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So for two more songs we gently swing and sway to spry, twangy music while Rock softly sings lyrics of loving my troubles away in my ear.
The heaviness in my heart lifts with each turn and dip.
Behind us, the front door opens. “Damn, Prez. Had no idea you had moves like that,” Murphy says.
We turn and I realize I’m laughing.
“Where’s Trinity?” I ask as Rock pulls out my chair at the dining room table.
“Post office run,” Wrath answers. “She’ll be here any minute.” He turns and glances out the window. “There she is.”
“Dinner will be out in ten,” Swan calls out.
Each brother’s here and I spend a few minutes catching up on what everyone’s been up to.
“Hey!” Trinity greets everyone. She slaps a pile of mail on the table and throws herself into the chair across from me. “Just came back from the post office.” She tosses a catalog my way. “Here, Hope.” She gestures toward Murphy, then Wrath, and finally Rock. “Since Murphy’s started a beard trend around here, I thought you might enjoy that. And for some reason there were three of them stuffed in our box.”
“That sounded incredibly dirty,” Ravage points out.
“Shut it,” Sparky mumbles.
I pluck the catalog off the table and flip through pages of high-end beard and shaving products featuring meticulously groomed manly men in various stages of sexy chores like chopping wood and fixing cars. “Well, this isn’t realistic.” I shake my head. “There isn’t a ripped jean or smudge of dirt anywhere on these guys.”
“Posers,” Z snarks, looking over my shoulder. “I bet that dude’s never touched an ax in his life. That’s probably a prop tool.”
“You’re a prop tool,” Stash says, flinging a pen at Z’s chest.
Z catches it and flips Stash off in one motion.
“Their beards are impeccably groomed,” Trinity adds, tapping one of the pages. “The company isn’t far from here. Wonder if they need a photographer,” she mutters.
“Oooh, the Outlaw-scented beard oil. It features scents of”—I read off the description from the catalog that ends with the line—“known to work as an aphrodisiac.”
“On who?” Charlotte asks. “Them or us?”
I reread the description before answering. “Doesn’t say.”
“Think it over, Hope,” Wrath warns. “You want to risk him jumping you more than usual?” He nods at Rock, who punches his arm. Wrath doesn’t even seem to notice the hit, he’s laughing so hard.
“I dunno,” Ravage says. “These days Rock might be the one getting worn out.”
“Haven’t you run your mouth enough today?” Rock growls.
“Hmm, church must’ve been interesting this morning,” I mutter, returning my attention to the catalog.
From the corner of my eye, I catch Heidi squirming in her seat, which makes Ravage zero in on her immediately. He rounds the table and leans down over her shoulder.
“What’s wrong, princess?” The wide grin stretched across Rav’s face makes Murphy narrow his eyes.
“Nothing.” She puts her hand out for the catalog and checks the cover. “I bought Murphy one of those sets for St. Patrick’s Day.” She reaches up and strokes the back of her hand over Murphy’s beard. “It’s good stuff. Smells really nice.”
“So metrosexual of you, bro,” Rav snarks at Murphy.
Heidi squints up at Ravage. “Do people still say that?”
Murphy shrugs and slaps Rav’s hand off the back of Heidi’s chair. “I dunno. I use whatever she puts in front of me.”
“No surprise there,” Dex mutters, rolling his eyes.
Someone—Z, if I had to guess—makes a whip-crack sound and Murphy shakes his head as he’s not at all embarrassed to at the insinuation that he’s pussy-whipped. “Jealousy’s an ugly color, bro.”
Charlotte wiggles her eyebrows and elbows Heidi. “Did it work?”
Teller groans. “Seriously?”
“What?” Charlotte spreads her hands in front of her gives us an innocent shrug. “We could have a false advertising suit on our hands.”
“Hey, they have a kid. They probably need the help in that department,” Ravage adds with a false-sympathetic tone.
“Do you want to die today?” Teller growls, sounding an awful lot like Rock, which makes me chuckle.
“What?” Ravage touches his chest. “I don’t discriminate. I’m equally obnoxious to all the ol’ ladies.”
I pick my head up and confirm his assessment. “It’s true. He told me I’d make a good porn star the other day.”
This time the growling comes from Rock’s side of the table.
“See,” Rav says without a hint of shame. “It wouldn’t be fair if I treated Heidi differently because she’s your sister, Teller.”
Heidi scrunches up her nose. “Uh, thanks. I think.”
“No one here needs the aid of an aphrodisiac,” Swan says, setting out a king-sized bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. “What else do they have, Hope?”
Ravage slings his arm around her neck and gives her a quick hug. “Why, thanks, darlin’.”
“No one coupled-up requires it,” she amends with a cheeky smile. “Who knows what you single guys need.”
“That hurts.” Rav puts on a fake pout.
I reach over and pat his arm. “It’s okay. It’ll happen for you one day.”
He raises his eyebrows. “What’s gonna happen to me?”
“You’ll find someone,” Heidi explains.
“Nope. No thanks.” He gestures around the table. “I love our family just the way it is.” He shoots a glare at Z and then Dex. “We have a pact to remain single.”
“That has to be the gayest thing you’ve ever said, bro” Stash says. “And you’ve given us plenty of material over the years.”
“Speak for yourself,” Z says, glancing at Dex, who looks away.
“Are there any more balls?” Stash yells toward the kitchen.
Z picks up a stray pot holder Swan left behind and smacks Stash with it. “Can’t you go ask like a normal human?”
“No.”
“Maybe we should get a to-go bag,” I grumble.
“Aw, I haven’t seen you all day. Don’t leave.” Trinity says.
“It’s family dinner night, dad,” Wrath adds.
I suspect Wrath hasn’t been too thrilled about the mandatory family dinner nights Rock added sometime after Teller’s accident when he came home from rehab.
Even though Teller’s moved out and into his own home with Charlotte, the family dinner night managed to stick.
“I bought a chocolate cake,” Swan says in her enticing-us-to-stay voice. She sets a huge bowl of meatballs smothered with red sauce in front of Ravage. “With the thick fudgy frosting, Hope.”
My eyes widen in delight. “We’ll stay.” I point to Ravage. “If you behave.”
“I’d love to, Hope. I’m not sure I know how.”
“Fuck, if that’s not the smartest thing you’ve ever said,” Rock agrees.
There’s hardly anything left after dinner. I offer to help Swan clean the table off, but Trinity, Charlotte, and Heidi go instead, telling me to stay put.
“Well, I still need to pee,” I mutter. Rock stands and offers his hand.
“You need me?” he asks.
“To help me pee? Not yet. Give me another month or two.” I rub my hand over my belly and he laughs.
“Hurry back.”
“Careful, Rock. Don’t get too worked up.” Z says as soon as Hope leaves the dining room.
I drag my gaze away from my wife to cut a look at Z. “About what?”
He lowers his voice. “The no sex thing.”
“What no sex thing?”
Wrath frowns. “Have you lost your mind, Z?”
Z gestures toward Hope’s empty chair. “The baby.”
“What about the baby?”
“She’s showing more. Aren’t you worried? You must, I don’t know—?
??
Wrath explodes with laughter. “He’s asking if you’re worried about poking the baby with your dick.”
“Shut up,” Z snaps. “It’s a legit question.”
When I finish laughing, I answer him honestly. “The baby’s perfectly fine and protected. The doctor assured me.”
“Oh shit!” Ravage yells. “You really asked that?”
“Fuck yeah, I did. That’s what the doctor’s for.”
“Poor Hope was probably mortified.” Wrath chuckles.
