Griff doesn’t answer Hunter. He just stands up, yanking Hunter to his feet before practically sprinting for the house, dragging Hunter with him.
“Where are they going?” Dmitri asks, taking the space Hunter just vacated.
“They really wanted some grapes,” I tell him, making Lollie laugh.
Pressing a kiss to my exposed shoulder, Dmitri slips his hand over my belly.
“How are my girls doing?”
“Wait, you know you’re having a girl and you didn’t tell me?” Lollie interrupts, outraged.
“We don’t know if it’s a girl. It’s far too early to tell, but Dmitri is convinced.”
“What about you, lover boy?” Lollie nudges Cain.
“I don’t mind what we have as long as they are healthy,” he answers, rubbing his hand up and down my leg absentmindedly.
I run my fingers through his hair as I lean my head on Dmitri’s shoulder, letting the warm sun relax me even further.
“I hope it’s a boy for her sake. Can you imagine the hell a poor girl will have to deal with having not just one, but four overprotective fathers in her life?” Lollie jokes.
I grimace, just picturing it. “Don’t forget who her mama is. I know how to handle men,” I tease, making Dmitri growl and bite my ear.
“Plus, Aunt Lollie can teach her how to give a blow job.”
Cain chokes on air as Dmitri goes rock solid beside me.
“Keep your fucking lessons to yourself, Lollie. My daughter isn’t even allowed to look at another man until her wedding day. I’m thinking thirty or forty is a good age to get married.”
We all look at him and laugh, but he’s serious. I know he is, which just makes me laugh harder.
Lollie’s cell phone rings, so she excuses herself to use it, leaving the three of us to stare at the almost finished barn.
“When do the horses arrive?” I ask Cain as he reaches over and nabs a grape from my plate, tossing it up in the air and catching it in his mouth.
“End of the week. But we have another month before the children start arriving.”
Cain had masterminded the Better Days Foundation, which helps kids overcome trauma. The horses are part of that. Equine therapy has proven to help, so we decided to add it to our wheelhouse before summer camp starts.
“I can’t wait. With Safe Harbor doing so well, I feel like the place practically runs itself now. I need something to keep me busy.”
“You just miss being in the thick of it,” Cain teases, but he’s not wrong. I liked being part of the retrieval team as much as Griff does. Let’s be honest, in those situations, having a female on your team is an asset while dealing with traumatized women.
“I know you’re bored, but it’s not safe—” Dmitri starts, but I turn my head and silence him with a kiss.
“I’m not complaining. I won’t put our baby at risk. You don’t have to worry about that. But if you try to wrap me up in padding, I’m going to punch you in your stupidly handsome face. I need to be doing something, or I’ll go nuts.”
“You mean there is another level to your crazy?” Cain jokes, ducking when I move to yank his hair.
“Now, Cain, it’s not nice to tease Dulce,” Dmitri tells him in his bedroom voice, making my nipples harden and my skin break out in goosebumps.
“Hmm…perhaps you’re right. How should I apologize?” Cain asks Dmitri as his hand slides farther up my leg, his fingers tracing the edge of my panties.
“Hold that thought. I’ve got to pee,” I complain, ruining the moment.
Cain rolls to his back and cracks up while Dmitri shakes his head, his lips twitching.
“Don’t make fun of the pregnant woman,” I snap, letting Dmitri tug me to my feet.
I stomp toward the house, turning when I get to the doorway before shouting. “And don’t wait for me to come back. I’m going to go find Hunter and Griff and play Tag: Giant-dick Addition.”
I hurry inside, snickering to myself, when I hear footsteps rapidly approaching behind me.
I hope Hunter and Griff are in the mood for company because they are about to get invaded in more ways than one.
Six months later
“She’s so tiny. I’m scared I’m going to drop her,” Griff whispers as he gazes down at our tiny daughter in his arms.
“She couldn’t be in safer hands. Now chill the fuck out and quit hogging her.” Hunter hovers behind him, waiting for the moment he can snatch her away.
Cain stares out the window and chuckles.
“It looks like your entourage has arrived. You’d better hurry, Hunt, because I’d say none of us is going to get much time with her when the Candy girls get up here and—wait, is that...fuck.” He laughs.
“Language,” I warn. His eyes flash and his dimple pops out as he looks at me.
“I think we’re okay for a little while. Besides, Sarah and Casey are down there too, so bad language is the least of your worries.”
“Ah, fuck,” I curse.
“Language,” Cain teases as I poke my tongue out at him and lean back into Dmitri’s arms.
“Sarah and Lollie are going to get into a knock-down, drag-out fight over who gets to be godmother again. I just know it.”
Griff walks back over to me and slips our daughter into my arms when she starts to fuss.
“I think little Miss is hungry.”
I slip her into a better position and offer her one of my boobs, wincing when she latches on.
“Am I the only one who finds breastfeeding a turn-on?” Cain asks from beside me, making me roll my eyes.
“Nah, I’m right there with you, man. I never thought I’d be jealous of my own kid,” Hunter replies.
“I can give you something to suck on,” Griff offers.
“For the love of God, there are children present.” Cain huffs, but I see him trying to hide his laugh. He’s used to their antics now. The irony isn’t lost on me that Cain and Hunter have developed the strongest friendship out of all of us.
“We need a name. I don’t think she’ll thank us in a few years if we stick with Nugget,” Dmitri says softly, trailing his finger down her cheek.
“I think we should go with a candy theme, but all the good ones are gone.” Griff sighs.
“What about Dove?” Hunter jumps in.
I look at him, wondering where that came from.