Kiss by Kiss (Riggins Brothers #3) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,54
magic?”
“I do.” He nods. His face is stone serious. “Your momma…” He shakes his head. “That woman is my heart.” He taps his chest. “She helped me build an empire to leave to you boys, and then there’s the five of you. She gave me that, and her love.” He swallows hard.
It’s not new to see my father get emotional when he’s talking about Mom. I’ve never seen a love as strong as theirs, well not until Royce and Owen fell in love. They’ve quickly adopted Dad's magic logic.
“There’s someone here for you,” he says, as the sound of Marshall greeting Aurora reaches us in the living room. “Before you go, when you look at her, tell me you don’t feel the magic.” He looks around me. “Hey, sweetheart,” he says.
I feel Aurora step next to me before I see her. I reach out and slide my arm around her waist and press my lips to the top of her head. My heart skips a beat from just having her in my arms. I look up at Dad, and he’s smirking.
“Good to see you. Is that sister of yours with you?”
“You as well. Yes, Marshall took her into the kitchen.”
Dad nods. “That’s where I’m headed. I need to see if my Lena needs any help.” With those parting words, he walks away and my lips descend on Aurora’s. “I missed you.”
“Yeah?”
“You can go ahead and bank on the fact that if I’m not with you, I’m missing you.”
“You’re a smooth talker, Grant Riggins.”
“No, I’m speaking from the heart.”
“I like your heart.”
“Yeah?”
She nods.
“Well, you’re in luck because I love yours.” I lean in for another kiss.
“Cut that shit out,” Marshall grumbles. “It’s time to eat.”
“You hungry?” I ask her as we turn to head toward the dining room.
“A little.”
“Babe, this is my family and me. You can be you. Tell me, are you hungry?” I stop walking until she answers me.
“Yes.” She nods. “I’m hungry.”
“Good. Mom cooks for an army. You know that. Come on.” With her hand held tight in mine, I lead her into the dining room. Everyone is already sitting at the table, with Aspen seated between Conrad and Marshall.
Conrad looks up and grins. “Remind me to tell you guys a story,” he says, looking at each of our brothers. “It’s a good one. I just sent you the link to the song,” he says, cracking himself up.
“Hey!” Aspen smacks his arms when her phone pings, and she opens her message. “That’s my material that you’re using.”
Conrad slides his arm over her shoulders, and together, they fall into a fit of laughter. “Epic, I’m telling you… it’s epic.”
“Do we even want to know?” Dad asks.
“No,” Aurora and I say at the same time.
“Trust me,” I tell my father. Aurora slinks into my side, and that’s when it hits me. She’s probably worried that I’m embarrassed, and I’m not. I just don’t want her to be. However, we don’t hold back in this family, and she needs to get used to that. She also needs to know that I’m not ashamed of her. “On second thought, it was pretty good,” I admit.
Aurora tilts her head back to look up at me.
“They know I love you,” I say, not bothering to soften my voice as I lower my head and kiss her.
“So, get this,” Conrad starts.
“Wait!” Aspen laughs. “Let me get the song ready.” She messes with her phone and then nods at Conrad.
He throws his arm back over Aspen’s shoulder and pulls her close. “So this one came and picked Rory up this morning from Grant’s place. I was there. We left the love birds to say goodbye and walked outside. Aspen got in her car, and we were chatting until those two”—he points across the table at where we are now sitting across from them—“decided to come up for air. Anyway, Aspen had a mischievous look in her eye, but I let it go. It was early as hell. However, when they”—he points to Aurora and me again—“walked out of the house, this is what she was blaring from her speakers.”
“Aspen,” Aurora warns.
“Sorry, Rory. This is just too good not to share.”
Royce, Marshall, and Owen are already laughing. Layla and Sawyer are trying like hell not to if the way they’re torturing their bottom lips, and the hand over their mouths is any indication.
“Hit it, maestro!” Conrad tells Aspen. Her thumb taps the screen of her phone, and the song, the same one as this morning, begins to