by R. Linda
Not even Indie, wallowing neck deep in self-pity and heartbreak, could resist the smile of that kid.
She and Bailey had taken Cole to the playground and were playing on the swings together. Their laughter echoed in the still afternoon air. It was quiet out, but that would change the moment everyone arrived.
I walked over to Kenzie.
“What the hell did you buy him? You know we only have a small apartment, yeah?” she asked, hefting his gift up onto the table. She blew a blonde curl out of her face and placed her hands on her hips expectantly.
“A remote-control monster truck. Goes super-fast. He’ll love it.”
Kenzie sighed. “I appreciate it. I do. But he has so many toys that he doesn’t play with. Why couldn’t you buy him books or something? Clothes. Things he needs.”
Throwing my arm over her shoulder, I kissed the side of her. “I did. They’re in the bottom of the bag. Why do you think it’s so heavy? Filled it with books.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, and though she’d never admit it, I knew sometimes she struggled to buy the things Cole wanted or needed. But she always put him first. She was studying nursing so she could become qualified and have a secure job to support and raise him.
The drawer full of cheques in her bedroom remained uncashed and always would. Kenzie was too proud to accept the money on principle, and because Chace’s family pissed her the hell off. Which is exactly why I said she should cash them. Take their money and make a life for her and Cole, but if it were at all possible, she was more stubborn than I was.
Guests started arriving, so I excused myself and went in search of my mum to see if she needed any help. “We’re all organised, sweetheart. Go and play with the kids.”
I stared at her. “Play with the kids?”
“You know what I mean,” she said, her gaze catching on something in the distance. “Oh, look. Nate and Linc are here.” She pointed over to the parking lot where they were pulling a giant bundle of balloons out of the back and two huge brightly wrapped gifts. “Perhaps you should go over and do some damage control. I’m assuming that’s your doing.”
“What makes you say that?”
She gave me a patronizing look. “You’re my son, and I know you better than you do. Underneath all this…” She waved her hands at me, poked the hole in my shirt, flicked my eyebrow ring, and placed her hand on the tattoo heart on my arm, which had a white banner with the word Mum written in it. It had an eighties, prison tattoo vibe and was so damn cliché and mainstream, but she was my mum, and I loved her. “Your tough guy, bad attitude exterior is my baby with a heart of gold. And you wouldn’t want anyone to feel the kind of heartbreak poor Indie did.”
I took a deep breath and tilted my head back before bringing my gaze back to her. “It’s your fault, you know?”
“What?”
“The heart of gold crap.”
“My fault?”
“Yours. Kenzie’s. Bailey’s. Even Indie’s. I’m surrounded by women. You’ve turned me into a fucking pussy.”
After what Chace did to Kenzie, I cut myself off from everyone I knew. I was mad as hell, and it hurt. He was my best friend, and by destroying my sister, he made me realise people weren’t worth it. Friendship, feelings, caring about people only got you hurt. I resolved to only focus on my family. Everyone else could go to hell.
And then, along came Bailey.
Damn…I had been in love with her since I was fourteen.
Heartbroken. Sad. Lonely. Bailey.
And my ice-cold heart began to melt slowly. She worked her way into my heart, chipping away at the ice with every smile, every touch, every breath, until she was so far under my skin that I couldn’t fucking breathe without her.
With Bailey came Indie. Couldn’t have one without the other, and even though she was a giant pain in the ass, Indie somehow got hold of me too, latched on like the annoying monkey she was and wouldn’t let go. It just snowballed from there.
Nate. Linc. Jack. Jayden. Cohen.
I had friends. Family. People I cared about. Loved. People I actually wanted to see. And if someone hurt them—not that I’d ever admit it out loud—they hurt me, and if I was hurt, then all bets were off.
That was why I had to fix things with Indie and Linc. I kind of liked the guy too much to be pissed at him on Indie’s behalf.
Fucking pussy.
“Language,” Mum scolded, slapping my arm.
“Sorry, Mum.”
“And we didn’t turn you into a pussy. It just means I raised you right. Not a bad effort for a single mother with twins. Now, get over there before Indie tries to swim home.”
Chapter Eight
Bailey
Cole disappeared the moment his friends arrived, so Indie and I sat on the swings. She was lost in thought but seemed to be in better spirits than she had been earlier. No doubt, a lot of that had to do with Cole. It was impossible to be sad when was around.
“So, what’s the deal?” she asked me, leaning back on the swing and pointing her toes to the sky.
“With what?”
“You and Ryder.”
I looked over and saw him talking to his mum. He shot me a wink that still made the butterflies in my stomach come to life.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you two are usually joined at the hip. But here you are, and there he is.”
“Three-foot rule. He’s not allowed near me for a week.”
Indie laughed. Her shoulders shook, and she leaned forward and hugged her stomach.
“It’s not that funny.”
“But…i-it…it…” She sucked in a breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. “It is. You’ve got no hope.”
“Why does everyone say that?”
“Because we’ve all seen you together. You’re like—”
“Don’t you dare say magnets. We’ve already argued about that this morning.”
“See, five minutes of keeping your distance and you’re already at each other’s throats over what? Nothing. Why would you torture yourselves like that? Just give in to that sexual tension, already.”
I shrugged. I really didn’t know what possessed me to create the stupid rule. A moment of panic. Shame. Embarrassment. Having Joan walk into the kitchen like she had this morning was beyond awkward. Five minutes later, and she probably would have seen things a mother should never see.
“I just think some space would be good. Not like space, space. Just a little distance. No touching. That way, neither of us will get too carried away.”
“Too carried away? Since the moment you two hooked up in high school, you’ve been carried away. I’ve never seen two people so hot for each other, Bailey. It’s like the world ceases to exist when you’re with him.”
“It does,” I whispered in response.
“Then why fight it? That kind of thing doesn’t happen often. Embrace it. I would.” Her voice lowered at the end, and she sighed.
“You okay?”
She kicked the ground, digging her feet into the bark. “I just need to not see him long enough to get over it.” She changed the topic to Linc.
I felt bad for her, and I understood how she felt. Or at least I could imagine how it would feel. How I would feel if Ryder was marrying someone else.
I’d see red. I wouldn’t be held accountable for my actions. But, in saying that, we’d been together a few years, so losing him to someone else would be an entirely different ballgame to the one Indie and Linc were playing.
“Uh, In?”
“What?”
“That could be a problem, at least this weekend,” I said and pointed to the parking lot where Linc and Nate had just pulled up and were dragging balloons and presents out of the car for Cole.
“What is he doing here?”
“Cole’s birthday?” I offered weakly. I wasn’t prepared to throw Ryder under the bus. She’d kill him if she knew he’d invited them. “Besides, you haven’t seen your brother in months.”
Indie groaned. “Can I put a thirty-foot rule in place?”
I laughed. “You can try, but I doubt it. He looks pretty determined.”
Linc hadn’t taken his eyes off Indie from the moment he spotted her. Ryder was right. Linc gravitated toward her, moved in her direction before seeming to realise he was carrying the balloons. He and Nate took them over to where Kenzie had set up the party and handed them to Cole before greeting Ryder with that fist bump thing they did.
I’d never understood why guys couldn’t just say hi like regular people. Why did they have to punch each other in some way? Was it some kind of macho thing? To prove they were the strongest in the land?
“Walk with me?” Indie asked, looking out across the water.
“I think we should stay here. I’m sure Kenzie will bring the cake out soon.”
“You’re a sucky best friend.”
“Thank you.”
“Indie!” Nate called and bounded over to us, wrapping his sister in a hug and spinning her around. He had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. “Have you grown?”
“Don’t be stupid.” She elbowed him when he put her down.
“I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too, bro.”
“Bailey, how are you?” He leaned in to give me a hug, but Ryder came up behind him, followed by Linc, and cleared his throat.
Nate backed away with his hands held up in mock surrender.
“The rule applies to everyone, love,” Ryder said, standing across from me with his lip pinched between his thumb and forefinger.
“So, tell me about school.” Nate asked, nudging Indie out of the way to climb on the swing.
“Not much to tell.”
“Any boyfriends?” He narrowed his eyes.
“Boyfriend? There better not be any boyfriends,” Linc growled and punched Nate in the arm. “Don’t give her ideas.”
“I can have a boyfriend if I want. You’re not my boss, Linc. Not my dad. Not even my brother. You can’t tell me what to do,” Indie hissed before turning and stomping away.
“Ahhh…” Nate scratched the back of his neck. “Did I miss something?”
“Everything,” Ryder mumbled.
Nate’s eyebrows drew together, and he pushed himself up from the swing. “I better—”
“Let me,” Linc said, already walking away.
“Told you,” Ryder said with a smug smile on his face.
“What?” Poor Nate looked so lost as his eyes darted between everyone, trying to work out what he was missing. He really was clueless.
“Cake!” Kenzie shouted.
“I should go and get Indie and Linc,” Nate said, pushing his cropped brown hair off his face.
“Leave them.” I shook my head. I didn’t want Indie to come back here if she was mad at Linc. She’d either cause a scene or mope. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but there was a time and place. And calling Linc out for doing something he had no clue would hurt her was definitely something that shouldn’t happen at a kid’s birthday party.
We sang Happy Birthday to Cole and cut the cake. It was rainbow and full of lollies on the inside like a piñata. The smile on Cole’s face grew as more and more lollies spilled out of the centre. He was amazed.
“Best birthday everrrr,” he shouted, pulled his shirt up to expose his chest, and ran around the table with arms out cheering.
“Cole, buddy. Put your shirt down,” Ryder suggested.
“But this is what they do on TV.”
“Who does what, now?” Ryder questioned and raised an eyebrow at Kenzie.
“Don’t look at me.” She laughed. “I don’t know where he’s seen that.”
“When they win a soccer match or kick a goal. They pull their shirts over their heads and run around cheering.”
“I don’t know what soccer games you’ve been watching, but you want to leave something to the imagination, okay?” Ryder knelt in front of him. “Makes the girls crazy for you. Just ask Bailey.”
Cole whipped around to face me. “If I leave my shirt on, will the girls go crazy?”
“You bet they will.
“Okay, my clothes stay on, then.”
“Until you’re twenty-five, yeah?” Ryder added and held his hand out for Cole.
“Twenty-five. Deal.” Cole bumped Ryder’s fist with his own small one and then ran off with his friends to the play in the park.
“Not quite what I would have told him, but whatever works,” Kenzie said.
“Just saved you from becoming a grandmother before the age of forty-one, Kenzie. You’re welcome.”
“Forty-one?” Kenzie paled. “Crap. I hadn’t thought about that.”
“You’ve got plenty of time, sweetheart. Don’t listen to your brother. He’s just grouchy and feeling frustrated.” Joan smiled at me.
“Unless he starts early and you become a grandmother at thirty-two,” Ryder teased and poked Kenzie’s dimple. “You’d be the best-looking grandma ever. No offence, Mum.”
“None taken.” Joan laughed.
“Kid’s got game.” Ryder pointed to Cole. “Takes after me.”
I laughed because it was true. Cole was so much like Ryder in every way, except he had Kenzie’s blond curls instead of the golden-brown ones Ryder had. The dimples, the eyes, the smile, even their personalities were the same. And apparently, so was their ‘game.’
Cole was talking to one of the little girls he was friends with. She was leaning against the rock wall, while Cole stood in front of her. One arm braced on the wall beside her head, he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, before pulling back and brushing a strand of hair out of her face.
She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling, and Cole said something else then reached down and took her hand in his before running off together to grab the basketball.
They were four.
“I was about that age when I had my first girlfriend, remember, Mum?” Ryder said.
“I do.” Joan sighed and shook her head.
“Ella. She was sweet, and so pretty, and let me hold her hand too. I even kissed her in the sandpit,” Ryder mused.
“Oh, really?” I folded my arms over my chest.
“Jealous, love?”
“No,” I shrugged, “I dated Xander when I was four. We were steady for six months. I even had a sleepover at his house.” I smiled triumphantly. Take that, Jones.
Ryder growled low in the back of his throat.
Kenzie took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and ignoring us, cried, “Oh, my god. I’m too young to be a grandmother.”
“Could be a great grandmother at forty-eight.” Ryder shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets, quickly skipping out the way with a laugh as Kenzie tried to kick him.
Served him right for teasing her like that.
“This is your fault,” she said to Ryder, poking him in the chest.
“Mine?”
“And Bailey’s.”
My eyes widened, and I gasped. “Mine? What did I do?”
“Both of your faults. He watches how you two interact. And that, right there,” she pointed at the rock wall they had just vacated, “is like your signature move. How many times have I walked in and you’ve had Bailey pressed against the wall like that? He takes after you.”
“Is that so bad?” Ryder asked, concern etching his features as he chewed nervously on his lip ring and pulled on the ends of his hair.
“No, it’s not.” Kenzie smiled softly. “I hope he turns out like you.”
Ryder grinned. “Don’t worry. I’m a great mentor.” And with that, he ran off to the basketball court to play with Cole and his little girlfriend.
He picked them up, spun them around, ran up and down the court with them, and held them above his head so they could throw the ball in the hoop. Laughter and squeals of excitement could be heard. They had so much fun, and I was sure all of them would be exhausted by the time they got home.
Chapter Nine
; Ryder
I was impressed. Twenty-four hours, and Bailey hadn’t broken her rule. We came home after Cole’s party last night, and I was so beat from playing basketball with a bunch of four-year-olds that I passed out on the sofa almost immediately.
Kids were exhausting, man.
Props to my sister, and Mum…everyone, really, who had kids. I couldn’t do it. Though if I had Bailey by my side, I could do anything. Except she wasn’t by my side. She was upstairs beside Indie.
Maybe I would be the one begging to break her rules by the end of the weekend. Twenty-four hours I hadn’t touched her, kissed her, felt her breath on my skin, and I was going crazy. It was the longest we’d spent apart since we started dating. Officially dating. There were those two months when we were fake dating that I disappeared to my aunt’s to help Kenzie through a rough patch and convince her to come home, and Bailey had no idea.
Granted, at the time, she didn’t know about Kenzie and Cole or how her douche-face ex-boyfriend was Cole’s sperm donor. He sure as hell wasn’t his father. So telling her where I was at the time wasn’t an option. Besides, Kenzie and Cole weren’t my story to tell.
I threw off the covers and walked into the kitchen to make some coffee, knowing Bailey and Indie would appreciate it when they woke up. Stopping short, I watched as Bailey fluttered around, her long brown hair piled on top of her head, short shorts, and my red checkered shirt. She hadn’t seen me yet, so I enjoyed the view as she danced to the music playing in her earbuds and made coffee.
Unable to resist the temptation put on display right in front of me, I approached Bailey and leaned into her, placing my arms on the counter on either side of her, caging her in. Her back pressed against my chest, she took a deep breath.
“Good morning, love. How’d you sleep?” I asked low in her ear and dropped a kiss to the back of her neck.
“Mmmm…” She turned her face to smile at me and elbow me in the ribs. “Morning.”