Page 10 of Crewe
He looked at his hand and folded because it was a crap one. He stared around the table at his family and friends. This seemed like the best group to ask.
“Okay, so while we’re playing, why don’t you tell me how I should win Ry’s heart?” Crewe asked.
“Hmm, that’s a hard one because it needs to be specific to the woman,” Baron said. Crewe appreciated War’s dad chiming in. He and his wife, Regina, had been happily married for years.
“Oh please, you may have shown us all how to treat a woman, but you didn’t have to work to win Regina. You just treated her and the boys with love, and she fell hard,” Rascal said.
Bear chuckled then looked at War. “Don’t our dads sometimes sound like little old ladies fighting instead of badass bikers?”
War chuckled, and the other guys joined in.
“Tease all you want. Next time your kid asks for another animal, I’ll say yes,” Rascal said.
“Dad, no, I’m sorry,” Bear whined. Bear looked at Crewe. “Animals are the way to a kid’s heart. Win the kids, win the mom.”
“Animals do get me out of a lot of issues with Regina,” Baron said.
Laughter around the table had Crewe joining in. He and his brothers had laughed over the years as Baron’s wife’s farm grew many times when he was apologizing. Maybe he should see if the kids wanted an animal. He’d need to make sure Ry wanted one too because he didn’t want to cause her more problems.
If only his woman came with an instruction manual on how to win her heart.
Chapter Nine
Ry stared at Vivi and Ellie as they explained about the vacation. Ry thought it sounded wonderful, but she figured she wasn’t family, so she’d need to find something else to entertain the kids.
“So we’re closing the bar, and I have all the reservations. Here’s the tentative itinerary I made, but I’m sure we’ll change stuff once we get there. I did make sure to go ahead and get spots at the chocolate-making class for the kids. They even allowsomeone as young as Sutton to sign up, though I think that Ezra, Wyatt, and Freya are the perfect age for the class. But Morgan and Elijah said they’d sign up. Winnie and Sprite signed up their kids too,” Vivi finished.
“Wait. What did you say? Why would my kids be signed up?” Ry asked.
“Were you not listening? The guys are closing everything. You and the kids are going with us,” Ellie said.
Ry stared at the women who were her closest friends. They were taking her and the kids with them like they were family?
“We’re going too?” Ry asked.
Vivi got up along with Ellie and pulled Ry in for a hug. “Yes, you and the kids are going too. I talked to your parents, but they’d rather tour another battleground, so they are heading out when we do. Now we need to figure out what clothes to take. Everything is included, so the only thing you might need to pay for would be presents you buy, though I can totally see the Papas buying more than the kids will ever need,” Vivi said.
“At least we can drive, so we’ll have plenty of room to bring things home,” Ellie said.
Ry smiled at her friends. She wasn’t sure if anyone could love Christmas more than Ellie. It might be because that’s when Sutton had come to them and she and Hennessy had gotten together, but she had already started talking about Christmas last July.
“Okay, I guess we’re all going to Mistletoe Canyon for a vacation,” Ry said, wondering how the hell she was going to keep her feelings for Crewe hidden. He’d brought her a new dish to try last night while she was working. She’d mentioned she loved crème brûlée, and he’d decided to try his hand at it. He’d nailed it perfectly. If he kept feeding her all her favorites, she’d need to add running or some exercise, or her lush figure might not fit in her clothes.
Freya and Wyatt would be so excited for the chocolate-making class and visiting a town celebrating Christmas all year long. She’d made a huge deal about Christmas every year, even when money was tight. She knew herself well enoughto know that she was trying to make up for the kids not having a dad, but they were better off without him. He wasn’t one to care about anyone but himself. It’s why when he told her to get rid of it, she’d decided to not even put his name on their birth certificates. She’d raised them by herself with help from her parents and hadn’t missed him one bit. But she’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss having a husband to help shoulder the load.
She used to picture her favorite book boyfriend as the imaginary man of whichever book she was reading, but since she’d spent time with Crewe, his smiling face was the one she saw whenever she imagined forever.
She thought about being a part of the Nelson family. She and the kids living above the bar with Crewe and the other families. But mostly, she pictured Crewe picking her up and carrying her to bed, where he slowly undressed her, kissing each inch of skin revealed until he made her his.
But then she’d worry that if she opened herself up to him and he wasn’t the man she thought he was, would she and the kids lose everything? Butshe couldn’t stay alone forever because she felt like she was cheating Freya and Wyatt out of having a dad.
She was so confused, but she also didn’t know how to find a solution. Maybe being away from work for a while and some space from Crewe in Mistletoe Canyon would help. She listened to Vivi and Ellie go on about all the attractions and realized Mistletoe Canyon would be the perfect time to get her head on straight. It was a whole city devoted to Christmas. How hard could it be to avoid Crewe until she figured out her next steps?
Vivi watched Ry’s thoughts drift from their conversation. She and Ellie shared a look. Vivi didn’t know two people more in need of a swift kick in the pants to get on with their lives than Ry and Crewe.
She adored all the Nelson men, but Crewe was a planner and had been plodding along for far too long. Vivi and Ellie had plans to see all the men, including the Papas, find their loves, but they needed Crewe to get out of the way first.
She and Adley had reserved the whole resort, then they’d divided the rooms between the groups. Vivi hid a smirk. Crewe and Ry were going to find themselves in close quarters and unable to get away from each other.
