Page 73 of Rowdy & Kat

Walking with him, I whistled for the dogs to follow. We entered my condo to find Clint and Rock sitting on the couch, listening to Vanessa talk about potential maternity leave. My mom was in the nursery with Kat. At the stove, Maria and Ivy worked on several batches of lasagna.

I smiled at how comfortable everyone was despite the newness of this situation. Even Goblin and Hanzee were chill enough to sit together at the windows, watching Wicked and Witchy perched on the nearby large dog cage.

I left Farley to flirt with Maria while I joined Bebe and Kat in the nursery. My woman immediately wrapped her arms around me and breathed easier in my presence. This feeling was most definitely worth going soft over.

KAT

The first two days in Little Memphis left me exhausted. Rowdy, Maria, and I kept missing our daily afternoon nap. On the third day, Rowdy put his foot down and ordered us to sleep.

“Maria has to be awake enough for her date tonight,” he said and gave her an exaggerated wink. “And Kat needs to be awake enough to wait for Maria to return from her date.”

Though Rowdy sounded as if he were joking, he wouldn’t let me fool around in bed that afternoon. Instead, he insisted I take a two-hour nap while the boys did.

After sleeping well, I helped Maria prepare for her date. She looked so beautiful in a casual burgundy shirt, dark blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. As Rowdy played with the boys, I brushed Maria’s hair and talked about the movie she was about to see.

I was downright giddy by the time Farley showed up at the door. He looked handsome in a black thermal shirt, faded blue jeans, and riding boots. Maria and I hugged for a long time. Our behavior was nuts, but Rowdy used the time to brag about the boys while Farley waited.

“Cavan already knows his alphabet,” Rowdy claimed, making Farley snort. “He can’t say them since he doesn’t speak yet. But I’ve shown him a few letters, and he nodded like he was already clued into their meaning. Fucking genius kid.”

“Well, his mom is smart.”

“Hey,” Rowdy whined. “I might not be book smart, but I have lots of knowledge.”

Farley didn’t take the bait by responding. He focused on Maria, who had finally stopped hugging me.

Like two proud parents, Rowdy and I watched the couple walk down the hallway. Sighing as we returned to the condo, I walked to the boys in their bassinets. Cavan’s eyes widened when I lowered my face into view. I did the same with Colson, who wiggled.

“They know their mama,” Rowdy said when I got excited over my babies’ reactions.

“I’m really happy.”

Rowdy kissed me and exhaled deeply. He’d been on edge since we arrived days ago. Every inconvenience set him off because it might be the reason I refused to move to Little Memphis.

“When we visit your parents tomorrow,” I said, holding onto him as I admired our boys watching us, “can we drive around the neighborhood so I can get a sense of everyone’s houses?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not in a hurry to move out of the condos,” I said, looking up at him. “But houses take time to build.”

Rowdy smirked like he was never worried about me wanting to return to Little Rock. “I’ll build a pink palace if that makes you happy.”

“I’m sure the boys would love that,” I deadpanned and patted his butt. “Why don’t you play with them while I make dinner? We’ll hang out just the four of us.”

Rowdy leaned down and sucked at my throat. “Your cooking abilities are sexy.”

“Well, once the boys are down and before Maria returns, we’ll see how sexy my other skills are.”

Rowdy snickered at my devious wink. He smiled at the boys and bragged, “Daddy’s going to get lucky tonight, fellas.”

Colson wiggled again, winning a snuggle from his dad. Soon, Rowdy rested the boys on a blanket on the floor. He maneuvered their little bodies to face each other and helped them touch each other’s hands. I could hear their cooing and lip smacking from my spot in the kitchen.

As I toasted pita sandwiches and added onion rings to the air fryer, I spotted Witchy and Wicked on top of Goblin’s cage. The little dog stared up at them from inside his home.

Every day, the girls grew more interested in Goblin. He had begun staying overnight since he spent so much time focused on the cats that he hadn’t shown any interest in the babies. Wicked and Witchy often hung around the condo’s front door whenever Goblin went to the courtyard. Once he returned, they bolted to safety, and he followed. Eventually, they were bound to let the little guy catch them.

Eating dinner on the couch, Rowdy and I watched one of his favorite movies, “Rumble in the Bronx.” Cavan was at my side, cuddled in his green baby pillow. Colson rested in his blue baby pillow on the other side of Rowdy.

At first, I felt strange spending an evening in the condo without Maria. By the time we finished eating, I’d begun to embrace a future where my sister lived right down the hall with Farley.