Shalan lifted a blanket over her head. "You two are ridiculous. I'll be fine. I ate a bad shrimp or something. I'll be fine."

"It's been two days. You should be feelin' better, even if it's food poison. Let's go get checked out. We can go Black Friday shoppin' while we're out."

I watched Shalan come out from behind the blanket with a curious smile across her face. "Fine. You talked me into it. Let me go get changed."

While she went upstairs I sat down on the edge of the sofa. "You think she's pregnant don't ya?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Don't get your panties in a bunch. It's probably not that at all."

I opened my mouth to attest her statement, but decided on biting my tongue instead. I didn't want Shalan feeling pressured, and I knew my cousin would push the subject if I brought it up. "I only want her well. She's lookin' forward to huntin' tomorrow. I even put cushions up in my stand so she'd be comfortable."

Bells rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of God, are you serious? It's about bein' one with nature."

"You have a five gallon bucket with a trainin' toilet seat on top of it, so you can shit properly. Don't get on me about luxuries while in the woods."

"I have a sensitive ass," she said sarcastically.

"You're full of shit. That's the real truth."

She shoved me off the side of the couch. "Quit hatin' on me, cuz. Ever since I did that you've all put one in your stands. You can't be a hater if you're goin' to steal my ideas. You're the one who hunts in a mini-house."

She was right. Most of us had spent a lot of time on our spots to hunt. I'd closed my stand in, on account of having problems falling asleep. It was so quiet and peaceful that I'd felt comfortable. There were several times when I opened my eyes to catch myself falling out of a tree. Then I added a roof, so that I was able to hunt in the rain. My dad liked it so much he did the same to his stand. Since both of us finished work early in the day we'd spend our afternoons out hunting together. It was nice. We were bonding, but too far away from each other to hold conversations. It kept him happy, unless he chased a big buck in my direction and I took the kill. Then I never heard the end of it.

"Shalan's goin' to shoot a buck tomorrow. She'll get that beginners luck, and we'll mount it right up there on the wall."

"Say what?" I watched her coming down the stairs. "Noah Mitchell, we discussed the hanging of animal heads in the living room."

I put my head down like I was sulking. "Yeah, I know. They go in the den. You don't have to remind me, darlin'."

She leaned over and kissed me goodbye before they left out of the house. I looked around at all the boxes of decorations I still had to put up. Then I looked down at the comfortable leather furniture. I could take a nice nap to pack in my energy for an early morning hunt, or I could make Shalan happy by decorating the whole house while she was gone.

I decided on the second choice, knowing she'd had a rough two days. I went outdoors to start hanging the garland on all of the windows and entryways when I heard two familiar voices.

Jake and Jax were approaching the house on a golf cart. "What's up, bitch." One of them yelled.

I shook my head and kept on lining up a nine foot piece of garland. "I don't have time for you two."

"We came in peace, cuz. It's too early for pranks. You need some help?" Jax walked over and helped secure the opposite end of what I'd been trying to hang. "We figured we'd be of use before we start drinkin'."

Jake stepped onto the porch wearing a cowboy hat, a humiliating Christmas sweater that had actually bells hanging from it, and a pair of skinny jeans. "What the hell are you wearin'?"

"Tis the season, fucker. It's my holiday cheer outfit. I'm wearin' it every day until Christmas."

Jax motioned with his index finger that his brother was crazy. "Ever since I got my girlfriend he's gone a little wacko."

"Because you traded pussy for a good time. We had a pact, man." Jake pretended to be sad. I still wondered which one of them got the brains. It was always difficult to tell.

For the next couple of hours the three of us acted like normal family members and worked together. I loved my family, even when we were messing around. Still, it made things so much more fun when there were pranks being pulled. According to my father, it'd been going on since his dad was a kid.

Once we'd finished, we all sat in my living room drinking beer. Jax went on and on about his new girlfriend that we'd meet for Christmas, because he was planning on bringing her. Jake kept interrupting him, going on and on about her little quirks that drove him mad.

I could tell he was jealous, not that his brother was happy, but because he hadn't found that same kind of connection. For their whole lives they'd worked as a team, and now they'd been challenged to do this separately.

I listened as they bickered amongst each other, as if they couldn't find common ground. It was entertaining to me, since they'd always been a force to be reckoned with. Now that they were divided, I wondered how it would impact every part of their lives. Literally they spent every second together, on the field and off. I could see our family's two football stars going in different directions.

"If you two don't stop arguin' I'm kickin' you out. You're messin' with my buzz."

"Noah, tell Jake how good it feels to get a kiss when you walk in the door at night. Tell him that being in love ain't givin' up on your manhood. I'm sick of this little prick draggin' me down."

"I ain't sayin' nothin'. Leave my relationship out of this completely."

On that note Jake got up and went to the bathroom. Jax leaned forward so he couldn't hear us. "I'm in love, bro. Wait until you meet her. You'll see why. She's perfect. I can already tell she's the one. She makes me want to be better."

"That's good to hear. I know the feelin'."

"It ain't like I'm choosin' sides. I'm with Jake all the time. He's treatin' me like it's the end of the fuckin' world."

"It's got to be hard for him. How many years did you all use that sayin', bros before hos?"

He shooed me away with his hand. "Whatever, man. He needs to get over it and be happy for me. I'm serious about her, and it ain't going to change. She loves me."

"Wow," I took a sip of beer before continuing. "That's a big word for you."

"Piss off."

Jake came out of the bathroom rubbing his hands together to dry them, although I was actually surprised he washed them at all, since their manners lacked so much etiquette. "Dad texted us. He wants us to meet him at uncle Colt's house."

The guys got up and hurried out like their life depended on it. While I sat there looking around at the finished decorating, I was happy they'd helped. Then I tipped my ball cap down in front of my face and settled in for a long awaited nap.

It wasn't until my girlfriend got home that all hell broke loose.

"Oh my God! Noah, get in here!"

I jumped up, not even realizing she'd come home. My heart raced as I headed in the direction of her voice, the whole time wondering if she was in trouble.

Then I saw it; the reason for his dismay.

The room smelled of feces, and as I got closer I noticed that the toilet was filled with it. We both covered our noses as I flushed it again. More brown water flowed out, and that's when I knew what happened.

"That little fucker is goin' to pay." I rushed out of the bathroom and headed straight for the door.

Shalan ran after me. "What are you talking about, Noah? What is it? How do we fix it? Is the plumbing broken? Do we need to shower at your mom's?"

I turned to give her attention, while trying my hardest to remain calm as I spoke. "Jake did an upper decker in the fuckin' tank."

"What's an upper decker?" She asked.

"It's where you take a shit in the top tank, so that when people flush only shit water comes out. I'm seriously goin' to kick his ass."

They'd paid me back for the vinegar, and now it was on. That stink bomb was going in their car, and they'd have to drive home with the windows down for a month to be able to handle the stench.

Chapter 7.

Shalan I wasn't able to go hunting with the family, on account of the news I'd received at the doctors. I still didn't know how I felt about it, more less how I felt with Bells knowing. I can't say a part of me wasn't excited. I was. Hearing the doctor diagnose my problem was enlightening. I had hope that my symptoms were only going to be temporary.

In eight months I'd have another reason for no sleep.

I was pregnant, and now I had a million things I needed to take care of. First and foremost I had to tell Noah the news. Since he'd been egging the subject on, I had a feeling that he'd be thrilled. My concern was that he wasn't going to let me go out on the road, even if I cut my schedule in half. I was under contract, and would lose so many fans if I let them down, not to mention breaking the guidelines of my professional agreements.

Coming home to the house smelling like shit only made my sickness heighten. Noah ran around spraying air freshener, after I'd finally gotten him to calm down. Since they'd not just messed with Noah, but our new home, I was inclined to assist him in making sure they paid.

While he paced around the house, sharpening his mental knives, I focused more on our own situation. Inside of me was a little life. I felt an overwhelming amount of love.

I found my way upstairs to one of our empty bedrooms. My eyes took in the space, and I quietly imagined what it would look like as a nursery. I wondered if I'd decorate in a neutral color, or would Noah want some kind of farm theme, no matter if it were a girl or boy.

When I heard the sound of Noah coming up the stairs, I quickly removed myself from the room. I needed time to prepare him for the news. It was important that I focused on getting my career settled. I was going to have to cancel the whole tour.

Noah met me in the bedroom. I'd begun folding clothes to keep him from being curious. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my abdomen. His hot breath lingered over my ear. "What did the doctor say?"

"He said I'll be fine. I'm just going to need to take it easy for a few days until my body can settle." I absolutely hated lying to him, but I knew I'd feel better about everything if I had all my ducks in a row.

Since it was technically a holiday weekend, I knew my agents and manager wouldn't want to have such a serious conversation. It would require them a lot of work, and probably some very angry event planners. I decided to wait until Monday to make that kind of call. In the meantime I'd lay low and stay quiet about my little bundle. A few days wouldn't kill Noah. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Noah led me to sit down on the bed. "You didn't even notice that I finished putting up all the decorations for you. Are you sure you're alright?"

He was right. I hadn't noticed anything, because I was in shock. "I noticed," I lied. "After the whole bathroom episode I got sidetracked. I'm sorry, babe. I know you worked hard on them."

"The twins helped. I'd prepare for somethin' to go wrong though. There's no telling what the two of them did."

I grabbed Noah's hands to get his undivided attention. It killed me to know that I had such a big secret I was keeping. "How about we spend the rest of the afternoon in bed?"

I could tell I'd distracted him. While biting down on my bottom lip I considered a good way to keep him occupied. Even though I'd been sick earlier, I was beginning to feel a little better. Knowing I'd be vomiting again in the morning, I quickly made the call to enjoy the time I had with my guy. "I love you."

He placed his hands over my backside and pulled me close. "I love you too, darlin'. What's up with you? You're never like this in the afternoon."

"I think I'm enjoying my time home a little more this season. It's nice being around everyone, even with all the pranks going on. Your family is the best, Noah. I hope you know that. If we ever get to tie the knot, I'll be proud to call myself a Mitchell. It's beautiful what you all have together. I've always envied that."

He cleared his scruffy throat. "They all love you already. You don't need my last name to have that. Although, if I'm bein' honest, it's gettin' harder every time we push that date back. In the back of my mind I keep wonderin' if one of these days you'll change your mind." I hated that he was saying things like this. Didn't he know that I was in this for the long haul? Now more than ever we needed to get married. We had a baby on the way.

"I won't change my mind about being your wife. You're too sexy to let go of," I teased.

"Oh yeah?" He was taunting me.

"Yeah." It was obvious that the mood in the room had shifted. "Why don't I show you how hot you make me?" Our lips locked, but only briefly. I bit his tongue when he started to pull back, and from there I knew what was to come. He took no restraint as he lifted my sweater over my head. The next time our lips met the spark had been set. The rest of our clothes came off with little effort as we began to get lost in each other.

Noah took his time, kissing my tender skin. He sucked a nipple into his mouth, dragging his teeth over it before letting go. After removing his hat, I dug my fingers into the thick hair on his head while enjoying his actions. My knee came up and started rubbing against his already stiff erection. I was so turned on, and I could tell he was in the same position. "I want you bad. Touch me, Noah."

He growled while sliding his hand between my legs. He separated my lips, traipsing inside of them with at least two fingers. The moment his touch slid across my clit my body jerked. He repeated the process, this time using more pressure. Our mouths connected again, this time in a more aggressive kiss.

He fucked me with his fingers, so hard at times I felt like I couldn't catch my breath. My body began reacting to his groove. I swayed my hips to match his thrust. Move for move we worked in sync until I felt my body responding. My back arched as I succumbed to my greatest desire.

Noah grinned after knowing what he'd done. Feeling eager to return the favor, I took him in my hand, drawing his large girth toward my mouth. He lifted my chin before I was able to place my lips around him. "I'd rather you not hurl in my lap, darlin'."

Since he wasn't going to let me blow him, I felt the need to repay him in other ways. He steadied my legs as I stood up and hovered over him. Noah folded his arms behind his head as he watched me moving slowly over top of him. I let my hair down out of the ponytail it had been in, and shook it. With it dangling down over my breasts, I ran my hands over both of my nipples and then I trailed on down between my legs.

Noah loved to watch, and I was very aware that he hadn't yet blinked. My body swayed around the bed, until I sank down, straddling him. I was so turned on, and completely ready for him to be inside of me. He wasted no time maneuvering himself. With little effort I felt him slipping in. He filled my tight walls, encompassing my channel with a slow groove. I took over, moving erotically over the top of him.

Noah laced his fingers with mine as we continued making love. After a few minutes I felt the need to lean forward and feel his lips on mine again. His kisses got to me; so much that it caused me to speed up our pace. While he attempted to slow me down, I kept fighting him, grinding my pussy as fast as I could move. He gripped both of my hands and tried to hold onto my ass, but it was too late. His eyes closed tight and I watched as he rapidly lost all control. Then I could feel it, his whole release filling me.

It was a moment like this that had created the tiny miracle growing inside of me. As Noah held me close, I traced his skin and fought with myself to tell him our news. That's when it hit me. I knew it was going to be difficult, but I was going to give him the best Christmas present possible. My only problem was going to be convincing his cousin that we should wait a whole month to tell him.

Chapter 8.

Noah This was the first year that none of us got a buck on opening day of deer season. Jax and his dad managed to snag a couple doe's, but the rest of us left empty handed. As the weekend came to a close I anticipated the moment that my cousins prepared to leave to head home. Since Shalan seemed to be feeling better, she rode with me and my sister, Christian, to plant the stink bomb in their vehicle.

"I can't believe you talked me into this, Noah. After all these years I feel like we've made amends. If they find out I was here with you, there's no tellin' what they'll do." My sister was feeling guilty. I should have known she'd have trouble, since she was always wanting to keep the peace.

"Stop bein' a sissy. You know it makes you feel good to torture them a little."

She smiled, but shook her head. "Fine. Let's do it."

The smell was so strong that I started gagging before I could get the door shut. Then I felt so bad about it that I actually considered leaving the door ajar until they discovered it.

When Shalan reminded me of the shit in my toilet tank I quickly changed my mind. They deserved this for everything they'd put everyone through.

An hour, a whole thermos of hot chocolate, and a lot of laughs later we watched our cousins approach their vehicle with their bags, while we hid in a small patch of the woods. Since we were all three dressed from head to toe in camouflage I knew they wouldn't be able to see us.

Almost at the exact same time they opened the doors and were taken back by the stench. I was laughing so hard that tears began to run down my face. The two of them started to gag, and then one at a time they backed away from the car and began vomiting.

Never in my life have I ever seen my sister laugh so hard. We were in such hysterics that none of us realized that the twins were still puking. The sound of my dad's voice caught our attention. He approached the vehicle and covered his whole face with his jacket. We watched in silence as he stepped further away from it, unable to keep the vile smell from reaching him.

I was rolling around on the ground, laughing so hard that I felt dizzy. When I sat back up the girls pointed, showing me that my uncle Ty had showed up, only to walk away dry heaving.

Out of nowhere my sister held her hand up in the air to high-five me. After all these years we'd come out with the greatest victory.

While we remained hidden we watched as Jax started kicking his bag around, because they wouldn't be able to leave until they figured out how to rid the awful smell from the car. Jake started arguing with his brother, which in turn resulted in them getting into it over Jax's girlfriend. All the while the three of us sat there ducked down in the woods.