Evin's Fight (Southern Charmers 3)

“I’ll be fine.”

“This group can be intrusive and highly inappropriate.”

I tip on my toes and kiss him quickly. “Evin, I work in show business in Vegas. I can handle them.”

His lips curl on one side, and he squeezes me again before leading us into the private area. Scottie’s lounging on a float in the pool, and when he spots us his face lights up.

“Flower Child!” he shouts, and heads swing our way.

I don’t miss the surprise in Darby’s expression when she sees our joined hands. “Hey.” She comes over, embracing me warmly. “I’m glad you’re here.”

I wave to everyone else, sensing their curiosity.

Scottie lifts himself out of the pool, drying off before joining us. He kisses my cheek, then glances at Evin. “You need something?”

“Yeah, let’s talk privately.”

Darby’s eyes lock with Evin, and I know the instant the twin bond kicks in. Her smile beams brightly. “Come on, Poppy, we have a chair saved for you.”

Evin tugs me gently back and brushes his lips along my forehead. “I’ll see you soon. Call if you need anything.”

“If she needs anything, we can have it delivered. She’s in expert hands,” Scottie notes.

“I’m trusting you to keep an eye on her.”

“What the hell is it with you guys? Pierce and Miller said the same thing. We have a party of five women, two of which are pregnant, and two gay men. What is going to happen?”

Darby giggles loudly, and I swallow down my humor. Evin slices his eyes to the side, clearly not amused. I flash him a smile before Darby ushers me to the patio.

“This day just got much more interesting!” Ashlyn claps.

I drop my bag, remove my dress, and reach for a towel when there’s a sharp intake of breath followed by a low whistle.

“Holy shit, did Evin see you in that suit before you came down here?” Billy inquires.

“Yes, why?”

“He let you out of the room?”

“What’s wrong with the suit?”

“Not a goddamned thing. It’s not the suit. The body, the ink, the piercing… it’s the entire fucking package.”

There’s a chorus of “mmhmm” around the space and heat creeps up my cheeks.

I don’t have a chance to respond when there are a series of clicks and I whirl to find Stephanie with her phone.

“I’m plastering these everywhere to keep me in check. You are my inspiration,” she informs me.

“You have a gorgeous body.”

“I’m getting married and the motivation is high. I need your workout regimen.”

“I don’t know if it’s a regimen as much as a job,” I joke, situating myself on the chair. “Dancing up to seven nights a week is more like a lifestyle.”

“I’m going to start dancing,” Megan declares, raising her cocktail in the air, “right after my sister’s wedding.”

“Send me those pictures, Steph. I’ll need them for after this baby gets here,” Darby instructs, rubbing her hand over her stomach.

“When are you due?” I point between her and Ashlyn. “When are you both due?”

“I’m due in December, but if this baby is like Devin and comes early, they could be Irish twins.”

At the term Irish twins, a jarring pain stabs in my chest. Faintly, Ashlyn’s response of January registers before a dull ringing fills my ears.

Stop this! My subconscious screams, and I instantly am back to normal. All eyes are on me. “Sorry, I was registering how wild that is.”

“You have no idea. I’m putting my foot down after this girl gets here,” Darby goes on.

There’s a pregnant pause, then a loud cackling from my other side. Ashlyn, Stephanie, and Megan are all in fits.

“You do that. Put your foot down.” Stephanie throws her head back, slapping the side of her thigh. “Can’t wait to see how that goes.”

“How what goes?” Scottie rejoins us, his phone in hand.

“Darby’s going to ‘put her foot down’ about more children when their daughter is born.” Ashlyn uses air quotes.

Scottie glances between the two pregnant women and looks appalled. “Both of you might as well give it up. That ain’t happening anytime soon. Annie already told me Pierce is working on plans to add to your house. And Miller did the preliminary planning with the mansion.”

Darby lets out an exasperated moan at the same time Ashlyn cradles her abdomen.

“It sounds like your husbands want huge families.”

“You’re working tonight, right?” Scottie asks.

I nod.

“Too bad for you, these tales are more fun with cocktails.” He digs in the cooler and hands me a sparkling water, then refills his cup with a bright pink liquid. “So, here’s the cliff notes version. Pierce will do anything in the world for Darby. But with his mission to build his family, he’s relentless. We all guess there are at least four more years of this.”

I gasp, slinging my face to her. “How many children do you plan to have?”

“I said three, he wants five.”

“I thought he already has two from his first wife.”