After Donnie topped off Remy’s beer, he got up and sauntered toward the back, where his brothers sat around their regular table swigging beers and cracking jokes. They were in shirtsleeves, sporting five o’clock shadows and the broad, wicked grins that left no doubt they were all related.
They’d saved Remy an empty chair facing the door, because they knew he never sat with his back to the entrance of any establishment. Even though he’d been out of the navy for three years, he still did a mental headcount of other diners upon entering a restaurant. He still noted the number and location of windows, still checked for things like thick tables for absorbing shrapnel or bullets. He always had to know where the rear exits were, and he never left home without packing heat. But if he was going to see Zandra, he’d usually leave his weapon in the car, because even though he’d taught her how to shoot, the sight of guns still made her uneasy.
“Fellas.” Remy grabbed the vacant chair, turned it around and nimbly straddled it. “What’re we talking about?”
Royce drawled humorously, “I was just telling Rod to enjoy having all the sex he can with Lena, because once the baby gets here—”
“—he’s in for a serious drought,” River cracked.
As the two brothers laughed, Remy grinned at Roderick, remembering how excited he’d been when Rod called a few days ago to tell him that Lena was pregnant. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that hearing the emotion in his twin brother’s voice had gotten him choked up.
Roderick chuckled, shaking his head at Royce and River. “Why do you clowns assume that having a baby will put an end to my sex life? It sure as hell didn’t hurt Mom and Dad’s, unless you think they got six kids by osmosis.”
At the mere thought of their parents having sex, the brothers groaned in laughing disgust, which made Roderick grin with satisfaction.
“Point taken,” Royce conceded.
“Definitely,” Remy agreed.
River grinned, swigging his beer. “We were just teasing you anyway. As hot as Lena is, you’d be crazy to let anything keep you from hitting that every night. I know I wouldn’t.”
Roderick chuckled. “Watch it now. That’s my wife you’re talking about.”
“Only because you met her first.”
“Please,” Roderick snorted. “Lena wouldn’t have given you the time of day.”
But she would have been in the minority. With his dark good looks and cocky swagger, River Brand had women eating out of the palm of his hand. He was the youngest of his siblings, and the one least likely to ever settle down.
Leaning back in his chair, Royce hitched his chin toward River. “I’ve been meaning to ask what’s going on between you and Lena’s sister.”
River frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the way you were putting the moves on her in St. Lucia, I just figured you two would be dating by now.”
“Nah,” River said dismissively. “We were just having fun, passing time. Besides, Morgan’s not really my type.” At Royce’s raised brow, he elaborated, “I mean, don’t get me wrong. She has a great personality and a pretty face. But she’s, like, a size zero. And you guys know I prefer my women with more meat on their bones. We all do.”
Royce, Roderick and Remy looked at one another, then broke into wide, knowing grins and chorused, “She turned him down.”
River scowled. “She didn’t turn me down.”
“Uh-huh,” the others laughingly mocked. “Yeah, sure.”
River’s scowl darkened. “Only because she’s already seeing someone. Some dude named Isaac.”
“Isaiah,” Roderick corrected. “His name’s Isaiah. He and Morgan have been dating off and on for the past few months. You would have met him at the wedding, but he had to go out of town on business.”
River shot him a dark look. “It would have been nice if you’d told me that before we went to St. Lucia.”
Royce snorted a laugh. “As if that would have stopped you from hitting on her.”
“It might have.” River gulped down more beer, smacked his lips and shrugged a broad shoulder. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Like I said, she’s not my type.”