Page 107 of Protector Daddy

“Most of you know me, and the ones who don’t, well, I’m Honey, the youngest McNeill kid. I’m not at all intimidated by swearing and arguing and fighting over food or anything else than comes up. Next time, try harder to scare me off.”

My mother hustled around the table to wrap Honey in a huge hug. “You fit right in here. We’re so glad Christian got his head out of his ass and got himself a real woman who can handle all of us.” Then she leaned around Honey to envelop Reagan in a big hug too, something she’d done as soon as Reagan had walked in the door.

Problem was then she had to finish up the rest of the food and her sons were heathens and Maddie had been on an “urgent” phone call ever since.

In short, everything was chaos. As usual.

Vee rose and maneuvered over to stand on Reagan’s other side, looping an arm around her shoulders. “My twins, Theo and Eli just went down for a nap before you got here. But I have to go check on them and I’d very much appreciate some help. They’ll be running wild in no time.”

Reagan tossed me a semi-panicked glance as she got to her feet. I rubbed her forearm. “Okay. Sure. I can help. I like kids.”

They walked off together, Vee chattering brightly about heaven only knows what. I almost thought I heard something else about nipples, but I decided that I had nipples on the brain because of that awful police station conversation.

Maybe I wasn’t ready to be a father. But too late now. I had one gorgeous daughter and either another or a boy on the way. Maybe. And I was so excited about it.

And also terrified.

“You doing okay?” When I wasn’t looking, Honey had gone to help my mother in the kitchen and my younger brother Moose had appeared by my side. Brayden was being entertained by Penn, who was showing him some game on his phone.

I blew out a breath. “Yeah. I wish Maddie would get off her phone call. I thought she’d be good for Reagan, almost the same age and all.”

Moose dropped his big body into Honey’s empty chair. When we were little, sometimes people had assumed we were twins. “Eh, can’t say for sure. At that age, 3-4 years difference is like a millennium. Plus, our sister’s ‘in love’.” His air quotes around in love made me laugh. “Seems to be an epidemic. Honey’s awesome though.”

I had to grin. “She sure is. Not sure how it took me so long to realize it.”

“Head up your ass syndrome?” He grinned. “I suffered from it too. Thank God Vee accidentally placed her baby daddy ad and she liked my response.”

“That story still amazes me. It worked out so well, but man, it could’ve gone all wrong. She could’ve married Lucky or something.”

Moose shuddered. “Lucky was meant for Tish, and hey, he’s gotten some payback for his years of flirting with every woman in town.”

“Payback being the twins?”

Lucky and Tish’s twins Hendrix and Arabella were impossibly cute, even if they were holy terrors. Then again, two babies at one time were fairly terrifying in any case.

No wonder Honey was worried about a familial history of twins.

“Yeah.”

“You have some payback of your own then,” I said as Theo let out a loud, plaintive cry from upstairs.

I hoped Reagan wouldn’t run screaming from the house, vowing never to return.

“I’ll probably keep them. Reagan’s beautiful.”

“She is, isn’t she?”

My brother glanced around then spoke softly. “What Penelope did to you was unforgivable. Anyone who knows you knows you would’ve been there for your daughter. All these years, we all just thought you were constipated, not brokenhearted.” He rubbed my shoulder. “I’d like to give that bitch a piece of my mind.”

“Should’ve been at my place last night. She decided to stop by for a chat.”

“No way.”

“Looking for Reagan more than me, though she approved of my muscles.”

Moose’s jaw locked. “I just bet. That kind always does. Look, you’re not still hung up on her, are you?”

“Penelope? God, no. Any feelings I had for her have been dead and buried since before Reagan was born. I’m in love with Honey. Speaking of her, I need your help along with maybe Lucky’s too.”

---