“Are you staying here with us today?”

“I wish I could, but I have to go home.”

Lucy’s shoulders slumped and her tiny bottom lip jutted out as her glance fell to the floor, nearly killing me. “I’m so sorry, kiddo, but I have practice today.”

Piper skipped into the kitchen and jumped right into the conversation. “Can we come and watch you play hockey sometime?”

I spun on my stool to face her. “Yes! You want to come and watch sometime? I would love that!”

“Yeah!” They both jumped up and down, pumping their little arms in the air.

“Maybe one weekend when your mom doesn’t work, you all can come and see a game. Maybe spend the weekend at my house?” I rushed through that last part while avoiding eye contact with Kacie.

“Really?” Piper asked excitedly, her eyes almost bugging out of her head.

“Can we, Mom?” Lucy followed up.

“Uh…” Kacie looked from Piper to Lucy to me. “Maybe. We’ll see, okay?” The girls pouted as Kacie quickly changed the subject. “How do you guys want your eggs today? Scrambled or over easy?”

“Scrambled,” they called out before running to play in the family room.

I sat quietly, trying to read Kacie’s body language. She was facing away from me, her head down as she whisked the eggs quickly—a little quicker than I was comfortable with, frankly. Women always do things faster when they’re mad.

Walk. Cook. Type. Talk.

Watching her arm whip around mixing those eggs had my heart racing.

Was what I said that bad?

“Kacie?”

She jumped at the sound of her name and spun to face me, tears in her eyes.

“Holy shit, are you mad? I’m sorry.” I hopped off my stool and rushed around the island.

She shook her head. “No, no. I’m not mad, but me bringing them to your place just makes all of this… very real.”

“You have two very smart little girls, Jensen. They see us hugging. They’ve seen me kiss you. They’re not stupid; they know what’s going on.”

She sighed. “I know and I’m okay with that. I’m just worried about them getting too attached.” Her head was facing down, but she peeked up at me with her huge green eyes. “Me too.”

“Kacie, get attached. Please, get attached. I sure as hell know I am. You’re what I want. You and the girls. This is it for me.” I brushed a fresh tear from her cheek. “I know we’re taking our time, especially where the girls are concerned, but you’re my more, remember?”

“You’re my more too.” A tiny smile formed on her pink, kissable lips. “And I don’t even have to ask them. They’re crazy about you. They talk about you constantly.”

I looked over at the two cute little blonde heads dancing to Taylor Swift in the family room and smiled.

“Good, because I’m not being cautious. I’ve thrown myself into this wholeheartedly and I’m pretty damn attached to all three of you.”

She grinned and her little freckle-covered nose crinkled just the way I liked.

“Plus, I had to say something to make them happy again, especially Lucy. Did you see the look on her face when I told her I was leaving?”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing at me and shook her head.

“Holy shit!” I threw my hands up in the air. “If she ever looks at me like that again, I’m going to give her whatever the hell she asks for. Pony. Pink convertible. A pony driving a pink convertible. I don’t know how you fight those looks. They’re kryptonite.”

A small giggle escaped her as she rolled her eyes. “You get used to the looks. Sometimes you have to say no.”

Gently poking her in the chest, I grinned at her as big as I could. “You have to say no. I’m perfectly happy being the pushover. What my Twinkies want, my Twinkies get.”

“Oh God,” she whooped.

“But I do have a compromise for now, if you’re interested. My mom invited us to spend a weekend at their farm before the girls get too involved with school and stuff.”

“Really?”

“Yep. This coming weekend, actually. They have plenty of extra space in the house, and we can take Lucy and Piper fishing and horseback riding. There’s even a pier on their private lake if you want to take it for a whirl.” I wiggled my eyebrows up and down at her.

Her hand smacked me on the chest playfully. “I’ll look at my schedule and let you know later.”

“Wow.” I was surprised. “That was easy. You agreeing to that pier part too?”

The most adorable smirk grew on her face as she walked up to me and pinched my ass. “We’ll see about that one. Bring a big tube of hydrocortisone just in case.”

My ass was itchy and I was so exhausted on the ride home from Kacie’s that I thought I might fall asleep at the wheel. I cranked up Nine Inch Nails and rolled the windows down to keep myself awake as I drove. Poor Diesel was trying to sleep on the seat next to me, but I was playing drums on the steering wheel and singing too loud.

I stopped at home, dropped Diesel off, and grabbed my bag before heading to The House for practice.

“Morning, princess.” Viper grinned at me as I walked into the locker room.

“What’s up, buddy?” I walked over and shook his hand.

“Nothing,” he chirped. “Wonderful day, isn’t it?”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “What’s with you? Why are you in such a good mood?”

“Who isn’t in a good mood when you wake up with a hot mouth wrapped around your dick?”

“Guess you and Kat are back together?”

“Kat?” He sounded confused. “Oh! She’s visiting her sister in California.”

“Then who was—” I caught his evil grin out of the corner of my eye and shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

He laughed loudly as we finished lacing up our skates.

“Viper, my boy, I don’t even know what to say to you.”

“You jealous?”

“Jealous? Of you?”

“Of all the ass I get.”

“No,” I said without hesitation. “I’m not.”

“Come on, Brody. Not even a little? You’ve been with Kacie for a few months now and while I agree that she’s smoking fucking hot, you’re fucking the same pussy every night. Doesn’t that get old?”

I thought back to the look on her face the night before when I was buried deep inside of her on the pier. “Not even a little.”

“You’re so pussy whipped.”

“I am.” I grinned at him unapologetically. “And I’m loving every minute of it. You’ll understand one day.”

“Fuck that! I’m staying single forever.”

I threw my practice jersey over my head and stared at him incredulously. “You’re not single now, idiot.”

“Technically, no. But I fuck whoever the hell I want and she never leaves me.”

“And what if she did? Would it even bother you?”

Viper frowned and looked at the ground, lost in thought. Had I tamed the beast with that question? Was he actually going to be thoughtful about something for once in his life? He tossed his helmet on top of his big melon and smiled at me. “Nah. I’d have more room in my closet, and I wouldn’t have to rush home and wash my sheets before she gets back and discovers I fucked a tiny brunette senseless in our bed last night. And then again this morning.” He winked and turned to head out of the locker room.