Page 43 of Love You Already
Her eyes light up for a quick second, like she's excited about the idea of seeing me fight. I shake my head as I herd her back into the house. Giggles fill the air, especially after I give her delicious ass a swat to speed her along.
“Come up to the main house when you're ready. I'll introduce you to them. And I apologize in advance for whatever the hell they say next.”
My wife plants a deep, hard kiss on my lips before pulling back to say, “No apology needed. I grew up with two brothers and Bridgett. I've heard it all at this point.”
I shake my head as I get some shoes on and set off for a jog toward the main house. Driving would be faster, but I don't want to give them a heads up that I'm coming. As I get closer to the house, I realize the reason it's this loud is that they brought three cars. One of which is Herndon’s rust bucket that sounds like it's ready to die. I've never met a more suicidal car in my life, yet Captain keeps reviving him with duct tape and oil changes.
“Sorry to intrude, sir. We're looking for our buddy Lachlan. He said this is where he's been all summer.” Jones tells Donnie. I watch as my friends face off with my father-in-law. He looks much more intimidating when you don't know all the softness that exists below the hardened exterior.
“Is that right? Do you know a Lachlan, Nathan? I'm not sure about that name.” Donnie says in a serious tone.
The guys are all sweating up a storm as they shuffle from foot to foot like they don't know what to do. Taking them in from my hiding spot at the side of the house, I see they're all decked out in their best casual cowboy wear. Jeans, flannel, and even a couple of cowboy hats are in the mix.
Deciding the game has gone on long enough, I step out from the side of the house and jog over to the porch. I give Donnie a chastising look, then watch as he fights to smother his laugh.
“Lachlan,” Jones calls out. “This is Lachlan, the guy I was just talking about. Where did you come from, man? You appeared like a wizard.”
I pull him into a half hug before pushing him back to take a step back near Donnie and Nathan. “I was down at my place. This is the big house. You can't see me from here. The better question is what are you guys are doing here? You all just decided to come out for a visit?”
Jones grins at me. “Sure did. Besides, you were being evasive over the phone about your Rose. I wanted to know what you're hiding.”
Donnie and Nate both lose their fight to hold back their laughter at this situation. It's the first I've seen Nate let loose, and I have to admit that I like the look on the guy. He's way too serious about everything in life. Even though it's at my expense, I can't be mad for his amusement.
“I'm not hiding much. And you'll meet my Rose soon enough. She'll be here —”
“Now! She'll be here now. I'm here.” My wife jogs directly over to me, her arms moving around my waist in a show of possession none of the team misses. “Nice to meet you guys. Sorry we weren't more prepared to welcome you.”
Jones shakes his head. “We surprised you. How would you have possibly had something ready? Besides, this is a better way to go about it all, right? It feels natural.”
Rose looks up at me with an innocent expression. “Is he always this off or is it all the hits to the head that has him bonkers?”
The team cracks up at her teasing. Even Jones shrugs off the teasing and any possible retaliation he might plan with one look at my glare. There's no chance I'll let them get close enough to hurt my Rose.
“How'd you two meet anyway? This all seems a bit too good to be true.”
Rose bites her lips hard, then turns to face Jones with a straight face and says, “Oh, we've known each other for months now. Actually, since we got married, really. We just lost touch.”
It goes quiet for 1... 2... 3 seconds and then all hell breaks loose. Real subtle there, wife. Real subtle.
CHAPTER 21
I CAN OGLE MY HUSBAND ALL I WANT.
Rose
After the initial shock of my statement wore off, Daddy and Nate begged off from hearing about Vegas all over again. They'd had enough of our unconventional story to be done with us as they went to take care of ranch chores for the day. Lachlan was granted some time off to spend time with his teammates since the guys made it clear this was just a day trip.
“That's wild, bro,” one of the guys said. “And the fact that it all worked out, and you two made it here at the same time to the same place? Whew! That's fate if I've ever heard of it.”
Lachlan tucks me into his side. “I'd like to think so.”
I sink into him as he kisses the top of my head. My eyes roam around the collection of men sitting on tailgates and on the front porch steps. We all tried to fit inside the house, but it was quickly made apparent that my family home wasn't meant for this many large bodies.
Even if Lachlan hadn't told us who these men were, I'd have known on sight. There's something about the massive frames, agile movements, and overwhelming confidence that just screams athlete to me. Lachlan doesn't have the last quite as much as some of these guys, though he had enough in Vegas to bag me back then.
The team swaps fun stories about each other, while also throwing in a few about the man beside me. Despite them working together for less than a year, they've already built a bond that speaks to the trust they have in one another. It's beautiful to watch the longer we spend together.
“You been keeping up with your training?” one of the guys asks when there's a lull in the conversation.