“Babies?” Owen stutters, suddenly stumbling back. “As in more than one.”
“You owe me a hundred,” Rogue tells Burke.
They bet on whether we were having twins. I spilled the beans. “Shit.”
“Is it twins?” Ivy and Kelsey filter in to find out what happened, just in time to catch the big reveal. Ivy wraps her arms around Rogue. “We’re going to have twin nieces or nephews. Or one of each. Adira, did you hear?”
“Loud and clear, Love.” Adira glides in behind them. “I cannot wait to dress them up like identical baby queens. I found these cute pink cowboy boots.”
“You think they’re girls?” Ivy asks her cousin.
“Pink was a boy’s color long before it was a girl’s color. And that’s only necessary knowledge if you’re the kind of personwho needs your gender colorized. You know I prefer a whole rainbow.” Adira sweeps his hand in a wide arc over his head.
“They’re going to be boys,” Rogue says cockily. “It’s almost inevitable.”
“It doesn’t matter if they’re boys or girls or one of each.” Rebel wraps his arms around me and tugs me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. “Either way they will be loved.”
“So much.” But if they’re girls, I will not be upset. I already have too many pigheaded men in my life. I can clearly picture the battle raising twin boys could be. I can also imagine what it would be like to take an iced tea out onto the deck and watch Rebel and his boys playing in the pool. Or playing catch or football on the grass.
Tucking me behind him, Rebel faces Owen. “No matter how much I try to reassure you that I won’t hurt your sister, you don’t believe me. Fine. You’ve seen a lot of things on social media and won’t give me the benefit of the doubt. I understand that. But I got her to come home, didn’t I? Why don’t you focus on spending time with Summer instead of trying to make me leave? Who knows how long it will be before I feel the need to convince her again.”
“Uh, we’re here because Rogue and Ivy are getting married and liked the idea of using the ranch.” Right? They came to us. They asked me if I could make it happen.
“Who would have put that idea in his head?” Rebel shoots a look Rogue’s way.
“What?” Rogue gives a start under my narrowed gaze. “It’s a nice spot. In the middle of nowhere. Secluded. Photogenic as hell. It made sense when you suggested it.”
“So you killed two birds with one stone?” I ask Rebel. All the time we’ve spent planning this wedding, he’s been plotting to get me home to see my brothers. Using his twin’s nuptials to do it because he knows it’s not easy for me to come home. Makingsure I couldn’t talk myself out of it like I always do despite how much I miss my family. My heart is bursting.
And this is how my brothers treat him?
I don’t know who to be more annoyed at. Rebel, who went behind my back to bring me home even though I am grateful he did. My brothers who tried to kill my man. Or Duke and that creepy, threatening card he sent to scare me.
As much as I want to go home and forget Devil’s Bend exists, how dare Duke try to intimidate me into staying away from my family. I have no clue what I’m going to do about him yet, but considering the battle between my brothers and Rebel isn’t over, I was right to keep it to myself.
“I wouldn’t suggest I’m killing birds. But, yes.” Rebel steps up to my eldest brother. “So could we come to some kind of truce?”
“You want a truce?” Owen thrusts out his chest and leans into the tiny gap Rebel has left between them. They’re like two roosters vying to be top cock. “Give me back Stains.”
Rebel’s expression slackens. “What?”
“You took my goat. You’re hiding him somewhere.”
“Don’t look at me.” Rogue lifts his hands when Rebel turns on him. “This is one time I had nothing to do with it.”
“He probably let himself out.” Burke grips Owen’s shoulder with an apologetic glance at Rebel. “It wouldn’t be the first time Stains pushed through a fence.”
“I don’t trust him,” Owen grumbles, with one last murderous look in Rebel’s direction. “Not with Stains. And not with our sister.”
“He’s being ridiculous.” I groan into Rebel’s shirt. “I’m sorry he’s giving you such a hard time.”
“You did warn me.” Rebel pries my fists from his shirt.
“Because I know how stubborn Owen can be. But this... it’s too much.”
“Family drama is expected at a family event,” Rogue says. “Riot, Adira, and I will help look for the goat.”
Riot nods.
