She wraps her arms around my shoulders and places her forehead to mine. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m crazy about you, too.”
“Good to know.”
•—•—•—•—•
The exaggerated cries ricochet through the empty house, ringing in my ears. I catch the other three men flinching before their hard stares land on me. We all size each other up, me noticing that Austin and Andrew are younger images of their father—tall, dark-haired, and built solid. Ashlyn backs away from her mother’s embrace, jumping to each brother before landing in her dad’s arms. Only then does his face soften as he picks her up in a bear hug.
Her mom steps away, coming to me with her arms stretched. I take her in and see where all her kids get their sparkling green eyes. “Miller,” she gushes, hugging me warmly.
“Mrs. Rhodes.”
“Call me Janette or Janie.”
“Janie, it’s nice to meet you.”
She beams, keeping a hold of my biceps but leaning back to assess me. “You’re it.” Her whisper is low, but her meaning is clear.
“I am,” I tell her with no regard. She can create her fucking Pinterest board anytime.
“J, you want to let go of the contractor so we can meet him?” Dozer groans. His meaning is not lost on me.
She steps back but stands to my left, Ashlyn joining her on my right. I catch the move right away. The Rhodes women are flanking me and sending a message. It’s me who steps forward with my hand raised. “Miller Kendrick,” I offer to her dad first.
He slaps his hand in mine more forcefully than necessary, but I’m ready, gripping it hard. His eyes are sharp and intense, his expression unreadable.
I give him the time he needs, holding his stare. No words are exchanged, but an entire conversation drifts between us.
I’m a lot more than the contractor.
Yes, I’m crazy about your daughter.
No, I’m not good enough for her, but she’ll get everything she deserves in this life.
I’m not going anywhere.
I catch the flicker of understanding and agreement before he drops his eyes to our joined hands with a smirk. “Dozer Rhodes,” he finishes his introduction.
Austin and Andrew repeat the same motion, without the silent interrogation, until Ashlyn steps in. “Would you like a tour?”
“Where’s the crew? It’s eleven on a Thursday. What kind of slack-ass company doesn’t have people working?” Austin speaks up.
“We scheduled them at noon so we could have some time alone.”
“Seems stupid to lose an entire morning. What moron made that call?” His question aimed at me.
“Don’t be an ass, Austin. I decided. We’re actually ahead of schedule. Now, do you want to see the house or not, because our time is severely limited.” She shoves a finger in his chest, and I bite my tongue to keep from grinning.
He grimaces, pushing her hand away and narrowing his eyes at me. “Yeah,” he answers brusquely.
“Follow me,” she directs in a no-nonsense tone.
I want to pull her to me and kiss her, but instead squeeze her shoulder and motion to the back. She ushers everyone to the front room and shoots me a grateful smile.
I go to the backyard to check on the equipment delivered and make sure everything is exactly as Dozer requested through his messages with Ashlyn. With the door open, it’s easy to know where they are in the house, especially when there’s a horde of stomping up the stairs. Then I hear the creak of the front door and the unmistakable, sing-song voice. “Hello?”
“Shit.” I’m on the move, getting to the living area in time to find my very pregnant sister-in-law waddling in, carrying a bag.
“What the hell, Darby?”
She glances around, noting we’re alone, and leans in to whisper, “I came for moral support.”
“It’s her family. I think she’s okay.”
“I didn’t come for her. Meeting the parents is a big deal, and I wanted to lend my help. Pregnant women have a way of simmering tension.”
My lips twitch at her sincerity and the way she’s still talking low. “I appreciate your concern, but you shouldn’t be here.”
“It’ll be our little secret.”
“Darby!” Ashlyn shrieks, and our heads swing upward to find the Rhodes family gathered at the edge of the stairs.
Andrew’s eyes narrow, shifting between Darby and me, and his face turns to stone. “You’re moving in with a man you just met, and he’s having a baby with another woman?” he spews.
He’s so focused on firing killer looks that he misses Ashlyn’s arm flying back to nail him in the gut.
“You dumbass! That’s Darby, his sister-in-law, and my friend.” She skips down the stairs to hug Darby. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought a welcome gift!”
I take the bag she waves, and the smell of sugar and chocolate fills the air.
“Oh my goodness, what is that divine smell?” Janie comes to my side and peers in the bag.