Page 64 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

I looked at my younger brother, Garrett. “No.”

“Try it.” He jerked his chin toward where Ellodie was standing next to Quaid.

Their daughter, Peyson, was in her arms.

It’d been a whole two years since their first, Cam, a little boy who was hell on wheels, was born. Within a year, they’d been pregnant again with Peyson and Leyson.

Pey and Ley were now three months old, but Pey was at that point in her life where nobody but her mother would do.

And since I liked to hold her, even if she cried when I did, I walked right up to Ellodie with a closed fist and said, “Here, hold this so I can hold my favorite niece.”

“You totally said the same thing about Dalia last week,” Quaid said.

“Eww, is it a bug?” Ellodie asked, looking disgusted.

She did not reach her hand out, either.

I smirked and showed her my empty palm, then reached for her kid.

Pey immediately started crying.

I walked off with her, causing Quaid to snort, and gave her kisses as I did.

“It’s okay, Pey,” I said as I walked up to Quincy, who was holding Dalia, his daughter. “Dalia, here, hold this.”

Dalia scrunched up her nose, but her eyes lit with excitement as she held out her hand and said, “Is it a bug, Unca Audi?”

I flashed her a grin, then twisted my hand around to show her my empty palm.

Her scowl was quick and fierce, just like her father’s.

“Wude.” She pointed her finger at me. “You owa me.”

I took her from Quincy, and the three of us walked over to the kiddie pool that was being set up by my father and Keene, my sister, Ande’s husband.

“You got that almost finished?” I called out.

Keene rolled his eyes. “If your mother hadn’t bought the biggest one in Costco, we might. But no, she has to buy this shit…” he looked at Dalia. “Don’t tell your mother I said that.”

“Said what?” Dalia asked innocently, batting those long eyelashes at him.

“You just gonna let that baby cry?”

I froze at the sound of that sweet, sultry voice from behind me.

An hour ago, I’d left Maven in my room to shower and change, and honestly, I wasn’t sure she was going to make it out of my room with my entire family here. Yet, she’d surprised me once again.

I turned to find Maven behind me. “I thought you might’ve fallen asleep.”

She scrunched up her nose. “Well, about that.” She looked at the yard that was crawling with the Carters. “I might’ve taken a wee bit of a nap. I’m sorry. But also, I told Pepper to head this way with our shop’s entire inventory for tomorrow. I don’t plan on going back. Also, Pepper’s here. That’s what woke me, her calling. Can I get your help bringing everything inside?”

“Ewww, a nap?” Dalia sounded disgusted.

I set Dalia down on her feet and said, “Go get your daddy. Let’s help Ms. Maven.”

Dalia took off like a shot, heading right for Quincy.

She hit him so hard he doubled over because her head went directly into his balls.

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