Chapter 11
Luke
“Let me get this straight.” I throw back the lid on my grill, checking the thick hunk of meat I’m preparing. With the phone to my ear, I harass Hazel. “You are desperately, hungrily, urgently begging for my pork.” When she doesn’t reply, I keep going. “You want my pork reeeeeal bad.”
Hazel lets out that soft little huff I adore. “I knew you’d be a jerk about this.”
“Jerk pork is totally different,” I quip as I probe the meat. This might be one of my finest preparations of discounted pork shoulder. “Jerk is a Jamaican style of cooking. My specialty is a hot-honey pork with a tropical twist.”
“God, that sounds good.” There’s a bright bark of laughter in the background, probably Hazel’s family. “I’ll do whatever you want, Luke. I’ll pay you back for the meat and do anything you ask—”
“Anything, huh?” I let the words linger suggestively. “Say it nice and sexy for me.”
“Say what, exactly?” She sounds like she’s speaking through gritted teeth.
“Say, ‘Please give me your piping hot pork.’”
“Luke—”
“Say, ‘I want your meat so bad, Luke.’” This is fun.
“Dammit.” She’s cute when she’s annoyed.
“I rubbed it reeeeal good with spices.” I put a little extra growl in my voice. “Smoked it low and slow for hours.” I’m almost turning myself on now. “Slid in my meat probe just now and it’s so fucking hot on the inside.”
“For God’s sake, Luke.” She sounds deliciously breathless. “You’re incorrigible.”
Chuckling, I transfer the meat to a platter. “Did I mention it’s bone-in?”
There’s that sweet huff again. “Fine. You want me to beg for your meat? I want it. I need it. I’m so unbelievably starved for your meat that I can’t stop touching myself while I—what’s that?” There’s some muffled chatter in a voice that’s not hers. Then Hazel again, not talking to me.
“It’s in the cupboard beside the fridge.” She sounds flustered. “Kaleb, no—that one over there.”
I laugh to myself as I carry the meat to my kitchen. I already mixed up the guava and apricot juice with melted butter and honey. All that’s left to do is shred the pork and braise it a bit with the sauce.
Her cousin must’ve left the room because Hazel’s back on the line now. “So you’ll do it?”
“Slip you my hot, juicy pork?” I laugh when she makes an exasperated sound. “Yeah, gimme about thirty minutes. My pork needs to rest.”
“You’re such a boy,” she huffs. “I get it, I wore out your penis last week. Ha ha. This is why I’m glad we’re having girls. They won’t turn everything into a joke about genitals.”
“That wasn’t a joke. Pork needs to rest before slicing or shredding, or you risk losing all the juices. Hey—that was a good one.” I grin at her growl of frustration. “I’ll be there in forty minutes. And don’t think I’ve forgotten you just promised to do absolutely anything I want.”
I hang up before she can make more irritated noises, which is too bad.
But hey, I’ll get to see her in person now.
Has she already broken the news about the pregnancy?
She didn’t mention it just now on the phone, though she asked me to join them for dinner.
Probably just being polite, since I’m providing the food.
It takes me a bit to finish the dish and bundle it up in my Crock-Pot.
I grab the big bowl of slaw I made to go with it, along with some sesame buns I bought at Weirdoughs.
In thirty-eight minutes, I’m standing on Hazel’s front porch with three bags of food and a touch of hero complex.
Is it wrong to love coming to her rescue?
It isn’t too often that a guy with a big black mark on his record gets to be the white knight.
I don’t get a chance to ring the bell. The door flies open, blasting my face with a warm gust of air.
“Hey.” Noah Spencer-King gives me a dead-eyed look. “Didn’t know you were friends with my cousin.”
“Yep.” Ignoring the question in his eyes, I shove the bowl of slaw at his chest. “Take this. Where’s Hazel?”
“Running around in the kitchen making sure everything’s perfect.”
“Sounds about right.” I’m well acquainted with Noah’s watchful stare, so I ignore him as I move past him through the foyer. “Hope everyone likes pulled pork.”
He grunts and falls into step behind me as I head for the formal dining room. The Spencer-King siblings are milling around, chatting with spouses and plus-ones. Fourteen-year-old Harper looks up and beams when she sees me.
“Hey, Luke. Hazel says you’re saving the day.”
“Don’t know about the day, but I’ve got dinner.” I set my bags down on the big antique buffet as Hazel hurries in, looking frazzled.
“Luke, thank you so much.” She swipes at a wisp of hair that’s escaped from her bun. “You really are a lifesaver.”
“No prob.” My heart ticks up as she leans in to kiss me, but nope—no kiss. She’s just slipping past me to grab the food. “Can I help get everything dished up?”
“Thanks, but I’ve got it handled.” She thrusts a cold can of Big One’s pilsner into my hand. “Just find a seat and dig into the hors d’oeuvres.”
“Hey, you got my favorite beer.” It’s even tucked in a fancy koozie to keep it cold.
“It’s the least I can do to say thanks.”
I can’t help dropping my voice to a low, growly whisper. “Oh, I think you can do more than that.”
“Pig.” She swats my chest with the back of her hand. “Seriously, though—thank you.”
“It’s really no problem, Haze.” I crack open the beer. “Always better to share food with others than greedily keep it to myself.”
“I really will replace it.” She blows the wayward hair off her forehead again, and I fight back the urge to tuck it behind her ear. “Maybe you could even teach me how to make it so I’m not such an abysmal cook.”
“I’m sure that could be arranged.” The thought of spending more time with Hazel gets my heart rate going again.
“I’ll be right back.” She starts for the kitchen, lugging the food I’ve just brought. “Find a chair and make yourself at home. I’m just going to get everything plated and ready.”
“Sounds good.” Sipping my beer, I scan the table for a free spot. There’s an empty seat between Jake’s wife, Cassidy, and Parker’s partner, Calliope, so I stroll to that side of the table. The two women are deep in conversation, but they look up and smile as I approach.
“You missed the big announcement.”
“Oh?” So I guess Hazel told them.
Calliope holds up her hand, flashing a sparkling diamond. “We’re engaged.”
“Hey, congratulations.” So…maybe she didn’t?
“Plus, exciting baby news,” Callie continues. “This family is swimming in great happenings, huh?”
Ah, so Hazel told them. “Awesome.” Relaxing into my seat, I smile. “So you’re cool with it?”
“Thrilled,” Calliope says. “Can’t wait.”
Cassidy leans forward in her seat. “We were just discussing baby names.” She winks. “Plural, of course.”
I wink back, glad we’re all up to speed on the twin thing. “More babies to name is a bonus, huh?”
Cass and Calliope smile. “So many options,” Cass adds.
“I like nature-inspired names,” I say as I sip my beer. “River, Aurora, Eden—”
“Oooh, I love that.” Calliope swipes a shock of blue hair off her forehead as she cozies closer to Parker. “I also like Sequoia.”
“Hey, that’s a good one.” Maybe I’ll hit her up to help brainstorm. “So, everyone’s really okay with this?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Callie’s smile wobbles a little. “Well, the circumstances aren’t ideal. We’d obviously prefer it if there weren’t an element of hardship involved, you know?”
“I hear ya.” I guess Hazel shared more than expected. Did she straight-up tell them our twins were conceived through an anger bang in her foyer? “I’m more of a glass-half-full kinda guy. I’d rather focus on the fun part of how babies get made, you know?”
“Oh.” Calliope frowns, lacing her fingers with Parker’s. He’s chatting with Kaleb about fishing, so he’s missing out. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.”
“I think I know what you mean.” Cassidy glances at Jake, then gives me a meaningful look. “Want to hear a secret?”
“Sure.” Sipping my beer, I watch Hazel hurry in with a platter of buns all arranged in a pyramid. Looks like she’s toasted them all to golden perfection. “I can keep a secret.”
“I guess it’s not such a big secret.” Cassidy laughs. “I was being dramatic. I just meant it was kind of a surprise. The pregnancy, I mean. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“Same.” I wonder if Hazel filled them in on how she dropped her bombshell in the boardroom. She’s already dashed back to the kitchen, so I can’t ask. “A nice surprise, I hope?”
“Totally. I can’t wait to experience all the sweet little firsts.” Cassidy’s face starts to glow. “Feeling those first tiny kicks in utero. Buying the baby’s first blanket. Being the very first person on earth who gets to cradle a brand-new human in my arms. What a miracle, right?”
“Yeah, sure.” Maybe a little presumptuous. Seems like it ought to be Hazel’s decision who gets to be first in holding our daughters, but maybe they’ve already discussed it.
“My mom says it’s magical,” Cass continues. “The moment they latch on and start nursing?”
“Um, yeah.” I don’t even know yet if Hazel plans to nurse, let alone how she’d feel about Cass offering…um, whatever the hell this is. “I’m sure it’s a cool feeling.”
Hazel swoops back in with my slaw in a big crystal bowl. She gives me a smile steeped in gratitude as she sets it between Cass and Jake. “I can’t thank you enough, Luke. You really saved the day. Everything looks amazing.”
“Glad to help.” And even gladder everyone seems to be taking our pregnancy news well.
Hazel looks great in a flowy blue top, concealing the swell of her belly. I love knowing it’s there, knowing everyone in this room is so casually cool with the two of us raising twin daughters together.
“Two babies at once,” chirps fourteen-year-old Harper from the opposite side of the table. “This is gonna be great.”
“Right?” I’m glad they all think so. “I mean, I’m obviously not the one giving birth, but I still think it’s awesome.”