“Loyal. Loyal Blessing.”
“Yes, you are,” Mama Debs says, a soft look on her face before turning to me. “Are you gonna come give your Mama Debs a hug or just gonna stand there staring?” Mama Debs ribs me.
I roll my eyes and hold my arms wide open. Mama Debs slides out of the car, then walks into me, throwing her strong arms around my waist and squeezing tightly. I don’t know what it is about this woman, but she just feels like a mom. Like my mom before she passed away. It’s familiar and comforting and I thank every day that my sister found the DRMC and in turn they found us.
“Good to see you, baby. How’s the new chapter?”
I give Mama Debs one last hard squeeze before releasing her and stepping back. “It’s good. And interesting. We have a new prospect. I think he might give Rider a run for his money.”
Her eyes grow wide. “Do NOT introduce that boy to Rider. We can’t handle more than one of him,heka ma!” Mama Debs walks to the trunk of the SUV and starts to rummage around. “Right, show me to the kitchen while Loyal gets to know those two little angels.” She hands me a huge tray of cookies before poking her head into the open car door. “Babies, I’m going to the kitchen with Vex. Loyal is the nice lady I said would keep you safe and loved, remember?”
Two curly copper heads bob up and down and Mama Debs smiles wide, blowing a kiss before spinning on her heel and clapping her hands at me.
“OK, OK, right this way. Sheesh, how does Pops put up with all your demands?” I tease as I carry the cookies into the common room.
“Puhlease,” Mama Debs snorts. “That man loves when I take control.”
“No! No, we are not listening to that!” Tav growls, jabbing a finger in Mama Debs’ direction.
“Why? You jealous that I got a woman who likes to call the shots both in bed and out of it?” Pops smirks, waggling his bushy, grey brows.
“I’m not listening!” Tav spins to his wife, looking for support but my sister is too busy laughing her ass off.
“Whoarethese people?” Jason asks, stepping up beside me.
“They’re my family.”
Jason stares wide eyed before a grin starts to grow on his face. “I like them.” He wanders off, toward his daughter who seems to have gravitated toward the Big Littles and Judge’s twins. Annie-Bella and Jax I’d trust her with. The Big Littles? Maybe not. Not unless Jason is in the market for a loose cannon. I place Mama Debs’ cookies on the kitchen counter and move to head back out to Loyal when Mama Debs calls out.
“There’s food packed in the car for you, your woman and the twins. Feed those babies and love on them, you hear me? They need it.” I walk to the closest thing to a mother I’ve had in a long time and drop a kiss on her soft cheek.
“Thanks, Mama, I will do all those things.”
“You better, or I’ll send Sid after ya.” She swats me with a dish towel and winks.
I laugh and head out to the common room. I’m not needed for the rest of the night, so I say goodnight and wave to my brothers on my way out the door. I’d much rather be spending time with Loyal getting to know the kids, getting a gauge on all they will need to feel safe.
Stepping outside I notice the inside car light is on and Loyal is sitting between the two kids, a soft smile on her face as they all look at something in her hands. My chest aches knowing that for a short time, she will get to be a mom. Maybe, once I make her mine we can look into adoption or something. I huff to myself. One kiss and I’m planning our entire future.
Moving closer to the open door, I knock on the SUV roof, so as not to frighten Loyal or the kids. “Hey, how’s it all going in here?” I ask gently.
“Kids, this is Vex. He’s my, um, -”
“I’m her man,” I blurt out before I’ve even thought about it. Fuck it, it’s out and I’m not taking it back. I stare into Loyal’s bright blue eyes and even in the low light I know she’s blushing fiercely. “And who might you two princesses be?”
The twins are identical from what I can tell, although they are wearing different colored shirts so I’m hoping that’s something they do all the time.
“I’m Aubrey, she’s Adalyn,” the twin in the pink top says, pointing to her sister.
“Most people call us Bree and Addy,” the purple shirt sister says softly.
Watching them I can already tell that Bree is the outgoing one, and the one more likely to take charge while Addy is shyer.
“Nice to meet you, ladies.” Bree snorts while Addy looks at Loyal who gives her a smile. “Well, shall I drive us to where we’ll be staying? How does that sound? Then we can grab a little something to eat, get to know each other and spend our first night in a new place, together.”
The kids look to Loyal before looking back at me and nodding. Loyal’s head is tilted down and I can see the corners of her lush lips are tipped up.
“Alright then. Lets get a hustle on, huh?” I say, shutting the door gently.
