our best to help out.”
Kate relaxed fully then, going limp on the sunny carpet beside Mike. She knuckled the corner of her eye and sniffled, making Mike hug her even tighter to him. “Thanks, Devon. All of you. I appreciate that. I’m not going to lie, I am a little worried. I’m older now and…yeah. You’re right, but we stick together. And with you, we’re in good hands. Thank you.”
Steering things to lighter territory, and also to maintain the balance he considered himself in charge of in the group, Mike turned to the crew on the camera, intentionally meeting Dave’s gaze as he flopped on his back, sandwiching Neil and James between him and Devon. “You’re going to have to make this up to Kayla. Maybe call back much later tonight.”
“Don’t worry, I will. We will. We’ll let her be the center of attention tonight.”
Kate teased, “Just make sure you lock the door. Abby and Landry don’t always remember to knock.”
“You know we’ll take good care of them,” Dave promised. “Besides, we gave them walkie talkies so they can call over to the main house if they need anything…you know, like a restock of the s’mores ingredients and sodas Kayla hooked them up with.”
“Oh God, they’re going to be on a sugar high for the next year.” Morgan shook her head, but she was smiling when she said it.
For a few moments they were silent, with huge smiles on their faces. Mike figured the rest of the crew was as relieved as him to see they could find ways to keep connected, no matter the circumstances.
“Welp, some of us don’t get to lounge around all day.” Devon cracked her knuckles, then started getting dressed. “Our break is long over. We’ve got work to do. A ton of it.”
Mike winced; he hadn’t even asked. “How’s the project going? Is everything okay?”
“Yup, fine. Totally fine.” James had always been a shit liar.
Neil erased the unease that threatened to coalesce in Mike’s gut when he added, “It’s under control. We’ll get this done. Don’t worry about us. Take care of things out there with Joe and we’ll do the same here.”
“If you need something, you’ll call, right?” Mike peered into the phone until the rest of the crew nodded. Even Dave, though as he crossed his arms over his mammoth chest, Mike found it hard to believe there was anything they couldn’t handle on their own.
They probably didn’t need him as much as he liked to think.
“Congratulations again, see you this weekend.” Dave waved, the others mimicked him, then he disconnected.
For a while, the four of them stretched out together in the sunshine beaming in the windows like contented cats. Mike contemplated passing out for a solid afternoon nap when the doorbell began ringing like there was a contest for who could press it the most number of times in ten seconds. Then he heard Nathan, Joe’s son, shouting, “Hey, Dad! I know you’re in there. When am I going to be old enough for my own key? I proved I can take care of a puppy, so I’m pretty sure I deserve one.”
The four of them scrambled to put on their clothes like teenagers getting busted by their parents, instead of the other way around. Their naughty bits were covered, if haphazardly, in seconds flat.
Joe looked around and got the all clear from the rest of them before jogging toward the front door. When he opened it, Gavyn—the owner of the Hot Rides motorcycle shop, the sister garage to Hot Rods—was standing there grinning.
He had Joe’s kids and was clearly dropping them off on his way back to Hot Rides.
“Figured since you and Amber have a baby in the house, everyone else should be interrupted too?” Joe grumbled even as he opened his arms to his children with a grin. Gavyn and Amber’s infant son, Noah, was the latest addition to the Hot Rides gang. Though not for long as Eli, Alanso, and Sally’s baby, plus now Mike and Kate’s too—damn, it still didn’t seem real—were about to follow right behind them.
Hell, they should kick in together for some day care options. Or at least they could if he and Kate were hanging around like Joe and Morgan. Why had Mike started thinking that way?
“Hey, you were here for hours. I figured you’d be worn out by now.” Gavyn stepped inside and hugged Kate, then held his fist out toward Mike, who bumped it. “Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thanks,” Mike’s heart warmed all