Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81718 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“We got this.” Lachlan bends down just as I am. “Who wants a ride to the car?”
The girls point at me, and something in my chest swells. I’ve just met them, but damn, these little angels have a hold on me.
“How about we race?” Lachlan asks. “River and me against Rayne and this guy.” He points to me. I don’t think he can tell them apart, but he does know their names.
“Can you go real, real fast?” River asks him.
“The fastest.”
The twins look at each other and have some sort of silent communication before they’re nodding. River crawls over Rayne to get to Lachlan, and lets him take her into his arms, as I scoop Rayne up into my arms as well. We carry them out on the front porch and down the steps.
“Ready?” Lachlan asks.
“Go!” the girls cheer, and we take off toward the car. We get there at the exact same time. “Tie!” they cheer, their melancholy from having to go home nowhere in sight.
“Thank you for that,” Briar says, once we have the girls loaded into the back seat of her car.
“Anytime. You ladies be good for your momma,” I say before closing the door. “When you’re ready for that tattoo, give me, or any of us, a call.” Me. Call me. That’s what I want to say, but I can’t for the life of me understand why it’s so important to me that I be the one to ink her.
“Thank you,” she says again, before climbing into her car and driving away. I watch until I can no longer see her, and hope like hell I’ll get to see her again soon.
CHAPTER
FOUR
Briar
The girls are finally asleep. It only took three books, and the promise that they could have their own small birthday cakes for their birthday in a few weeks. I tried to explain that small individual cakes are usually just for first birthdays, but they kept insisting, and it’s a small ask to make them happy.
I always get them both their own cake, anyway. It’s something my dad always did for Brogan and me. He said that just because we were twins didn’t mean we had to share a cake. My chest aches at the thought of my dad. I miss him so much.
“They finally out?” Brogan asks as I take a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
“Yeah, they want their own little cakes like Lilly had today. I think the exact request was, ‘We’re big girls, but we want little cakes.’” I don’t bother to hold in my laughter.
“Those two are something else.” Brogan grins. “So, how was it?”
“How was what?”
She gives me a look that tells me she knows I’m full of shit. “The party. Did you get to meet all the guys?”
“I did.” I nod, not giving her anything.
“And?”
“And what? You should have come with me if you wanted to meet them so badly.” I know she was exhausted, and I don’t blame her for not coming, but it helps pull the heat from me to her. At least, that’s the hope.
“Are they as gorgeous as everyone claims?”
I should have known my distraction tactic wouldn’t work this time. “Everyone?”
“You know, Emerson and Monroe. Keep up, Briar,” she teases.
“They’re—yes. Yes, they are.” Flashes of Forrest filter through my mind. Gorgeous isn’t the first word I would think of when it comes to him. Sexy, alluring, kind, sweet, did I say sexy?
“What was that look?” Brogan points at my face.
“What look?”
“The one you just did there. It was all dreamy and—wait. You like one of them?” She sits up straighter and clasps her hands together. “Who? Which one? Tell me all the things, dear sister.”
“They’re all really nice guys.”
“Briar,” she groans.
“Fine. Forrest, Emerson’s brother, he was really good with the girls. He carried them to the kitchen and was sweet with them. In fact, they all were. Roman was as well when he answered the door, and Forrest and Lachlan helped me carry the girls out to the car when I left.”
“Forrest.” She reaches for her phone and taps at the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Going to their website. All the guys have their pictures on there. I checked them out after girls’ night, but I can’t remember which one is Forrest.”
“Creeper much?” I tease.
“You, dear sister, have good taste,” she says, staring at the screen. “Honestly, they’re all fine as hell.”
“If you’ve already stalked them online, why interrogate me?”
“Because in person is different than behind the lens of a camera.” She hands me her phone and I scroll the page that has a picture of each of the five guys.
“Not in this case.”
“The next time we’re invited, I’m going.”
“What if you have to work?” I counter.
“I’ll call off.”
“No, you won’t.” I chuckle. “Truly, they were all really nice and welcoming. They spoiled the girls just as much as they did Lilly, well, mostly Forrest, because they stuck to him like glue.”