Be My Hero (Forbidden Men #3)(77)

"Anyway," she said as she pulled right back out of the exit and started toward the grocer we used closer to her apartment. "My mom always made me clean my room and do my own laundry once I turned sixteen. Then I had supper night and one Saturday morning breakfast a month."

Reese had no idea how well she had it by getting Aunt Andrea for her mom, and not mine. But I couldn't tell her just how fortunate she was. So I kept my trap shut and glanced back to check on both babies. They were so cute, all bundled up in their car seats, side by side. Julian looked like a hulking gorilla next to petite little Skylar, and she looked pasty pale next to his nice mocha skin tone. They made the perfect contrast, and I felt grateful to have them both with me for as long as Julian would be under my care. I already knew I was going to miss him like crazy when Pick no longer needed me.

***



Shopping with Reese and two infants was quite an experience. We needed two carts to carry around both kids, and I swear Reese had to ooh and ahh over every brand of kids' cereal and ice cream; she was such a five-year-old at heart sometimes, but I loved that about her.

I had checked Pick's cabinets before leaving for the store to see what exactly he needed; I swear, the list would've been shorter if I'd written down what he didn't need instead. The man had nothing. But he'd left a butt-load of cash with me, more than Mason and Reese had to grocery shop with. So we might've gotten a little carried away.

One thing was for sure, Pick wouldn't be able to complain about an un-stocked pantry any time soon, and Julian now had a good month's worth of diapers. Reese had to impulse buy a sucker at the checkout line. The cherry scent it emitted as soon as she unwrapped it and started in before she'd even purchased it induced me into tossing my own sucker onto the pile of groceries.

She was such a bad influence.

On the way back to Pick's apartment, the babies slept in their car seats while Reese and I sat up front, working our way through our lollipops.

At one stoplight, she popped hers free of her mouth to waggle her brows at me. "So how was spending the night with Pick?"

I rolled my eyes and pointed my sucker at her threateningly. "Don't start with me. He's married."

"So? His wife left him."

"He's still married to her, and he's not going to change that any time soon. I already told you why he needs to stay married."

She had to mumble around her lollipop when she stuck it back into her mouth. "Yeah, I still don't understand why that's keeping you from claiming him. It's obvious to everyone you two are completely into each other."

"Because he's married, Ree Ree." How many times did I have to repeat that?

"Yeah, but it's not like a real marriage. They've never even kissed."

I sighed. "But he's still connected in some way to another woman. How would you feel if Mason married me just to give Sky and I some insurance?"

Reese instantly frowned. "That's different."

I lifted my eyebrows. "Oh, is it? How?"

"Because . . . because Mason and I are already engaged."

"So?" I lifted my arms, needing more of a reason than that. "What if Pick and I started something and decided we wanted to get engaged too? Then what? He can't divorce her."

"Okay, fine. You have a point." She rolled her eyes before mumbling, "I just wanted you to have a happily ever after, like I found."

Well, so did I. But Reese and I were two totally different people, and I had a feeling I'd never end up with any of the gifts she'd been given. I just didn't deserve that, even though I'd already received the most precious bundle of all, still snoozing beside Julian in the back seat.

Reese left the issue alone after that, thank goodness. She ended up sticking around the rest of the afternoon to help me put groceries away and play with the babies.

She booted up Pharrell's "Happy" on her iPhone and danced Julian around the kitchen while Skylar napped in the bouncer and I finished the hamburger helper I was cooking. Pick made it home from the garage in the middle of our supper-fixing party.

"Hey, little man, guess who's home?" Reese smiled at Pick before letting out a low, appreciative whistle. "Yowza. You know, all you Forbidden boys look fine in those tight black T-shirts you have to wear to the club, but this greasy, fresh from the auto shop look is even better on you. Yummy."

Pick arched me a shocked glance. "Did Lowe's woman just hit on me?"

"What?" Reese asked, clueless. "I can appreciate the aesthetic appeal of male beauty whenever I see it. Mason doesn't care if I look; he knows no one else can compare to him. But seriously, I'm going to have to buy this getup for him too, so we can play Naughty Mechanic sometime."

"Wow." Pick shook his head, stunned. "You are the complete opposite of your boyfriend, aren't you?"

Reese scowled. "What do you mean?"

"At work, that boy avoids women like the plague, never checks them out, and he never shares details about you two . . . I mean, other than the jelly thing."

Reese gasped, turning a bright tomato red. "I am so going to kill him for that. Now if you two will excuse me, I need to go home and . . . punish my man, probably with a nice strawberry or grape." She touched her chin thoughtfully. "Though he does have an affinity for peach jam."