“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t strike me as the sugar daddy type,” I said honestly.
He laughed. “I’m not,” he said and then a look of realization washed over his face. “Fuck. I know why she’s back. She’s after my money.”
“What money?” I asked and slapped my hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“It’s fine. When my parents died, their life insurance money went into a trust for me. I started receiving monthly payments when I turned eighteen and would get a lump sum every five years on my birthday once I reached twenty-one,” he explained.
“Does she really think you’ll go back to her when you’re having a child with someone else?” I asked, partially in disbelief and partially because I needed the reassurance.
He moved closer and pulled me against his chest. “Yes, she thinks that highly of herself, but, sweetness, there’s no way in hell I’d ever go back to her.”
24
Savior
Avery’s surgery did wonders for her. She went from being sick multiple times a day and feeling miserable in general to being the stereotypical glowing pregnant woman. Since she was better, I wanted to introduce her to my brothers and their women. Layla, River, and Leigh had been hounding me about bringing her to the clubhouse.
Coal and I were still alternating morning and evening shifts at the gym, so I usually stopped by Avery’s house to spend some time with her before I went in for an evening shift. She always answered the door happy to see me, except for one particular day.
“Hey,” she said with a huff and immediately turned to stomp back to the kitchen.
“Something wrong?” I asked and followed her after closing the door.
“Yes! Look what these idiots have done!” she fumed and waved something in front of my face.
I took it from her and glanced over it, but I had no idea what I was looking at nor what was wrong with it. “I’m going to be honest, babe, I have no idea what the problem is with whatever this little paper thing is.”
“It’s a bookmark that I designed for one of my clients. And that is one of the most well-known models in the indie romance community. He has been on ninety-something book covers. And they cut off his nipple! They maimed a legend! Now, she has five hundred bookmarks with a uni-nip!”
“It’s like a reverse nip slip,” I chuckled.
“It’s not funny!”
“It so fucking is!” I laughed so hard I bent forward and held my stomach. “Oh, shit, sweetness, this is classic.”
“Stop laughing,” she giggled. “Her book is coming out soon and she has an event this weekend. She can’t give these out.”
“Sure she can. Make it a thing like they do with those stuffed animals that have errors on the tags. Do you have the rare bookmark with a one-nippled version of Romancelandia’s hottest cover model?”
Her mouth dropped open and she held one hand up. “Hold on; how in the hell do you know about Romancelandia?”
“Fuck,” I breathed. “Uh, that term came up when I was looking at some of your designs online.”
“So, you were cyberstalking me. Should I be worried?” she joked.
“I was not. I was showing Judge and Copper your work, and I couldn’t remember the name of your website. So I searched your name, and that’s where I saw that term,” I explained.
“Mmhmm, I’m not sure I believe that story.”
“You can ask Judge and Copper this weekend.”
She cocked her head to the side. “This weekend?”
“Yes. Three brothers are getting married the weekend after next and they’re having a huge combined bachelor/bachelorette party this Saturday. It’s an all-day thing starting with a family barbeque. Then, they’re going to have a big slumber party set up in one of the rooms for all the kids so the adults can have their fun once the kids have gone to sleep. I want you, Riley, and Braxton to come with me.”
“There will be other kids there?” she asked.
“There will be a lot of kids there. Several of the brothers from the Croftridge Chapter have children. Actually, I think Keegan’s little sister is around the same age as Riley. They’ll probably be the oldest kids there.”
