Page 7 of The Frock Up
"Why'd you come back to the Cove? Why not stay in Silicon Valley?"
Straight to the point.
Capricorn Cove wasn't the kind of place most people thought of when someone said billionaire. But the small town was perfectly positioned between two major cities—close enough to commute each day, but far enough that I could get the breathing space I craved.
I'd grown up here, adopted by Will Dogg when I was only five years old. My best memories were of this town—surfing on the weekends, parties on the beach, driving up to Mount Boudin during the winters to snowboard. My family was here. All six brothers and one sister—none of whom I was related to by blood.
At the older end of the family line, there was Hayden at thirty-five, he was the vet in the family. He'd been married to Kat for seven years and they had three kids—Laura, Lenny, and Lewis. Then came the ones that were out of home—James at twenty-seven, me at twenty-five, and Ryan at twenty-one. Still living with Dad and his wife, Karen, was Sam at sixteen, and Janeane at seven.
My phone buzzed, my brother's ring tone obnoxiously loud as it blared Timber by Pitbull and Ke$ha.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Kat chuckled. "Is that Jay's ring tone?"
I sighed, closing my eyes. "Yep."
And there was Jay—the one brother who'd aged out of the system before Dad could adopt him. He may be a Wood in name, but he was Dogg at heart.
I slid my fingers across the screen, accepting his call.
"Jay, when did you change my ring tone?"
"Last night, listen. I need you to babysit for me. I need to take my girl out. We're a bit desperate."
I flicked a glance at Kat. "Isn't that what a godparent is for?"
"Oh, shut it. You know you're first preference for the next kid."
Between my two married brothers I had three nephews and one niece—none of whom I was a godparent for.
"Next kid? Something you're not telling me, Woody?"
Jay barked out a laugh. "Considering we've only just been cleared for sex after Rohan's birth, I'd say it's a bit premature. But look after Rohan for a few hours tonight and I might be able to deliver on that baby sooner than later."
I made a face. "TMI, dude."
"Please, Ash? My girl needs a decent sleep and she's not gonna do that if I don't force her."
"Of course, bring Ro over. The nursery is all set up."
"Thanks, bro. We'll be over after his feed. He'll go right down for a few hours. Piece of cake after that."
Having met Rohan, I knew that wasn't even remotely true. But I loved my nephew fiercely and didn't mind losing my hearing for a few hours. "See you soon."
I hung up, finding Kat watching me.
"What?"
She grinned. "You want a family, Ash. It's obvious."
Her words stirred up the longing in me.
"Well, yeah. Of course. Doesn't everyone?"
She shook her head. "No. And that's okay. It's just that you're young to be—"
I groaned, pressing a hand to my face. "Not you too."
