Page 28 of Talk Wicked to Me

She and Gwen had video chatted when Brennan woke up, so her little boy could meet his surrogate auntie, and Gwen had been as taken with him as Emerson was. After their call, when Brennan had gone down for a nap, Emerson had been too wired to nap and had tried to get a jump on the editing job. She’d only gotten through a few pages before losing focus and moving on to decorating the cookies for Baz.

The sounds of vehicle doors closing and the rumble of motorcycles had her picking up Brennan and turning to look out the living room window. Baz’s truck was in the driveway, and a mountainous dark-haired man was climbing off a motorcycle behind it. There were several other trucks parked along the street, their truck beds full of something she couldn’t make out. She recognized Gunner standing by his truck and Zeke and Zander standing by theirs, but she had no idea which of them was Zeke and which was Zander. One had tousled brown hair, and the other had thick black hair. Baz and the mountainous man were walking toward them as two more dark-haired men climbed out of the other trucks, and all of them gathered around Baz. He must have been talking, because the other men were nodding.

What the…?

Cradling Brennan on her shoulder, she opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. All the men looked over. Baz flashed a smile that made her stupid chest flutter. He said something to the others, then strode toward her with the six other men walking behind him, shoulder to big, broad shoulder, like a hot-guy cavalry. What was it with this town and men appearing out of thin air when she was a mess? First when she met Baz, then when she gave birth, and now, when she had milk stains on her shirt, dribble on her shoulder, and bags under her eyes. The way her day was going, she probably smelled like baby poop, too.

When they got about ten feet from the porch, the other men stopped walking, and Baz continued up the porch steps. They were so in sync, she wondered how often they showed up at unsuspecting people’s houses.

“Hey, beautiful,” Baz said casually, as if they didn’t have an audience that looked ready to jump into action. “How’re you feeling? How’s Brennan been today?”

Beautiful? “We’re fine, thanks. The same as we were this morning. Baz, what’s going on? Why are all of you here?”

“We’re putting in a fence for Ollie.”

Her eyes flew open wider in shock, and she didn’t want to think about the wild flutter the overactive organ in her chest was doing. “You’re supposed to be out having fun, not putting in a fence for some girl you just met.”

He shrugged. “This is fun for me, and for them. Zeke and Zander are master carpenters, and Blaine and Maverick are the best stonemasons around. They own Cape Stone, and they’re going to fix your walkway.”

“Baz,” she said exhaustedly.

“Emerson, you miss Ollie, and I’d feel better if you had a fenced yard when he comes back. And your walkway is a hazard.”

The men were watching them, Brennan was sleeping on her shoulder, and her head was spinning with fatigue. “You know what? I’m too tired to argue about this.”

“Good, because there’s no use arguing when I’m going to win.” He stepped closer, eyes holding hers, his rugged scent stirring something low in her belly. He put a hand on Brennan’s back, whispering, “Hey, Little B, I hope you were good for your mama today.”

Confusion and irritation be damned, she couldn’t help but soften at the endearing nickname. “Is our entire friendship going to include you overstepping every time you feel like it?”

His dimples deepened. “I guess we’ll see.”

“You’re such a brat,” she said with a soft laugh, because what else could she do? He was too freaking charming. “I’m paying you back for all of this.”

“We’ll talk. And for the record, our definitions of overstepping are very different. I’m merely taking something off your plate so you can pay attention to the things that matter most, meaning you and that little guy.”

He held her gaze for so long, her pulse quickened, and as he turned around, she realized she was holding her breath.

“Guys, introduce yourselves to Em—Emerson—and her boy, Brennan.”

The monstrous man on the end stepped forward, ink trailing from his neck to his fingers, like Gunner. Silver rings glinted in his nostril and ears. “I’m Tank, Baz’s older brother,” he said so gruffly, it was hard to believe he and Baz were brothers. “I’ve got kids, too. You need anything, you let us know.”

Before she could get a word out, Gunner said, “I’m their brother, Gunner. Your pup is having a blast at my place.” He was stocky, with military-short blond hair and chiseled features, and his upbeat demeanor had her breathing a little easier. “Those cookies were the bomb, and my dogs loved the biscuits. Thanks.”

“He got cookies?” either Zeke or Zander, the one with tousled brown hair, said incredulously.

The other one chided, “Dude, grow up.”

The guy next to Gunner stepped forward. He was almost as big as Tank, with no visible tattoos, collar-length brown hair, and brooding eyes. “I’m Tobias Riggs. I’m engaged to their sister, Madigan.” Madigan’s name brought a light to his eyes, and he hiked a thumb at Zeke, Zander, and the other two dark-haired guys who were waiting their turn. He stepped back into line with the others.

Okay, then. I guess you’re the strong, silent type.

“I’m Blaine,” the guy beside him said. He was a dead ringer for the actor James Marsden and gave off a serious vibe as he motioned to the dark-haired man beside him, and Zeke and Zander. “We’re Baz’s cousins, and if you need a babysitter, my fiancée Reese’s teenage sister lives with us. Lettie’s a great babysitter.”

As if passing a baton, he nodded to the man beside him, who said, “Hi, I’m Maverick. Congratulations on your little one.” He smiled, radiating genuine happiness. “My wife, Chloe, and I have a little girl. Marybelle just turned one, but I remember the exhausting early days. As Tank said, if you need anything, let us know. We’re always happy to help out.”

“Yeah, we are,” the one who had asked about Gunner’s cookies said. He held his arms out as if presenting himself to her with a flirtatious glimmer in his eyes. “I’m Zander, Baz’s coolest and, as you can see, hottest cousin. If you need anything, or just want to hang out, I’m your guy.”

Baz was shaking his head, like Zander’s flirtation was typical of him, but as Zeke stepped forward, he gave his brother a disapproving look. Zeke’s thick black hair was neatly trimmed, and while he gave off a serious edge, it was not quite as sharp as Blaine’s. His expression softened as he shifted his attention to her and said, “Hi, Emerson. I’m Zeke. I’ll try to keep Zan out of your hair. If you’re a nature buff, I know all the best trails on the Cape. When you’re feeling better, if you want to take your pup and your baby on a hike, let Baz know, and we can all go exploring together.”