The Slow Burn (Moonlight and Motor Oil #2) - Kristen Ashley Page 0,107

shape.

Brooks looked at it then threw it across the room.

Dapper Dan immediately retrieved it for him.

“Well, if that’s meant to train him for the major leagues, it works a charm,” Addie remarked.

Toby chuckled.

She rested an arm on his thigh then her head on his knee, attention pointed to the action, as Izzy decided, “Another one for Brooks. He’s got about a thousand to get through,” and she said this handing another package to Johnny.

At that, Toby reached for his phone because he had a feeling with Perry’s cell out of service and the fact he hadn’t contacted Addie to give her that heads up or info on an alternate way to get in touch with him that the asshole was history.

So the adults would remember this, but Brooklyn wouldn’t, and there might come a time when he would need all the evidence he could get that his biological father might not have given a shit, but everyone else in his life did.

Though, Toby doubted that.

But he took pictures anyway.

And by the end of the day the selfie he took of him, Addie and Brooks, with her still between his legs, him bent to her, and Brooklyn in her arms landing a sloppy kiss on her jaw, was the wallpaper on his phone.

And by the end of the next week, the shot Izzy took with her selfie stick of all five of them (plus Dapper Dan, Ranger, Dempsey and Swirl) huddled together in front of the tree was blown up and framed, twice.

One was set on the side table by Johnny’s reading chair at the mill.

And one was set on the mantle in Addie’s family room.

For a few of months . . .

Then it was on the mantle at Toby’s.

“You didn’t! I hate you! I love you!” Addie cried, turned to him, threw her arm around him to give him a tight hug and kissed the side of his neck before she disengaged, dumped Brooks, who had been on her hip, in his arms, and rushed forward.

Toward the ginger and white, six-month-old kitten that Margot was holding.

Her real present.

Toby adjusted Brooklyn to his own hip and watched Addie take hold of the new member of her family and cuddle her to her neck.

Feeling her eyes, Toby tore his from his woman who was all about her new cat to look at Margot.

Pride.

He never got anything but that from his girl.

Not ever.

“Dang, I wanna name you Chuck Norris,” Addie declared, and Toby looked back at her to see she was holding the cat away and inspecting things. She cuddled her close again. “But that appears to be out.” Her attention came to him and she cried triumphantly, “Barbarella!”

“Lord God,” Margot, who had moved to his side, murmured.

Toby slid his arm along her shoulders.

She slid hers along his waist.

He took a moment to memorize the feel of her, her touch.

And then she spoke.

“You should probably introduce your woman to your older brothers.”

“Give her a minute,” he replied.

She gave it only about a second before she spoke again.

“That pendant Eliza is wearing is very attractive,” she remarked.

“It comes with matching earrings. She showed in the kitchen wearing both this morning. Didn’t notice at first. But that probably explained some of her dreamy look, that and the fact Johnny gave her some, or got himself some after giving her diamonds.”

Margot gave him a reprimanding squeeze and snapped, “Tobias.”

He grinned.

“Will Adeline be getting diamonds anytime soon?” she asked leadingly.

He turned and kissed the side of her head then looked back to his woman. “I’ll need you to help me with that.”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

He pulled her closer and held her there.

Then she let him go, so he let her go, and he felt the loss of her touch in the depths of his heart.

He ignored it and moved himself and Brooks forward, calling, “Babe, probably should introduce you to the rest of my family.”

Addie aimed a stunning smile his way.

The ache in his heart didn’t go away.

But in that instant, seeing that smile, it didn’t hurt so bad.

And in the next instant, when Brooks reached out with gentle wonder to Barbarella, it hurt a little less.

“Don’t even try to kick me out ’cause I’m helpin’, no matter what you say,” Toby declared, walking into Margot’s kitchen.

She was at the sink, piles of Christmas dishes all around her.

Fifteen people in that house old enough to help her, she’d shooed them all to her family room with bourbon, brandy, spiked eggnog, unspiked eggnog, hot chocolate and iced Amaretto, depending