Not Quite Forever

Dakota groaned. “Should I be worried?”

Walt took her hands in his, kissed them. “No. This idea of Mary’s is just short of brilliant. What better way to show our families how respected you are, than to bring them here?”

The holidays were behind them, as was their brief honeymoon in the western Caribbean.

The New York Morrison was hosting her release party and book signing of Succumb to Me, the final chapter in Mathew and Cassidy’s story.

“Tell me our mothers are getting along.”

Walt tossed his hands in the air. “If they’re not, they aren’t bogging me down with it.”

“How’s your dad?”

“Loving the attention. He and Dennis are sitting in the back of the room, watching the show.”

Dakota wasn’t even sure what the show was. She’d been told to stay clear of the ballroom where she’d be giving a speech about her latest book, and plugging her new one that would be out in late fall. With the exception of the hotel, and the guest list for the after-signing party, Dakota was clueless. “What show?”

Walt winked, not giving her anything. He checked his watch and stood. “Showtime, Baby Mama.”

She held his hand as they walked through the hotel, down a long hall, and into a holding room beside the ballroom.

A high rumble of excitement came from the many voices inside the ballroom, an occasional bit of laughter leaked through the doors leading in.

The door opened and Mary popped out. “There you are.” Her blue eyes sparkled when she smiled. “I love this part.”

“I know.” Mary had been at her side for much of her success, and release events like this were always so full of life and energy it was hard going for long stints without them.

Dakota glanced down to see what Mary was wearing. It was a pink T-shirt with Dakota’s website on the left shoulder. “Cute shirt.”

Mary giggled and turned around. On the back, the shirt said, Baby Mama’s BFF.

“I love it.”

Mary kept laughing. “Wait until you see the rest.”

Dakota turned to Walt.

He smiled and took his jacket off. His shirt was blue, on the back it said, Dr. Baby Daddy, below that it stated . . . Inspiration for Chapter Thirteen.

Didn’t matter that Dakota didn’t know Walt when she wrote chapter thirteen, the implication would be clear. Chapter thirteen was sexy hot, and well worth a Walt mention. She let out a squeal and was laughing as Mary led her into the fray.

The ballroom was a sea of pink and blue, with dashes of black and white, which were the colors on the cover of Succumb to Me. At the door, Glen stood beside Trent, they both wore blue shirts. They turned around to show her their personal graphic: Baby Daddy and Mama’s Personal Pilot.

Mary pulled her past Glen and avoided the man’s gaze.

Dakota noticed a smirk on Glen’s face before she took in the room.

There were balloons, flowers, and rows of women who were slowly noticing that she stepped into the room.

The pink-and-blue theme went throughout the family. Dr. Baby Daddy’s Mom, Baby Mama’s Sister, Baby Mama’s Agent. If the person in the room knew Dakota or Walt personally, they were wearing a shirt describing their relationship.

It was funny, personal, and so thoughtful Dakota was grinning to the point of pain.

“Whose idea were the shirts?” she asked.

“That would be Walt’s,” Dakota’s mom told her. “I thought it was silly, but your fans seem to love them.”

“You’re a sport for wearing it,” she told her mom with a half hug.

Elaine smiled when JoAnne approached.

“If you need to rest, you just let us know,” JoAnne said.

“I think I’ll be fine.”

Dakota smiled at her new in-laws, winked at Walter II. “How are you feeling?”

“Never better.” He’d taken the past couple months away from his practice, didn’t plan on going back full-time. He looked damn good, and Dakota hoped that expecting his first grandchild was fueling his quick recovery.

With Walt’s hand in hers, she turned to the sea of pink and blue. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you all being here.”

Carol Ann stood beside Brenda, the two of them having hit it off from the day of the wedding. “I’ve been telling Mom for years how she was missing out. Now she knows.”

Dakota’s mother caught her gaze and held it.

For a brief moment, there was silence in their group.

“I’ve been less than supportive. I want to change that.”

Tears tickled the backs of Dakota’s eyes.

Walt’s arm came around her, her anchor, her support.

“I love you, too,” she said, brushing away a fallen tear.

Mary sighed, patted her on the back. “You ready?”

“Yeah.”

Mary took to the podium to introduce her. Her BFF did her justice, repeating her accolades and achievements.

Dakota let her belly lead the way, accepted the audience’s enthusiastic applause.

When they settled, she glanced over the crowd, saw her family and her husband, smiling from the eaves.

Before she uttered a word, Junior gave a solid kick, making her hand grasp her belly. “Oh,” she said. “This baby thing . . . I’m sure some of you will understand if I suddenly run off to the loo.” Using the English term for bathroom always captured the American audience by surprise.

Laughter rose and several hands clapped.