Touch Me (Hart of Stone Family 5)

“What the hell, Asa Hart!” That’s Kelsey in full-on protection mode, pissed as hell, carrying a watering can. Mom clearly got a hold of her and figured we could use some cooling off.

“He thought since you didn’t have a brother, he’d step in. Little does he know Emily can do ten times worse than a couple of sucker punches.” I laugh even though it hurts.

“That’s enough. This shit is done and over with. Deke apologized. Now you need to do the same thing, Asa. The whole situation sucked, but it’s in the past. We could all use some good days, so please, shut this shit down. Momma Joyce made mimosas, and no one is ruining our girl time,” Montana states. With that, both Kelsey and Montana walk away from us.

“Think we’re outnumbered, man,” I tell him, attempting to regroup.

“No thinking about it. Our days of ruling the roost with more men than women are over. Even Jace can outnumber us like nobody’s business. We’re screwed.” Asa offers his hand, helping me up. “That’s gonna leave a mark. Maybe Kelsey will kiss it all better for you,” he says in a baby-like voice.

“Fuck off. Don’t you have a woman to annoy?” I take his hand, letting him take most of my weight. It’s the least he could do after knocking the shit out of me, twice.

“Yep, looks like they’ve got the table ready, and you know we’re driving the girls home. Mom is going to get them shit-faced hammered, take it from me. Don’t try to drive three hours home after it, either.” Asa visibly shivers. Looks like we’ll be staying in Florida another night, and if Kelsey does, in fact, get sloshed, I’ll be calling Emily, begging her to open the store tomorrow.

“Fuck, it’s going to be an all-day affair, isn’t it? We never had a chance of this being a few hours.” I run my hand through my hair, thinking about everything that needs to be done early Monday morning.

“We’re Harts. We don’t exactly come in a small doses. It’s time to settle in and enjoy the ride.” He claps me on my shoulder. I smile at the reminder and make my way to the table, where Kels is sitting down, a smile on her face and a champagne flute in her hand that holds more champagne and maybe a drop or two of orange juice. I’m hopeful I’ll reap some of the benefits of her booze, but something tells me she’ll be out like a light in two seconds flat the second I get her in the vehicle later today. I wouldn’t change it, not for anything in this world. I’ve come a long way to feel this kind of joy and contentment. I’ll take it any way I can as long as Kelsey is with me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

deke

Everyone is here. What started out as brunch turned into a family barbecue with all my brothers and sisters. Of course, two of the six women are pregnant, so they’re the only ones not three sheets to the wind. That doesn’t stop Mom from badgering the hell out of us, asking if we’d be coming back to Florida permanently.

“Mom, you may not remember this come tomorrow, so, Dad, please be the voice of reason later on. Kels has a business in Alabama. Hart Construction is thriving in the same area. Why would we want to uproot ourselves? And Kelsey, she loves her sister, Emily, who’s hell on wheels but a lot of fun, and her parents are there.” I met Em a few times picking up Kelsey. The girl is a riot, full of energy, keeping you on your toes while being fiercely loyal to her older sister.

“I have to agree with Deke. We’re in the black already for the new Alabama office. I’ve heard from sub-contractors; they’re happy with what Deke has done so far. I’m giving him a few more months before we’ll be hiring out complete office staff. It’s hard on Leena to keep up with both offices and be hours away while doing so.” I knew things were going okay. We weren’t in any kind of delays, and sure, I can be a hard-ass when it comes to getting a job done. It’s not like I sit around, talking to everyone I come in contact with, so it’s nice to hear that things are going well financially as well as with other companies.

“Fuck, that’s awesome. Proud of you, baby brother,” Asa states. Just like I told Kelsey and Montana, we’re all good now. Speaking of, it seems the mimosas along with the food have worked their way into Kels’ system. My eyes move to where she’s lying on a lounge by the pool with Marlie and Alana, laughing her ass off. Marlie is talking, and there’s my woman. Her mouth is open, eyes closed, and arms above her head.