but they’re my mom’s recipe.”
With how crazy my schedule’s been, I forgot to tell Rider I finalized that deal with my boss. I explain how once I realized how busy I was going to be this fall, I told Fanny I couldn’t come in as much to bake on the weekends, so she pays me a license fee for exclusive use of my recipes, which are mostly my mom’s with a few tweaks I’ve made over the years.
Mom would be thrilled to know those recipes are funding so much of my life right now. I even paid off that ridiculous EMT bill and set a little aside in savings.
The look of admiration in Rider’s eyes fills me with warmth. “That’s awesome, Gabs. You’re amazing.” He kisses me on the forehead, and my face flushes.
“Aww, boo,” Olly chides as he makes kissing sounds. “Our little Riding Hood is growing up.”
“Shut the fuck up.” Rider jumps up and pretends to punch him, but Olly tackles him, and next thing I know, all the boys are wrestling and play-fighting.
“Don’t hurt Rider!” I whisper-yell, so I don’t wake Poppy. “You need him to throw balls and… things.”
Olly pauses. “But I can get hurt. Don’t you love me too?”
Trevor tries to sit on Olly’s head but he turns to me. “You love me too, right, Gabs?”
“I love all of you idiots. Now stop messing around before you get hurt or wake the baby.”
Rider shoves Olly into the floor as he pops up. “Yeah, but I’m her favorite.”
I roll my eyes but laugh as he flops next to me and treats me to a kiss and quick boob grab.
Chuckling, I shove him off me. “Study first. Play later.”
Once it’s just Rider and me again and we can return to our homework, not two minutes go by before there’s a loud bang upstairs. And then another. And another.
“What is that?”
He cringes. “I have an idea. Does the sound machine have a higher setting? I doubt Poppy can sleep through—”
“Waaaaaah!” Her sad wail blares through the monitor on the coffee table.
“Motherfucker. I’m gonna kill him.”
“Who?”
“One of my dipshit roommates.”
And? I give him a look because I’m still confused.
“Um, he’s fucking some girl through his wall.”
Oh. Heat sears my face. “Sometimes I’m so clueless.”
His eyes soften and he hooks an arm around my shoulders to kiss me. “You’re perfect. Never change.”
With a groan, he heads up to his bedroom to comfort his daughter. His sexy voice comes through the monitor.
“Hey, baby, it’s okay. Daddy’s here. No need to cry.”
I swoon on the couch while I listen to their conversation.
He’s such a pro at this point, he doesn’t need my help anymore. I knew he’d be a great dad. He just needed a little confidence in himself.
After a few minutes, she eventually calms down, but then someone slams the front door and she gets upset again.
I’m ready to give the offender my meanest glare, but it’s my brother, who barely pauses when he sees me.
“Ben, you can’t slam the door. Poppy’s trying to sleep.”
“Shit. Sorry.” As he heads to the stairs, it’s obvious he has no intention of talking to me.
“Ben. Wait.”
He lets out a sigh and turns around.
“Are you going to avoid me forever? Can we please grab lunch this week?” I’m so tired of this crap. We’re adults. I wish he’d start acting like one.
His jaw tightens, but he nods. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, that would be great.” I open my mouth to ask what day works for him, but he disappears up the stairs.
I can’t even blame his reticence on him finding me in Rider’s bed last weekend. He was like this before that incident.
A few minutes later, Rider comes down with a tired baby on his shoulder. “I thought I’d hold her until she knocks out. Can we turn down the lights?”
“Of course.”
“It’s usually not this loud around here,” he says. I scoff, and he chuckles. “Really. The guys are usually great. I think it’s the bye weekend that has everyone excited.”
Judging by the frequency of those bangs upstairs, football’s not the only reason.
When he sits next to me, I rub Poppy’s back. “Do you want to come over? She can sleep in my room while we study.” His eyes meet mine, and they’re so intense I almost lose my breath. “You, uh, you guys can stay over if you want.”
He clears his throat. “I can sleep on the couch.”
“Or…”
“Or?”
“You could stay, you know, in my room.” In my bed. With me.
Those beautiful lips lift, and I wonder if