by Avery Gale
“Oh, love, that is exactly where I plan to take you. That is your home from now on, you understand that, right? We want you with us, and we sure don’t want to wait for the wedding.” Never mind that wedding you think you have been planning for the past few weeks will actually take place tomorrow night. And your friends have outdone themselves with the preparations as well.
Dylan’s questions were short and sweet because they had everything on tape and the security footage from her office had captured everything as well. As the Sheriff, he needed to get to the hospital to check on the suspect, but he’d let Mia make sure Layla was alright before he’d shooed her out to his truck. He’d promised to drop her off at their home so she could rescue the babysitter. Turning to Cash he’d chuckled. “Nate is an ornery little fellow, probably has that poor girl worn to a frazzle by now. I swear I’m going to retire before he and those Lamont triplets are of driving age.” Cash had been relieved to see Layla’s small smile. He didn’t doubt that Dylan had been trying to lighten the mood and he was grateful for his friend’s effort.
Cash was just getting ready to head home when his brothers rushed through the door. Collin picked her up in his arms and Clay was pressed as close as he could get without crawling in to Col’s arms as well. Clay was the first to speak, “Oh, baby, you were amazing. Holy fucking hell, I was so scared and proud all at the same time. Somebody remind me to kiss my mama’s feet when we get home, because now I know how scared she had to be when I started riding bulls—and they didn’t have guns.” Cash heard the giggle that erupted from Layla and it was pure music to his ears. God, he loved Clay’s playful nature with her, when his mom had likened Clay to Dad Julian she’d certainly been right. Over the years he’d seen the youngest of his dads bring about that exact same reaction from his mom more times than he could count. Even though none of them ever cared which dad was their genetic father, the connection and similarities between Clay and Julian had always been the clearest.
Collin seemed nearly overcome with emotion as he nuzzled her ear and just kept tightening his hold on her. “Sweetness, I never want to be that frightened again. You inspired me, but I swear I’m starting a tab and after our sweet baby is born, you’re getting every swat you earned today for pushing that asshole like you did.” Collin’s words echoed his own feelings and he knew she’d earn plenty more by the time the baby was born. He’d heard Alex and Zach say Katarina still wasn’t caught up and their children were quickly closing in on their first birthday.
He’d learned a lot from his friends that had recently become parents, but he knew Collin had already ordered a box full of books from Amazon. This would likely be like most other things, he and Clay would let Collin read up and then they’d get a report—hopefully abbreviated. He knew his mom and Lainy would also be great help. And maybe if Lainy eventually found a place of her own, his parents would consider spending their summers here. Looking over at his brothers he was suddenly overwhelmed by the magnitude of what their sweet woman had done today. She’d faced down her worst nightmare and had barely blinked. Oh, he knew it would catch up with her eventually, but the three of them would all be there to catch her when she fell.
* * * *
Layla spent the next day at Rissa’s spa at The Club with Kat and Tori. She’d tried to talk Lainy and Cora into joining them but they’d insisted they each had errands to run. It had seemed odd to her, since Cora didn’t actually live in Climax any longer, but who was she to question the sweet woman who would be her mother-in-law in a few weeks.
Lying back on the softly padded lounge chair watching Tori get her massage, Layla smiled and said, “Tell us about your romantic dinner with Trace. How did he take the baby news?”
Tori’s head came up and a huge smile lit up her entire face before Rissa pushed her head back into the hole in the massage table. “Tori, leave your head down, that isn’t good for your back and trust me when I tell you, in a couple of months you’ll be glad you listened to my cautions.” Rissa smiled at Layla and added, “Besides as excited as you looked, I’m sure we’re going to be able to hear you just fine…now spill.”
“Oh it was so perfect…well, as perfect as anything can be when it involves me serving food.” Layla and Rissa both laughed because Tori’s cooking disasters were nearly an urban legend. Layla knew for a fact that the local fire station in Houston which had been near Tori’s apartment had offered her a standing invitation to dinner so that she wouldn’t cook, therefore saving them a call most evenings. “I had the candles lit and Selita made the food. She’d told me she’d heard about my fire job in Houston. I’m not sure if she meant the time I set off those fireworks in my kitchen or the dinners at the firehouse…but anyway, she’d made this spectacular meal and even delivered it and put it in the oven and everything. Well, Trace got tied up with calves of something and didn’t get home until late. Well, I’m really proud of myself for remembering to blow out the candles…but I forgot to turn down the oven.”
Layla started to giggle, because she could already imagine how this was going to end. “Well, you guys know how it is…I’ve been so damned sleepy and I had been too excited to take a nap that afternoon, so I decided to get all dressed up and then just kick back in the recliner for a few minutes. I woke up and the damned smoke alarms were blaring like some kind of damned trumpet heralding the entrance of a king and sure enough, Trace walked in while I was still opening windows. The house phone was ringing and both of our cell phones were jangling as well. Before we’d gotten the first of the calls taken care of there were two fire trucks in the yard. Oh yeah, just another episode of the Tori’s Cooking Comedy Show.”
By this time Layla was holding her stomach because she was laughing so hard and Rissa had given up on the massage and had wrapped a sheet around Tori and helped her sit up. “Sorry, I promise to start over, but this is just too good to miss, damn, I’ve missed hanging out with my friends.”
Tori gave her a small sardonic smile. “Well, I haven’t done this in a while so you haven’t missed that much from me. And I’m sure you have already heard about Annie Oakley over there.” Her teasing words were followed by a nod to Layla.
“Hey, let’s get back to the story about you. I know you too well, I’m sure there’s more.” Layla was trying to act offended, but it was obvious by Tori’s giggle she hadn’t taken the words seriously.
“Well, you indeed know me too well. Okay, anyway, I’m standing out in the yard with Trace while the firefighters make sure the smoldering remains of Selita’s wonderful dinner are properly disposed of.” She made air quotes at her last words and rolled her eyes. “Personally, I thought the haz-mat suits were a tad over the top, I think the Chief was just being dramatic. But, anyway, here comes the frisky old fart with a fancy picnic basket filled with the most wonderful dinner you can ever imagine. He said Selita had told him she was cooking for me and would be putting it in the oven so he’d had his wife make a back-up dinner, just in case.” She stopped talking and all three of them had big tears streaming down their cheeks now. “Isn’t that just the sweetest thing you ever heard?” Tori sighed and then wiped away her tears before finishing her story. “Anyway, the house cleared of smoke quickly and I don’t even think we’ll have to repaint the kitchen this time.” Layla shook her head and laughed thinking how many layers of paint would be on those kitchen walls in the next few years.
“Well, by the time all this had happened I was worried my news was going to be anticlimactic, you know? But we were sitting in front of the fireplace later and Trace looked over at me and asked what the white blobs had been on the kitchen table. And that was all it took. I finally let the tears go and it was as if someone had opened the floodgates of Lake Powell. Geez, pregnancy hormones are some powerful stuff I tell ya.” Layla and Rissa were back to giggling again and Layla was glad the conversation had turned back to entertaining.
“Anyway, by the time I got to the big announcement Trace was so stunned at my outburst that he nearly missed it. But he is
really over the moon. I’m going to have to battle him for the next seven months to do anything, I can see that now. And he’s already gotten all the books from your husbands.” She nodded toward Rissa. “You know if you were any kind of friend at all, you’d have burned them.”
Rissa shook her head. “Oh no, sweet sister, you’ll do your time just like Kat, Jenna, and I did ours. Good God, there is no one as annoying as a Dom father-to-be armed with What to Expect When You’re Expecting I’m here to tell you.” Looking at Layla she shook her head. “And you have three men? Oh Lord love a leper, you are really in for it.” Then she burst into giggles.
“Yeah, don’t I know it, Collin has already ordered a stack of books and Clay has been online reading and Cash brought his mom and dads here. Thank God his mom is a sweetheart and a voice of reason.” Layla couldn’t help smiling when she thought about how loved her child was going to be and how fun it was going to be sharing this experience with Tori.
Suddenly Tori turned to Rissa and asked, “So how long until this hormone thing levels off? I mean, I can’t track anything and in my line of work that’s kind of essential.” Tori was the only attorney in Climax after taking over the practice of the town’s very happily retired former lawyer. Layla knew Tori’s practice was growing by leaps and bounds and that her sweetheart of a spouse had been encouraging her to recruit a partner.
Rissa looked shocked and then said, “Oh, I don’t have a clue. I know I still feel unbalanced sometimes and Betsy is four months old already. And Kat has really struggled with postpartum depression. I know Alex and Zach have finally insisted she get the medical help she’d been too stubborn to accept until recently. I’ve learned a lot about that from listening to them worry over her. And then there is Jenna who seems to have bounced back already…bitch.”
They all laughed because everyone who knew Jenna Lamont-Matthews liked her. She was as genuine and sincere as anyone Layla had ever met. “When is she going to start teaching self-defense classes again? I’ve heard they were great and I think they’d be a fun way to stay in shape or at least maybe it would be enough that I won’t look like a Weeble by the time I’m six months along. Damn, I have already started outgrowing my clothes.” She sighed and then glared at her friends when they laughed at her.
Rissa made a motion to the camera in the corner of the room. “Careful…remember this place is wired and the guys in the Crow’s Nest are the worst snitches on the planet. If they caught that ‘diss,’ they’ll rat you out to your guys in a New York minute.”
Layla rolled her eyes. “Yippee fucking-skippy. That’s all I need…hell, they’ve already started a Punishments Pending list. I told them they were going to need at least a ream or two of paper. Clay offered to get one of those leftover rolls of newsprint from the Gazette…smart ass.” She grinned and shook her head thinking about how easily he could always make her smile. “Oh well, hey, are you guys coming to Red Clouds tonight? I’m looking forward to a fun night.” Both of her friends nodded, saying they, too, were looking forward to a night out.
“We’re bringing Betsy to the Lamonts’ so their nannies can watch her, too. With those three, little Daniel, and Betsy those girls are going to be busy tonight. But they are both so amazing and I think they enjoy getting to work together occasionally. Kat said that Daniel and Catherine are still here so they’ll be able to help out as well. Sure makes me wish I had parents like those two.” Both women agreed and then let the conversation lull as they were each lost in their own thoughts.
A couple of hours later Clay picked her up in front of The Club and as they made their way down the mountain she couldn’t help but notice his cat-that-swallowed-the-canary smile. “What’s with the smirk, lover?” She’d no sooner gotten the words from her mouth than he pulled off the road and headed toward a small lake at the edge of town. She’d learned there were times to ask and times to just sit back and enjoy the ride. And from the smile spreading across his face, she was guessing this little side trip was going to be a fun ride.
Chapter 25
Cash was sitting at the kitchen table late that afternoon watching as his mom and sister teased Layla about the lack of cooking supplies in the items she’d moved into their home. She was absolutely glowing in their attention. It was obvious how much she enjoyed their teasing and that she was able to give as good as she got. “I’m not Betty Crocker, that’s true. All the women in my family are awesome cooks, but at all of our family functions, I was more of the official photographer and chief jokester.” He was surprised when she suddenly turned to him and asked, “Do you have a pair of pliers I can borrow?”
He was sure his face had to show he was as stunned as his brothers at her request. When he looked up he noticed his mother standing behind Layla shaking her head back and forth and grinning. “Love, we do indeed have pliers and you know that everything we own we will happily share with you. But, would you mind telling me exactly what you plan to use them for?”
She was suddenly very interested in the dish towel she had in her hands and he wasn’t sure she was going to answer at first. “Well, shoot…this is sort of embarrassing. Can’t you just let me use them for a few minutes? I promise I’m not doing anything illegal or destructive.” She looked up and he saw what he thought was embarrassment and guilt, and he didn’t want to see either of those in her eyes.
“Come here, love.” He held out his hand to her and was pleased to see her tiny bare feet respond to the command in his voice almost before her mind had time to process his words. He pulled her onto his lap and turned her so that she was facing his brothers as well. “Tell us what this is about.” Looking up, he saw his mom and Lainy slip quietly from the room.
Her smile wavered and then he saw her eyes fill with tears. “I think I can get my favorite jeans zipped if I lie on the bed and use the pliers…and I really want to look hot tonight for our night out…and, well…my tummy is getting huge now.”
There was a part of him that wanted to paddle her sweet ass for even thinking about using pliers to pull up the zipper on pants that were obviously going to be not only ungodly uncomfortable, but not very healthy either. But another part of him wanted to hold her close and let her know just how thrilled they were with that tummy bump they had all already noticed. “Love, I think I speak for all of us when I say, as far as we are concerned, the larger that tummy bump gets the happier we’ll be because it will mean our child is growing healthy and strong inside his or her sweet mama. Now, if we catch wind of you trying to fit into clothes that are too tight for either your or the baby’s good health you’re going to get a paddling, understood?” She nodded shyly and he continued. “Now, Mom and Lainy helped us buy you a few new things because we knew you hadn’t had time to go shopping and we wanted you to have something special to wear tonight. Your new things are laid out on the bed upstairs. I have to head on over to Red Clouds, there are some last minute things I want to do so I have extra time with you tonight. And since you and Clay took a little detour this afternoon, Collin is going to help you get ready for tonight.” Collin was the best choice for dressing her anyway, because his taste in clothes had always left both Cash and Clay in the dust—usually literally.
Cash leaned forward and gave her a blistering kiss before setting her on her feet. He turned her toward Collin who pulled her close and raised her shirt to kiss her tummy. “Sweet baby is growing and that makes these daddies mighty happy, pet. Now, let’s go upstairs and take a nice long shower. I want to lavish some attention on the two most important people in the world before we head over to the party. I’m looking forward to tonight as well. And I promise you, you’re going to love the outfit we got for you.”
Cash and Clay watched Collin lead Layla up the wide staircase and Clay grinned. “God, I love her. She’s funny and smart…well, except for that pliers thing. Wonder how mom knew about that? Anyway, I’ll be ready to go in just a few minutes. I can’t wait to see the decorations.”
As they drove the short distance to the danc
e club Clay laughed as he told Cash about how easily Layla had played into his hands to stall her on the trip home from the spa. As they walked into their new bar and dance hall Cash was overwhelmed by the transformation. Their friends had been hard at work. But the small raised platform along the back wall was what drew his attention. It was round and the decorations reflected the distinct geometric symmetry so honored by his ancestors. The color scheme was all traditional bold colors reflecting the natural colors that could be derived from nearby flora. They had all been thrilled when Tori had told them that Layla’s favorite colors were those same bold hues so he knew she was going to be happy with the work her friends had done.
Making sure all the final arrangements were in place, they were just finishing up when he looked up and saw his grandmother come through the front door. He laughed when he saw her smiling and joking with Drake and Jesse. Both men dwarfed her but she looked like she was holding her own in their teasing. He knew Drake Foster had been an Army Ranger before becoming a Green Beret and despite looking like he was in his early twenties, he was actually thirty-four. Drake’s sandy blond hair always looked like it needed to be cut and the women who frequented the club had nicknamed him Surfer the first night they’d opened.
They’d all laughed that night as they sat at a back table with the Lamonts watching the women flock around Drake like bees to honey. Zach had been the first to speak, “Wonder what those women would say if they knew about his whip fetish or the fact that he knows about a hundred ways to kill a man with his bare hands?”
Alex had answered, “Well, several of those young ladies wouldn’t have any reservations about the whip, as a matter of fact he might not be able to get rid of them.” He laughed to himself and then turned to Cash and said, “When we recruited him, he told us he hadn’t killed anyone in his last six months in the Green Berets. But I had checked and found he’d been on accumulated leave and home in San Diego for five of those months.” They had all laughed because they had appreciated the man’s humor. “I’m glad he’s working here between assignments for us. He needs to be busy, I know he and Jesse are hoping to find a woman to share. They were at our home a few weeks ago and they are both great with kids as well, so I hope it works out for them soon.”