months ago.”

“I’m sorry, Kacey. I really hoped that something could have happened between you two.”

Kacey shrugged, trying to act indifferent about it. She didn’t want Lacey to know how much she was hurting. “Eh, it wasn’t meant to be, I guess.”