Page 116 of Enticing the Fixer

Seeing Kinsley deal with her bouts of PTSD has given me a new understanding of my brother’s struggles. At least she has me and Ann, my brother only has his team. Because he’s too stubborn to let anyone get close to him.

“On it.”

I lean back into the cushions and watch as he navigates the crowd on his way through the bar. Several women eye him up and down, but he ignores them. Like my brother, he’s given so much for his country that he has nothing left to offer.

“Hey, Bud.” Jax slips into the seat Truman abandoned. With him is a stunning woman.

When they settle in, he drops his arm over her shoulders and plays with a strand of her hair. “Kat, this is Leo. Leo, this is Kat.”

“Hello.” Her face is soft and welcoming as she stretches her arm over the table, offering it to me. “It’s nice to meet you. Jax has told me all about you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” I wink and drop my hand to the table. “Jax has good taste, but you could do better.”

“Thank you.” She laughs. “But I’m the lucky one. Jax is amazing.” A light flush covers her cheeks, and he frowns.

“Babe….” Jax shakes his head. “I’m the lucky one.” He grabs her chin and stares into her eyes. “And don’t forget it.” The admiration in her eyes is enough to make me sick. Except his face is just as dopey.

I finish my drink and slide the empty container to the end of the table. “It looks like Kansas City has been good for both of us.”

“Yes, it has.” Jax returns his attention to me. “I bought a house next to Maverick and Ember’s. There’s space in the neighborhood to build and a few decent houses for sale.”

“Decent.” Kat snorts, and her adorableness ratches up another couple of notches. “He’s crazy. The house is enormous. It has a walk-in closet that’s bigger than my apartment was.” She rolls her eyes. “Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s big.”

“Yes, Baby, it is.” Jax winks at her, and another flush settles across her cheeks. Kinsley is going to love her. “What’s the address?”

“I’ll shoot it to you in a text so you can check it out.”

“Perfect.” The door to the bar opens, and the smile that covers Kinsley’s face when she sees me makes me look like a bigger sap than Jax for Kat.

Jax’s head swivels over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of her. “Ah, she’s even better looking without a knife stuck to her neck and matted hair.”

“That’s rude.” Kat elbows him in the gut.

“Well, he’s not wrong.” I stand and wait for her to reach the table. “Hey, Baby.”

Her eyes dance with happiness, making my heart swell with a matching emotion. “Hello, Gorgeous.” She wraps her arms around my neck.

“She needs glasses.”

“Bite me,” I growl in mock irritation and promptly forget he exists as my lips cover hers. This right here is all I’ll never need. My girl in my arms. She sways into me. It’s only when she moans that I remember we’re in public. I pull back and wink. “Don’t forget what you were doing.”

“I won’t.” The sassy curve of her mouth nearly drops me to my knees.

Over the last several days, more of her spark has returned. She’s dealt with the board and grown closer to Valeria. While I’m not the trusting type, I believe that the baby she’s carrying is Kinsley’s half-sibling and look forward to our babies growing up together.

She’s missed so much by being an only child, having a mom who skipped town, and losing her father. I’m glad she’s getting some positive things back into her world to fill her cup with hope.

I turn to the interlopers at my table and introduce them to Kinsley. As I did Kat, Jax welcomes her into our group by telling her she can do better. She rubs my back as if I’m easily offended by his ridiculous mouth. I’m not. In time, she’ll learn how much we rib each other.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Kinsley

Leo laces his fingers through mine and rubs the back of my hand. It’s crazy how grounding his touch is at leveling out my anxiety. Even at two o’clock in the morning when I wake up from a nightmare, he’s there soothing me and reassuring me that I’m safe.

“Thank you for helping Leo to rescue me.”

“You’re welcome.” He nods. He’s as handsome as Leo. Maybe even more so in a pretty boy kind of way. He’s confident but not smug, and he appears to dote on Kat. “Leo is one of the best guy’s I know. I’d do anything for him.”

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