The Deputy and His Enforcer (Kincaid Pack #3) - Kiki Clark Page 0,11

not having this conversation. You have two little ones to take care of. Reesa has one on the way. Rafael and Benito are at college. Teo works his ass off on the farm, trying to keep it afloat, and Annalisse and Valentina are in school still. It is my job to take care of things because I’m the only one who can.”

“Rob—”

“And,” he spoke over Hector’s protest, “Mom will never find out about any of this. She lost the love of her life a few months ago. She doesn’t need to worry about me on top of everything else.”

Sighing in frustration, Hector grumbled under his breath as he picked up his glue gun again.

“Hector.”

“Fine! I won’t fucking say anything. But Shannon and I can chip in a little for groceries and shit, asshole. We both work good jobs, and we can afford it.” Hector glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward Robson. “I know the sheriff cut your hours recently.”

Robson scowled at him. “How do you know that?”

“Small-town life, man. Word gets around if you know who to ask.” Hector gave him a significant look.

Before he could ask him about it, Reesa was waddling into the kitchen, one hand on her lower back and the other on her distended belly. She grimaced as she lowered herself into a chair across from Robson.

"You okay, mami?" Robson called out, trying to get her to smile.

Her lips were pressed together, but one corner twitched. “This kid is moving like crazy today. I think they’re ready to come out.”

He and Hector exchanged wide-eyed looks, then both started to rise.

Reesa laughed and waved at them. “Sit down, dumbasses. I didn’t mean right this second.”

“Oh.” Robson dropped back down into his seat and half-heartedly picked up his glue gun again.

“Would one of you do me a favor? There are a few things I’d ordered for the shower that just came in, but I don’t feel like wedging myself into my car to go and pick them up.”

Robson sprang up out of his seat. “Yes, me. I’ll go.”

Hector snickered as he precisely laid a line of glue on his jar, but Robson ignored him.

“Awesome, thank you. Tell Tashmica at Wicca We Can that you’re picking up for me and she’ll get you the stuff.” Reesa’s smile was so sweet and innocent, but he’d known her for her entire life and he scented deception in the air.

Hector wrinkled his nose. “What could you have possibly ordered from there for a baby shower?”

Robson pointed at Hector. “Yes, excellent point. Seems like a very baby-unfriendly place.”

“Don’t be judgmental. Tash has been very sweet to me.” Reesa’s smile had dropped off, and she turned her little-sister glare on them. “If it’s too much for you, I guess I can just go myself.”

“Ay, Dios mío,” Robson groaned at her dramatic attitude, rolling his eyes. “I’ll go, okay? I just think it’s weird.”

“Agreed,” Hector said, but when Reesa swatted at him, he quickly added, “but it’s your shower and you can have whatever you want.”

“Thank you.” She leveraged herself out of the chair and moseyed over to where there was still some food out on the counter.

Knowing he should just take the excuse to get out of hot glue gun duty and run, he couldn’t stop himself from saying, “I’m surprised Patrick didn’t offer to go get the stuff.”

Hector shot him a warning look, but Robson ignored it.

Reesa was chuckling as she crunched down on a tostone. “He would have if I’d asked, but he doesn’t like to be away from me with the baby so close to coming. Just in case.”

Robson curled his lip, not impressed with the weird possessiveness of his brother-in-law. He dodged a slap Hector aimed at his leg and wiped the look from his face before Reesa turned around, eyeing them.

“Sure, sure. Makes sense.” He smiled at her to cover the insincerity of his words, then headed for the door. “Be back in a bit. Don’t wait for me, Hector. Go ahead and make all of those jar thingies.”

He thought he heard Hector call him something, but he was already marching through the house, stepping around boxes and family members.

Pushing open the door of Wicca We Can for the first time, Robson froze just inside, instincts bombarded with a sudden urge to getoutgetoutgetout. He gripped the edge of the door to keep from falling to his knees as his heart began to race, his lungs working to fill his chest that suddenly felt like it had a weight