Page 25 of Fierce-Ivan

“Like your house. You didn’t cut corners when many would. Your father told me it took as long as it did because you wanted it done right and you wanted top of the line materials, but you were going to shop around to get the best price too.”

He laughed. “That’s being smart.”

“It is, but not many have the time to do that. You do move slower than most because of that.”

He was wondering if this was going to turn into him moving slow on other issues in his life too, but his father walked in. “Where is the food? The natives are restless. Ivan, go sit. I’ll help your mother.”

“Thanks,” he said, catching his father’s wink. His father didn’t say much at times, but he was always paying attention to what was going on and saving his sons when he could.

Hours later, Ivan was pulling onto the street his aunt and uncle lived on. As he expected, the driveway was packed with more cars in the road. Their neighbors were used to the Fierces entertaining.

He got out and went to the front door, knocked and walked in.

“Ivan,” Ella said to him first. She was walking down the stairs with Madison in her arms. “Where is everyone? You know if you walk in there alone you’re going to get hammered by my mother.”

“They are on the way. There aren’t enough people here to keep your mother busy? I figured she’d be holding Joseph right now.”

“He’s sleeping. I just got this one up from her nap before she woke up the twins. Good thing there are enough rooms upstairs to split them up or none of them would nap while they were here.”

He laughed. This house was huge. They had three big bedrooms and two full baths upstairs with a large loft at the top of the stairs that the kids used as their space.

Brody and Cade had shared a room. Mason and Aiden another. The four guys also shared a bathroom and Ella got her own room and bathroom because, as her brothers said, she took more time to get ready than the four of them together.

His aunt and uncle had their bedroom downstairs. Most likely to get away from their five kids.

“Why don’t I take Madison in and then I might not get attacked? Hey there, sweetie, want to come to me?”

Madison grinned and moved into his arms, he and Ella walking in together.

“Daddy,” Madison yelled and drew all eyes to them.

Travis started to laugh and stood up to get his daughter, then said, “Nice move. If I didn’t know better I might think my daughter was in on drawing eyes to you, but she just can’t help wanting her daddy.”

Travis McKinley was a big guy. The biggest in this room and that was saying a lot with his Uncle Gavin being six five. And with Travis’s ex-military background, he had one hell of a presence.

“Ivan,” his Aunt Jolene said. “Where is my sister?”

“She’s on the way. So is Devin. Mom already asked when they were having a baby and he gave the same answer he always does. The same if you ask me when I’m going to find some woman. When I want to.”

“You tell her,” Liam O’Malley, his other cousin, said.

“Don’t fall for it,” Faith, Liam’s sister said. “If you fall I’m doomed.”

“You’re both doomed anyway,” Cade said. “When are you all going to realize it?”

“Like you did,” Mason said. “By the time Mom got to you, it was obvious.”

Cade turned to his wife, Alex, who was sitting next to him and kissed her on the cheek. “Best day of my life when my mother sent me over there. I thank her all the time for my wonderful wife.”

“She’s wonderful because she puts up with you,” Aiden said.

Ivan was glad his cousins were all going at each other and he found his way to the other side of the room where all the food was on a table. He grabbed a plate and started to get some snacks.

The table was full and he knew more food would keep coming out. He turned when there was a bump on his leg and he noticed it was Mason’s twins, Jeremy and Jacob running in circles and then out of the room chased by Aiden’s son, Anthony, and Brody’s son, Evan.

It would be worse if Cade’s twins were awake. At least he noticed that Brody’s daughter, Sidney, had gone to be by Madison and Travis. Poor girls were so outnumbered.

He was starting to know how that felt when his Uncle Gavin came next to him. “You’re a brave man coming here today.”