Crazy Heifer (The Valentine Boys 2)

“You’re not supposed to talk to a child like that,” Bourne said. “And I didn’t give her shit for her dyslexia. I gave her shit for the fact that she failed a test that she told me she’d ace. There’s a big difference.”

I winced.

“That’s not nice,” Codie said. “You should apologize.”

“Yeah, no.” Bourne shook his head as he eyed my stack of pancakes. “Can we eat now?”

I gestured to the stack, then pulled the bacon out of the microwave where I’d been storing it.

The two boys fell on it like a pack of rabid dogs.

“Damn,” Codie said as she tried to grab a piece. “What the hell? Do your parents not feed you?”

“I fed them,” Nico said as he too came in and started loading up a plate. “In fact, they had donuts this morning before we even came.”

I gasped and turned to Booth. “You both are so awful.”

“They get it from their mother,” Nico rumbled.

He was so close to me that I jumped, startled to find him that close.

He winked at me and grabbed the pancakes that I was literally pulling off the skillet.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

Then he backed away and sat at the table with his sons.

“Hey!” Georgia cried out as she came into the kitchen. “I so totally heard that!”

“I didn’t try to hide it from you,” Nico supplied around a mouthful of pancakes. “I honestly don’t care that you know that these boys take after you.”

Georgia rolled her eyes and patiently waited for the next batch of pancakes to come off the griddle. When they did, I placed them directly onto her waiting plate. “Butter is on the corner of the counter right there.”

She pecked me on the cheek before walking to the corner of the counter.

Next up was Codie. Followed by Darby, Banks, Callum, Ace, Remy, and Colt.

By the time breakfast was finished, there wasn’t a single pancake left, and only scraps of bacon were left on the plate.

I smiled, loving the way this loud, boisterous family had taken me in with open arms.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Bourne asked with the very last pancake on his plate.

I shook my head. “I had some bacon. I’m going to make myself some oatmeal here in a second. I’m only a few days away from my race, and I realllllly, really want to do well in it.”

“Oh yeah,” Booth said. “Is there still time for us to sign up?”

“You have about two days left before sign-ups are closed. Why?” I wondered. “You’re wanting to compete?”

Booth shrugged. “Sure. Why not? Didn’t you say that your ex was going to be there? Doesn’t he almost win it every year?”

He did, which sucked really bad. I knew without a doubt that I wouldn’t be winning. I’d be lucky to finish it.

And the thought of having to see Mal and his fiancée literally made me want to not do it at all.

I wasn’t bitter over them anymore. Callum had done a damn fine job making sure that I had much better things to concentrate on rather than the two of them.

But that didn’t mean that I wanted to see them when I was going to be trying my hardest to not die.

“Yeah,” Callum grumbled. “I’m going to spend the majority of my time making sure those two assholes don’t get near her.”

“We want to do it,” Booth said. “Bourne, are you with me?”

Bourne rolled his eyes. “Of course, I’m with you, dumbass.”

“Boys,” Georgia growled.

“What?” Bourne asked innocently.

“I asked you not to cuss outside of the house,” she snapped.

“Actually, you told us not to cuss around anyone that wasn’t family,” Booth corrected her as he licked his plate free of the last of his pancakes. “And everyone here is family.”

The swelling in my heart made me grin widely.

“He does have you there,” Nico mumbled as he got up to place his plate in the sink.

And without even a thought, he started washing dishes. “Boys, bring all the plates here and let’s load the dishwasher.”

Booth and Bourne did as they were asked.

“Where are your other kids?” I asked, thinking that I probably should’ve asked that an hour ago.

“They’re with my sister, Nikki,” Nico answered. “Her and her husband, I don’t know if you’ve met Michael yet, they’re having a couple of kids over for their daughter’s sleepover. They for some reason thought it’d be a great idea to invite my kids, God help them.”

There were snickers all around the table at that.

Though, just sayin’, but Nico was right, because his kids were hell on wheels.

I just hoped mine and Callum’s weren’t that bad.

Because I was going to have a heart attack at thirty-five if they were.

Speaking of…

“Callum, when is your birthday?” I said softly.

Callum stiffened.

The room went quiet.

Everybody that was a part of the family stilled.

Codie and I were left staring in wonder at the phenomenon before us.