Page 92 of Tempest

Ryan let out a small laugh. “Not yet. I have some work ahead of me before she’s going to be ready.”

“I won’t tell you what I did to get my wife ready for the idea of marrying me.”

A loud laugh erupted behind him, and Ryan turned around to see Max standing in the doorway. “You did the same thing I did,” Max said. “You put a baby in her and gave her no choice.”

Ryan stood and looked at the man he’d heard so much about. Max Bishop was a legend among the men on the Teams. He was known as being a fearless leader who protected the men at any cost. Ryan stepped forward and put out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

Max gripped his hand and gave him a big smile. “Heard lots of good things about you, Cordell. We’re glad that you’ve joined our family.”

Max took the chair next to Ryan’s, sat down, and motioned for him to do the same. “What did I miss? Is Joel imparting his marital wisdom?”

“Not yet.” Ryan laughed.

“Rory told me about you two, and if Ivy is anything like Rory, then you should put a baby in her as soon as you can. I knew Rory was going to resist the idea of marriage, so I made it impossible and got her pregnant as soon as I could. Turns out I did a good job, and we got twins on the first go-around.”

Joel laughed and shook his head. “I did the same thing with Vivi. I knew she wanted kids, so I gave them to her right away. She didn’t agree to date me until I knocked her up, and then I had to get shot for her to admit she loved me.” Slinging his leg over his knee, he shrugged. “It’s been an easy road since we got married.”

“It’s important to do whatever is necessary to accomplish the mission,” Max said. “I knew Rory was the one for me within a couple of days of meeting her. She is my perfect match, and I’m lucky I found her.”

“I resisted my fate,” Joel said. “The idea of Vivi terrified me for a long time. Once I was forced to be in her company, it all faded, and I knew she was the one for me. I thought if I gave her what she wanted most in the world, then she would be open to the idea of us. Turns out I was right. That woman has given me more happiness than I deserve.”

“I’ll try asking her first. If that doesn’t work, then I’ll put a baby in her and ask again,” Ryan said firmly.

Max slapped him on the shoulder. “Good idea.” Sitting back, he stretched his arms behind his head. “Speaking of ideas, I hear you and Ivy want to open an office in Texas.”

Ryan looked over at Joel and grimaced. “That’s what I came in here to tell you.”

“I knew that we might not have you for long, and I think opening another office is a great idea,” he said, as he rapped his knuckles against the desk. “Your challenge is going to be finding people to join you. But I imagine you already know that.”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “I have two buddies who can work part-time, and we have one retired Delta guy who is going to join us. We’ll put the word out and ideally find some Team guys who like the idea of living in Texas.”

Max sat up and planted his feet. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“True,” Ryan and Joel said simultaneously.

***

Ivy sat in the conference room and pulled out the folder that held the proposal she’d written for the office in Texas. Flipping through the pages, she let out a breath. It was a solid plan, and she hoped that Rory and Max would agree. She heard TT’s voice and wondered what she was up to. Before she could stand, Rory swept into the room. “Hello. It’s so good to see you.” Ivy moved around the table and gave her boss a gentle hug.

Rory hugged her back and then released her. “I’m happy to know you’re safe. I hope all that nonsense in Texas is finished.”

“Almost. We have a couple of loose ends to tie up,” Ivy said as she pulled out a chair for Rory.

Her boss collapsed into it and sat back. Rubbing her baby bump, she smiled. “This baby is so active; I swear he’s doing karate in there. The twins didn’t move that much due to their limited space, so this is all new for me.”

“It’s a good thing that you and Max are having a babymoon. Ideally, you can rest before baby number three arrives.”

Rory laughed and winked. “The hormones that happen when I’m pregnant make my husband a very happy man. I don’t know how much rest we’ll be getting.”

Ivy covered her mouth and laughed. “Oh, well…as long as you’re happy.”

Rory opened her laptop and grinned. “Max Bishop makes me very happy.”

Ivy felt her boss’s eyes on her and wondered what she had on her mind. “I have the updates on all of the projects we’ve been discussing.”

“Tell me about that handsome man I sent to Texas to take care of you. Any progress there?”

Ivy coughed and wondered what the appropriate response was. “Ryan did a great job, and he made sure I was safe. He pulled a team together and secured the wells. He also took care of the woman who shot at me in Austin.”

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