He sank it.
I smiled.
“Fantastic,” Ash praised. “Try that again.”
That was my cue.
I climbed off the porch. “Remembering your knees is one thing, but please remember to eat too.”
Dylan cracked a smirk and tossed his ball cap to the side. The sun was setting behind the trees, so I supposed he didn’t need it anymore.
Ash rose to his feet and turned his own ball cap backward. “Damn, boy. That smells good.” He was eyeing the pizza. “We’re not eating inside?”
“The others are off doing their own thing anyway.” I handed them their plates and sodas. “I’m just gonna go over to James and Jordan and see if they’re ready for tomorrow, and then I’ll enjoy my own pizza with a magazine.” A magazine full of rope joy.
“We have ’bout a half hour of daylight left,” he said. “Then our asses belong on the couch.”
I chuckled. It was settled.
I left them to it and trailed over to the Hacketts.
This weekend, the Mclean app was buzzing with three things. Well-wishes and congrats to Lucas and Colt getting married, aswell as Ivy “possibly” being in labor. Tate had informed everyone that she and her partners were heading to the hospital, but that had been early this morning. Lastly, chatter about the next Game now that the theme had been confirmed. Murder mystery.
We would be there.
I rang the doorbell and waited.
It wasn’t long before I heard someone on the other side of the door.
Jordan opened up and lit up at the sight of me. “Hi!”
“Hey, you.” I smiled back, fairly sure he’d just woken up. “Did I wake you?”
“Oh no, I was just dozing on the couch,” he chuckled. “We spent the whole day moving Emmett’s things over here, and I was not made to be a mover.” He poked his head past the door, maybe to see if the coast was clear, before he pulled me inside. “Emmett’s upstairs.” He quickly reached up and kissed me.
I cupped his cheek, never one to turn down a secret moment with him.
“What can I do for you, Sir?” he whispered.
I hummed and deepened the kiss briefly. “If only we had the time…” One more hard, hungry kiss. “Where’s James?”
“Upstairs too.” He inched back, cheeks flushed and eyes brimming with desire. “He’s, uh…he’s putting together Emmett’s new desk. Should I get him for you?”
I shook my head. It could wait. “No, I only wanted to ask him if he’s doing his exercises.”
When Jordan had told me about James’s nerve pain from decades of working in construction, I’d been ready to tear him a new one for not taking it seriously. Ash had been the same once upon a time—until I had intervened.
“Oh, he is,” Jordan promised. “He’ll dismiss it when I remind him, but now that you’re involved?” He whistled. “Like, ignorewhat yourhusbandis telling you. But sure, obey the neighbor Dom.”
I laughed under my breath and hugged him to me, and I kissed his temple. “As long as he’s doing them.” With that, it was time to ease back and return to our regular programming—until tomorrow. Tomorrow, we’d get some playtime. “What I really came over for was to make sure everything’s ready for tomorrow. We’re leaving here at two fifteen.”
He nodded. “Yes, Sir. We’re ready. I wrapped all the gifts, and our clothes are hanging upstairs.”
“Good boy.” I kissed his forehead. “You might want to bring umbrellas too. Ash told me it’s going to rain all day tomorrow.”
Talk about bad luck. Then again, scheduling an outdoor wedding ceremony right before June in Virginia…? A backup plan was practically required.
Jordan Hackett
