The Davenport Christmas Chronicles - Piper Davenport Page 0,27
chuckled. “Will that tide you over for a bit?”
“At least an hour,” I said. “After that, though, you’ll need to find a room.”
He grinned, leaning down to kiss me. “You just say the word.”
“The code word will be Beyoncé.”
Laughing, he grabbed our bags while I grabbed the food and followed him inside.
Maisie
“Mom!” Flash called, and I turned from the sink.
“Yes, love?”
My son walked in with one of the best looking men I’d ever seen and I wiped my hands and smiled. This man looked like a modern-day Viking, and he was tall, taller than Flash, which was saying something, considering my child was almost six-foot and he wasn’t even thirteen yet.
“Uh...this is Sweet Pea. He’s a Saint.”
“Wonderful. Welcome,” I said, reaching out my hand, which he took and shook. “You’re the first to arrive. I’m Maisie, it’s lovely to meet you.”
Sweet Pea gave me a slow smile and said in a low, deep voice, “It’s nice to meet you, too, Maisie. Can I help with anything?”
“We’re good, love. Make yourself at home. Flash can introduce you to a few of the guys.”
“Sweet Pea?”
He turned just as Katie walked in, her arms laden with bags, which he promptly took from her.
“Hey, Katie,” he said.
“I didn’t know you’d be here.” She gave me a questioning glance. “I thought it was just officers.”
Technically, it was officers and families of the other club. Everyone in ours had been invited, although, not everyone was able to make it.
“Newly promoted.”
“Oh, wow. Congratulations,” she said.
Sweet Pea just nodded.
Katie Jameson was the sister of Flea, one of Hatch’s soldiers and most trusted mechanics, and she was a registered nurse...although, she’d gone back to school to become a nurse practitioner.
“How do you two know each other?” I asked.
“I’ve been helping Gina out at her clinic. She’s married to Clutch, Minus’s VP.”
“Well, how about you take Sweet Pea around and introduce him to everyone?” I suggested.
“You don’t need help?” Katie asked.
“I’m good, love. Go have fun.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” she retorted and smiled up, way up, at Sweet Pea. “You ready to wade into the chaos?”
“Do I need floaties?”
She chuckled. “In the form of a beer, maybe,” she said and pulled open the fridge. “What’s your poison?”
“That IPA’ll do me.” She grabbed the bottle, twisted off the top, and handed it to him. “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” she said. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
“Nice to meet you, Maisie,” he said, then gave my kid a nod. “Flash.”
“You too,” we said in unison, and the couple left the kitchen.
“Dad wants me and Jamie to move some more stuff around out back. It’s a total mess. Do you need me?” he asked hopefully, obviously trying to get out of whatever Hatch wanted him to do.
I smiled. “No, sorry, darling, I’m good. Go help Dad.”
“Okay,” he said, but he did it somewhat grumbly-like and I tried not to laugh.
“I love you, Bubba.”
“Love you, too, Mama.”
He left me alone and I set the dishes in the sink to soak and moved on to chopping more veggies. I wasn’t alone for long when Tillie came rushing back into the room. “Auntie Maisie?”
“Yes, love?”
“Who’s that guy with Katie?”
“His name’s Sweet Pea. He’s a Saint.”
“Oh,” she squeaked.
“Why?”
“No reason.”
I forced back a laugh. Her face was bright red and her gorgeous green eyes were bright with curiosity. “He’s cute, eh?”
“Oh my gosh, he’s so hawt,” she whispered.
“Who’s hot, Till?” Cassidy asked, joining us.
“Sweet Pea,” she said immediately.
“Oh, the Viking,” Cassidy said in a sing-song voice.
“Yes,” Tillie and I said at the same time.
“Yeah, he’s relatively illegal looking,” Cassidy agreed. “And he’s way too old for you.”
“What the fuck?” Ace asked, stalking into the kitchen. “Who’s too old for who? And you better not say Tillie.”
Hatch followed Ace into the room, grabbing a beer before closing the distance between him and me, leaning down for a quick kiss.
Tillie giggled. “Chill, Dad, I am a sophomore.”
“You’re barely out of diapers.”
“I’m closer to being back in them, Dad.”
“Alright, you lot, hot diaper talk is right about the time I kick you all out of my kitchen.”
Hatch grinned. “Can’t wait to get you out of your diaper.”
“Bloody hell, that’s a visual,” I hissed, wrinkling my nose. Hatch waggled his eyebrows and I had a feeling he’d be fucking me well into our nineties...diapers or not.
“How about you and I go play a game of pool,” Ace suggested to Tillie.
She glanced around him. “Yeah, okay. Pool sounds great.”
I noticed Sweet Pea and Katie were there, and chalked one up for Tillie.