“Is that a challenge, big brother?” Owen asks.
“Oh, Lord, just wait until the other three hear about this. They’re all going to be trying to knock up the town just to rise to the challenge.”
“Nah, Con and Marsh are still sowing their wild oats, and Grant, he’s too level-headed for that.”
“I would have said the same for you.” Sam laughs.
“I didn’t accept the challenge. Not my fault, this guy is a Neanderthal and wants to knock up his fiancée.”
“Hey!” Sawyer laughs.
“You did say that you have bedrooms to fill,” Jase chimes in.
“Heard that did you?” Owen smirks.
Aria begins to fuss, and Jase is lifting Sam off his lap, and rushing to Owen to take her. “Hey, baby girl. You missed your daddy, huh?” he asks as she coos up at him, no longer fussing.
“You’ve got her spoiled,” Sawyer comments.
“Of course I do. I spoil both of my girls,” Jase replies.
“We should probably be getting her home,” Sam says, looking at Jase and Aria with so much love in her eyes.
“Us too. Thanks for having us. Our place next time.”
“Next time?” Royce asks.
“Yep. This is going to be our new thing. Girls’ night.” She looks at me and then at Sam, and we both nod.
“As long as Layla makes this cake.”
“Cake?” Jase asks. “I want cake.”
“Layla, you’ve been holding out on us,” Royce says, pretending to pout.
“I’ll go cut a few slices for each of you to take home. We can’t eat it all anyway.” I go to the kitchen and dig in the cabinets until I find two containers and add two pieces of cake to each.
“You saving me some of that?” Owen asks.
“Yes. There are two pieces left,” I say, placing the lids on the containers. Together, we walk back to the living room, so I can pass out the to-go containers. After a round of hugs, and a kiss on the cheek for baby Aria, we’re alone again.
“Don’t look at me like that, Layla. It’s too soon.”
“I feel fine.”
“Sleep, beautiful. We need to sleep. It’s been a long day.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes, and he smacks me on the ass.
“I’m going to have me a piece of cake first and lock up.”
“Okay. I need to fold the load of laundry from earlier.”
“I’ll help.” He starts to follow me.
“No. I’ve got it. Go enjoy your cake.” I stand on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth and head toward the laundry room.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re snuggled up in bed. We’ve easily fallen into a routine, one I hope lasts us a lifetime.
“I’m so glad you came,” I tell Sam, giving her a hug.
“Logan has Aria for a few hours. After last night, I decided we needed a break. It was hard to get Jase to agree, but I have my ways.”
“Oh, I bet you do.” We share a laugh. “Just think, you get to be witness to my epic fail on the skis.”
“First time?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“Hot damn!” Jase claps his hands and rubs them together. “This is going to be fun.”
“What did we miss?” Royce asks, joining us with his hand tightly clasped around Sawyer’s.
“Layla’s a first-timer.” Jase grins.
“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll be there to catch you,” Marshall says, stepping up next to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I thought I told you to get your own?” Owen’s deep voice comes from behind us.
“I did. O, meet Layla. Lay, meet my brother Owen,” Marshall quips.
“Fuck off.” Owen shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips. He pulls me from Marshall’s arms and into his.
“O, what have I told you about having your hands on my girl?” Conrad says, joining our circle, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Are you trying to be me?” Owen asks over a splutter of laughter.
“What? I don’t do a good Owen?” He makes a face I’ve never seen Owen make, and we all throw our heads back in laughter.
“Idiots, the lot of you. Everyone knows Layla’s my girl,” Grant says as he walks past us with a cooler in his hands.
“What the fuck? Did they do this to you?” Owen asks Royce.
“They tried.”
“Sawyer knows when she’s ready for the sexy Riggins brother to call me,” Conrad says, pretending to hold his phone to his ear. Royce reaches out and smacks him on the back of the head.
“Pfft, he whines too damn much. We know you can take it, O.” Marshall grins.
“Besides, we all know Layla’s your girl,” Conrad says soothingly. “She turned us all down,” he says, then turns and runs, his laughter trailing behind him.
“You better run, fucker!” Owen calls after him, making no effort to chase him.
“You’ll get your chance for payback,” Royce tells Owen. “Just wait. Someone is going to come along for each of them and knock them on their ass. I’m taking notes, brother, as should you.”
I love the dynamic between Owen and his brothers. I love that they can laugh and joke, but I know if any one of them needed something, the others would be there, no questions asked. I’ve never known this kind of family dynamic, and I’m thrilled I can be a witness to it. That I get to be a part of it, even for a little while.
“Did we come here to spend the day on the water or whine about your brothers?” Sawyer pulls her hand out of Royce’s and links her arms through Sam’s and holds the other out for me. I step out of Owen’s hold and we head off toward the boat that’s hooked up to Grant’s truck.
The rest of the day is filled with much of the same. The brothers, and Jase giving each other a hard time, and loving every minute of it. Sam, Sawyer, and I laid out in the sun, swimming, and getting caught up. We helped Sawyer brainstorm ideas for the wedding while watching our guys in the water. I got up on the skis and lasted an entire minute before falling into the water, which is a win in my book. It was one of the best days I can ever remember having.
“I’m exhausted,” I say as I place our wet clothes into the washing machine. “I’m ready for a shower and bed.”
“You did great today, babe,” Owen says, carrying our bag into the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t call a minute great, but I did it, and that’s more than I thought possible. I was sure I’d never make it to stand up on those things.”
“You’ll get the hang of it.”
I nod. “I’m determined to be able to ski next to you and your family and not look like a fool.”
“You didn’t look like a fool.”
“Oh, I did.” I laugh. “But I’m good with it. I had a great time. I can’t believe this is how you grew up.”
He steps next to me and wraps me in his arms. “My brothers and I raised a lot of hell out on that lake.”
“Raised?” I ask. “To hear Sam and Sawyer tell it, that’s an every summer occurrence.”