Page 65 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

I winced and readjusted Peyson.

Peyson who had yet to stop yelling about how mad she was at not being in her mother’s arms.

“Can I hold her?” Maven asked. “Because this is literally breaking my heart right now.”

I rolled my eyes but gave the baby over.

The baby who abruptly stopped her crying the moment she was tucked into a pair of breasts.

“You know,” I said as I watched Maven with my niece, “maybe I should just buy a set of fake boobs on Amazon and then she’ll like me.”

Maven snorted. “Go empty Pepper’s car out, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I winked, then caught up a few of my brothers and we went to empty the car.

Sure enough, the entire area was so filled with baked goods that it was practically stuffed to the gills.

Pepper helped carry everything in with us, and the second all of it was out, she flipped Atlas the bird and took off like her pants were on fire.

“You need to stop being so mean,” my mom hissed.

“What do you mean? Like as in nasty? Unkind?” Dad asked.

Atlas shrugged. “I have no clue what she’s on about.”

My lips quirked at his words.

I chose not to get into it, though, instead focusing on the woman with the baby.

The woman who was wearing my shirt and a tight pair of leggings that looked like they were made for her body.

The shirt was a dark army green, while the pants were a heathered gray.

The t-shirt fit so loose on her that she could get away with not wearing pants and be completely covered.

“Where’d you get those pants?” I questioned.

“Pepper,” she whispered, turning so that I could see both her and Peyson’s face. “She grabbed my emergency clothes from the bakery. I’ll run by tomorrow and get some more clothes, find more permanent living accommodations that’s not my place.”

Peyson was sound asleep, drooling so thoroughly that she was leaking between the valley of Maven’s breasts.

My stomach soured. “You can stay here.”

She smiled sweetly at me, patting me on the chest. “That’s awfully sweet of you, Auden. But we barely even know each other. We can’t go moving in with each other without even knowing each other first.”

She did have a point but…

“How about until you find something more permanent, we beef up your security system at your house,” I suggested.

Ellodie came up in the midst of my suggestion and reached for Peyson. “I’ll take her now. We’re headed to the house. Quaid says he has a stomachache, and hates pooping anywhere but at home.”

Maven laughed. “He did not.”

“These Carter boys are disgusting,” Ellodie admitted. “They draw you in with their hotness, then destroy the romance the moment you get married and they don’t have to impress you anymore.”

My lips twitched as she walked away.

The moment we were alone, Maven said, “You’d never do a thing like that, would you?”

---