LITMIR.BIZ

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everything you value and get your armor on, Amy,” Traci said, yanking out her earbuds and shoving them along with her cell phone into her bag.

      “Are they that bad?” Amy asked, a hesitant smile peeking through her tight expression.

      Logan grinned. “Nah. They’re just being boys.”

      “Yeah, right,” Traci drawled. “Tell me that the next time they break my phone. Or take my bras and use them for slingshots. Or draw plans for their fort on my homework—”

      “All right, Traci.” He laughed, muscles relaxing. “I know they’ve done you wrong a time or two but they do it with love.”

      Traci harrumphed and shoved her door open.

      “That’s one warped way to look at it,” she grumbled good-naturedly, jumping out and taking swift strides up the dirt drive.

      The boys noticed Traci approaching and stilled. A huddle, quick whisper and nod later, they advanced, surrounding her and pelting her with their icy bundles.

      “Stop it, squirts,” Traci squealed, “or I’ll smooch you into oblivion.”

      Traci swooped down with open arms, bag flopping over one shoulder, and chased them. One twin escaped but she caught the other, scooping up the wriggling boy and plastering noisy kisses all over his face.

      “Yuck!” The escapee ran several feet across the mud and jerked to a halt at Logan’s open door. He scowled, jabbing a dirty finger in Traci’s direction. “Look what Traci’s doing to Jayden, Uncle Logan. Tell her to stop.”

      Logan stifled a laugh. Leave it to Kayden. He was always the first to point the finger of blame.

      “Come on, now,” Logan said. “You can’t go on the attack, then cry for help. Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.”

      “I ain’t did no dishing,” Kayden argued. He paused, forehead scrunching before saying, “I didn’t do any dishing.”

      “That sounds better,” Logan praised.

      Kayden nodded. “Aunt Cissy don’t like us using no double negatives.” He climbed onto the truck’s running board and leaned into his hands on Logan’s thigh. “Anyways, I ain’t did no dishing. We were just throwing snowballs.”

      “There’s no snow out here, buddy.” Logan ruffled his golden hair. “Y’all were throwing ice.”

      “So.” Kayden shrugged. “It’s white.”

      “Unlike a friendly snowball, ice hurts and I’m sure Traci felt a twinge or two. Both of you owe her an apology.”

      “Yes, sir.” Kayden rolled his eyes, the blue pools skimming over Logan then narrowing on Amy. “Is that her?”

      Logan turned, absorbing the warm look Amy directed at Kayden, and smiled. “Yeah. This is your aunt Amy.”

      Amy frowned but quickly adopted a polite smile when Kayden leaned in for a closer look at her.

      Logan helped Kayden jump from the running board back to the ground. “Why don’t you go around and introduce yourself properly?”

      Kayden took off, his blond head bobbing out of view as he rounded the front of the truck.

      “It’s not a good idea introducing me as their aunt, Logan.” Amy unbuckled her seat belt. It snapped back with a clang. “I’m leaving for good soon.”

      “Maybe.” Logan met her hard stare with one of his own. “But you’re here now.”

      She shook her head, grabbed her purse and climbed out of the truck. Logan followed, strolling to the other side of the truck to find Kayden tipping his head back and staring up at Amy.

      “Gahlee, you’re tall,” Kayden said, mouth hanging open.

      Amy’s grin faltered as she teetered, her high heels sinking into the mud of the driveway. Logan stifled a laugh. The combination of melted ice and dirt had turned the path into slick mush. She yanked against it, attempting to jerk her shoes free, but the sludge won out.

      Kayden stepped closer, studying her sinking shoes, then observing the rest of her. He blushed and stuck out dirty fingers. “I’m Kayden. And that’s my brother, Jayden, over there. Good to meet ’cha.”

      Amy lowered with care, braced with one palm against the truck for balance and shook his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, too, Kayden.”

      “Boys,” a deep voice called.

      They all turned. Dominic ambled down the wide front porch steps of the main house and crossed the lawn toward them.

      “Uh-oh.” Kayden smirked.

      He tore off toward the house, Jayden and Traci following. Dominic swept the boys against his thighs as they passed, kissing their heads and shooing them toward the porch with a pat on the butt.

      Logan held Amy’s elbow and helped her regain her balance. “You gonna ditch those shoes now?”

      “No need.”

      She steadied herself by holding his forearms and yanked her heels from the suck of the mud. They broke free with a deep slosh. She lifted onto her toes, released her grip on his arms and straightened her purse strap on her shoulder.

      “Well, I’ll be damned,” Dominic drawled, smiling wide and knuckling his Stetson higher on his brow. He strutted over, landing a heavy pat on Logan’s back, then edging past him. “My partner in crime has returned.”

      Dominic wrapped his burly arms around Amy’s waist, lifting her in a tight hug and spinning in a wide circle. She laughed, pure contentment shining on her face and eyes welling with happy tears. Logan savored the sight briefly then shoved his fists in his pockets and looked away.

      “It’s about time your butt moseyed back, kid,” Dominic murmured. “Where the hell you been?”

      “Around.” She struggled to catch her breath.

      “I’ve missed you.” Dominic leaned back and studied her. “We’ve all missed you.”

      Logan’s skin tingled under the weight of Dominic’s stare. He glanced over, eyes locking with his younger brother’s.

      “Haven’t we?” Dominic asked.

      Logan nodded, dragging a hand from his pocket and kneading the back of his neck. That kink was back, the pain streaking from the base of his skull down between his shoulder blades.

      Amy cleared her throat, tapping Dominic’s ankles with the toes of her shoes. “You can put me down now.”

      Dominic’s lip curled, his tone teasing. “Don’t know if I should. Doubt you’ll make it to the house in those city-girl contraptions.” He frowned at Logan. “You let her run around in these things?”

      Logan opened his mouth but Amy beat him to it.

      “He doesn’t need to let me do anything.” She popped her knuckles against Dominic’s shoulder. “I do what I want when I please. Now, put me down.”

      Dominic chuckled. “Yep.” He nodded with pleasure at Logan. “This is damn sure our girl you brought back with you.”

      “Almost as good as new,” Logan said, voice catching.

      Amy’s cheeks flamed cherry-red and she shoved harder at Dominic’s broad shoulder until he lowered her to the ground. Logan stepped forward, keeping a close hold on her elbow until she steadied on the mud and shrugged away his touch.

      Amy nudged the bobby pins holding her updo into a more secure position and asked, “Were those your two misfits I saw earlier?”

      The pride in Dominic’s face was unmistakable. “Yep. Those are my boys. I adopted them last year after I married their aunt. Wished you’d been here for it, Ames.” He smiled. “Can’t

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