Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
They want the world to know.
Not that I blame them. If I had that kind of love, I’d be on board for my own shouting confessions on rooftops.
“We’re talking huge explosion,” Maverick chimes in. “Lots of smoke, super tall building,” he says, placing his hand over Orrin’s head where he’s standing next to Jade, who is holding their son, Orion.
“Crumbled like a cookie, the lot of them,” Merrick jokes.
“Just wait,” Rushton tells them. “You’re going to be the one crumbling after the love of a good woman. Don’t worry. As your older brothers, we’ll be sure to remind you of this conversation.”
Maverick and Merrick, the twins and the babies of the family, just laugh it off. The doorbell rings, and they both move to answer it. Without jostling Beckham, I manage to reach into my wallet and grab a twenty and hand it to Declan. He’s already got one from his own wallet in his hands. We all like to pitch in on nights like this. There are a lot of us, and I know the bill for the pizza is going to be huge.
Sure enough, Maverick and Merrick come walking in with four pizzas each in their hands, with Palmer following along behind them.
“They’re kind of handy to have around,” she teases. The twins set the pizzas on the kitchen counter and come back to where we’re all gathered in the living room.
“You know we’re better looking than Brooks,” Maverick jokes. “We’re happy to be the eye candy to you that our brother can’t be.”
“You might be the same size as us now, but there are more of us.”
“Five married, and four single. I think we can take you,” Merrick quips.
“Hey now.” I shake my head at him. “This is your fight.”
“Come on, man. Us single guys have to stick together. Ryder?” Maverick asks.
“You’re on your own, Mav,” Ryder tells him. “We all know I’ve already crumbled.”
Maverick nods. “What’s your excuse?”
“Do I need one?”
“Single brothers unite.” Merrick thrusts his fist into the air. We all laugh at their antics.
“I’m single, but that’s just because I haven’t met anyone who can make me crumble.” There’s a brief moment where the lovely Scarlett pops in my head, but she’s leaving. Her time here in Willow River is temporary, and this is my home.
“I’m disappointed, Archer.” Maverick shakes his head as if my words are the craziest thing he’s ever heard.
“I’m just saying.”
“Give me my nephew.” Maverick steps toward me and takes Beckham from my arms. “Don’t listen to anything he says, little man. Us single Kincaid men need to stick together.”
“Don’t be corrupting my son,” Kennedy, Declan’s wife, warns him.
“Just teaching him the Kincaid way.”
“There is only one way, little brother,” Orrin speaks up.
Maverick looks down at Beckham. “We work hard, and we love harder, but—” Maverick looks up at Orrin and grins. “Until we find her, we flirt and play, and—” He’s cut off when Jade, Orrin’s wife, smacks the back of his head. “Ouch.”
“Don’t be teaching him that.”
“Tell your momma I’m right, Orion,” Maverick tells our other nephew, who’s just taking us all in. He’s a baby, just a few months old, like Beckham.
“Let’s eat,” Ryder says. He stands from his chair and moves toward the kitchen, with the rest of our family following suit.
As for me, I’m slow to move as I watch Scarlett out of the corner of my eye. When she stands, so do I.
“Are you going to eat?” she asks.
You. She’d probably kick my ass if I said that out loud. “Yeah, let’s eat.” I place my hand on the small of her back to lead her toward the kitchen. It’s an open-floor plan, but I still guide her. It’s my excuse to touch her. If the goose bumps that break out across her skin are any kind of indication, she’s thinking about our night together.
I bend down. “What are you doing later?”
She stops walking to look over at me. “Going home.”
“Wrong answer.”
“Going home with you.” She smirks, and I have the urge to smack her ass, but I keep my hand where it is on the small of her back.
“Good girl.” I want to kiss her. I can still taste her even after all these weeks.
“Just sex,” she reminds me.
“Just sex,” I confirm. I take a step forward, my hand still on the small of her back, and she moves with me.
We make our plates as if we didn’t just make plans to hook up once we leave my family. Glad to know we’re both on the same page. Once she’s filled her plate, I grab us both a beer at her request and nod toward the living room. We settle in our same seats, and I hate it. I want to sit next to her. However, I know that’s just asking for family interference. We don’t need them in our business.