Bare Skin (Skin Deep 5)

T.J. came forward and took Kade from me, his face flushing when all the women sighed. Dani and I glanced around, both of us looking at them like they’d lost their minds, but then Chloe explained, “He’s hot. Now look at him with a baby…it shoots him off the hotness scale!”

I shook my head, laughing, already familiar with the teasing the girls have always done to poor T.J., but Dani’s face was absolutely classic. I could tell she was trying to figure out if she should laugh, be disgusted, or horrified that Chloe had said that out loud in front of her husband.

But when she saw the guys all laughing, and watched Brandon pretend to fan himself and nod in agreement with his wife, she joined in, her face splitting in a wide grin.

Allie came up and hugged her, then looked down at the container she was still guarding.

“Ooh! What’re those?” she asked, trying to take them from Dani.

Dani jerked them back reflexively and then handed them over, giggling like mad. “Sorry, habit. Calland’s been trying to eat them all since I started making them.”

Allie glanced over at me and winked, saying, “Well, we know what you’re cut off of already,” before she pried the lid off and took one, biting into it and then groaning. “Mmmm…God, those are good! What are they?”

Jackson shook his head at his wife. “Honey, people usually ask what it is before they scarf it down,” he said, wryly.

She didn’t answer him, just turned around and shoved one in his mouth. He chewed, then inclined his head. “Damn. They are pretty good,” he told Dani, nodding appreciatively.

She blushed and then answered Allie. “I just call them sausage bombs. Don’t really know what else to call them, but they’re pretty simple to make. It’s just sausage-I use hot-you know, the roll kind like for breakfast? Anyway, just fry that up with a little red onion, and then mix in cream cheese and a packet of that powdered ranch dip, fold it up in wonton wrappers and either bake or fry. I fried these, because it makes them crispier, but I like them…I mean, I can give you the exact recipe if you want it…Sorry. I’m babbling,” she said, sheepishly.

Allie laughed. “You’re fine, but I do want the recipe.”

They walked away, talking, and Chloe, Emma, and Leah joined them, so I moved over to where my brother-in-law, Noah, was sitting.

“What’s going on, brother?” I asked, clapping him on the shoulder. “Where’s Jenna?” I looked around, realizing I hadn’t seen her.

“She’s inside. Had to give Caleb a bath. Diaper blow-out.” He glanced over at the pool where my oldest niece and nephew were playing in the water. “Hayden!” he called sharply, shooting her a warning glare.

I followed his gaze to see Hayden with her hands on top of Jarrod’s head, his face halfway in the water. I tried not to laugh, but the innocent expression on her face was just too much.

“Jesus,” Noah muttered. “That child should have been yours.”

“Mine? Why?” I knew why, though, because the girl definitely had inherited my predilection for prank-playing and quick-witted comebacks. I held a lot of pride in her.

“You know why,” he mumbled again, then raised his voice, calling to the kids. “You guys, take a few minutes out of the water, please. Your lips are turning blue.”

“Yeah, I can’t believe they’re swimming. Is the water even over seventy, yet?”

He shrugged. “Jacks said it was at seventy-five, but you and I both know it’s still freezing balls in there. God knows it doesn’t faze them, though.”

I looked over my shoulder when I heard a hoot, grinning when I saw Nanny and Poppy totter through the gate.

Ahhh…the party has arrived.