Page 47 of My Boss's Sons

Lily greeted me as soon as I had both feet in the house. “Mom! I invited my new friends over for Taco Tuesday!”

Ava walked out of the kitchen carrying a bowl with a suspicious purple substance in it. “She did. She wanted your boyfriends to come over for dinner and she insisted we invite them over.”

“They’re my friends, too, Aunt Ava.” Lily grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the living room. “They’re playing with Ginger and Jasper.”

I frowned. “Who?”

A tiny yip came from the living room and I rushed in to see Ethan and Alex on the ground with two small puppies. The puppies were twin balls of yellow fluff and the guys were calendar worthy with their sleeves rolled up and their hands busy shaking toys around. My ovaries screamed at me to drag them to my room and make babies. The puppies yipped again and I glanced down at my stomach, as if I was telling my ovaries to shut up. They had no place in any conversation I was having.

Noah appeared at my side and leaned in to press his lips against my cheek. “If you’re mad, I had nothing to do with this.”

I looked up at him and bit my lip as I took in his messier than usual hair and softened expression. “And if I’m not mad?”

He slid his hand up my back until he was grasping the back of my neck. “Then I have a few dozen ways for you to thank me.”

“Mom! Ginger likes you!”

I looked down and watched one of the fluffballs pawing at my shoe. Without hesitation, I bent over and scooped it up. Up close, the fluff just got cuter. I held her to my chest and felt my eyes turn into cartoon heart eyes when she rested her head against me.

“Ginger and Jasper are going to be spending their days with a highly recommended trainer for a few weeks.” Ethan stood up and moved closer with Jasper in his hands. “I’ll be taking care of everything.”

“Ethan told me that the puppies could visit whenever I want them to!” Lily reached up to pet Ginger. “And I’m going to learn, too, Mom.”

I met Ethan’s eyes. “Oh, yeah?”

Lily rushed on. “Yeah, the trainer can come here and teach me how to train the puppies and how to take care of them! Mom! I’m so excited! I want to scream, but I don’t want to scare the puppies. Can I go outside and scream?”

I thought of Mrs. Johnson and smiled. “Go for it, baby.”

Jack’s voice came from behind me. “I’m busy for a week and you’re already as thick as thieves with new men and settling down with puppies? What gives, babe?”

“Jack!” I turned and hurried into his hug. Holding Ginger out of the way, I grunted when he squeezed me. “What are you doing here? You never come to Taco Tuesday anymore.”

He pinched my chin and turned my face to and fro to inspect me. “You look good. When Ava filled me in on what’s beenhappening with you, I wanted to come see for myself. Imagine my surprise when I get here and find a fucking sitcom in your living room.”

I hugged him again. “You’ve been gossiping with my sister. That’s never safe for me. You already met the guys?”

He studied me as I pulled away and moved back to stand between Noah, Ethan, and Alex. “We met.”

I stroked Ginger’s head while trying to remain calm, despite having all of my favorite people surprise me after a shit day at work. I almost felt like crying. “Okay, well. I’m going to go change and I’m not going to panic about what the four of you have been talking about. Someone take this adorable puppy from me.”

Alex took her and then we all froze as Lily’s wild screams pierced through the house. I knew I’d be getting a call from Mrs. Johnson as Lily’s screams continued.

“I’ve got a puppy! Hell!”

Pressing my hands over my face, I shook my head and mumbled. “That was her one swear for the week, I guess.”

Jack snorted. “Go change into something cute for these fine young men. I’ll explain to them how you got talked into allowing your seven-year-old one swear word a week.”

“Yep, yep. Thanks for that.” I hurried to my room and leaned against the door after shutting it. My family felt like it’d grown so much in such a short amount of time and the house felt so full of life that I almost felt overwhelmed by it. After years of keeping so much of myself closed off because of what I’d gone through with Davis, I felt like I was breathing air into both lungs for a change.

39

***Sophia***

“Jack’s a dirty little liar tonight! I didnotsleep with my college professor.” Leaning over to swat Jack, I scowled at him. “Youslept with your college professor and then called me on your walk home to tell me that the fifty-year-old man you’d just slept with had better sexy time skills than me!”

Jack’s grin was priceless. “Oh, yeah, I did that. I earned an A and found out what it meant to toss a salad all in one night.”

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