Love Slave for Two: Reckoning [Love Slave for Two 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (2 page)

“Go ahead and get dressed. And please don’t worry, all right?”

“Okay.”

The doctor left the room. Peggy and Karen looked over Nevvie’s shoulders at the printout. “Well, sugar. Let’s get you put back together. I can already see the wheels spinning in your head as you’re writing your mental to-do list.”

That got a laugh from Nevvie. “I thought Tyler was our family mind reader.”

“Yeah,” Karen said. “Ole Blue Eyes sure has a way about him.”

“He gets it from his father,” Peggy said. Her smile was contagious.

Nevvie threw her arms around Peggy and Karen. “I can’t believe how our family’s grown. Growing.”

“Yeah,” Karen said. “And you’ll be growing right along with it. Good thing I’m not going formal for the bridesmaids’ dresses. We’d have to put you in a muumuu.”

Nevvie playfully shoved her as Karen laughed.

* * * *

They had lunch out at their favorite cafe in downtown Savannah. Nevvie hadn’t called her men yet. In fact, she’d set her phone to silent and dropped it into the deepest recesses of her purse. She’d deal with them later. Tyler would immediately shift into worry mode. Tom would be over-the-moon happy, but unable to keep Tyler from driving her crazy with his hovering.

All she wanted to do was eat lunch and go home. Well, home to Peggy’s house, although it did already feel like
home
.

“Okay, Nevvie,” Peggy said. “Back to our earlier discussion.” She eyed Nevvie over the top of her glasses and pointed her salad fork at her as she talked. “We can go talk to Ben Jones today, sure. If he’s available, that is. But I really don’t want you committing to anything with him today, understand? Not only because I want you to make sure it’s what you really want, but you owe Tommy and Tyler a say in it.”

“They’ve already told me it’s my decision, Mom. So that part’s okay.”

“That’s fine, but we can go look around, too, you know.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’d still have to move from the Tampa house regardless of whether we stayed there or moved here. Especially now. Just adding one baby already makes it too small. With twins, we still need a new house. There’s no room there to add on.” She would miss their house, but with all the recent events, her mind was made up.

“That’s fine, sugar. I’m only asking that you don’t let your emotions get the better of you. There’s no rush. No emergency.”

“And, by the way,” Nevvie said, directing her comments at Karen, “your wedding is in two months. I’m sooo not going to need a muumuu.”

Karen giggled. “I wondered how long it’d take you to nail me on that one.”

“All right, girls. Where are we on the wedding preparations, anyway?” The wedding would be held at Peggy’s house. They were renting a tent so it could happen rain or shine. Karen and her fiancé, Bill, were paying for everything despite Peggy offering to help out.

“Despite my maid of honor yakking everything up the other day,” Karen teased, “we decided on a menu and a cake.”

“Blame your nieces or nephews,” Nevvie countered. “It wasn’t the food, obviously.”

“What’s the guest list look like?” Peggy asked.

“Right around one hundred and fifty. And that’s keeping it at relatives and close friends.” Karen frowned. “Except Emily.”

“Did you have to mention her today?” Peggy scolded. “There was no reason for that.”

“Sorry, Momma. I’m still steamed at her. And then for her being a bitch to Nevvie in the grocery store like that…” She shook her head.

“Well, I did sort of start it,” Nevvie said. “I could have turned my back on her and ignored her.” She let out a sigh. “I have to admit, though, it felt damn good getting it out. I don’t hate her anymore. I still don’t like her, probably never will like her, but if I ever run into her again, I doubt I’ll bitchslap her.”

Peggy took a bite of her salad. “I’m just glad Andy was there to stop you.”

The other two women looked at her, smiling.

“What is up with you two?” Peggy asked.

“Okay, Momma, spill it,” Karen said. “What’s going on with you two?”

Peggy blushed a little. “I think I’m old enough to ask a man to move into my house if I want to, young lady.”

“We know,” Nevvie said. “We just want a heads-up on planning
your
wedding.”

Peggy’s face turned even redder. “That’s not the biggest concern on our plate right now.”

“Momma’s living in sin,” Karen teased in a singsong voice. “Ooh, wouldn’t that make Emily’s head explode?”

Nevvie snorted.

“All right, you two,” Peggy admonished. “That’s about enough out of both of you.” She refolded her napkin in her lap. “Yes, Andy and I are…close. If the two of you aren’t old enough to figure out what adults who share a bedroom do behind closed doors, then you shouldn’t be getting married,” she said to Karen. “And you should have figured it out before you got pregnant with twins after having two other babies,” she said to Nevvie.

Nevvie and Karen both laughed. “Sorry, Momma,” Karen said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “We can’t help it. We’re just so happy for both of you.”

Nevvie leaned in and kissed her other cheek. “You have no idea how happy we are. All of us.”

Properly mollified, Peggy nodded. “Good. Now let’s finish our lunch and get home. Nevvie has phone calls to make to her men and to John and Kelly, and I’m sure Laurie will be over the moon at the news she’s going to be an aunt to twins.”

* * * *

Nevvie made the call to Tom and Tyler while riding home with Peggy. Tyler answered his cell. “Well, love? What’s the verdict?”

“Um, can you put it on speaker and get Tommy?”

His voice immediately changed to the worrisome tone she knew far too well. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Ty. Just do it, please, so I don’t have to tell it twice.”

“Right. Hold on.” A moment later, she heard Tom in the background, then the sound changed as Tyler activated speakerphone mode. “All right, love. We’re listening.”

“Are you at the house?”

“Yes,” Tom said. “Now what did the doctor say?”

“I really like Dr. Fagen,” Nevvie started. “She’s very nice and didn’t give me any problems when I told her about the three of us.”

“That’s great, Nevvie,” Tyler said, “but what about the baby?”

“She said everything looks great.” She caught the smirk on Peggy’s face and plunged forward. “She did an ultrasound. She told me they look fine.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. When she checked, the call hadn’t dropped. “Guys? You still there?”

“They?” Tom asked. “Did you say
they
?’

“Um, yeah. Surprise! It’s twins.”

“Twins?” Tyler asked, sounding shocked. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve got the picture to prove it.”

She heard Tom laugh. “Holy crap. Just when we think we have life handled, we’re thrown another curveball.”

“Is everything all right?” Tyler asked, his voice back to worried again. “Are you all right?”

Oh, crap.
She knew that tone of voice. That was his smother-you-with-concern voice. “Ty, everything’s fine so far,” she said. “The doctor said it’s too early to do an amniocentesis, but she took blood from me to run other tests. And yes, it’ll be a planned C-section, so don’t worry.”

Tom laughed again. “That’s like telling him not to breathe, baby girl. You know that.”

“I know, but I thought I’d say it anyway. She said I’ll probably be due around the end of January, but that twins sometimes come early. And because it’s twins, she’ll want to see me more often than I went with the boys.”

“You should see Ty’s face,” Tom said. “He looks like he just swallowed a frog.”

“Is that bad?” Nevvie asked.

“Thomas, I’m simply worried is all. Is that not understandable?”

“Mom and I are going to try to talk to Ben Jones today,” Nevvie said. “This settles it. The house is too small for us and four kids. So we have to move regardless of whether we stay in Tampa or here. Might as well find something.”

“Go for it, baby girl,” Tom encouraged. “You find whatever you want. You know our budget better than we do. I just have one condition?”

“What?”

“Is Momma there?”

“She’s driving. Why?”

“Ask her if she still knows Ron Baker.”

Nevvie did. Peggy nodded. “He and his wife go to my church. He’s retired. Why?”

Nevvie relayed the information. “Ask Momma to call him and see if he can go with you. He used to work with my dad. He can do an unofficial building inspection for you. I’d feel better if he looked at the house since I’m not there to do it.”

Nevvie relayed that information as well. Peggy smiled. “I’ll call him as soon as we get home. He only lives a few minutes away.”

Nevvie finally got off the phone with her men. She once again buried it in the bottom of her purse.

“Let me guess,” Karen said from the backseat. “Blue Eyes is already working himself into a nervous sweat.”

“Yes. Oh, shoot. I forgot to ask about the storm,” Nevvie said. “I’ll call them back later.” Tom and Tyler were at their home in Tampa, boarding up both their house and Pete and Eddie’s house in preparation for a possible direct strike by Hurricane Edgar. Kyle and Jacob, and her dad, John, were helping with the preparations.

Peggy glanced in the rearview mirror. “Just please do me a favor, Karen.”

“Yes, Momma?”

“Try to hold off getting pregnant until after Nevvie delivers.”

Karen laughed. “Don’t worry, Momma. Bill and I plan on waiting for a little while, if ever. I’m getting a little old to be carrying a baby.”

“Yeah, we’d planned on waiting, too,” Nevvie snarked. “We hadn’t even planned on having these two.” She stroked her still-flat belly. Oopsies or not, they would be a welcomed addition to their family. “Life has a peculiar sense of humor.”

* * * *

Tyler stared at the phone. Tom wore a grin. “Twins! Isn’t that great?” He smacked Tyler on the shoulder. “Twins!”

Tyler forced a smile he hoped looked genuine and nodded. “Aces, love.” All he could think about was getting out of the house and to the gun range to get in more target practice. Once the hurricane hit, he likely wouldn’t be able to go for a few days, if at all.

Now, more than ever, it was crucial he become as proficient as possible.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tom asked. “Why aren’t you happy?”

Tyler shook his head. “Just so much to do, and the storm, and I have errands to run. I really am happy. Truly.”

“You sure as hell don’t look like it.”

Why not opt for a version of the truth?
“You know what a worrier I am. It’s my nature. After what happed with Mikey’s birth, I can’t help but worry. I’m sorry. I simply wish we were up there with our angel to be with her right now and take care of her. Is that so difficult to understand?”

Tom’s expression softened. He pulled Tyler into his arms. “Aw, it’s all right, buddy.” He kissed the top of Tyler’s head. Tyler closed his eyes and relaxed into Tom’s embrace. “She’s fine. She’s got Dad and Momma and Karen with her. She’s safe, the boys are safe, and we’ll be up there soon enough.”

“I know. I’m just blasted worried is all.”

Tom waggled his eyebrows at him. “I know what would unworry you, buddy.”

Tyler couldn’t help but smile at Tom’s sexy tone. “Later, love. Errands first. You can properly fuck my worries away tonight.” He looked up into Tom’s sweet brown eyes. “All night, if you wish.”

Tom’s lips curled in a deliciously sexy smile. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He grabbed Tyler’s ass and ground his hips against him. Tyler felt Tom’s already-hard cock pressing through his jeans. “And I’m going to hold you to this, too.”

Despite his worry, Tyler’s cock stiffened in his slacks. He never could resist his sweet Southern boy. “I hope you will, love.” He kissed Tom deeply, their tongues sliding together, heat rising between them until Tyler finally broke the kiss and stepped back. “That’s to keep you interested.”

“Goddamn,” Tom said, his voice deep and thick with passion. “You cock tease.” But he smiled.

“Your cock tease, never forget.”

Tom grabbed the front of his jeans, where his bulge was clearly visible and straining against the denim. “Forgetting’s not gonna happen with this to remind me all afternoon.”

“Good.” Tyler left before Tom talked him into bed. On his way to the gun shop, he stopped at their post office box to check the mail. Still no concealed weapons permit.

Blast.
When he’d turned in the paperwork, he’d been warned it could take upward of a couple of months to get it back. Nothing he could do about it, despite the fact that Alex LaRogue hadn’t been apprehended yet. And with the storm’s rapid approach, the bloody bastard likely wouldn’t be apprehended anytime soon as law enforcement had public safety and hurricane evacuations to worry about.

At the gun shop, Tyler removed his locked gun case and the shooting bag holding his shooting muffs, protective glasses, and other supplies from the trunk of his Lexus and went inside. He was surprised to see an unusually high number of customers in the store for a Wednesday afternoon.