Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141464 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
“I feel ridiculous,” he grumbles as he climbs back into the cab.
“We’re almost done.” We keep moving, passing the lot Dex chose for the house he’s building.
Finally, the cabin Z built tucked into a heavily wooded area of the property comes into view. From the outside, it seems modest, compared to the monstrosities Wrath and Murphy built, but everything inside is high-end.
We stop in front of the house and hop out. I grab two bags and head up the porch steps. The door swings open just as I drop them.
Z stands there in nothing but thin red gym shorts—slung low enough to see way more than I ever wanted.
I groan and slap a hand over my eyes. “Demons save me. No one needs to see that.”
“Speak for yourself, Jiggy!” Lilly shouts from somewhere inside.
I lower my arm a fraction, peeking over it to find Z with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring at me. “I should make you run laps carrying those bags, just for being a disrespectful punk.”
I heft the bags again, shift them to one arm, and slap Z’s stomach as I pass him—immediately regretting it when my knuckles sting. The man’s built like a granite countertop.
“If anyone needs to run laps, it’s you,” I say. “Gettin’ a bit of a dad gut there, ol’ man.”
“The fuck I am,” he growls.
Grinning, I turn to face him. “Where do you want these?”
“You can leave them there.” He points to a closed door to my right. “I’ll bring them downstairs later.”
I set them down and Z’s dogs run over to me, rumps wagging so hard their feet skitter over the floor. Ziggy sniffs my pants and licks my hand while Zipper dances around my legs, whapping me with his tail. I crouch down and pet both big beasts and accept a few slobbering kisses on the cheek.
“Boys!” Lilly claps her hands. “Stop drooling on Jiggy. Come here.”
Ziggy immediately runs to her while Zipper butts his cold nose against my hand one more time, then trots away.
Rooster passes me, dropping his bags next to mine. A few seconds later, Z drops the last two bags in the same spot.
“Shit, Rooster, you didn’t need to bring this much,” Z protests. “That’s enough to last a few months.”
Rooster shrugs. “There’s more in the truck. Wrath helped himself to a few bags, and while we were at it, we dropped some off at Murphy’s place.”
“Such a good motherclucker.” Z taps his fist against Rooster’s shoulder. “Looking out for all your brothers.”
“We skipped Rock’s place, but I’ll get him with the second load.”
“Saint Rooster,” I sing. “How we love him.”
“Do you guys want breakfast? Coffee?” Lilly asks.
My stomach rumbles. I still haven’t eaten today. But it feels too much like intruding on Z’s family time to plop down at their dining room table and help myself to breakfast.
“Nah, we gotta unload the rest of those bags,” I say. “Thank you, though, Lilly.”
“I’ll help you,” Z offers.
“Where’s little man?” I ask Lilly.
She points toward Murphy’s house. “The kids had a sleepover with Auntie Heidi and Uncle Murphy.”
Z circles his arms around his wife’s waist and yanks her against him, kissing her cheek. “Yes, they did.”
There’s a baby-making joke waiting to be born but I don’t have it in me at the moment. I roll my eyes Rooster’s way. He shrugs and silently jerks his thumb toward the door.
We’re almost back to the UTV when Z catches up—still rocking the red shorts, but at least he’s added a half-zipped black hoodie and sneakers.
“Where you going? I said I’d help.”
“You looked busy, Prez,” I say, sliding behind the wheel again.
Rooster offers the passenger seat, but Z jumps into the bed of the UTV and slaps the side.
I follow the path leading back to the clubhouse. Ahead, an overgrown turn-off appears and Rooster points at it. “Can you go back this way?”
“There’s no clear trail.” I duck, trying to see past Rooster. “That leads out to the stone amphitheater, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Rooster says with exaggerated patience. “That’s why I want to go that way.”
“You thinking of having the wedding there?” Z asks.
“Maybe.” Rooster shrugs.
“It’s a good spot for it.” Z rattles off a list of things they did to set up Rock and Hope’s wedding out here and I tune most of it out.
While they’re talking tulle and tents or whatever, my gaze drifts to the spot in the woods where I finally chased Margot down and had my way with her.
Heat flares low in my gut. There’s suddenly a lot less room in my jeans. Getting hard in a UTV with my prez and best friend inches away seems like a bad idea.
I suck in a slow breath and count back from ten.
Doesn’t help.
“You all right, Jiggy?” Z slaps my shoulder.
“Yeah, yeah.” I nudge the UTV back onto the trail, and a few minutes later we roll out of the woods and into the parking lot.