“I’ll swing by and check on him after I drop Jordan off.”
“Who said I was goin’ back to my place?” she interjects, sneakin’ up behind me and wrapping her arms around me waist.
“You won’t hear any arguments from me, darlin’.”
“So, you can help me move my things over this week?” She pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, biting down, her usual nervous tick. Damn if it doesn’t make me hard as fuck.
“You’re serious?”
She nods, her smile so wide and bright, completely knockin’ me off my feet.
“What are we waitin’ for? Let’s do it now!” I want her home, in my bed, in my arms every night.
Carter congratulates us with a bear hug. “Get your woman home, Mad. It’s about damn time.”
Laney and Bryn pop through the back door with Belle in tow.
“Ready to go home, Belly?” Jo asks, gettin’ eye level with Belle.
“You’s comin’ home too?” Belle challenges.
“Of course I am, sweets. Is that okay with you?” Belle tack
les her to the ground, her arms locked around Jo’s neck as she laughs in excitement!
“Yassss! I loves my JoJo!”
“Oh my god, what did I miss?” Laney asks.
“We’re finally movin’ in together!” Bryn’s excitement is as palpable as Jo’s and Belle’s, but Laney seems taken aback, completely shocked by the revelation. She opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Jordan and Belle climb to their feet and celebrate with Bryn, and she doesn’t even acknowledge Laney’s sudden mood change. Carter pulls my attention away from her, leading me to the front door. I take the subtle hint, unsure of what the hell’s going on with Lan. Not my circus. Not my psycho.
“Come on, ladies, let’s get you home.”
“Yeah, I should be goin’ too.” Bryn follows Jordan and Belle to the front door.
As I open the front door and go to take Belle’s hand in mind, she shouts, “WAIT!” and rushes over to Carter. She crooks her finger at him, mutterin’ “Me mere,” her code for ‘come here’. He stoops to her level and quirks his brow up at her.
“What’s up, Belly? Wanna stay with Unk tonight?”
She slowly shakes her head from side to side and says, “Nope, I want you to pay up, buster.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MADDEN
Three weeks later
“Not wike that.” I hear Belle scold Kenny as I make my way down the hall to the kitchen where I left those two decorating cookies about five minutes ago.
“Hurry,” Kenny chastises her, “she be back any minute.”
The sound of them scurrying around the kitchen is hilarious yet frightening. How much damage could those two possibly have done in the amount of time it took me to use the bathroom and wash my hands? I turn the corner from the hallway that brings the kitchen into view and answer my question—a lot, a hell of a lot. That is how much damage they have done in a short five-minute time span.
“What the...” I start, but words escape me. Before I can formulate a coherent sentence, I let out a yelp and find myself flat on my back on the cold hardwood floor.
“You’s otay, Jo?” Belle asks, charging toward me. “You gots to be careful with wet fwoors.” She tsks, now standing over me. Her cupcake apron that is normally a bubble gum pink is covered in a dusting of white substances, a smidge of chocolate syrup on her cheek.
Before I can answer her, chuckling to my right catches my attention. I look over to take in the current state of my nephew and Belle’s partner in crime.