Rex and Jack reached for the drapery rod.
“Whoa,” Josh said from his perch on the ladder. “We need the sheers first.”
“Aw, hell. Why do you have to be so fancy?” Rex mumbled, and set the drapery rod carefully on the table.
Jack laughed. “Maybe because fancy is what he does for a living.” He lifted the rod with the sheers, and Rex held up the other side for Dane.
Josh and Dane secured the rod and then repeated the process on the other side of the frame. The sheers, even protected in plastic, took the canopy from a rustic wooden structure to an enticing altar.
“Ready for the curtains?” Rex asked.
“Drapes,” Josh corrected him.
Rex rolled his eyes as he and Jack handed the rod up to their brothers. As they worked to secure it in place, Josh thought about the wedding gift he had in store for his beautiful wife-to-be, and the decisions about where to live after the baby was born.
“Looking good.” Hugh pushed to his feet and wiped his hands on his jeans.
“As long as we’ve got time to kill while we’re doing this, I wanted to ask you guys about something.” Josh secured the end of the rod onto the frame and held it in place while Dane attached his end. “What’s it like to live in more than one place? I mean with your kids and your businesses. Jack, I know you and Savannah spend a lot of time in the mountains. Does it throw Adam’s schedule off?”
Jack wrinkled his brow. “It throws our schedules off more than his. That kid sleeps like a log, anyplace, anytime.”
“Seriously? You’re lucky,” Dane said, struggling to attach his side of the rod. “Hey, Rex. Hand me the hammer, will ya?” Leaning down to take the hammer, Dane said, “Finn’s teething, so he has an excuse to get up a million times during the night, but even before he started getting teeth, he was a freaking night owl.” He hammered at the mechanism. “I swear the only time he sleeps well is when we’re awake. The minute our eyes close, he wakes up.”
Rex laughed. “Guess we’re lucky. Little Hal sleeps like a champ. Nothing messes with his schedule.”
“It all depends on the kid and the age,” Hugh added. “It’s hard on Layla, and hiring private tutors when we’re on the road is a hassle, not to mention getting used to different cities. Even when we get back to Virginia, there’s a settling-in period. It’s not a normal life, which is why I cut so far back on racing. We try to strike a balance that works for all of us. I’m glad you brought this up, though, because I have something I wanted to talk to you guys about before the wedding gets under way.”
“Is Bree pregnant again?” Josh asked. He knew how much Riley was hoping their baby would have cousins close in age.
Hugh laughed. “Not yet, but not for lack of trying.” He leaned against the railing, watching Josh and Dane climb down and move the ladders to the other side, only to repeat the same steps again. “We’re moving back to Weston.”
They all stopped what they were doing and looked at him with disbelief. Hugh and Brianna owned several houses, but they’d always kept their home base near Brianna’s mother in Virginia.
Hugh pointed to Layla and Adriana in the grass with Treat, meticulously twining together flower headdresses. Both girls were smiling. Treat said something they couldn’t hear and the girls broke into hysterics.
“Layla misses Adriana and the other kids. And Christian loves the activity and chaos of being around everyone. And of course he’s crazy for Dylan. And they both miss Dad something awful. Layla talks about living in Weston all the time, and honestly, I’m glad to be coming back. And all that stuff we just talked about—school, schedules—that’s a big part of the reason we’re moving. Coming back home will cut the need for frequent trips from Virginia to Colorado.” Hugh’s eyes turned serious. “Nothing replaces touching base with family, and we weren’t about to give that up. We’re moving right after Kat and Eric’s wedding this winter.” Brianna’s best friend, Kat Martin, was marrying one of Hugh’s closest friends, a fellow race-car driver, Eric James. Eric had spent so much time with the Bradens, he was like family.
“But what about Bree’s mother?” Josh asked, mentally putting another tick in favor of moving to Weston. “She’ll be devastated.” That thought made him wonder if Riley’s parents had been sad when she’d moved to New York. They’d been so wrapped up in each other and their growing business, they hadn’t spent much time worrying about her parents feeling the loss of her constant presence.
“She’s moving, too. We found a property we loved on Rosedale Lane, but we were too late making an offer. Some asshat beat me to it.” Hugh hiked a thumb over his shoulder toward Treat. “Last week he hooked us up with a property that hadn’t yet hit the market. Thirty acres across town. There’s a guesthouse on the grounds that’s perfect for Bree’s mom. Dad’s not getting any younger. It’s time to come home.”
Josh climbed down from the ladder thinking of his father keeping the kids occupied while Josh and the others prepared for the wedding. He imagined his father missed Layla and Christian just as much as they missed him. He had to admit that he not only missed his father, but he missed this, too. Being with his family had always rejuvenated him, and he knew how happy it made Riley to spend time with Jade and the other girls. And times like these, when they pulled together to help one another out, came too infrequently these days.
“Why are you asking, Josh? Are you and Ri thinking about coming home?” Hugh asked.
Dane stepped off his ladder, laughing under his breath, and put a hand on Josh’s shoulder. “Getting this guy to move from the Big Apple would be like getting me to live on dry land. It ain’t happening, right, Josh?”
Never say never.
The back door flew open, and Hal strode across the deck with a baby in each arm. His expression was a mixture of concern and amusement, although each determined stride told Josh that he was leaning toward the concerned side.
Rex reached for his son. “What’s up? Tired of playing nanny?”
Hal wrinkled his brow. “Nanny my rear end. We have a situation.”
They followed Hal inside, where they found Dylan and Christian sitting on the leather couch in the living room with marker all over their hands and shirts, their eyes as wide and scared as if they’d seen a ghost. Hal strode past the boys directly into the study.
Hugh stooped beside Christian. “What’s wrong, buddy?”
Tears slid down his son’s cheeks. Lifting Christian into his arms, Hugh shot a look toward their father’s back, and Dylan’s waterworks began. Hugh mumbled something under his breath, and Jack hoisted Dylan onto his hip.
“What’s the matter, buddy?” Jack asked.
While Christian was all words all the time, Dylan tended to hold his tongue more often. He just buried his face in Jack’s chest.
Rex stood at the entrance to the study, rubbing his scruff, his eyes narrow and serious. He put a hand out, thumping hard on the center of Josh’s chest, stopping him from entering the study. “Don’t overreact.”
Josh peered around his burly brother, and his gut clenched at the sight of Riley’s wedding dress, now decorated with scribbles and stick figures in a multitude of colors. Anger bubbled up inside him. His hands were fisted by his sides. He wanted to punch the wall, to holler at no one in particular, but one more look at those little boys crying big tears, and he knew he wouldn’t do either.
Hugh peered around Josh. “Holy—Christian Braden, what have I told you about touching other people’s things?” he said sternly, causing more waterworks to fall from his son’s eyes.
Josh’s heart ached for the little boy. And for Riley. They’d worked so hard on making her wedding gown perfect, and now it had been ruined at the hands of two of the cutest vandals on earth.
“We were decorating Aunt Riley’s dress,” Christian said through sobs. “We didn’t know it was supposed to be boring!” He looked at Dylan, his partner in crime, his dark eyes imploring the little boy to agree, which Dylan did with several overeager nods.
Josh pulled Jack and Hugh into the room and motioned for Dane to close the doors to the study. He paced, fisting and unfisting his hands, trying to rein in his reeling emotions. As soon as the doors were closed, he said, “Lock it.”
Dane did, and they all started speaking at once.
“I’m sorry,” Hugh said, pacing alongside Josh.
Josh held his hands up, bringing silence to the room, save for the sounds of the little boys crying.
“The only thing that matters right now is that Riley does not find out about this,” he said sternly.
“What are you talking about?” Rex said angrily. “You think she won’t notice that her wedding gown looks like a preschool drawing table?”
“You could start a new wedding-gown trend,” Dane added.
Josh glared at Dane, then ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath, trying to think this through, but his mind was going in ten different directions. He paced the floor as he spoke. “I’ll fix it. It looks like it’s only the skirt that’s ruined. I’ll get material sent in and I’ll stay up all night making a new skirt if I have to. I have to fix this.”
“Son,” Hal said evenly. “The wedding is tomorrow.”
“Not to mention, if you start ordering loads of wedding dress material, you’ll have the paparazzi on the next helicopter out here.” Dane crossed his arms. “You have to tell her.”
“No. I have to fix this.” He shifted his gaze to his father. “Did any of the girls see this?”
Hal shook his head. “Do you think I’d still be standing here if they did? They’re Riley’s cavalry. They’d be all over me. I’m sorry, Josh. I let the boys out of my sight for only a few minutes while I changed the babies’ diapers.”
Josh looked at his sobbing nephews, and his heart broke anew. Letting out a long sigh, he said, “It’s not your fault. Or theirs, really. They’re kids, and you’re only one person.” He met his father’s concerned gaze. “Despite the fact that you think you’re Superman, there’s no way you could have kept watch on all four of them.”
Pacing, Josh reminded himself of the same things he’d just told his father, and tried not to picture Riley’s face when she caught wind of this debacle. “Maybe I can call our cousin Jax in Pleasant Hill. His specialty is wedding gowns. You know he’ll have it on hand. He can ship it overnight with morning delivery to—”
“Don’t suggest anyone close to us, because if the paparazzi is trying to find you, then you’ve just given that dog a bone,” Rex reminded him.
Josh cursed under his breath.
“You have to tell her,” Dane said empathetically. “You’re not Superman either, Josh. It was an accident. She’ll be heartbroken, but she’ll understand.”
The truth was, Riley would understand, but she’d also be crushed, and that slayed Josh. “If you knew Lacy would be heartbroken, would you just say ‘Oh, well,’ or would you do everything within your power to fix it so she was a little less torn up?” He eyed the ruined dress, ignoring the hushed remarks coming from all directions. The boys’ “decorations” were mostly along the front middle portion of the skirt. The gears of Josh’s designer mind churned as he imagined cutting out the marred area and angling the hemline higher in the front. He lifted the skirt, inspecting it more closely, and realized he could probably make it work. “Think Charlotte has a working sewing machine and about a mile of”—he knew now was not the time to be picky about proper threading for a wedding gown—“white thread?”
“I’m sure her mother had one,” Hal said. “She used to make all of Charlotte’s clothes when Charlotte was a little girl.”
“Then we need to find it. I think I can cut around the drawings and create a knee-length hem in the front. I’ll wait until Riley goes to sleep and then I’ll figure something out. I never thought I’d be thankful about sleeping in separate rooms.”
“You can’t cut up her wedding dress without asking her,” Hugh said. “If I’ve learned one thing about women, it’s that certain things are untouchable.” Christian rested his cheek against Hugh’s chest and wiped his tears with his fist. Hugh pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
“I know my fiancée,” Josh said. “This dress meant everything to her because we designed it together. The last thing she needs is to see it ruined. At least this way, she may be upset, but she’ll have a beautiful white gown that she can get married in.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Josh,” Christian said, tears still streaming down his cheeks.
“My mommy can wash it in the washing machine,” Dylan suggested. “That’s what she does at home.”
Despite the ache growing inside his chest for Riley, Josh smiled. “I wish that would fix it, little man.”
Christian clung to his father’s shirt, and Dylan burrowed against Jack’s chest. Josh didn’t blame him, because just thinking about Riley catching wind of what happened to her dress made him want to hide someplace safe, too.
“I know you were trying to help Riley make her dress prettier,” he said to the boys. “And that’s a really thoughtful thing to do. You’re both very creative, which is a good thing.”
“Thank you,” they mumbled.
“But as fun as it is to help Aunt Riley look beautiful for her wedding, you should always ask before making other people’s things look better, okay?”
The boys nodded again. The look Hugh gave him—one of gratitude and approval—brought another wave of emotions to Josh.
Focusing on the kids, he said, “Here’s the deal. Aunt Riley likes her dress a little boring.”
Christian wrinkled his nose in obvious disagreement.
Josh was completely taken with the little rascals, despite how bad the situation was. “I have a plan that will help make this situation better, but you’ll both need to help me make it right for Aunt Riley. Can you do that?”
Nodding emphatically, their tears stopped.
“You can’t tell anyone about this,” Dane said.
Josh gave his brother a wry smile. “I don’t know much about parenting, but I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t teach them to keep secrets from adults.”
“Man, you sound like Bree,” Hugh said.
Josh cocked his head toward his father, and Hal winked. Hal had always made Josh take responsibility for his actions. Usually that meant Josh had to apologize to someone or clean out the horse stalls. Though it didn’t happen often, when it did, it made an impact. But there would be no apologizing to Riley before he had a chance to fix her dress. The best he could hope for was keeping the boys as far away from the girls as possible so they didn’t accidentally let it slip.
“Okay, here’s the deal, boys. I need you to stick close by Grandpa Hal this evening…”
Chapter Four
THE LATE AFTERNOON took a busy turn. Riley and the girls were sidetracked from the cake by hungry children, cranky babies, and men who needed nourishment. It was nearly eight thirty, and Riley and Josh were finishing the dishes while the girls and their husbands put their children to bed. Riley loved that the husbands and wives handled bedtime together. She imagined her and Josh doing the same once their baby was born. Hal was outside with Hope, and Riley’s parents were due to arrive any minute. She was happy to have a moment alone with Josh.
“How did the cake turn out?” Josh asked as he dried a bowl.
She and Jade had wrapped the wedding cake layers and put them out of sight before dinner. They’d finish frosting it after the children were settled and the men had reconvened someplace other than the kitchen.
“We had to make a minor adjustment to the recipe, but it’s going to be delicious.”
Josh set down the towel he was using to dry the dishes and moved behind her. He gathered her hair over one shoulder and brushed his lips over her cheek, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. She closed her eyes, relaxing into his embrace. They’d been moving at breakneck speed since last night, when they’d left the resort, and all she wanted to do was curl up in his arms and be loved by him.
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“I’ve missed you,” she whispered as he kissed his way down her neck. With her eyes still closed, she felt for the faucet and turned it off, enjoying every blessed second of the alone time with her soon-to-be husband.
Josh turned her in his arms, and when she reached for the towel to dry her hands, he took her hands in his and guided them around his waist.
She scrunched her nose. “I’m wet.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” he whispered seductively.
She giggled, but he was all hands and lips, groping her ass as he sank his teeth into her neck and sucked so hard heat seared between her legs, turning that short-lived giggle into a needy moan. She craned her neck to the side, giving him better access to continue his tantalizing assault, but he grasped the back of her skull, angling her mouth beneath his, and took her in a kiss so intense she lost all sense of place and time. Reveling in the feel of Josh’s hands holding, caressing, taking, and his eager mouth, she went up on her toes in an effort to get more of him. Then his hands were on her hips, lifting her onto the counter without breaking their connection. Riley had always been amazed at the way he lifted her so easily. She was not a petite girl. She had real womanly curves, which Josh seemed to have an insatiable appetite for. Thank goodness, because she was only going to get curvier with her pregnancy.
“God, I love you,” he said between frantic kisses. He tugged the neckline of her shirt down and kissed the flesh he bared, filling his other hand with her breast.
Her nipples pebbled, burning with the need to be in his mouth. Tugging her forward, he pressed his arousal to her center, and she was incapable of holding back another moan.
“Josh,” she said breathlessly. “Kiss me.”
And he did.
Hard. So exquisitely perfectly, she yanked up on his shirt, needing to feel his skin beneath her hands. He grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his hips, lifting her off the counter as she explored his muscular back.
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