Rock Hard (Rock Kiss 2)

Releasing her hand, Gabriel leaned down to catch the two little girls, then rose to his feet with them in his arms as if they weighed nothing. Clearly used to this, the girls wiggled up to perch on one forearm each.

“Who’s this, Uncle Gabe?” asked the little girl on his left arm, a skinny sprite with a shock of black hair and vivid blue eyes against creamy skin. She was dressed in a pink tutu over black tights. A long-sleeved black rugby jersey completed the look.

“This,” Gabriel said, turning so both girls could face Charlotte, “is Charlotte.”

“You can call me Charlie.” She was happy to meet these small family members first, before she had to tackle the larger ones.

“Hi, Charlie!” cried the girl on his right arm, her jean-clad legs kicking to show off multicolored sneakers, her top the same as the other girl’s and her skin a golden brown. “You have glasses like me!” She pushed up the bridge of her pretty blue frames, her black hair in braids on either side of her head.

“I do,” Charlotte said, charmed.

“My mommy had glasses,” the little girl told her. “She’s in heaven now.”

“Oh,” Charlotte said softly. “Mine is too. Maybe she’ll meet yours.”

That got her a beaming smile, just as the girl wearing the tutu said, “Are you Uncle Gabe’s girlfriend?”

Gabriel squeezed both girls, to their giggles. “Charlotte, meet Boo and Sweetiepie. Nosy parkers extraordinaire.”

The girls giggled.

“I’m Sweetiepie,” said the one without glasses. “But I’m really Emmaline. And she’s Esme.”

“I’m five!” Esme cried.

Smiling, Charlotte was about to reply when a gorgeous older brunette on the porch called out, “Girls! Come put on your coats. We’re about to start walking.”

Running off after Gabriel put them on the ground, the girls disappeared into the mass of adults. Gabriel took Charlotte’s hand again and tugged her toward the noisy group. It was obvious the males she could see were all related—their skin color wasn’t all the same, but their confidence, the way they interacted, it all shouted the familial link.

She saw an older Samoan man she recognized as Joseph Esera from an interview Gabriel had done where he’d been photographed with his stepfather and his mom. Alison Esera, the tall brunette who’d called for Emmaline and Esme, didn’t look like she’d given birth to one child, much less four hulking men.

Hair in a ponytail, she came over and, standing on the top step, kissed Gabriel on the cheek. She turned to Charlotte and did the same before Charlotte could figure out how to respond. “We’ll talk later—after the zoo is on its way,” Alison said, gray eyes sparkling.

Gabriel’s eyes, Charlotte realized.

Alison was gone in the next heartbeat, right as a booming male voice cut through the din. “Right, any stragglers will have to run. I’m not missing kickoff!”

Taking the team scarf from around his neck, Gabriel put it around Charlotte’s. “There, now you’re ready.” He took her hand again and they fell in with the rest of the group.

Emmaline and Esme ran up ahead, skipping alongside their grandfather. The others sorted themselves into pairs so as not to block the sidewalk. The noise level didn’t appreciably decrease.

“Hey, Gabe!” called one of his brothers, the one who looked most like Gabriel—though his eyes were a brilliant blue rather than steel gray. “Introduce your girl, why don’t you?”

The pretty young redhead at his side, her skin even paler than Emmaline’s—who had to be their child—elbowed him. “Excuse Sailor,” she said to Charlotte, her smile friendly and her accent unusual. “My husband has the manners of an elephant.”

Grabbing his wife’s jaw in a playful grip, Sailor planted a wet kiss on her mouth. “You know you love me.”

“Get moving,” Gabriel yelled back. “You know Dad isn’t going to wait for you two to make out.”

“Jealous. I bet you want to—oomph!”

Charlotte bit the inside of her cheek at the sounds coming from behind them. Gabriel’s breath brushed her cheek the next instant as he leaned down to whisper, “I want to do all sorts of things to you, Ms. Baird, just not in public.”

“Sailor, Ísa,” he said the next instant, turning slightly so they faced the other couple, “meet Charlotte.”

“Hi,” she managed to get out.

Ísa waved her over. “Come talk to me and let the boys amuse each other.”

Charlotte wasn’t good with new people, but Ísa was so welcoming that it would’ve been churlish to refuse… and she wanted Gabriel’s family to like her. Letting go of his hand on a bracing breath, she fell in with Ísa, the men taking up the rear.

Gentle and warm, Ísa proved easy to talk to.

When Emmaline ran back to take her mom’s hand, Alison came with her. The older woman slid her arm through Charlotte’s while Emmaline and Ísa went forward to join Jake, Esme, and Joseph.

“So,” Gabriel’s mother said, “you’re the one who’s been driving my son crazy.”

It was such an odd thing to hear that Charlotte responded before thinking through her words. “I don’t think I’m the one who’s been driving anyone crazy.”

Alison’s laughter said she knew her son well. “Trust me, we’ve all heard about his assistant who won’t listen to him and refuses to work Sundays.” The other woman patted her hand. “Good on you. My sons are forces of nature—they picked that up from Joseph.” An affectionately dry comment. “It’s either stand your ground or end up mincemeat.”