Page 93 of Mountain Road

I focused on the man in front of me and forced a more natural smile. “So, Lucky tells me you were the instigator of all the trouble you two got into as kids.”

His bushy blond eyebrows rose as he thought about it. “I am going to have to agree, however, his life would have been boring without me. I rescued him from having to play dolls with Tracy.”

“Somebody say my name?”

Gorgeous and curvy, with a wide smile, Tracy came up beside me and hugged both Lucky and me. “I’ve got a deal on toddlers today. Any two for the afternoon. Pick any two!”

Lucky laughed and pointed out two little girls picking the heads off the flowers in the beds.

Tracy followed his gaze and clapped a hand to her face and excused herself. “Sloane! Paige! No picking Auntie Dani’s flowers!”

Lucky whispered, “They make Brayleigh look angelic.”

“I heard that, Lucky,” Tracy called.

“You could not possibly have heard me,” he protested.

“Maybe not, but I know what you said!” she replied.

“I’m reconsidering! I’d like a paternity test,” a man shouted from across the yard.

Tracy lifted her head and laughed. “We need a border collie. I’m telling you…”

Lucky tipped his beer in the man’s direction. “That’s Sean, Tracy’s husband.”

I watched him approach his wife and kiss her mouth before bending to scoop up his daughters. He pretended to run away from Tracy who turned into a monster eliciting squeals of delight from the captured fairies.

“Is Ava here yet?” A hint of a frown marred Lucky’s brow as he looked around the yard. I’d never seen him worried.

“She’s inside. Waiting for Hope,” Raiden said meaningfully.

I froze. “Ava is your youngest sister, correct?”

“That would be her,” Raiden answered, a twinkle in his eye. “She can be stubborn, but once you get to know her, she’ll never let you down.”

Darcy approached me shortly afterwards, introducing herself before turning to Lucky. “I’m stealing Minty. We’re finding shade and pretending to be women of leisure. Please bring us drinks,” she instructed her brothers.

Lucky and Raiden immediately turned to each other to rock-paper-scissors it out.

“Aw, thank fuck. I didn’t think I could last another minute in that heat.” Darcy settled herself and sat back on her chair. “Is it okay that I stole you away?”

“Absolutely.” I settled myself and looked around. It seemed slightly less harried from the edges.

“It’s boisterous, but it’s good. Mostly.” Darcy smiled.

Lucky brought us drinks while we chatted, and I found I quite liked Darcy. There was absolutely no pretension in her. Not once did I worry about what she thought because it was unlikely she possessed any type of filter.

Just as I began to relax, the back door swung open and an absolutely stunning blond, curvier even than Tracy, stepped outside.

“Ava!” Darcy yelled. “Come over!”

Ava raised her chin and coolly took me in.

“Hmm,” I hummed.

“Oh, don’t worry about Ava. She’s a little slow to warm up to new people but she’s sweet as honey.”

Lucky intercepted her on her way across the grass and gave her a big hug before leaning back and talking to her seriously.

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