Farm Girl Has Bad Boy (#3)

Chapter Eighteen

“They’re going to be here any minute!” Mary, Emery and I turn towards the kitchen doorway where my mother stands. “So you three better go out to greet them when they pull in the driveway.” I roll my eyes. Of course, my mother is going to be competing with her two sisters today and tomorrow. To make matters worse, they’re already ahead of her; their kids aren’t having kids. “I should probably warn you Emery,” she continues, waving a wooden spoon she’s been using to get tonight’s dinner ready. “They’re guaranteed to be nosey.”

I watch Emery’s relaxed face turn into an anxious expression as my mother leaves the doorway, not saying anything else. To be honest, I’m as nervous as he is. My family isn’t exactly that bad, but they aren’t that fun to be around, either. Plus, two of my cousins don’t like me very much so they’ll definitely be looking for ways to make me feel bad.

“It’s going to be okay,” Mary chimes, knowing how awful this whole baby shower is about to be. “If they ask anything you don’t want to answer or you need a distraction, I’m your girl.” She gives Emery and I a wink before gently patting my budging stomach. “Besides, can’t have my goddaughter’s mother being worried on her big day.”

At first my eyes grow wide. I hadn’t even thought about godparents, let alone any other plans. However I quickly remind myself to relax and make a mental note to talk things over with Emery later tonight.

“Who said you’re going to be her godmother?” I laugh, playfully smacking her arm.

“Oh, I’m sure Mary Junior will absolutely love me!” Mary grins and I smack the top of her head like she always does to me.

“Someone is quite narcissistic today,” I laugh and steal a glance at Emery. Either he’s not paying attention or he’s completely freaked out by it. He stares straight ahead of him, above the blank TV and at the wall.

“Yeah, but not as much as your aunts are going to be.” She gives me a smirk as she nods towards the window, where a station wagon pulls into the driveway and behind it a red car.

“Well, we better get this over with,” I mutter back, taking Emery’s hand in mine. He blinks a few times as I pull him to his feet and we head towards the door. Unlike Emery, Mary’s met my family before on a few occasions and she knows that this could go two ways. One, is things can go very, horribly wrong on a personal level. For example, a few years ago my aunts decided that my mother’s ‘birds and bee’s’ talk with me wasn’t good enough, and decided to give me an even extremely more awkward one instead. The other way is that hopefully my mom and her sister’s will be stuck fighting about cooking in the kitchen all day like once last summer and I won’t have to speak to them.

However, as Emery, Mary and I step onto the front porch and I see my extended family’s excited faces, I know there’s going to be questions, and a heck of a lot more than a few.

“River!” Aunt Carol lightly jogs towards me, her short dirty blonde curls that frame her face bouncing. Instantly, she wraps me in a tight hug and quickly pulls back before I can even say hello. “Well look at you! You’re bigger than a turkey on thanksgiving!” My cheeks flush however before I can respond again, she’s turning to Emery. “Well, you must be the baby’s daddy!”

I give Emery a sorry look as Aunt Carol wraps him in a tight hug, already accepting him as part of the family. I have no time to feel bad for him being uncomfortable as the rest of my family moves over in a group, ready to say our overdue hellos.

“Hey,” my cousin Travis steps out behind Aunt Carol, who’s also his mom. He gives an awkward wave before his eyes fall to my belly. “I didn’t believe everyone when I heard sweet, little River’s ego is preggo. However I can see that they were right.” He playfully punches my arm and I roll my eyes.