Chaos Chapter 10 #3
Since no one was nearby, she was safe to use my real name.
I growled mockingly. She giggled. By the time I let her down, Dare was there, holding out his hand.
We shook and man-hugged each other. Once that and a short hello were out of the way, we got to the kids.
Bran was bouncing in his booster seat, keyed up to get out and see me.
Marcus was a bit more subdued. The way he was blinking, I think he just woke up from a nap.
Dare took care of Marcus while I unhooked Bran.
As soon as he was free, he jumped into my arms. Like mother, like son. Him, I squeezed more gently.
“Uncle Chaos, I’m so happy to see you. You have to see my pictures,” he rattled out. I gave him the attention that was his due.
Joli took control of Marcus after Dare brought him over, and I gave him a one-armed hug and gently rubbed my beard on his cheek. He giggled. He liked when I did that. The switch allowed Dare to get their luggage out. As he did, he teased his old lady.
“Damn, Doll, did you have to bring the kitchen sink? Chaos has one, you know. Along with a fridge and stove, and whatever else you packed.”
She narrowed her eyes at her old man. “Dare, if you want to make it back to Cherokee, you’d better tread lightly. You know what it’s like to travel with two little ones. Stop pretending as if I packed it all. You kept sneaking things into the bags.”
He grinned as he paused to peck her on the lips. Then he faced me. “Are we using the same two bedrooms as last time?”
“Yep, unless you want to switch it up. All the sheets are fresh on all the beds.”
“Nah, no need to change, just checking. The one room is perfect and childproofed for the boys. Marcus is hard to guard now that he walks,” the Cherokee chapter’s VP replied.
“Just like his father,” Joli said, smiling. Then, she looked back at me.
“Where’s Bianca? I’ve been dying to meet her. You haven’t run her off, have you?”
“Man, give me more credit, cousin. No, I haven’t run her off. She had clients to meet today. As soon as she finishes with them, she’ll head here. She said it would likely be between three and three-thirty. It’s two-fifteen,” I reminded her.
“Crud, I hate waiting, but it’ll give the boys time to run off some energy. They’re wound up from being cooped up for so long,” my cousin warned.
“Well, there’s plenty of room for them to run themselves ragged,” I promised, which she knew.
It took about ten minutes to get their things inside, the kids to the potty or change a diaper, and then take them outside to the backyard.
I had stocked up on their favorite juice drinks and snacks.
The adults grabbed something to drink as well.
None of our yards were fenced in. We had to keep an eye on the boys, especially Bran, who could wander much further than his little brother.
It was sweet, though, to watch Bran look after his baby brother. He was like a mini babysitter.
Joli sighed. “No matter how many times we tell him that he doesn’t have to worry about his brother, he doesn’t listen.
He sees how all the older kids in Cherokee are, and he copies them.
Even though Agony and Eliana’s twins are only seven months older than him and Cara is two years older, he looks up to them.
And then when we’re around the kids from Hunters Creek or Dublin Falls, most are far older, and it makes him even more protective. ”
“Doll, he’s gonna be a future biker. You know that. And we’re an overprotective bunch,” Dare reminded her.
She groaned. “Lord, I know he’s gonna be a biker. The boy is motorcycle crazy and so is Marcus.”
I grinned at Dare. We exchanged knuckle bumps, which made her roll her eyes and shake her head, but Joli smiled.
I was relieved when my phone chimed, telling me I had a text. I read it.
Lioness: I’m on my way. Should be there in twenty. I was closer to you today.
Me: Drive safe. Take your time. We’re just relaxing in the backyard.
Lioness: That sounds perfect.
Me: It is. The kids are running off their energy from being cooped up. See you soon.
Lioness: See you soon.
I told no one how hard it was not to end the conversation with the words I love you. However, with each passing day, I felt that was exactly what I was feeling. But I’d keep that to myself—no need to scare Bianca off.
“Was that her?” Joli asked.
“It was. She says about twenty minutes.”
“Awesome, I can’t wait,” Joli replied.
“While we wait, I gotta ask. How is her cousin doing? Any better?” Dare asked.
I grimaced. “I wish I had good news in that department, but he’s still the same.
He glares, mutters under his breath, and storms out when he sees us.
It’s past old, but no one seems able to get through to him.
I’m about to beat on his head and see if that rewires his thinking.
He was never like this before. It’s like knowing she and I want to be together has made him lose it. ”
“You’d think that with you being in nearly the same position with me when I met Dare, he’d see that you wouldn’t play games with him.
You’re protective, just like all of you are.
Do you think there might be some secret that he’s afraid you being with his cousin will expose?
Maybe seeing how you are with the kids and me, he’ll be able to relate and understand that you’re more like him than he knows. ” Joli murmured.
“It might. Let’s not talk about him right now. It agitates me. Tell me, how was the drive?”
They kept me in stitches with the recounting of their trip and the voices and expressions they used.
I laughed damn hard when Dare told me about them coming out of a less-than-stellar bathroom, and Bran had told a clerk that he should let his mom teach him how to clean.
If he peed on the floor at home, his mom expected him to help clean it up.
Bran told the clerk that if he wants people to stop, he needs to redo the bathroom and keep it clean.
The guy looked like he wanted to crawl under the counter, being schooled by a five-year-old.
“I burst out laughing and had to haul ass outside,” Dare admitted.
“Yeah, and he left me in there to face the guy,” my cousin muttered.
“Hey, you had Bran for backup. I wasn’t needed,” Dare teased her, making all of us laugh.
The next thing I knew, I heard a vehicle coming close. I rose.
“I’ll be right back. That might be her,” I said before I hurried around the house.
I was relieved to see that I was right. Bianca pulled into the driveway next to their Expedition.
I was over to her in a flash. I helped her out of the car, then wrapped her in my arms so I could kiss her.
I hadn’t seen or kissed her since last night.
It was so easy to get lost, but I somehow kept my head.
Her pout when I ended our kiss made me smile.
“Greedy,” I joked.
“That, and I need a distraction from how nervous I am. I feel like my legs are made of jelly, Cash, and I don’t know why I’m stressing them so badly.”
“Hey, there’s nothing to be nervous about. And don’t forget your nickname is Lioness for a reason. You’ll be good. Joli is like Jalisa, only a little less insane.”
As I explained the nuances, we walked around the house and ended up on the patio. I felt the slight tremor that went through Bianca, but her sweet, welcoming smile didn’t falter. I brought her to stand before them. Both smiled at us. Joli stood and came to us. She took Bianca’s hands in hers.
“Hello, Bianca, I’m Joli, and this is my old man, Dare. I’m Chaos’s cousin, but only when he’s good. If he hasn’t been, then I don’t know the guy.”
Joli’s joke and big grin, along with the laughter her introduction caused in Dare and me, broke the ice with my woman. She laughed and grinned.
“I totally understand it. I’m the same way with my cousin, Mishap, although lately he’s been in the doghouse with Chaos and me. We should get together and compare notes and techniques, Joli,” my Bianca suggested.
“Oh, I’d love that!”
“Before we get tossed out for good, I should introduce myself, even though my old lady just offhandedly did. I’m Dare.” Dare held out his hand, and Bianca took it, but didn’t hold it as long as she had with my cousin.
At that moment, a wail from the yard caught all of our attention. Wheeling around, I saw Marcus sitting on his butt, crying. Both women hurried over. Bianca got there first. She crouched down and spoke softly.
“Hi, you must be Marcus. You sure are a good boy. You’re okay. Let me see if you’re hurt anywhere. When we’re done, you can show me your big brother,” Bianca told him.
As if by magic, he sniffed back his tears and then smiled at her. She grinned back and helped him to stand. And just like that, I fell even more for her. I stood and watched how she chatted with him and the others. Dare grabbed Marcus and brought him to me.
“She’s a natural with kids. Assuming you want some of your own and this works out, that’s a big positive,” he said softly.
“I wouldn’t mind having some. Haven’t asked her about it. And I’m gonna make sure it works out. I have to,” I told him.
“Why’s that?”
“Because I’m already half in love with her.”
The smile that spread over his face was huge. I grinned and whispered, “Shh.”