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A chorus ofdammit,horseshit, andoh, hellwent around the room, drawing my attention to the large flat-screen television. Things weren't going in favor of their team. I took a drink, not really sure at this point who I should be rooting for. Who won this game made no difference to me, but it seemed to mean a hell of a lot to the guys. I'd prefer to be on their side than against them.
“Sonofabitch has butterfingers,” Mitch muttered. There were grunts of agreement all around.
“I'm going for seconds. Anybody want anything?” I offered, easing off the sofa. Mumbled no's followed me out of the room.
A few short steps and I was in the kitchen. “Miss Ruby, is there any more of the dip?” A loud clatter sounded from the direction of the island.
“Oh, I'm so sorry.”
A breathy voice floated across the room. That sultry sound had come from a blonde goddess, whose cheeks turned a cherubic pink. And those eyes . . . a dark jade that had my body standing at attention and my brain halting in its tracks.Well, fuck me.
The beauty ducked down behind the counter to retrieve the spoon she'd dropped.
“Let me get you some more, darlin'. Have you met Holly?” Miss Ruby asked.
“No.” My throat worked as I drank in the stunning woman.
Miss Ruby nudged me as she took my plate. I stalked around the island, intent on what I wanted. That gorgeous column of creamy white throat begged for me to run my fingers down it. Mark her.
I could practically feel her heart racing, those green gems widening as I leaned close. “Carlos,” I said by way of introduction, pressing my lips to her cheek. It was silky smooth and flushed with heat, and her sharp gasp excited the predator in me.
“Holly.” Her name came out as a purr but not the kind a seductress used when she'd set her sights on a man. No, this was natural. The woman would probably rather take those two syllables back.Who is she?
“Mama? Why is your face so red?” The boy who spoke was handsome, with piercing blue eyes and a big voice for such a small body. The resemblance between the two was apparent in the bone structure of their faces.
“You'll understand one day when you're grown,” Miss Ruby interjected.
The boy’s forehead creased in concentration as he tried to work out what she meant. Eventually he shrugged, deciding it didn't matter.
Holly cleared her throat, and my attention immediately went back to her.
“That's my son, Gabriel.”
I extended a hand. “Hi, Gabriel. I'm Carlos.”
He sized me up, eventually shaking my hand once I passed his invisible test. He studied me with a wisdom beyond his years. I'd been less intimidated by men three times his size with a weapon poised for deadly intent.Shit.My brain finally connected the obvious dots. This was Holly'sson. Of course a woman like her would be married. Not that that should mean anything. My scarred, poisoned, and dangerous life was far removed from the simplicity of this sweet and pure woman’s world. Why did that realization rub me the wrong way?Get it together, Carlos.
“Do you have a dog?” Gabriel asked.
Curious. That was what he was. I imagined he spent his days finding out as much information as he could about the world around him.
“No, but I'd like one. What about you?”
He nodded vigorously. “I want a chocolate lab. Mama said she had one when she was my age. I saw his picture, and I want one just like him.” He frowned. “I can't have one until I'm ready for the respons-responsi-responsibility, and I don't know how to take care of a dog.”
“We could figure it out,” I volunteered, the words escaping before I'd thought them through.
“You'd help me?” His reaction was like I'd given him a dog instead of offering to teach him how to take care of one.
“Why don't you finish your pie and then ask my sister if you can borrow her tablet?”
He glanced in her direction. “Miss Muriella, may I borrow your tablet? I really wanna find out how to take care of a dog.” The kid was so innocent that I found myself halfway out the door to purchase one for him.
“You can use mine, Firecracker,” Mulaney, Stone's sister, said. Gabriel had command of the entire room.
“Thank you, Miss Jacobs.”
“Aunt Mulaney, want me to get your tablet for you?” Leona asked. Another kid around here who seemed wise beyond her years. She was still in high school, but from what I’d seen spending time with them at Christmas, she appeared to have a solid head on her shoulders.
