“I’m surprised you wanted to hang out with us tonight. You had to have better offers than the Fun for All with our families?”
She wished she had better offers. But the dating pool was suffering from a drought, not like it mattered. With Luc on her mind all day, she wouldn’t even notice if someone did make her a better offer. Yet, she had no words to explain to her sister-in-law. “Nah.”
“Hey there, big boy!” Hailee scooped the baby up out of Kassie’s arms. “How’s my best guy?”
“Hey! I thought I was your best guy?” Dom whined.
“Oh, hush! Babe, you know you are!” Hailee reassured her husband.
Kassie had only met Hailee a few times, but she seemed nice. With her purple hair and tattoos, and a wicked sense of style, she was one of the sweetest people Kassie had ever met. Her husband, Dom, was just as great. And just as tattooed. But Kassie had never been affected by Dom’s masculine presence. Dom was like a big brother to her. He had been a friend of Kaden’s for a long time.
“Having fun, little O’Conner?” Hailee asked, unknowingly irritating Kassie.
Ali caught Kassie’s gaze, and cringed apologetically at her friend’s words. Kassie shrugged. She had confided in Ali how much she hated always being referred to as Kaden’s little sister. She was going to correct Hailee, but Kaleb broke the tension for her.
As nice as Hailee was, apparently kids didn’t find her as appealing. Kaleb wailed any time she tried to hold him. As bad as Kassie felt for Hailee, who was his godmother and just wanted to dote on him, it gave her a small sense of satisfaction that her nephew was coming to her rescue.
“Why don’t kids like me?” Hailee whined as she handed him back to Kassie.
“Hailee, he’ll learn to. Trust me.” Ali tried to comfort her friend. “He’s just a baby.”
Kassie bounced Kaleb on her hip, trying to stop him from crying and to get a smile out of him again. She sang her favorite song from the radio and danced around until he was all smiles again. “There’s my little guy!”
Unfortunately, all the ruckus Kaleb had created attracted some attention, and people were watching in their direction. That included a sexy, smirking Luc Marcella.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Luc
Some of the Renegades planned a family-friendly fun night at the local Fun for All. A typical night out was to a bar or club, but some of the guys with families couldn’t always go. So tonight, Kris could bring Ian and Sam could bring Willow. Kaden had even brought Kaleb, although the baby was too small to run around with the other kids.
“Better watch out, Marcella! I’m getting close to beating your high score!” Sam called from the skee ball lanes. Willow stood beside him in her own lane, imitating her dad’s moves, but obviously throwing a much lower game.
“Good luck trying, Morris!” Luc waved him off. “There’s no way you’re beating my—”
“Uh… look at that last ball. It. Looks. Like… it is! In the one-hundred hole! BOOM! Looks like I’m the top dog now, Marcella.” Sam danced around like a goof, laughing and creating a scene.
Luc rolled his eyes and laughed. “You’re such a dork.”
“That’s Top-Dork, thank you,” Sam added with a foolish, cocky grin on his face.
“Now he’s the Top-Dork?” Trina interrupted and mocked.
“Oh yeah. I don’t think anyone will question that,” Luc said with a chuckle. He nodded to Trina before squatting down next to Willow. He put out his hand to her. “Gimme five, Willow. Nice game, girl.”
Willow slapped his hand as hard as she could, leaving his tough man-hand stinging. “Did I beat Daddy?”
“Yep, sunshine, you beat Daddy,” Sam said, as he picked up the littlest Morris for a hug. “Here, you and Mommy take these tickets over to the counter and pick out a cool prize.” Willow was off and running as soon as her feet touched the floor.
“I call a rematch,” Luc demanded jokingly.
Sam shook his hand dramatically. “Yeah, I would, but my hand is so tired from winning. Your rematch will have to wait, Rock-Star.”
It was fun doing this for a change, skee ball, mini golf, and video games. But being a bachelor in this place kind of sucked. The other young guys had opted out of tonight, but he was tight with Sam and Trina and little Willow, so there was no way he’d miss this. He was only reminded of his single status when the families broke off together.
“Woah, Marcella, did Morris beat your high score?” Kaden commented as he joined them.
“Did you miss his winning dance?” Luc hooked his thumb in the direction of Sam, who was doing a mini-version of his dance for Kaden. “Not sure I’d call that winning. More like a dork-dance if you ask me.”
“Top-Dork, thank you very much,” Sam added with much humor.
“Don’t get too comfortable at the top, Sam. My wife has mean skee ball skills.” Kaden grinned wide before he turned and waved Ali over. “Doll, why don’t you show Sam how it’s done?”
Ali and Kassie joined their little group. Ali asked, “Did someone say skee ball?”
“Yep. Doll, show surfer boy how it’s done.” Kaden winked at his wife.
Ali handed little Kaleb to Kassie and pretended to stretch out before she put her token in to start the game.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ali cracking her knuckles and going to work crushing Sam’s score, one ball at a time. But his attention was on Kassie O’Conner, who was standing on the outskirts of the group, holding baby Kaleb. Her long brown hair was up in a ponytail that swayed along with her hips, while she rocked side to side, soothing the baby.
Never before had he thought a girl looked so good holding a baby. And while most guys would’ve run at that image, his feet were planted firmly on the ground.
“Earth to Marcella. Hello?” Sam snapped his fingers in front of Luc’s face.
“Wha?”
“Dude, where did you go? You were in la-la land. Wait, don’t tell me. I don’t need to know the demented things that go on in that mind of yours,” Sam teased. “You joining us for pizza to celebrate Ali beating my high score?”
Ali raised her hands in the air. “Yeah, who’s the top dog now, surfer boy?”
“That’s my girl!” Kaden grabbed her around the waist, pulling her in for a kiss. “Pizza’s on Morris!”
Luc’s eyes met Kassie’s as she bounced Kaleb on her hip. She smiled but glanced away quickly. Ali took the baby from Kassie’s arms.
Kassie disappeared from his sight, just as Sam grabbed him around the neck. “So? You hanging around for pizza, Rock-star?”
“Puck-Star,” Luc mumbled. He was determined to make that a thing.
“I’m sure Marcella is itching to get out of here and go trolling for chicks,” Kaden commented, while Sam held Luc in a great position for a noogie.
Luc wiggled out of the hold Sam had on him. “Trolling for chicks? No one says that anymore. Have you really been out of circulation that long, K-man?”
“Whatever, dude. Out of circulation, or deliriously happy, whichever you prefer to call it,” Kaden countered.