Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21696 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
I rolled my eyes but secretly, I loved it when he talked like that, which was honestly most of the time. My man worshipped the ground I walked on. I never doubted for a minute that he meant what he said, even if he a wee bit over the top.
We were on the road a few minutes later. I watched his face as he drove, thinking how happy I was for my friends about their new arrival. Thinking how lucky we all were to have each other.
I knew everything was going to work out for the best.
Life was good.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Mac
“Should we divide and conquer? I feel like we are needed in both places,” my wife asked, tilting her gorgeous head to the side. She looked worried, and I didn’t blame her. But I didn’t like it, either.
I frowned at the thought of splitting up, even just for the night. Even for a couple of hours. I wanted to be with her, always.
But as usual, she had a point.
Donnie was my cousin. We had to be there for the birth of their second child. But Jack was also like a brother to me. And he was hurting.
“Why don’t I drop you off, then go to the hospital. Then I can pick you up later, or you can get a ride with Whiskey.”
“Or I could go with you,” I said, pulling her in for a kiss. “Help you carry the baby.”
“I can handle it. And she’s probably going to sleep the whole time, anyway.”
“True. Okay.”
I wasn’t much of a fan of drinking, but tonight seemed like as good a time as ever to have some guy time. And she was right. Jack needed me. From the texts I’d been getting, he was dealing with Drake’s smart ass bullshit on top of everything else.
Thankfully, Whiskey and Tank were there as the voices of reason. And Moose was no slouch either. Just not as hard-nosed as Tank. Hardly anyone was.
The man was military to his core. Drake was too, but he was more of a loudmouth daredevil. Tank was even keeled, quiet, cold, and deadly.
I wouldn’t want to pick a fight with either of them, but I sure as shit wanted them both on my side if I ever went to battle. They were both bad to the bone.
“Are you ready?” I asked, looking at the neat pile of baby equipment by the front door. The portable basinet with blue gingham lining, a matching baby bag, along with a small cooler with extra breastmilk in case Chuckles woke up. Suz was funny about breast feeding in public. She was always a little shy, even with me. And since it was her astonishingly beautiful body, I didn’t argue with her about it.
I respected my woman and her autonomy. She had a right to make her own decisions. Thankfully, she usually wanted my opinion and vice versa, even in the garden sometimes where she reigned supreme.
“I am ready,” she answered sweetly. It was hard to believe I had thought she was prickly when we first met. I had been smitten anyway, of course. How could I not be? With her flashing eyes, beautiful face, insane curves, and spitfire attitude, I had been sunk within minutes. But it was a very welcome surprise to find out that the sassy woman I fell in love with was actually a total sweetheart underneath her righteous outrage on that first day. “Are you?”
I kissed her and nodded, grateful we’d had the night before to play. I wanted her again, but tonight was not about us. And we would be able to cuddle in bed most of the day tomorrow, I hoped. I knew we would be tired. Tonight was most likely going to be all nighter. But I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world than with my crew.
I was the foreman so I could take the day off. My backup crew was excellent. Jersey Mike could take the lead if Moose and Drake were also out of commission. I had a feeling that we would all be, I realized immediately when I walked into Jack’s workshop a little while later.
Jack had his ear up to the baby monitor at one end of the sprawling open space, while Drake was telling some crazy drinking story at the other end of the huge converted barn. I took one look at Whiskey’s face and knew something was wrong. He was giving Tank a nervous look. Come to think of it, so was Moose.
Tank looked stoic as usual. Then I saw his jaw twitch. The man gave away less than Jack did, so that was something. You really had to pay attention to see what was going on with him.
So if they looked nervous, I knew without a doubt that they had good reason to be.