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)
“Wow. Good for her, but I’m sorry she missed this.”
“I know. I really wanted all of you to meet everyone, but at least you’re here, and your girls. Let me wash my hands, and I’d love to meet them.” She places a lid on the bowl of tomatoes and moves to wash her hands.
“Okay. We’re all set. Maddox and Lachlan are manning the grill. Roman’s parents are out there supervising. Roman and my brother are with the girls, at least my brother was in there with him.” She links her arm through mine and leads me to the living room where the girls are playing.
“River, Rayne, come and meet my friend Emerson.” The girls come rushing over to me.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Emerson says, lifting Lilly, who just slowly toddled after them into her arms. “After we eat, we’re going to have cake and ice cream.”
“I wove to party,” Rayne says with a wide smile, making us laugh.
“Rome, you met Briar, right?” she asks her husband, who’s sitting on the floor in front of the couch next to where the girls were playing.
“I did.” He smiles.
“And this is Lilly.” She bounces her daughter on her hip, making Lilly giggle.
I offer Lilly my finger, and she takes it, smiling. “Happy Birthday, Lilly.”
“And this is my brother, Forrest.” Emerson walks to the front of the couch and smiles down at the two men.
Forrest.
The man in the middle of the picture from last weekend.
Emerson’s older brother.
I school my features and smile at Roman, before turning my gaze to Forrest. Damn. The picture didn’t do this man justice. I shift my stance as he studies me. “Hi.” I wave awkwardly.
“Hey.” He climbs to his feet and offers me his hand. “Forrest.”
“Briar.” I take his hand and the warmth of his wraps around me. His dark brown eyes stay locked on mine. There seems to be this… current of electricity that flows between us, and even though I know I should, I can’t look away. His eyes have me held captive in their gaze.
“She’s our mommy,” Rayne offers helpfully.
I can feel my face heat. Any semblance of attraction he might have been feeling is surely wiped away, finding out I’m a mom of two. “These are my daughters, River and Rayne.” I love my daughters, and they will always come first in my life.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but it’s not for Forrest to drop to his knee just as Roman did and greet them.
“Hey, ladies. I’m Forrest. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Why do you and him draw on each other? Mommy says that’s bad,” River asks.
Forrest’s deep rumble of laughter fills the room, and it does something to me. The carefree sound is soothing.
“These are tattoos. See.” He holds his arm out. “They don’t wash off.”
“Oh,” River and Rayne say at the same time.
“Mommy, can we get one of these?” River asks me.
“No, sweetie. Not until you’re older.”
“We’re almost this many.” Rayne holds up four fingers. “Is that enough?”
“Not nearly enough,” Forrest tells her.
Rayne’s shoulders sag.
“How about we draw on some paper instead? If that’s okay with your mom?” He glances up at me. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I should have checked with you before I said something.”
“No. It’s okay. They don’t need to draw. We’re getting ready to eat.”
“It’s no problem,” Emerson says, speaking up.
Shit. I forgot she and Roman were even in the same room with us. “We have crayons and paper that Lilly uses. Well, tries to use. The girls are welcome to use them as well.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” Roman speaks up.
“Food’s done!” another male voice calls out, as what sounds like the patio door closing fills the room. Footsteps follow and two new men appear, faces I recognize from the photo, but I don’t know who is who. “Em, you invited a gift for me?” the shorter, but only slightly of the two, says.
“She’s mine,” Emerson fires back. “This is Briar, and her daughters, River and Rayne. Ladies, this is Lachlan, and that one is Maddox. And that’s my father-in-law on the grill. My mother-in-law is somewhere around here too.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I tell them.
“Damn, all the pretty ones are taken.”
“Oh, she’s not taken,” Monroe says, joining us. “Hey, Briar. Good to see you.”
“You as well. Feeling better?”
“I am. This is my husband, Legend.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Where’s Brogan?”
“She worked today and was exhausted.”
“Wait. Who’s Brogan?”
“My twin sister.”
“There are two of you? Fuck,” Maddox says.
“Language,” Roman growls.
“Sorry.” Maddox winces.
“Is your sister single too?” Lachlan asks.
“She is. So is Maggie,” Emerson offers helpfully, “but she couldn’t make it. This is our girls’ night crew, minus Brogan and Maggie, of course.”
“My mommy and my aunt are twins like me and sissy,” Rayne announces.
“Twins?” Lachlan repeats, sounding as if he’s pained.
“Yep,” River and Rayne reply.
My daughters are not used to strangers, so I wasn’t sure how they would act, but they don’t seem the least bit intimidated by these men. Maybe because I’m here with them. I’m not sure.