ROWDY
The delivered barbecue’s aroma lured Clint and Ivy to my condo. My cousin’s Chihuahua came along, immediately lost his shit at the sight of the cats, and got into a barking battle with Goblin.
“Aww, my heroic dog is protecting the girls from your troublemaker,” I told Clint.
My cousin frowned. “Hanzee has been around cats before. He’s just excited.”
“No, he’s a threat to my fur-daughters. I must ban him from my condo.”
Clint inherited his dad’s blue eyes. Where Ford’s gaze normally seemed low-key hostile, Clint's expression tended to give off a nice guy vibe. I learned early on how my cousin wasn’t nearly as easygoing as he pretended to be.
“I’ll take Hanzee back to our condo while my wife chats with your baby mama.”
I grinned at Clint’s dig at me. Though I considered proclaiming my love for Kat to prove a point, I didn’t want to make the situation weird for my baby mama.
As Clint carried his wiggling dog out of my condo, I watched Ivy bond with Kat, Maria, and my boys.
“Are your ovaries quivering?” I asked Ivy when she cooed over the babies. “Maybe you can give my cousin another small creature to hold.”
Ivy looked up at me. Clint’s new wife was a petite woman, not even five feet tall. Her blonde hair and sweet face made her seem like a living doll. Right now, she glared at me like one of those evil horror movie dolls.
“I’m happy for you, but don’t talk to me about ovaries.”
Unable to help myself, I taunted, “Do you think Clint’s kid will be big like him or little like you?”
“I’m ignoring you now,” Ivy said and squatted in front of Kat and Maria. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m good. A little sore and tired, but happy.”
“Hell yeah,” I said and walked over to Farley, who was making plates with Bebe. I leaned closer and spoke quietly, “When the girl twins put the boy twins to bed, I plan to maneuver the seating plan to make sure your ass is planted next to Maria’s.”
Glancing over his shoulder, Farley muttered, “I don’t need your help.”
“You’re being too passive.”
“She just got here.”
“I know, but we’re having a party at the Sorority House soon. She’ll be surrounded by prime cut biker meat. You need to nail this thing down before one of the other guys makes his move.”
“Why me and not them?”
“Because Maria likes you, and I like you. When I think of spending the rest of my life double dating with one of the guys, you’re my pick.”
Farley studied me. “I don’t believe you.”
“What part are you having trouble with?”
“That you’d choose me. You’re closer to Rock than anyone else.”
“Yes, but he’s a huge asshole. Can you imagine how mean he’d be to poor Maria?”
We casually glanced at where Maria handed Colson to Ivy. She was so patient with everyone. A big, rude dipshit was the last thing Maria needed in her life.
“What if Rock is the guy she’s supposed to be with?” Farley asked, winning a scowl from my mom.
Frowning, I quietly snarled, “I thought you liked her?”
“I do, but I don’t trust dating anymore.”
“Well, let’s invite Rock over and let him meet Maria,” I suggested, turning Bebe’s scowl into a fearsome expression. “If he doesn’t immediately hump her leg, you can take that as a sign from the universe to get over your dating issues and nail down that hot nurse.”
Farley shrugged like he didn’t care one way or another. I was surprised by how disinterested he acted with Maria when he’d been a lovestruck fool for lesser women.
After the boys were in bed, Clint returned to my condo and announced, “Rock’s on his way over.”
Up until then, Farley had been in the middle of making small talk with Maria. Nothing about his behavior gave off any sexual interest. I had started to worry Maria might get her heart bruised before the end of her first day in Little Memphis.
However, once Farley heard Rock was on his way over, he suddenly shifted gears and blurted out, “Do you want to get dinner together sometime?”
Maria looked startled. I didn’t blame her. Farley had started hot, turned lukewarm, got almost chilly, and was now racing toward hot again.
“That sounds fun,” she said, flashing him a particularly flirty smile I knew from her sister.
The stunning smile had the same effect on Farley as it did on me. I couldn’t refuse Kat when she brandished such a warm, inviting grin.
Kat’s current smile was a sweet one as she watched her sister agree to a date. Her gaze flashed to me. I glanced up toward my bedroom before admiring her.
“I don’t want to bring a bucket to bed,” Kat whispered. “I also don’t want to get naked.”
“You don’t need to get naked for me to access your sweet little nub.”
As Kat’s cheeks flushed pink, she looked around to make sure my parents weren’t listening. Bebe and Pax had a habit of being so quiet that we kept forgetting they were right fucking there, watching, listening, and memorizing our every damn word for later.
Before I could continue the clit talk, Rock knocked at my door. Farley frowned at me as if I shouldn’t let in the competition. Shrugging, I wasn’t sure if I could keep the big man out.
Rock was over six-five and built wide across the shoulders. His dark hair was cut short, emphasizing his strong features and girly green eyes.
“Go away,” I said and tried to trip him.
Rock sidestepped my attempt to take him to the ground. “Don’t roughhouse around the kids.”
“They’re in their crib,” I said and shoved him. “Let me crush you under my boot. It’ll impress my woman.”
“I’m not helping you get laid,” Rock said and dodged me.
His gaze landed on the twins now standing in the kitchen together. I could see how he admired their beauty. I glanced at Farley who looked ready to help me tackle Rock.
“Which one is yours?” Rock asked in that asshole way he had.
“The hotter one,” I replied.
When Rock narrowed his gaze at them, Maria pointed at Kat.
“You look good for pounding out twins,” Rock said, as charming as ever.
Feeling protective, Bebe asked Rock, “Does your mom know you talk like that to new mothers?”
“Of course. Ginger taught me the perils of pounding out babies. I’m very educated on women’s issues.”
Bebe rolled her eyes while Pax snickered at his woman’s anger.
“Want to see my boys?” I asked Rock when he frowned at my mom for too long.
“I already know what they look like from the constant pictures you sent everyone.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re a lumbering fool and know you’ll wake them up with your giant fucking feet. No, you’re right. Just stick to pictures, you stupid cow.”
Ignoring my taunt, he asked, “Can I have some barbecue?”
“Sure, man. The more, the merrier.”
Kat grinned at our banter, having heard my many stories about us. As Rock filled a plate, Clint spoke up.
“Hanzee is very interested in your cats. I might bring him back.”
Ivy smiled at Clint like he was an angel for babying their dog. I knelt next to Goblin and wondered if he would ever give up on the staring contest with Witchy and Wicked.
“There’s no way you can stay here overnight if you keep them pinned under the couch,” I said while stroking his little body. “They need to drink and eat, poop and pee, sleep and climb on their mommies.”
“You’ll be staying with us tonight, right?” Clint asked Maria while I gave up on drawing Goblin’s attention away from the cats.
Maria looked at Kat and hesitated. “I thought I should stay overnight in the nursery. Kat, Rowdy, and I have a routine for overnight feedings.”
“It’s okay for you to have a break,” Kat said, despite gripping Maria’s hand. “I’m mostly back to normal.”
“You’ll need to deal with the stairs,” Maria said, stepping closer to Kat. “You’ll likely feel worse than you did back home.”
“Isn’t their twin bond adorable?” I asked everyone while resting my hands on their shoulders. “I think Maria should stay here until she’s ready for more privacy. If she changes her mind, Clint’s place is right down the hall. No need to stress on our first night here.”
The twins were genuinely stressed, too. The idea of being apart had gotten them all worked up. I wasn’t sure how they would learn to live separately in the future.
Even hours after everyone had gone home, the twins remained attached at the hip. I finally took charge when they were yawning on the couch yet unwilling to separate.
“If you want to stay up and watch TV, don’t worry about the noise bothering us,” I told Maria while tugging Kat to her feet. “The ceiling fan upstairs muffles the noise. When Vanessa stayed over, she watched three ‘Die Hard’ movies without waking me.”
Maria glanced at the nursery before her gaze flashed upstairs. “I was more worried about the noises I’d hear if I stayed out here.”
Kat smiled. “Rowdy does get loud.”
“She isn’t wrong,” I told Maria while wrapping my arms around the front of Kat. “But we’re only playing around for now. By the time we get to full-blown penetration, you might want to be down the hall.”
Maria gasped before shaking her head. “Oh, you meant Clint and Ivy’s place.”
“Wait, did you think I meant a condo belonging to a single biker?” I teased while shuffling with Kat toward the stairs. “I bet he’s thinking about you, too, so there’s no harm in you imagining him naked.”
“I wasn’t doing that,” Maria insisted as she twisted to see us head upstairs.
“No one believes you,” I said, making Kat snicker.
“If you need anything, wake me up,” Kat said rather than tease her sister.
“We’ll hear the boys on the monitor,” I announced as Kat reached the top. “See you at the next feeding.”
As soon as we reached the upstairs bedroom, Kat peered over the railing to wave at her sister. I had to insist she get her ass cleaned up for bed.
“Back in Little Rock, we’d be in bed by now,” I reminded her. “We had a solid routine. The easiest way to settle in here is to mimic that routine.”
Kat disappeared into my bathroom and primped for our sexy fun. “What about your regular life in Little Memphis?”
“My regular life is over. I’m a taken man now with two sons and a woman to worry about.”
“But you’re still a biker,” Kat said and poked her head out of the bathroom. “And a Reed. You have responsibilities outside the boys and me.”