Hitched(33)

“You didn’t tell me you were coming back, turd,” I say as I noogie the only brother I ever had a chance of shoving around. At least for a few years, until the baby of the family bulked up like a ripped Bulldog his freshman year of high school.

“Would have ruined the surprise, idiot.” He grunts, rolls, and suddenly all three of us are pinned under Clint, me with my arm twisted, Ryan yelping about his spleen, and Jace shrieking to watch the nuts, because he and Olivia are definitely having more kids.

“Weaklings,” Clint says with a grin.

He lets us all go, leaving us huffing and smiling and laughing as we climb to our feet. I give him a man-hug, because fuck, I miss him when he’s gone.

I’m proud as hell that he’s serving our country, but I wish he didn’t have to do it in Japan.

“You came home,” I babble. I’m still stuck on having him here, in person. It’s like one of those homecoming videos on Facebook, except way the hell better.

“Last chance for me to actually be here for one of your bachelor parties instead of tuned in from halfway around the world.” He thumps my back, which hurts, because dude doesn’t know his own strength. I’m no weakling, either, but I’m not a Marine. “So don’t give me any of this I’m already married bullshit. We’re still having a bachelor party.”

“I’ll bring the booze,” Jace says.

“Damn right. I got the party tricks.” Clint grabs my end table and lifts it over his head one-handed.

Considering the thing weighs a couple hundred pounds, yeah, that’s a party trick.

“I’ll bring the strippers,” Ryan offers.

We all look at him.

He grins, and we all crack up.

“Okay, yeah, I’ll bring George,” he amends. “My trash panda never got a bachelor party either.”

“George has a private bachelor party every day,” Jace says. “And you don’t want to know what I caught him and Sticky Fingers doing behind my bar the other night. I had to shield the baby’s eyes.”

“Shameless trash panda,” Clint says with a grin. “Where is the old boy? I brought him snacks from Japan.”

Ryan reclaims his coffee. “Probably on the square. He’s still holding out hope that Maud and Gerald will forget he’s lurking in wait and toss their old pastries.”

“Speaking of hope, let’s talk about Hope,” Clint says with a grin and a brow wiggle. “How’s married life, old man?”

I slouch back against the La-Z-Boy with a smile.

Waking up with Hope in my arms?

That was perfect.

I shrug. “Can’t complain.”

“Of course you can’t,” Jace says. “No man getting newlywed nookie can complain.”

“Ain’t that the truth.” So technically I could probably lodge a complaint.

But I won’t. Just because Hope’s still skittish doesn’t mean Operation: Real Romance won’t succeed.

I’m a patient man.

I will win over my wife.

“I highly approve of all nookie,” Ryan announces. “Newlywed and post-newlywed and pre-newlywed. Anything without a raccoon interfering is good.”

Clint rolls his eyes. “Back to the bachelor party before you all get too graphic. So. Me. You three bozos. George. Who else?”

“If George is coming, Chewpaca should too,” I tell them.

We all look at Jace.

“No way. I’m not bringing Princess and Duchess to a bachelor party. That’s way too rough for them. They’re tiny.”

“Agreed,” Clint says. “No hedgehogs. They might fall in a beer glass.”

“Poker night at Mom and Dad’s place,” Jace declares. “The four of us back together, Dad, my raccoon, Blake’s new alpaca. It’ll be perfect.”

“Aw, man, Cassie loves poker night,” Ryan says. “We should do a bachelor party with the ladies too. You know Mom’ll read us the riot act if she’s not invited.”

Jace nods. “I’m down with that. Liv and the baby can come too.”

“So you can cheat and have her read the cards?” I say, poking him in the ribs.

He slugs me in the arm. “I don’t need to cheat to beat the pants off you.”

“Hey, hey, break it up. We’re all winners just for being back together again,” Ryan points out.

“Puke,” Jace says, but he’s grinning as he adds, “you’re such a sap.”

“Total sap, but fuck, I missed you assholes.” Clint grabs us all in a group tackle-hug again. “Poker night bachelor party. Tomorrow night. Cancel your other plans, boys, because I’m only here for four days.”

“Damn,” I mutter.

Jace’s phone dings, and though we could tease him about being attached to it, waiting for new baby pictures every time he’s apart from Olivia for more than half an hour, instead we all lean over to look, because Clover is adorable.

But while it is Olivia who’s texting him, it’s not a baby picture.

And the message—Trouble at goat yoga. Star just texted me. Are you with Blake? I think Hope needs help. Urgently.—has me on my feet and flying back out the door.





Fourteen