This is Reckless (Checkmate Duet 3)

“I have learned a lot from YouTube, thank you very much. How do you think I learned to repurpose old furniture and properly fold a mattress sheet?”

I chug the rest of my drink down and set the glass in the kitchen sink.

“Figured one of your brothers would’ve taught you some of those skills?” I tease.

“They’ve taught me plenty, but I couldn’t really transfer my skills in changing a tractor tire or gutting a fish into the city life,” she says matter-of-factly as she begins cleaning up the kitchen and storing her muffins in Ziploc bags. Courtney is an obsessive baker and hoards them like an apocalypse is coming.

“Except in Texas, men happily try a woman’s blueberry muffins when offered.” She flashes me a look, and I roll my eyes at her pathetic attempt.

“Well, we aren’t in Texas anymore, Dorothy.”

“Ha. Ha. It’s called having a little Southern hospitality. You should never refuse a woman’s cookin’, drink sweet tea like water, and say, ma’am, a lot.” She gives me a wink, pops a piece of muffin into her mouth and releases an exaggerated moan. Her eyes flutter closed, and she tilts her head back like that muffin just gave her the most amazing orgasm of her life. “Now I need to take a shower…and get this stench off me.” I walk out of the kitchen with her following behind.

“The only stench I smell is your girlfriend’s expired hair products.” Ugh, not this again. “Seriously, I don’t know how she hasn’t choked to death on the amount she uses.”

“Court,” I say in warning. “Stop.”

“I’m not starting anything, but as the roommate, I think I have some say on who gets to stay here.” I turn around, and she’s standing with her arms crossed. I’m not in the mood to have this conversation again.

“You only get a partial say, and unless she’s stinking up your room, you don’t get to say who’s in mine.”

“Fine, have it your way.” She marches off, and I know this is far from over.

COURTNEY

Three months before the wedding…

“Drew!” I scream, stumbling over my feet as I rush out of my bedroom. Booking it to his room, I smack my palm over and over on his door. “Drew! Get up! She’s having the baby!”

I don’t wait for his response because I need to get dressed. I fell asleep looking up baking tutorials on my phone and forgot to change out of my running clothes. Well, my sweats. I hadn’t actually gone running.

“What the hell, Court?” Drew finally comes stumbling down the hallway. “It’s three in the goddamn morning.”

“Well, tell that to your nephew. Apparently, he’s ready to make his debut.” I shuffle around my room for something to wear.

“Now?” It finally hits him.

“Yes, now!” I turn around and see him in only a pair of boxer shorts, and by the looks of it, Drew Jr. is also awake. I blush so hard and turn back around before he takes notice. “Get dressed so we can go to the hospital.”

“Okay, can I at least take a shower first?”

My brain momentarily freezes as I hold onto the image of him in the shower with Drew Jr. and what it’d be like to be in that shower with him. His hard body, my hands gliding over his tattoos, my fingers combing through his wet locks.

“Courtney,” he says, pulling my attention back.

“Uh, no. No shower. There’s no time. We gotta go.” I can’t look at him right now, so I pretend to search for a hairbrush. Seeing him half naked never gets old, regardless of how long we’ve lived together.

I hear him groan before he walks back to his room. Thank God. I couldn’t chance looking at him again and him noticing the way I was staring at his groin.

This is what happens when you crush on one of your best friends who’s also your roommate. It’s not a new crush by any means, but that doesn’t mean it gets any easier to be around him either. He’s obliviously in love with a girl who thinks Skittles really are at the end of a rainbow, and I’m in love with a guy who sees me as only a friend. Like one of the guys. I don’t pretend to know how a guy’s brain works, but I’m pretty sure Drew’s is broken and in need of a major repair. He doesn’t see Mia for what she is—a train wreck.

We carpool to the hospital, and once we arrive, we nearly sprint up to the Labor and Delivery floor. Drew called Travis on the way over, and he let us know the baby would arrive any minute. Not wanting to miss it, we rush as fast as we can.

“We’re looking for Viola Fisher,” Drew tells the lady at the nurse’s station as soon as we push through the doors. “She’s having the baby, and we can’t miss it.”