“Yeah. He always starts it,” Lola said.
“Seems to me that you two came running in here and jumped on him,” Analise said with her hands on her hips, glaring at her children.
“Harley won’t play with us. So, really it’s her fault,” Ruger said.
“Harley is minding her own business in her own room. So, now I’m trying to figure out whose fault it was other than hers,” Analise said, leaning over and looking them both in the eye.
“Not mine!” Ruger yelled as he took off at full speed toward the playroom.
“Not mine,” Lola mimicked running after Ruger.
Once they were out of sight Ronan and Havoc both laughed.
“How old are yours?” Analise asked, meaning the boys that would be his when he claimed their mother.
“Six and seven,” he said, still grinning from his interactions with his niece and nephew.
“Oh, that’s awesome! They can be besties with ours, and everybody else’s, too!” Analise said. “Are you going to finally build a house over here or are you going to keep staying in Remi’s?”
“That’s kind of what I was hoping to talk to you about when I came over here,” Ronan said, his focus on Havoc.
“What? Why you gotta talk? What do you want?” Havoc said.
Analise laughed as she went back to starting dinner.
“Who says I want anything?”
“Because obviously you do.”
“I want to build next to you,” Ronan said. “Between here and the end of the street where the pool is.”
“No! I bought up all this land on purpose so nobody could build next to me. I got tree houses and trails, and climbing forts and all kinds of shit on that side for the kids. Only an acre between that and the parking area for the pool. You can build there, but it’s only an acre meant to buffer us from the pool. On the other side I got zip lines and hiding spaces and all kinds of fun shit for the kids.”
“I know. But I really, really need to have her and the kids close to somebody that can keep them safe while I’m not here.I’ll be at school during the day, with a long drive. She’ll be going to work at the shelter, I’m assuming, if she wants to. And if she’s here near you, you can watch her.”
“Watch her? Like she’s two? I’m pretty sure she’d come at you for that one and I ain’t even met her yet.”
“Yes, you have. You know the receptionist at the shelter?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah. That’s her?” Havoc asked Ronan.
“That’s her.”
“Damn. She’s hot.”
Analise raised an eyebrow.
“Not as hot as mine, though,” Havoc amended, grinning at Analise.
“I just need to be sure she’s safe if I’m not around. She’s on her own because she ran from somebody. I’m thinking it’s worse than I originally thought because she tried to dissuade me from getting involved with her today. She said it could be dangerous. And, yeah, I’m alright in the house that was Remi’s. I’d have Christian and Addie on one side, and Kiernan and Abby on the other, and Shaun and Bailey across the street. And they all have kids, and it’d be great for the boys. And it’s beautiful — Remi built it to his tastes and he’s got great taste. But it’s a guest house. I’d prefer to build my own eventually. And I thought maybe I could put it over there,” Ronan said, pointing to the left, indicating the land between Havoc and the end of the street where the parking area, the cabana, and the community pool sat.
“I already turned down Emmalyn when she wanted to build next door. That’s why she’s across the street, more or less.”
“I want my home tucked over here,” Ronan said.
Havoc sighed exaggeratedly. “There are guest houses behind me on the first street off the highway, too. Take one of them. Or keep Remi’s.”
“It’s funny we still call it Remi’s, though it’s not anymore,” Analise said.
