Page 18 of The Fear
“Charlie is to go outside right now, and make himself useful,” Gayle said, taking little Charis and pointing to a rather large cooler that needed carried out. Charlie was there, right in time. The two Fields’ babies were absolutely beautiful. Hala was going to hold, as soon as she possibly could. But for now…bandage. “Before Gene and George blow up the grill again.”
That…was a real possibility, too.
Hala hurried down the hallway and took care of the patch job. She rounded the corner after leaving the bathroom and slammed into a perfect male chest. She looked up.
And therehewas.
The man who had stolen sleep from her completely. “Well, I see you’ve returned to torment me. Hello, Grady Treyton. What are you plotting now?”
“I see I have.” He had his fingers wrapped around hers. Why? How did that happen? He looked down, then ran a finger over the bandage. “What did you do to yourself, honey?”
Honey. In his warm caramel rich voice. Shiver-inducing. Hala had no shame here. No shame. What would Greer say if she learned Hala had broken her blood oath with this boogerhead?
“Kitchen knife got me. I’m going to have Charlie arrest it. Had a really wicked bite.” And she seriously hated the thought ofknivesin her flesh.
“I’m sorry.” He shot her a wicked, veryun-Grady-like grin. “Want me to kiss it to make it better? Or…kiss something else? I’ve thought about kissing you again. All day, actually. Been a bit distracted, I guess. I blame you.”
Well. Hala was stumped by this one. She’d honestly expected him to pretend it had never happened.
Grady was so predictable, at times. Apparently notthistime though.
No. He actually seemed…satisfied with himself and everything.
The butthead placed a kiss against her palm. Hala shivered. She was such a cliché.
“Well, you have a problem then. I haven’t thought about it at all.” Her cheeks burned. They both knew she was lying now. “You know what? I just can’t handle you today.”
She took off back to the safety of the kitchen. Where his mother was waiting. Grady would probably behave himself with his mother in the room. Maybe.
Apparently, she couldn’t predict that man as well as she thought she could.
As soon as she stepped into the room, Rory plopped a baby into her arms. “Thank you for volunteering your babysitting services. I’ll be back soon.”
Then Charlie was nowhere in sight, Gia had one baby, Hala had the other. And it was just like that. Rory was gone, Gayle was carrying things outside, and it was…Gia, the babies…and one Grady Treyton Hiller.
She must have stood there like an idiot for five minutes straight, while Gia and Grady snarked at each other. She didn’t come out of her almost trancelike state—hey, she hadn’t sleptwell the night before, she was allowed to be rattled—until the door opened and Hudson and Ryan were walking in.
Grady took off down the hallway and came back, telling Gia she’d hogged Chaz long enough.
He just reached out and took the baby from his sister, like he held babies every single day of the week. He looked at Hala and smirked. Like…he was plotting something.
Damn him. What was he really up to?
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Grady wouldn’t mind halfa dozen of these little creatures someday. Or at least three or four. If he found a woman he wanted to have them with, anyway. He held Chaz close and just talked to him. Chaz was going to be a big baby dude, but his twin sister Charis was tiny. Grady just held the little man close and told him all about the ponies in the barn, and how magical they really were. Chaz blinked up at him and cooed. Or…passed gas. Grady wasn’t really sure.
Babies were the best of this world. No denying that. Babies of any species. Children represented hope. His mother had said that thousands of times before, when they’d all been growing up. He hadn’t really understood that until George and Ronnie’s girls were born, and then Calvin. He’d never forget what it felt like to become an uncle that first time. To see a part of his brother in a newly born life.
But Grady got it now. He understood.
It was official. This baby wanted to see the ponies. Probably his twin sister did, as well.
Calvin had always loved it when Grady would take him to see the ponies. He still did. Grady would have to make a pointof carrying Ryan up there with Calvin later. And George’s girls. Madeline was obsessed with the horses Grady raised. He’d probably end up talking to George and Ronnie when she was older—maybe see if they wanted him to keep one of the foals he had coming soon and give it to the girls when the time was right? He had one in mind for Calvin. Gene had already agreed.
And…baby Chaz was a good distraction fromher.Hala was right there, Charis in her arms. Looking…perfect. He could see her with half a dozen little humans, too. She’d be good at it, no denying that.
Her hair was up in a ponytail again. Curls were still going every which way. He loved the curly hair—it was soher.
