"I can't have dinner with them tonight. She's going to tell your dad."

"My uncle Ty told me that one Thanksgiving my parents were caught doin' it in the pantry."

Shalan looked up and let out a tiny snicker. "Really? They did that while everyone was around?"

I shrugged. "Apparently. I guess I get it honestly."

"I better go get changed. I can't look at your mom while I'm wearing these clothes. I might as well burn them now."

I laughed as she marched up the stairs, feeling humiliated.

While I sat down waiting for my girlfriend to stop freaking out, I began going through the bag and box from my mother. It wasn't surprising that I found a little present from my sister. Christian left a note that said, "Retaliation."

I didn't know what that meant until I opened the box to find a stink bomb, and not the kind that only lasted a few minutes. This was one of those that teens used in schools, causing hallways to have to evacuate. It was the kind of stink bomb that brought tears to the eyes it was so potent. I hadn't seen one in a long time, and knew she had Ethan help her obtain it. I knew exactly what my sister had in mind when she wanted to retaliate, and the twins were in for a big surprise when we were done with them this holiday. This year we'd have the last laugh, and it was going to be bittersweet.

I could hardly wait to see them puking in the driveway.

This holiday would go down in history, and the inner child in me felt invigorated.

Chapter 5.

Shalan After being completely humiliated, I was reluctant to leave my bedroom. Sure, we were grown-ups, and it was obvious that we had sex, but she was his sweet mother. I went to church with her and his grandmother. Now they were going to look at me and pray for my sins. I felt dirty over it, which only entertained Noah. I think in some ways he wanted to get caught, just so he could brag about it happening.

When I finally found my way back downstairs I could tell he was up to something. His ornery grin made it obvious. "Whatever you're up to, don't. I can already tell it's something bad."

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, darlin'."

"Don't you dare darlin' me, Noah Mitchell. I know that look. What're you up to?"

He chuckled and pulled something out of a small container. "It's a stink bomb."

"For what?" I probably shouldn't have asked. It made me an accomplice. "Never mind, don't tell me. I don't think I want to be involved. I can already see the wheels in your brain turning, and that means trouble when I know it involves your cousins."

"No one will be injured in this prank though. It's completely safe. Come on, you were all for the vinegar."

I threw up my hands. "This is all you, babe. I'm not involved. I love you, but I'm not involved in this one. I can see it ending badly."

For the time being, Noah put the item back in the box and got ready for us to go over to his parents for dinner. This would be the last night before we were overwhelmed with guests, so we needed to enjoy it. I collected two good bottles of wine before we left the house. While Noah and his family schemed against their cousins, I'd be content with my glass of red sitting by the warm fire with the older adults. After being caught red-handed earlier, I needed to be on my best behavior, since they were the only family I had left. I couldn't stand to disappoint them.

Stuffed shells were one of my favorites, and Noah's mother made them like no other. I ate four, and slowly went into a food induced coma afterwards. I was so full that after helping clear the table I plopped down on the couch and stretched out my body. It was a good thing I was wearing yoga pants, because I'm sure my jeans weren't going to button.

Noah came over and sat down next to me. "You ate more than me. Are you sure you ain't pregnant?"

I looked around the room, checking to make sure nobody heard him. "Would you stop? So what if I over ate? It was delicious. That doesn't mean I'm with child."

Noah leaned over so no one else could hear. I could feel his lips tracing the lobe of my ear, while I tried hopelessly to ignore the hot and bothered feeling it was giving me. "I'm in love with you. If you were carryin' my child, I'd be ecstatic. You'll be a beautiful mother, Shalan. I just know it."

How was I supposed to respond to that? How could I look at him and argue with that kind of compliment. "I'm not pregnant."

He snickered and took a sip of his beer. Once he turned his attention to the rest of the people in the room, I found myself daydreaming about being pregnant. It got to me so much that I kept to myself for the remainder of our visit. When we made our short ride home, Noah seemed indifferent. He never mentioned it again, and I wondered if he'd been teasing me all along. Still, I couldn't shake the way he was pushing it.

After having one too many drinks, Noah was ready for bed as soon as we walked in the door. He made it to the couch and started snoring almost immediately. I managed to remove his boots before trying to convince him to come to bed. Even though he fussed at me, he finally followed behind, trampling up the stairs. We climbed into bed, saying nothing about our night, or anything else for that matter.

While Noah fell back asleep quickly, my mind pondered about being a mother. I loved holding our niece, and felt the urge to have my own child every time she was around. Maybe that's what Noah was experiencing.

Then I thought about my busy career, and how being a family would become difficult. I'd have to give it up, or at least slow down and awful lot.

When I rolled over and looked at my sleeping man I knew I was willing to make sacrifices for him, no matter what they were. He was everything to me, and it pleased me so much to see him happy. Noah wasn't about material things. He valued what one could keep close to their heart. It was one of the many reasons why I was in awe of him.

The next morning I woke up to the smell of bacon. Since I'd had so much to eat the night before I still felt bloated, like I could be sick at any minute. The aroma filled my nostrils, making me feel like it was rancid, even though I knew it wasn't. To alleviate the ill feeling, I turned on the ceiling fan, hoping it would air out the scent of the fatty meat.

After putting my head under the covers I was able to fall back asleep. Noah came into the room with a tray full of food. He no sooner sat it down on the bed when I got up and ran into the bathroom. I couldn't stand the smell of the coffee, eggs, and especially the bacon.

I stood over the toilet dry heaving. I could feel him standing behind me, even before he handed me a warm washrag. "I ain't goin' to say what I'm thinkin'."

In between my gags I warned him, "You better not!" It was obvious that I wasn't very convincing. Noah said something smart behind me, while I began to hack again. I didn't have the energy to ask him to repeat it.

A few minutes later I was back in bed, waiting for a cold glass of water.

He came back into the room and handed me a couple Tylenol and a tall glass with ice clanking around in it. "Were you sick overnight, darlin'?"

I shook my head before downing the pills and half of the drink. "No. My stomach hurt from eating too much."

"Are you constipated?" He asked calmly.

I knew he was being concerned, but talking about bowel movements wasn't my idea of a conversation I wanted to have, especially with him. Unlike his family members, talking about poop or anything fecal wasn't my idea of a proper subject. "Noah, seriously? I'm sick from eating too much. I'm not used to that much cheese. Just give me a couple hours and I'll be fine."

"It's Thanksgiving. We're goin' to be eatin' all day."

I ran to the bathroom two more times that morning. By lunchtime I'd begun to feel better. Noah made me some soup, which I managed to keep down. While I rested on the couch, he went out and made sure his family was arriving, and that they were all settled in.

Isabella and Rusty showed back up a little after that, without Sarah. Her grandmother had offered to take the baby for the night, so the two of them wound up staying at the main house for a little time alone.

We wouldn't have bothered them. In fact our guest room was clear across the house. Though they had a whole wing at the large mansion, I suppose I couldn't argue with that.

As soon as she came in and saw me lying around, instead of decorating or cooking, she knew something was wrong. "I was wonderin' where you were. I didn't see you at uncle Colt's and aunt Van's this mornin'. What's wrong?"

"My stomach is killing me. I threw up earlier."

She raised a brow and gave me a once over. "Maybe Noah scared you so bad you're sick."

We both laughed. "I don't think that's possible."

"I know he's jokin', but could you be pregnant?"

I was shocked that she'd asked me that. "What? Not you too? No of course not. We're careful. I take the pill."

"The pill isn't one-hundred percent. When are you due for a period?"

"Bells, seriously? It's Thanksgiving. I don't want to discuss this. I've got food poisoning or a bug. I'll be fine."

"We all ate the same food as you, Shalan. None of us are sick." Did she have to rub it in? I was beginning to get worried.

"I'm not pregnant. I know you all want me to be, but I'm not. I think I'd notice a missed period, or my body changing. I'm just sick. I ate too much food and it made me ill."

Bells dropped the subject when she realized it was making me upset. She helped me prepare the food that I was supposed to bring for dinner, and together we loaded it up and took it over to the carriage house.

It took a while for me to greet everyone that had arrived during the day. One by one I either hugged or kissed every one of Noah's family members, even his two twin cousins, Jake and Jax, who I knew he was planning on sabotaging during their visit.

After Noah's dad led the family in a prayer, we all made our plates and started eating. Since I had no appetite, I found myself people watching.

It was fun to see the cousins communicating with each other. All of the ones that lived in North Carolina stuck together at one large round table. Bells and Rusty sat with her parents, and grandparents. Noah's uncle Conner and his wife sat with his parents, while they kept their eyes on their sneaky kids, who always seemed to get into trouble.

Noah and I sat with his parents, sisters, and Ethan. I think Addy wanted to hang out with the younger kids, but knew it wasn't a good idea. I'd heard the stories of them smoking pot behind barns before. She needed to stay away from that for sure.

The older family members had a table of their own. While everyone was busy consuming large amounts of carbohydrates, I sat there thinking about being Mrs. Noah Mitchell. This was the family that I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life. Even though I couldn't enjoy the delightful food, I found solace in knowing that this was my beautiful life.

Chapter 6.

Noah It was unfortunate that Shalan wasn't feeling well. I would have liked for her to be able to enjoy herself. Mostly I wanted her to be around when I gave my cousins a little payback. No matter how old they got, they couldn't leave well enough alone. Last time they were in town they put Vaseline on all of the car door handles. Then they put plastic wrap around all the golf carts. It was dark out, so when we were all ready to head back to our houses, we got a huge surprise.

They got their witty ideas from their dad, who'd played the same kind of pranks on my dad. I remember being a kid and watching my dad lose bets. I even remember one year where he was covered in flour. I can't remember why, but the family still talks about it.

One person that they never expected to get involved was my mother. She'd grown up with my uncle Ty, and loved to get him back for all the grief he'd caused her when they were kids. I wasn't shocked when she handed me a bag of uneaten shrimp cocktail wrapped in a brown paper bag. "What's this for, mom?"

"Stick it in your uncle Ty's bag. I'll keep him occupied. Go up to his room and put it in the front pocket of his hunting bag."

Of course I did as I was told, aware that when Saturday came around when we did our big family hunt for opening day, it would be rancid.

All I knew was that I wouldn't be riding on the same ATV as him. As soon as I got back from pulling the prank for my parents, I spotted my cousins with their bottle of booze. It was going to take some maneuvering, but I'd fill that bottle up with vinegar, and watch them drink it.

Sure enough, everyone went outside to watch some fireworks my uncle Conner had bought. I stayed back and emptied the rum onto the ground then replaced it with white vinegar. They'd been drinking long enough to not notice the pungent smell. I sat there waiting for what felt like forever. Finally Jax came over with an empty cup. I watched him pour in his Cola first, and then the rum, or lack thereof.

I could hardly keep a straight face as I sat there by myself watching him lift it to his lips. Instead of sipping, he took a huge gulp, swallowing it before actually realizing what was in the cup.

I lost it when he began to grab his throat and lunge around the room, as if he'd been poisoned. His face turned red as he picked up the cup and smelled it, searching the room to spot me.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that I'd been the culprit, not that I'd hide that information. I wanted him to know.

"You dickhead!" He cringed and whined again when his mother came in. Bells spotted me and began to laugh. She knew I couldn't contain myself when it came to giving them hell.

My dad came over and patted me on the back. "What'd you use?"

"Vinegar."

"Wait until your uncle Ty gets a whiff of those shrimp."

We both cackled in the corner of the room, knowing that by the time the family left, they'd already be scheming about how to pay us back. The game was never ending, and we'd be crushed if we ever had to stop.

When Jax and Jake challenged their father to a drinking competition I knew it was time to call it a night. We'd party until they all left on Sunday, and since Shalan wasn't well, I knew she'd need to rest up in order to make it all weekend.

I think she literally undressed as she was marching up the stairs. By the time she climbed into bed she was in nothing but her underwear. I jumped in on the other side, thinking it was a sign that she wanted some loving. Instead she pulled my arms around her and closed her eyes. "I love your family, Noah."

"We all love you."

"I'm so tired," she whispered.

I kissed her forehead and accepted that I wasn't going to get any. She needed her rest, and I wanted her to feel better. Before going to sleep myself I said a little prayer asking God to heal her. Then, in that same request I asked for some help on getting her to see that a baby would be a blessing. I knew it was selfish of me to want one, but I couldn't help myself. A part of me longed to be a father. I was ready. I just needed to convince my fiance.

My internal clock woke me up before the sun was rising. I quietly climbed out of my warm bed and got dressed. My dad would be up, fed, and ready to work by the time I made it over to his house. That man was like a machine when it came to daily duties. Luckily we'd hired a lot more help, which meant we both had a lighter load on us.

For the most part we both oversaw that everything was moving properly. Since we knew that we'd be hunting on the following day, we'd be pretty busy making sure there was nothing that would be a problem while we were all out in the woods.

Hunting on opening day was a tradition. Women were never allowed until my aunt Miranda was born. She was adamant about doing all the things that my uncle Conner could do. In my opinion she was the better shot.

Once my dad and I set out for the morning, everything went as planned. We even had time to stop by and lock up the barn, where my surprise wedding was to take place. We didn't want the younger teens sneaking off to explore and causing a ruckus that we'd have to repair later. I know I would have ringed their necks if they ruined something that pertained to my nuptials.

When I got back to the house, around ten in the morning, Shalan was awake, but she didn't look good. She was sprawled out on the couch with my cousin next to her. "Hey ladies, where's Rusty and the baby?"

"We didn't know if Shalan was contagious, so he took her up to my mom."

I sat down next to my beautiful girlfriend. "Everything alright, darlin'?"

"I'm still queasy. Bells thinks I should go to the doctor, just to make sure there's nothing else wrong."

I got this big smile on my face, because I could tell what she was thinking, even though she refused to admit it.

"Don't you dare go there, Noah. I feel terrible. I don't need your bad mojo making it worse."

I tossed up my hands, as if to surrender the theory. "I said nothin'," I couldn't help but chuckle anyway. It was comical how we couldn't find a happy medium when it came to a bundle of joy.

Was it so hard for her to see that I was that in love with her that I wanted to make a ton of babies? My father did the same damn thing.

"I was tellin' her that she can't go huntin' with us if she doesn't get checked out first. She can't be out in those woods pukin'."

"Yeah," I added. "She'll scare the deer away."