Beneath the Stars (Falling Stars #4) - A.L. Jackson Page 0,62

alternative.” She took a long gulp. “Mmm. See. Delicious.”

“But the sad thing is, then you get no cream. That coffee’s gonna start to taste really bitter and fast.”

Everyone’s attention jerked to Emily who had slipped in behind her best friend with my sweet baby niece squirming in her arms. Emily’s voice was all kinds of wry and sarcastic.

Busting up, Melanie spewed the gulp of coffee she’d just taken from her mouth. She wiped the dribble from her chin with the back of her hand and whirled around. “Ah, there’s my bestie…one who clearly likes her cup overflowin’ with cream.”

She gestured to Amelia who had her little fists waving in the air.

“Where is Royce on this fine mornin’?” Leif asked, grinning as he leaned up against the island.

Rhys laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard, all while those eyes seemed to seek me out in the middle of it, as if he were searching for me through the lightness that held fast to the air. This calm and peace that had infiltrated.

The true care that weaved these souls together, even when they did it with constant teasing of the other.

My chest tightened and my lungs squeezed, and I really hoped the breath that I attempted to suck into them didn’t wheeze when I inhaled.

Shit.

I didn’t know how to handle this.

I jerked my attention away only to find Violet’s dark, intuitive eyes trained on me.

Double shit.

I ducked my head and went for a diversion, dashing for the refrigerator from across the room.

Awesome.

I opened the door and nearly crawled inside to douse the heat eating me alive.

“So, what else do we need for the omelets?” I asked, my voice so perky it squeaked.

I rummaged around like I was on the hunt for a life-saving ingredient.

“Apparently, the only thing we need around here is cream,” Mel hollered.

I whirled back around, producing a nice hazelnut and waving it in front of her. “Here we go.”

She snatched it. “Fine. I’ll find myself a little cream. But it better be sugar-free and fat-free and really freaking sweet because I don’t need to be carryin’ around any extra weight.”

Rhys pounded a fist on the island, cracking up. “Standards are high there, Mells Bells.”

“You know it.”

“I mean, he’s gotta check off all the boxes on your ridiculous list, and then the poor bastard has to pass the prick test on top of it.”

Rhys shook his head in feigned sadness as he glanced between Richard and Leif.

“Yup. No dickwads. No druggies. No douches.” Richard lifted his fingers as he counted them off.

Wow. Apparently, my brother wasn’t the only overbearing one around here.

Mel rolled her eyes, and she pointed between all three guys. “Pssh…you think I need any of y’all’s approval? Apparently, you haven’t been payin’ close enough attention because I’m the one who makes the rules around here.”

Emily giggled, kissing the back of her daughter’s head as Amelia cooed and kicked. “I think we’ve been on break too long and have forgotten who’s the boss.”

“That you have, and the boss wants to be fed.” Mel smirked as she went ahead and doused her coffee with creamer.

“Well, then. The boss has spoken.” Mia grinned at her before she passed Carson off to Leif. The man hugged and bounced his son as he paced with him around the kitchen.

Mia poured the mixture she’d made into a giant skillet, and I moved over to help, working quietly and steadily while they all chatted.

The kids remained rambunctious.

Voices full of teasing while running with an undercurrent of loyalty.

Peace filled me as the sun climbed higher into the sky and stole in golden streaks through the wall of windows that took up the east side of the house.

The ocean lapped gently at the shore in the distance.

Still, my skin tingled with flashes of heat as I moved around the kitchen, trying to both ignore and savor the rough scrape of his eyes when he’d furtively glance my way.

Stealthy and sly.

Worried and with all his care.

It didn’t matter if he was trying to be sneaky or not.

It still felt like he was looking at me as if I were the only thing he could see. As if he couldn’t look away any more than I could force myself to do.

When the omelets and bacon were ready, everyone filled their plates, and we gathered around the long table set up beneath the windows with a view of the ocean outside.

My brother was the last to join us, the man shooting me a smile when he