Austin smiled meaningfully, “My entire family will be very happy and warmly welcome you if you come with me to attend my nephew's sip-and-see shower.”

In fact, his family would likely treat Isabella as his future wife, extending the kind of hospitality reserved for a daughter-in-law.

However, Austin did not voice this thought.

He and Isabella had not reached the stage where they could openly flirt like that.

In any case, he was not in a hurry. Like a good stew, he would gradually win Isabella’s heart with time, and everything would fall into place naturally.

“Your sister-in-law hasn’t given birth yet, so why are you already saying it’s a nephew?” Isabella teased belatedly. “Are you all hoping for a boy?

“I heard from Ruth that your family elders are all hoping for a baby girl, though.”

At the mention of that, Austin smiled wryly. “Ms. Fuller’s been to Wiltspoon and has heard about my family. She knows that our elders have always wanted a baby girl, so she must have also heard ot