“Okay,” I finally said.
Bailey straddled me and rolled her hips gently. “I don’t know anything about kids either. We don’t need to know anything right now. When it’s time, we’ll have my mom and pop to help us. My brothers and their gals will help too. Hell, by the time our kids come along, the crew will have popped out a dozen babies. We’ll let them make all the mistakes and tell us all the good stuff.”
Even unconvinced, I nodded. Bailey ran her fingers through my hair and nipped at my earlobe.
“I come with an entourage,” she murmured. “You spent your life alone, but we’ll never be alone. With me, you’ll have a family and the crew. You’ll have Ellsberg and a school and students. You’ll belong here. One day, we’ll have children. I know that seems like a lot, but it won’t happen all at once. Right now, we’re college sophomores. We don’t need to worry about kids, but the day will come and you’ll be ready.”
“Promise,” I whispered as she slid her hand past the waistband of my sweats.
Bailey looked me directly in the eyes and promised, “We’ll have a perfectly amazing life, if you just let me be in charge of everything.”
Chapter Twenty Five ~ Bailey
The next two days, Nick and I played house in my apartment. For lunch and dinner, we joined the family. On Sunday, Nick came along for the club’s weekly family dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. I knew he felt like an outsider, but Vaughn and Judd entertained him with their bromance.
“Hard to believe they like the ladies,” I said to Nick who just grinned as the enforcers argued about who was a shittier friend.
“Tawny never lets you play videogames.”
This comment from Vaughn caused Tawny to roll her eyes. She looked at Raven who shrugged.
“Raven insists on playing with us. That’s weird, man,” Judd said.
When his wife opened her mouth in her defense, Vaughn raised his hand. “I got this,” he said, giving her a wink. “Judd is just jealous that you beat his ass in every game.”
“Not every game,” Judd growled.
Leaning against Nick, I whispered loudly. “They’re idiots.”
Vaughn and Judd turned in unison and glared at me.
“Do you play videogames?” Vaughn asked Nick.
“Not really.”
“Do you play pool?” Judd asked.
“No.”
Vaughn smirked. “I’ve seen you bowl, so we know you can’t do that either. What can you do?”
“Tolerate Bailey!” Tucker hollered from farther down the table. “That makes him a fucking superhero.”
As people laughed, I prepared to scream my response. Before I let loose, I glanced at Nick who wasn’t laughing. In fact, I sensed he wasn’t really listening. Crowds made him uneasy and these weren’t his people. Not yet anyway, so he focused on me like I was a lighthouse in a storm.
Everything around me faded until I was alone with Nick. I thought about the way he said my name in his sleep. How he woke up edgy until his gaze met mine. I remembered how he now removed his shirt to swim without looking ashamed of what his father did to him. Even pushed past his comfort zone, he was happy
Knowing I was special to Nick, I let the others laugh. There was no need to defend myself when I belonged with Nick who accepted me fully.
His green eyes studying my face, I wondered what he found so fascinating.
“Hey, Nick,” Vaughn said over the chatter, “bowling for shit don’t mean you can’t still join our bowling nights. Nailing Bailey means you’re part of the crew.”
“Deputy Dickhead even joined us that one time.”
I stopped gazing into the eyes of the man I loved, so I could glare into the laughing faces of my friends.
“You jerks! Why did you invite him?”
“He was your man meat,” Vaughn said, laughing against Raven. “You were a cute couple too.”
“Assheads. I was trying to ditch the fucker and you guys invited him to bowl. Now, he’s a frigging stalker.”
The minute I said “stalker,” the men around me stopped grinning and became territorial dicks.
“He’s stalking you?” Tucker asked, walking to me and leaning over my chair. “Should my bat and I have a talk with him?”
“I have it handled.”
“Is that a yes?”
Nick glanced up at Tucker. “Do you think Bailey can’t handle a douche cop?”
Tucker looked at Cooper who showed no reaction. I knew they were doing their silent conversation trick that I’d seen them do most of my life. I had a theory that they shared a brain and Cooper just kept it a hundred percent of the time. It sure would explain a lot of things.
Finally, Tucker shrugged. “Point taken.”
Watching my brother back off, I didn’t know if he was showing respect for me or Nick. Either way, Tucker and Cooper decided to stay out of my business for the first time ever.