All sexy thoughts vanished and I did a double take when I saw the woman that could have been Nate’s twin standing in our doorway, holding a little redheaded bundle. “Nikki!” I squealed as I launched myself at the duo, eager to get that baby in my arms before her daddy or uncles stole her away. “Emma!” I cooed, plucking her from her mother’s hands. “How’s my pretty girl?”

As I smiled down at the little beauty, I couldn’t keep the giant smile from my lips. If Nate and Lia were ever blessed with a daughter, I was positive she’d look just like this. Her strawberry blond hair was long for her age, with curls that hung to her shoulders, she had her mom’s beautiful blue-green eyes, and features that told the world she was all Kelly.

And chubby, good Lord this baby had rolls on top of rolls. A sign of a healthy, breastfed baby who was just starting to get mobile. I wanted to eat her up.

The smile? Good Lord, that smile could stop a grown man in his tracks. Emma Nebraska Woods was going to be the heartbreaker to shame all heartbreakers. I couldn’t wait to see her men try to keep her from being the wildling she was born to be.

I leaned in, smelling her baby powder and infant smell, hugging her to my chest. Like the sweetheart she was, she nestled her head in my neck and grabbed a handful of my hair, giving it a not-so-gentle tug. I loved her.

Before I could do more than cuddle, a very insistent uncle practically ran to me, holding out his hands. “Okay, my turn,” Noah demanded, and I grudgingly handed over the peanut. He didn’t even acknowledge me, just turned and carried the little miss to the couch, crooning to her as they went.

I shook my head, debating how long I had to wait until I could grab her back when Lia and Nate came out of their bedroom. Nate was holding her hand, clutching it really, as they stared at the baby while they walked. I could tell he was worried about his wife, but he shouldn’t have been.

Lia wasn’t the jealous type. She’d never worried about Nate while he was out on tour, and she didn’t look upset now. Instead, she walked straight to the sofa and plopped down next to the duo, her face lighting up with happiness. Nate watched them for a minute before letting his shoulders sag in relief.

He turned toward us, pulling his sister into a giant hug once he got close enough. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

Nikki shook her head. “We weren’t. It was a surprise trip for Finn. We missed Daddy.” She smiled in Emma’s direction. Then she shrugged. “Plus, I need to have a sit-down meeting with Lia and it seems like a good time.”

The door opened again, and this time, Finn Woods, the ‘Bama Boys bassist, struggled up the stairs carrying what appeared to be a very heavy tote. Nikki stepped aside, giving him room, and then directed him to drop it off by the coffee table.

“That’s yours,” she added, pointing to the giant plastic box.

“Mine?” I frowned, unsure. “What is it?”

She pursed her lips. “Your mail from Eli. I met with him last week and got things straightened out. That is what he had.” She glanced over at the giant tote. “At least I hope it’s everything.”

“What do you mean by everything?” Lia asked, squeezing by me to hug her sister-in-law.

“Probably all my letters?” They both looked at me, waiting for more. “I read and respond to all my fan letters. They all got sent to Eli, and his staff would open them before sending them on to me. Guess it’s been a while.”

“Why do you do that?” Nikki asked, as if I was crazy. “That’s your PAs job.”

“I don’t have a PA.”

“Why don’t you have a PA?” She was obviously appalled.

“Because I don’t need a personal assistant, thank you very much. I got this.”

She dismissed my idea with a wave of her hand. “Please. Even Nate has one. He’d be lost without April.”

“I’m not as big as Nate. I don’t need one.”

Lia and Nikki spoke at the same time. “You do need one.”

“She’s going to get one,” Lia informed us, while Nikki told me, “I’ve got the perfect woman for the job!”

I rolled my eyes, leaving the two of them to talk about their insane idea, and sat on the floor next to the couch, popping the top on the container. “You read every one?” Mike asked, sitting on the couch behind me.

“I do. And write back to almost all of them.”

He nodded, as if it seemed like a normal thing, and grabbed a handful. “Let me help then.”

I’d gone through dozens of letters and bills, separating them into piles so I knew which ones to keep out so I could respond to them later when Mike swore. “What the fuck is this?”

I looked over, sure I was going to see him holding one of the repulsive nude selfies random men liked to send me. Instead, it looked like a blank piece of paper. “What is it?”

He turned it around. Printed in large black block letters were the words, Genesis 38:24-26. “Do you know what it means?”

“A bible verse?” I shook my head. “Put it aside and we can look it up later.”

He hesitated, as if he wanted to argue, but Lia chose that moment to plop down next to me. “Holy shit, Molly. How many letters are in that thing?” When my only answer was a shrug, she smiled and yanked out a pile. “Let me help.”

The distraction was all Mike needed to set the weird letter aside and keep sorting. We listened to Nikki and Finn talk with the boys, and everyone took a turn holding the baby as we worked through the mail. I was laughing at a story Noah was telling his sister when I pulled the next strange message out. This one was the same black bold block print, only this time the words were different. “Ezekiel 16 28,” I read to my friends.

Mike’s head snapped up and he ripped the letter from my fingers. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Lia dropped the mail in her hands, moving to her knees and leaning over the table for a better look. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “Mike found one earlier.”

She narrowed her eyes at me as she pulled out her phone. “Where in the hell did it come from?”

I’d already been reaching for the envelope, questioning it myself. My heart sank when I recognized the familiar zip code. “Keene, New York. It came from Keene.”

Mike’s eyes met mine, as Nate joined the conversation. “What came from Keene?” he asked, as if not sure how much to say. He already knew that was my hometown; it had been his money used to purchase a house there a few years ago when his friend was in desperate need and her mom was about to lose her childhood farm. Hell, if you wanted to be technical, Nate owned a property in Keene.

“Molly got a coded message,” Lia explained, shaking her head and holding up a hand when he tried to ask a question. “Listen to this bullshit, ‘Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou was unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied.’ What in the…” she dropped the letter, looking up at me. “I don’t understand.”

Before I could answer, Mike shoved the first letter under her nose. “What about this one?”

Lia’s hands flew across the keyboard on her phone and then she read, “‘Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth and let her be burnt—’”

“Enough,” Mike growled. “I don’t need to hear any more of that shit.”

Lia looked horrified, but I only shrugged. “They’re calling me a whore.”

“Oh, my God, Mols!” She grabbed my hand, holding tight. “Is this because of those lies about you and Nate? About the baby that never was?”

I wished it was that simple. “No. I’m pretty sure these are from my sister and her bible-thumping Baptist friends.”

The color drained from her face. “What?” she gasped. “Why?”

Her husband, on the other hand, sat next to Mike and his face had turned a horrid shade of red. “Fucking bitch.” Pushing Mike out of the way, he grabbed his own handful. “Let’s see if there are more before we jump to conclusions.”