“One more, and then we’re done,” Demon promised.
“How about we just practice?” I suggested.
“Baby,” Demon wiggled his eyebrows at me. “You know we don’t need to practice. We’ve got this down pat now.”
I shook my head and pushed off of the counter. “Enjoy the ones you’ve got, Demon, because they are all you’re getting from this baby factory.”
I patted him on the shoulder and opened the bathroom door.
“I love you, Paige,” he called while I walked down the hallway. “Even if you won’t give me any more babies.”
“I love you, too, Demon.”
“That’s all you have to say?” he hollered.
“Do you need anything more?” I yelled back.
I heard him grumble and walk out of the bathroom. “No, but since you won’t give me any more babies, you have to change Braxton. He just stunk me out of the bathroom.” Demon handed Braxton off to me and shook his head. “I could feel him filling the diaper, baby,” he grimaced.
“And you want another of these?” I laughed.
“Do you think we could get one that’s potty trained?”
I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.”
Demon pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Then, I think we’re good with the three poop machines we have.”
I busted out laughing. “Well, while I take care of this one, why don’t you go make sure the other two are ready to go. We need to be to Meg’s in half an hour and no matter what we do, we always seem to be an hour behind.”
“I’m on it, baby.” Demon headed down the hallway to the boy’s room and yelled “what are you doing” when he jumped into their room. The boys busted out into giggles, and I smiled down at Braxton.
“I think we’re pretty good at five, don’t you bud?” Braxton smiled up at me, and I felt a rip roaring fart on my hand. “We’re definitely good at five.”
********
Gwen
“Oh God, help me out.” I waved my hand at Gambler, who just stood by my door and watched me struggled to get up.
“Why the hell are you wearing heels?” he asked.
“Because I look hot in heels. Flats make me feel old.”
Gambler grabbed my hand and hoisted me out of the car. Hoist was the most appropriate word for anything these days when it came to me getting up. My eighth month of pregnancy was not agreeing with me. “Yeah, well, flats keep you and my baby safe. Now, I’m going to have to follow you around all day making sure you don’t fall over.”
“You act like I’m a wobbling tower of Jenga pieces,” I sneered, grabbing his shoulder to steady myself.
“I have never heard a more accurate description of you being eight months pregnant and teetering around in heels.”
I slapped Gambler on the chest and looped my arm through his. “One more month,” I mumbled.
Gambler helped me up the curb and looked down at me. “I love you, Gwen, and you do know we’re at least doing this one more time, right?”
I nodded. “I love you, too, and I know. As soon as we’re given the okay, we’re onto baby two, but do you think we could just worry about this one right now? He’s pretty feisty today,” I said, rubbing my stomach where he had just kicked.
“He’s ready to come out.” He rubbed my stomach and the baby kicked again.
I shook my head. “Nope. He needs to stay in there and cook a little bit longer. We still have to finish unpacking all of the boxes, and then get the crib put together. Three weeks, at least.”
“Let’s hope he heard that,” Gambler said and pulled me to Meg’s house.
We had just moved into a three-bedroom ranch over by Slider’s house, and we had both realized how stupid it was to move while pregnant. Gambler ended up doing ninety percent of the work while I either complained or slept. So, it actually wasn’t that bad of a deal for me, it was Gambler who was getting the short end of the stick.
“I think we’re the last ones here,” I mumbled. Everyone was spread around Meg’s backyard and deck.
“Yeah, it looks like we are, although I don’t see Ethel or Gravel.”
“You think they’re okay?”
Gambler shrugged. “I sure fucking hope so.”
********
Ethel
“What did he say?”
I looked over at Gravel and shook my head.
“Dammit, woman, tell me what the doctor said.”
“Negative. It was negative,” I sobbed.
Gravel slouched in his seat and sighed. “You about gave me a heart attack there. You know I’m old and my heart can’t take that.”
I set my phone on the dash and looked out the windshield. We were parked outside of Meg’s house when the doctor called. I had been waiting all day yesterday for the phone call, and it never came. Gravel had insisted I contact the doctor myself, but I had fought him off. Thankfully, the doctor had finally called, or I knew Gravel would have barged into his office on Monday and demanded to know the results of a bump they had removed from my breast.
“So, it was nothing. No cancer?”
I nodded. “It was benign.”
“Holy fuck, Ethel. I thought I was going to have to go through worrying about losing you all over again. Twice was enough.”
I had to agree with him. Six years ago, I had been diagnosed the first time with breast cancer, then three years ago, I had relapsed and gone through chemo and treatment all over again. It was a hellacious few years, but I had made it through. “Negative,” I said, laughing. “It was negative!” I shouted.
Gravel looked over at me like I had lost my marbles. “You okay over there, woman?”
“I’m great,” I sobbed as the realization hit me. I had cheated death again. “I didn’t know how much longer I had on this Earth, but I knew it wasn’t going to be breast cancer that was going to take me out. “I love you, Gravel. I love you so much. You stood by me and helped me so much these past years. I never would have made it without you.”
Gravel threaded his fingers through mine and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand. “You’re a fighter, Ethel. I knew it the day I met you, and I know it now. Nothing is going to take you from your family. You won’t let it.”
I closed my eyes and nodded. “I love you, and I love that huge extended family we have waiting for us.”
“Yeah, who would have known they would have thrown a shindig all because we tied the knot?” Gravel chuckled.
“It only took us forty years to get here,” I laughed.
“Yeah, but we finally made it.”
********
Fayth
“Eat it.”
I shook my head and pushed my plate away. “No.”
“I dare you,” Slider coaxed and held the fork full of potato salad in front of my mouth. “You know you want to.”
I leaned in and whispered softly. “I freakin’ love Marley, Slider, but nothing on this Earth could make me put that in my mouth. I could tell the potatoes were raw the second I stuck my fork in it.”
Slider shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “You’re gonna hurt your friend’s feelings if you don’t at least try it.”
“I don’t have to try it to tell her that I tried it.”
“That’s lying, Mom,” Marco said next to me. “You always told me that no matter what, always tell the truth. I think it’s only fair that you tell Marley her food is crap.”
“Hey, how come you didn’t take any?” I asked him, looking at his plate that was full of food, but didn’t have any raw potato salad on it.
“Because I asked Remy who made what when we were going through the line. He told me it was all good to eat besides the green bowl.” Marco shoveled a fork full of beans into his mouth and sighed. “Way better than raw potatoes.”
Slider laughed, and I glared at him. “And how the hell did you manage to not take any?”
“I saw Marley walk in with the bowl. You should really pick up on these
things after five years, Fay.” Slider winked and waved the fork in front of me again. “One bite won’t kill you, Firecracker.”
“Oh, you took some, too,” Marley called as she walked over to our table with Troy trailing behind her. “How was it?”
Troy shook his head and waved his arms in the air. Slider smothered a laugh with the back of his hand and turned away from Marley. “Excuse him, he’s got a horrible case of being an ass today,” I explained to Marley while I kicked Slider under the table. “He was dropped on his head as a baby.”
Marco choked on his food because he was laughing so hard, and I had to slap him on the back to get him breathing again.
Troy came up behind Marley and wrapped his arms around her. “Did you hear our news?” he asked, rubbing her belly.
Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, Troy was giving me an out so I didn’t have to tell Marley how horrible her food was. “Oh my god,” I gasped. “That’s amazing!”
“Saved by the baby,” Slider mumbled under his breath.
I managed to kick him under the table one last time before I stood and hugged Marley. “I’m so happy for you,” I gushed, wrapping my arms around her.
“Yeah, we weren’t going to tell anyone, but apparently Troy just can't keep it in.”
Troy grimaced and shrugged. “You know me, I just can’t keep a secret.” He also couldn’t stand to see his wife’s feeling get hurt either.
Gwen and Paige came over, and Troy told them too.
Slider grabbed my arm and tugged me over to the side of the huge tent we were sitting under. “You know you’re going to have to pay for those kicks, right?” he whispered in my ear and wrapped his arms around me.
“I don’t know why you have to tease me so much.”
“Because I like the way you blush when you try to lie,” he said, brushing a finger down my cheek. “And, I wasn’t going to make you eat that. I don’t want you to choke on a raw potato.”
“How chivalrous of you.” I rolled my eyes.
“Is Marco heading back to Chicago with Remy tonight?” Slider glided his hands down my back and grabbed my ass.
“No, I think he's staying one more night, and then they are headed back.”
“So, one more night and then I’m back to having you all to myself?”
“Yes, do you think you can control yourself for that long?” I chided.
“Probably, but that’s only because I’m going to have you tonight.”
“Slider,” I scolded as I batted his hands away. “I can’t take you anywhere without you trying to fuck me.”
“That’s because it’s my favorite thing to do. Can you really blame me?” he whispered in my ear.
I couldn’t blame him, but it would be nice for the man to have some self-control. “Five minutes, that’s all you get. Everyone is going to wonder where we went if we’re gone for longer than that.”
Slider picked me up, and I couldn’t help the yelp that escaped my lips. Everyone look over at us, and a guilty smile spread across my lips.
“We’ll be right back, Ethel,” Slider hollered over his shoulder and headed to the side of the house.
“Any kind of stealthiness we had going for us, you blew out of the water,” I scolded.
“You really think I care?” Slider asked, pressing me against the side of Meg’s house and running his hand up my thigh.
“No, but I would hope that you would care if I cared.”
“That’s a whole lot of caring that I just don’t have time to care about, Fay.”
I put my hands on Slider’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “Is it always going to be like this?”
“Like what?”
“Like we can’t get enough of each other, and we have a huge group of friends that are like family?”
“It hasn’t changed in the past five years, Fay. Why all of a sudden do you think it will?” Slider cupped my cheek and stroked his thumb along my jaw.
“Everything is perfect, Slider. I’m terrified it’s all going to fall apart.”
Slider shook his head. “And you know what you do when things are going good?” I shook my head no, because if I did, I wouldn’t be terrified of change. “You hold on, and don’t let go.”
“But what happens if you crash?”
“You hold on even tighter and ride out the wave. As long as you have me and my brothers behind you, Fay, the good times will never stop.”
I sighed and nodded. “You really do have it all figured out, don’t you?”
Slider shrugged. “It’s easy. As long as I have you loving me, nothing can break me.”
“I love you so much, Slider,” I whispered.
“I love you, too, Fay.” Slider leaned close and brushed his lips against my ear. “But do you know what would make me love you more?”
“If I let you fuck me upside this house?” I giggled.
“Damn straight, Firecracker.”
********
Meg
“I hope the cops don’t drive by,” I mumbled and sat down in Lo’s lap.
“Why? What’d you do now, babe?”
“Ha, ha. You’re so funny.” I rolled my eyes and put my arm around his shoulders. “Slider is screwing Fayth against the side of the house.”
“Again?” Lo asked. “They did that the last time we had a bonfire.”
“Well, at least last time it was dark out. Now, it’s the middle of the day, and any Tom, Dick, or Harry could drive by and see them going at it.”
“You remember when we were like that?”
I scoffed and shook my head. “I’m pretty sure we never screwed in broad daylight.”
“You don’t remember one of those first nights we went out? You and Cyn sang horrible karaoke, and then I almost had you up against that brick wall?”
I pressed the back of my hand against Lo’s forehead and checked for a fever. “I think you’re getting Alzheimer’s in your old age, or you’re thinking of another girl. We never had sex against a brick wall. I may have let you feel me up, but there was no penetration.”
He swatted my hand away. “Jesus, Meg. It damn well was you.”
I shook my head. “You’ll never hear me admit that out loud.”
“Crazy,” Lo muttered under his breath.
“But you love me.” I laid my head on his shoulder and looked around at all of the people that had become family. “Did you talk to your mom?”
Lo nodded. “Negative,” he mumbled.
“She beat it, Lo,” I whispered.
Lo wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my hair. Two weeks ago, Ethel had told us they had found another bump, and she was having it removed. Lo had lost it. I didn’t know how he was going to make it through if he found out his mom had cancer for a third time.
“I fucking love you, Meg.”
I relaxed in his arms and let him hold me. “I love you, too. I wouldn’t have any of this if it weren’t for meeting you.”
“Well, thank God we met each other, because I know I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you either.”
“Then, I guess we’re good for each other, right?” I said smugly.
Lo pulled back my hair and kissed my neck. “I don’t want anyone but you.”
I looked around, taking in all of my friends eating and just hanging out. “Did you happen to try Marley’s potato salad?”
Lo did a full body shiver and grimaced. “Hell yes. She managed to trap me over by the table, and I couldn’t escape. Why the hell didn’t Remy warn me that she brought the green bowl?”
“Did she force-feed you some?” I asked, laughing.
“Fed me like a damn baby,” Lo growled.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Lo—big, bad president of the Devil’s Knights—being force-fed by sweet Marley. “Troy is going to have to break it to her sometime that she just should give up on cooking.”
“And baking,” Lo agreed. “She brought muffins to the shop last week, and I almost broke a tooth on the damn
thing.”
“But I bet you ate it though, right?”
“Yeah, because she stood there and waited for me to take a bite.”
“You really are a good man,” I said as I ran my fingers though his hair.
“Only for you, babe.”
I sighed and watched Remy and Marco sitting at a table all by themselves. “When did my baby grow up?” I wondered out loud.
“He may be grown up, but you’ll always be his mom, babe.”
Remy had graduated high school five years ago, moved away to go to school in Chicago for two years, and now he was working on a pit crew for a nitro funny car. “I just wish he was home more.”
“He’s young, babe. This is the time he should be off, finding out who he is and sowing his oats.”
“You mean having ten girlfriends at once and getting drunk every night?”
Lo shrugged. “I plead the fifth,” Lo mumbled. I knew Remy told Lo more about his life than he did me, and it drove me crazy.
“Just as long as one of those wild oats he’s sowing doesn’t turn up pregnant.”
“He’s got a good head on his shoulders, babe. You did good by him.” Lo gently patted my thigh. “Have a little faith in him, babe.”
“Hmm,” I hummed. “Here I thought once everything settled down, I could just relax and have no worries. Now, I have a whole new set of worries with Remy gone all of the time.”
“Well, I guess I’m not doing my job well enough then. I’ll have to try to distract you even more.”
“And how exactly are you going to do that?” I asked as I turned in his arms.
“Well, there are at three other sides to the house that aren’t being used.” Lo wiggled his eyebrows.
I smacked his chest and waved my finger in his face. “Not happening, big man.”
Lo shot up from the chair and tossed me over his shoulder. “Lo,” I shrieked. “Put me down.”
Devil’s Knights MC Box Set 2 Page 70