Titus: Book Two of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Fourteen

“That should be the last of it.” Kalie huffed, a few beads of sweat trickling down her neck as she carried the last crate filled with Anna's belongings.

Tucking some of the hair that had escaped her ponytail after her and her sister's morning yoga class at the gym behind her ear, Anna felt perspiration trickling down her neck and the valley between her swollen breasts. Feeling much too after having slept until noon, Anna sat down on her loveseat, hands tracing the white swirls laid in the soft fabric. As soon as her house was sold, she wouldn't be touching this couch anymore.

Her feet wouldn't be resting on this coffee table, her stack of graded projects never strewn in the right corner just so. She wouldn't be using the few dishes that she had anymore, for she remembered all of the boxes of hutch items she had carefully moved into the basement where the rest of the wedding gifts still had to be opened.

Titus and his family wouldn't be in that basement; Titus and Trace would be at River Falls and would be transporting the many table decorations from the Circle T to the reception hall. Thrane and Tobias would be at Bethany right now, also bringing decorations to the church. Which just left Taivon who was over in the corner by her older brother Evan.

Dressed sloppily in cargo shorts and a simple blue t-shirt that advertised the mystical adventures of Cap'n Crunch, Evan Simmons was that one person who managed to make the goofiest of clothing ensembles look menacing. His blonde hair fell over brown eyes, and one would think that he was the nicest, most welcoming person out there; but once that trap of his was opened, people would recoil. But Taivon was good with people, the smile on Evan's pale face giving evidence to that fact.

Brayden, Kalie's husband, was by his wife, diligently strapping down the crates to the top of Anna's car, night time air doing nothing to cool down the sweat that was staining on his shirt. Ashton, their four-year-old son, was right beside his father, reaching for the belt loops of Brayden's blue jeans. Her sister sure had done a good job. The two had met at a bookstore, both reaching for a copy of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange. And now they were here, happily married with an adorable and well-mannered son.

Smoothing pale hands down her cotton t-shirt, she didn't dwell too long on her stomach. Although there still wasn't any change in her body's appearance, she could tell there were some major internal changes taking place. Fatigue was the most prominent of all the symptoms, her eyelids always feeling heavy. Anna closed her eyes for just a second, leaning heavily on the countertop where she had receded into the kitchen.

A warm hand landed on her stooped shoulder, instantly snapping her eyes open once more. Eyes traveling up long, slightly thin legs clad in jeans and a t-shirt advertising his college from back in the day, she came face to face with her sister's husband and smiled. Always one to have somewhat of a heavy blush on his face whenever Evan teased him about wanting more nieces and nephews, Bradeyn McLain was one of the sweetest people Anna had ever come to meet.

“Can I talk to you for a sec? Without Kalie,” he asked, looking over to where Ashton and Kalie were playing with one of the cats she was looking after for the week.

Anna smiled, playing with the frayed ends of her t-shirt once again. “Sure. What about?”

“Your sister,” he chuckled lightly, running trembling hands through a shock of black hair, “is gonna be a little emotional these next few months. She's stressed about this whole wedding thing 'cause she didn't get to plan all she wanted and all that stuff, and she's-”

“Pregnant?” she whispered, awakened by the good news.

“N-no,” he stammered. “But we're trying for another child, so she's a little stressed about all that. And what with the wedding and all, she's not getting too much sleep. So, if you could, could you just try to keep some of the work off her. I'll gladly-”