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Caleb chuckles and stands, kissing Whit long and hard before we step outside. I follow Sem to the Jeep, watching as Caleb and Whit slide into the ATV, Caleb driving and Whit holding on for dear life.
Those two are…something, I think as Sem honks the horn and tells me to get in. I do as he says and let him bounce me all the way back to his house.
Coop fawns over me as soon as I arrive, dusty and a little tired from everything I just went through. I kind of feel a little rubbed raw and I don’t know why. Coop seems to know this and his hands scour my chest, neck, and face, rubbing soothing circles on my skin. I just lean into him and let him hold me.
“I was worried when that big lug carted you off,” Coop says in my ear, and I turn my face into his neck and kiss my way across his skin. “Magnus reassured me you’d be fine, but still. You were gone so long. What happened out there?”
“Nothing,” I lie. “But I’m okay. I’m fine.”
In the distance, I hear the approach of an ATV, and a few minutes later Whit and Caleb are walking toward us, hand in hand.
“Hey, it’s you again!” Coop says with a smile, moving away from me. “That night that I imbibed is all a bit of a blur, but I do remember the two of you. How was the blow job in the bathroom?”
Whit’s cheeks tinge pink again while Caleb grins, holding his free hand up for a high five.
“Fucking ace.”
Coop laughs and then slaps his hand before turning back to me and explaining, “I met them at the bar the night you found me drunk on the beach.”
“Ah,” I say and then scoot a little closer to Coop, letting my body lean against him. His hand slides up my chest, and I wrap my arm around his back, pulling him in as close as I can get him.
And even now, it’s not nearly close enough.
“Oh, you two are so cute,” Magnus says, exiting the house with the kids in tow. A guy with tattoos and ripped jeans makes an appearance, holding a bag of ice up to his head, another very handsome man at his side.
“Emery and August,” Magnus tells me before grabbing the little girl’s arms and hefting her up. She kicks her feet out in frustration, but then cuddles into Magnus.
Oh my god.
That’s my niece, I think as I stare at her.
“This is Lucy,” Magnus says. “And that little boy digging in the dirt is Kieran.”
I feel my heart stutter in my chest. “They’re beautiful,” I say, trying to find my voice. Oh god, if I cry again, I’ll never survive this.
“They are. They know you’re their uncle, don’t you, Lucy?”
The little girl bobs her head and then tucks it away shyly, right back into her father’s neck.
“So nice to meet you,” I say, feeling like shit for not bringing them something. “I’m sorry, I should have brought them something.”
“Oh please,” Magnus says. “No more garbage in my house. The amount of stuff we throw away is atrocious.”
I nod and then run a hand along the back of my neck.
“I’ll…I dunno, send you a gift card for coffee or something,” I say and then nod. Yes, that’s what I’ll do.
“You don’t need to get us anything. We’re just fine.”
Coop glances up at me just as Magnus turns, and he mouths that we’ll figure something out. It warms my heart that he wants to help, and I appreciate it. I really do because right now my bank account can’t handle any more expenses.
“Hey, dude. What happened to you?” Caleb asks Emery with a laugh.
Emery sighs and then shrugs. “I hit the corner of the island.”
“How did you manage that?”
“Well, I was playing with the kids and wasn’t looking at where I was going.”
