He started to smile back but it ended in soft laughter when she was nearly bowled over as both her dogs jumped out after her.
That was his Izzy. Sexy as fuck and cute as hell.
Swirl and Dempsey greeted Ranger with dog abandon and went off to dance around each other, heading toward the creek.
Johnny headed toward Izzy.
She’d shut her door and met him halfway, holding a pie up in one hand, some kind of felt material bunched up under it, a little bag with a long strap dangling off her shoulder.
He rounded her with an arm and marveled how she could make those ridiculously huge sunglasses cute.
The same way she could make those just plain ridiculous boots she had cute.
He bent and touched his mouth to hers before muttering, “Hey.”
“Hey,” she muttered back.
He gave her a grin then let her go and moved right to Addie.
“Hey,” he said. “Welcome.”
“Yo, Magnus McHotterson. Boss pad,” she replied.
He shook his head, still grinning, and since he’d made it to where she was pulling Brooks out of his car seat in the back, he took the kid. Then he took the big bag she had slung on her shoulder. He planted Brooks on his hip and Brooks went right for his beard. He then planted the strap to her bag on his shoulder.
He turned to her.
“Got any more?”
She was staring at him.
“Addie?” he prompted.
“Just his highchair in the back,” she answered quietly.
“Leave it. I’ll come back and get it when we need it.”
With that, he turned toward the steps to see Izzy standing at the foot of them now wearing a brown floppy hat that was so fucking adorable and so fucking ludicrous, he felt his dick start to get hard at the same time his stomach burned with the need to bust out laughing.
She was also smiling so huge he thought her face would break.
“The dogs’ll be okay, get your ass upstairs,” he ordered.
“Roger that, Ghostrider,” she returned.
To that, he let himself laugh.
He got them all in, dumped the diaper bag on one of his armchairs, kept the kid held to him and headed to the kitchen, saying, “Think I got all you need to make your guac, spätzchen, so get on that.”
He jerked his head to the ingredients he’d left on the island, the stuff he saw her use when she’d made it.
She was twisted toward him, inside the door of his fridge, putting the pie in, and she’d taken off her hat and sunglasses.
She looked to the island, again to him, and she smiled.
Her smile, aimed at him from her standing in the open door to his fridge, hit him like a rocket.
Christ, if there was a definition somewhere of the whole package, she would be it.
The pie she put in his fridge he had no doubt would be fantastic. She never failed to make him want to fuck her in whatever she wore, even if it was another man’s pajama bottoms. She’d made her home on her own, stamping it with all that was her in a way that was confident so it was also impressive. To have that, she had to be good at what she did at work. Her sister was loving and loyal and their relationship was tangibly close and strong. She treated her pets better than some people treated their children. That smile could brighten the depths of a mine shaft. And she was a woman who got off on letting him fuck her ass as he ate her pussy and she sucked his dick, losing herself so much in it, after he’d taken her there, she nuzzled his cock with the same adoration she sucked it. She did that, and when they weren’t in that zone, she was shy and prissy.
He’d almost lost his shot at that.
He’d almost fucked it up.
And holding her nephew and taking in her smile, Johnny swore to himself he wouldn’t do dick to let the promise of her slip through his fingers again.
He swore that and he swore he was taking his woman camping the first chance he got.
He forced himself to turn away from that smile, held Brooks to him as the kid tried to pull his beard out by the roots, and put the lids on the containers of meat and shoved them in the fridge.
“So he doesn’t leave bald patches on your hot guy cheeks, give him to me. We’re checking out that fab-you-las water wheel. That way, you can suck face with my sister and I don’t have to witness it. With that over, we can get on with our day,” Addie declared, pulled Brooks out of his arm and gave her sister a jerk of her head Johnny’s way before she walked across his space, out the door and down the balcony toward the water wheel.
He was watching her sister, but that wasn’t the only reason Iz took him by surprise as she bum rushed him into the corner of the countertop in the kitchen. Mostly the reason was that he didn’t think she had it in her.
Another part of the whole package.
Eliza Forrester was full of surprises.
He was smiling down at her and just sliding his hands from her waist down to her ass when she took hold of his head on both sides, pressed into him, got up on her toes and laid a wet, heavy one right on his mouth.
Johnny took over, yanking her deeper into him and up, using her ass to do it. He took the sweet, little noise she made down his throat and the kiss got serious.
He was semi-hard but fully cognizant of the fact he had no place to do it and not enough time to offer her a quick fuck when he pulled his mouth from hers.
“Whatever I did to earn that, you gotta tell me, baby, so I can do it again,” he muttered.
She stared right into his eyes and replied, “You’re the best, Johnny Gamble.”
He had a feeling he knew what this was about so he skated his hands up to wrap his arms around her waist but kept holding her close when he whispered, “I just carried him up the steps, Iz.”
He knew he’d got it right when she said, “Her shoulders are sloped from lugging that diaper bag around, honey. Something little to you is something big to her and she’s my sister so it’s big to me too.”
He gave her a squeeze. “You can pay me back by making your guac.”
“Oh, I’ll pay you back, but the guac will only be part of it.”
That got her another squeeze and he put his lips to hers. “Lookin’ forward to what you got planned, spätzchen.”
“Okay, ugh. Hurl. Your time is up,” Addie announced, and he looked beyond Izzy to see her sister coming in the door. “And just to say, it’s dog bath day since those beasts have decided to frolic in the creek.”
“Oh no,” Izzy murmured.
He gave her another squeeze before letting her go, setting her gently away and telling her, “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll hose ’em down when they’re done messing around.”
She gave him a grateful look and moved toward the island.
“I need a bowl, a knife, a spoon and a cutting board,” she declared.
He got her what she needed as well as another big bowl. He grabbed the bag of chips that was also on the island, opened them and dumped them in.
“This place is da bomb-diggity-bomb-bomb,” Addie stated, and he looked to her to see that Brooks was motoring around the floor of Johnny’s space and she was at the island. “But not to cast aspersions on your manhood, how do you not only have the most kickass furniture I’ve ever seen but also,” she pointed to the large white chip bowl with its uneven top edges, “kickass stoneware?”
“The furniture, me. The other shit, Margot showed one day and declared the plastic stuff I bought at Walmart when I moved out of my dad’s place at nineteen had to go, and I had no choice since she’d already made it gone and this shit was in its place.”
Addie took a chip, shoved it in her mouth, and while chewing looked at Izzy. “I already dig this chick.”
Izzy threw him a look and he caught it grinning.
“You want a drink?” Johnny asked Addie.
“Is it su casa, mi casa?” she asked back.
“Today it is,” he answered.
“Then I’ll get my own,” she replied, moving to the
fridge.
“Iz, babe?” he asked.
“I’ll grab something when I’m done with this,” she said, scooping out avocado into the bowl.
Johnny decided to let Izzy do her thing, Addie do hers, and he moved across the room, out the back door and located the dogs.
They were soaked and chasing each other around the huge grassy patch outside the mill.
He left them to it, found when he came back inside that Brooks had followed him to the door and bent to scoop him up.
Then he collapsed on the floor with Brooks squealing out giggles. He put the kid on his chest, tickling him and Brooks screeched more, arching and squirming and crawling all over Johnny.
“This sucks. He’s yours and I totally wanna bang him,” Addie stated loudly.
Johnny smiled at her son.
“There is the small fact you’re married,” Izzy put in.
“Huh,” Addie grumbled.
Johnny twisted his neck to look at Iz to find her looking at him.
She gave him a scrunched nose.
With no words, that scrunched nose shared the reason for Addie being there had yet to be revealed.
He smiled again, this time reassuringly.
The front door flew open.
His gaze went there and he saw Margot swan in, Dave at her back carrying a pie.
She stopped, did a sweep of the place with her eyes, it halted on Izzy in his kitchen and her expression shifted straight to sheer bliss.
“Eliza!” she cried. “My darling girl! Could you be more adorable in that dress?”
As Johnny rolled up to his feet holding Brooks to him, Margot swept in, latched onto Izzy and hugged her like she was her favorite daughter who’d married a Russian who’d whisked her off to the cold of Siberia and she hadn’t seen her in a decade.
“Totally . . . dig . . . this chick,” Addie murmured.
Johnny moved their way as Margot let go of Izzy, assessed Addie, and Dave moved into Iz and gave her a hug, muttering, “Great to see you again, child.”
“You too, Dave,” she said back.
“You must be the sister,” Margot decreed.
“That I am,” Addie replied. “And you must be the awesome Margot.”
Margot arched a brow. “Awesome?”
“Izzy thinks your da bomb.”
“Did she use that vernacular?”
“No, she said, ‘I can’t wait for you to meet Margot. She’s class on a stick.’”
Margot’s face grew smug and she aimed a look Izzy’s way, murmuring demurely, “Darlin’.”
Izzy was blushing.
Johnny waded in.
“Let’s finish this up. Dave, this is Addie, Izzy’s sister. And guys, this is Brooks.” He lifted the baby a couple of inches. “Addie’s boy.”
“Oh . . . my . . . word! Look at that handsome child!” Margot lifted both hands his way. “Give him to me immediately, Johnathon.”
Johnny gave him to her and then turned to Dave. “I’m gonna drag the deck furniture and camp chairs down by the creek. Izzy’s making her guac, and you can thank me for the ingredients and worship at the chip bowl as gratitude to her. The dogs are a mess. They’ve been in the creek, so I gotta hose ’em down. I’ll grill later.”
“Works for me, son. Help you with the chairs and the dogs.”
“Thanks, Dave,” he replied and turned to Izzy. “Be back, baby.”
She was mushing guac. “All right, honey.”
“Who’s handsome? Who’s sweet? Who’s a precious boy?” Margot cooed, swaying Brooks side to side.
Brooks slapped her face and giggled.
“Who’s a naughty little monster?” Margot asked through a huge smile, capturing his hand and pretending to bite it.
Brooks arched and squealed and then patted her lips when she stopped pretending to bite him.
“Just to say, classy babe,” Addie put in quietly. “We try not to let him slap.”
Margot turned her eyes to Addie, and when she did Johnny knew Izzy’s sister had her approval.
“All right, darlin’,” she whispered.
Margot grinned.
Addie smiled back.
Izzy squeezed lime into the guacamole.
And Johnny and Dave moved to lug furniture down by the creek.
He was at the grill at the end of the deck and the women were in the chairs, with Izzy lying on the same blanket she’d had at the festival that she’d told him was still in her car, so he’d got it and spread it out.
She was again in her glasses and hat and she again looked cute, ridiculous, and with company, entirely too fuckable.
The chip bowl was empty, so was the guac bowl, both now in the sink.
Margot still had Brooks. Then again, except to allow him to motor around the grass for a while, Margot hadn’t let go of Brooks.
The dogs were spent. Dempsey flat out on his side by Izzy, Swirl down on his belly at Margot’s feet, but Ranger was curled at the foot of the grill with Johnny.
Dave was walking up the outside steps that led to the balcony.
“Need help?” he asked when he hit the deck.
“It’s good. Later, you can help me carry everything down when this gets close.” He indicated the grill with his head.
“Will do,” Dave replied and got up close.
His attention was not on Johnny or the grill.
It was on the women in the grass.
“She’s a great gal,” Dave murmured, referring, Johnny knew, to Izzy.
“Yup,” Johnny agreed.
Dave finally looked to him. “You seem . . . good.”
“You tasted her guac. You’ve seen her dress. Her sister is hilarious. And you and Margot are here. What’s not to be good about?”
“You know . . . you know with this one . . .” Dave didn’t finish.
Johnny felt the back of his neck start to itch.
“Dave—”
“She’s a fighter, I can see it. I can see it ’cause she’s had so much to fight all her life, it’s marked her. She can’t hide it. Don’t make her fight anything more, son.”
Johnny fought back getting pissed. “You know I wouldn’t take it there if I didn’t intend to be right there with her.”
“Your old man got his hands on a couple of good ones—” Dave began.
“I’m not Dad,” Johnny returned.
Dave held his eyes. “Your mother, that woman . . . she was somethin’. Lance thought he won the Super Bowl, the World Series and the NCAA championship when he won her.”
“Dave—”
“She shattered him.”
Johnny shut his mouth.
“And I loved that man better than I love my own brother so it was hard to watch him destroy every woman that came into his life after that woman left it.”
“That’s not happening here,” Johnny said tightly.
“Johnny boy,” Dave murmured.
“My mother left my dad with two young sons and she didn’t look back, Dave. She never looked back. Not a one of us saw her again. And I don’t know why. Do you know why?”
Dave slowly shook his head and gave him the answer Johnny already knew.
“I don’t know why, Johnny. Your dad didn’t know why. He just came home one day to a note that you boys were with your grandma and all her stuff was gone. I think that’s part of why she haunted him. He never knew why.”
“Shandra made a choice,” Johnny replied. “My opinion, it was the wrong choice. But she left me for a reason and I knew that reason. What happened with my mother is not what’s happening here. I’m not haunted, wondering about whys. I let Izzy go when Shandra first told me she was coming back to town because I wasn’t done grieving what I thought was supposed to be my life. But it finally hit me that wasn’t what life had planned for me. Now I don’t know if all along it had plans for me to find a girl who’s got a way with wearing a dress and makes my blood burn with the need to take away the taste of whatever shit she’s obviously had to consistently eat in her
life. What I do know is she’s what’s in my life now and while she is, I’m gonna take care of her.”
Dave just continued to look in his eyes.
“I mean, look at her, Dave,” Johnny said quietly.
Dave’s head turned so he could take in all that was Izzy.
“I don’t know what was in Dad’s head when he did all he did after Mom went away. If he was looking for her again and never found her. If some place inside him needed to be free if she came back. But Shandra’s back and Izzy’s on my grass with Margot, and knowin’ she’s gonna be right there to eat the food I cook for her makes me happy.”
Dave looked back to him. “You got a long row to hoe with this, Johnny.”
Johnny felt his brows snap together. “What’s that mean?”
“Everyone in town thinks that—”
Johnny looked to the meat on the grill, stating, “Everyone in town can go fuck themselves.”
“Boy,” Dave said low.
Johnny looked to him. “I don’t care what they think.”
Dave lifted his brows. “You think she might?”
“I know Izzy’s lived through a lot more than losing her mother and having a creepy ex-boyfriend. She hasn’t told me yet what that is, but you’re right. She wears it like a brand. So my guess is, she can live through a bunch of gossips in town intent on the romance of the decade playing out as they’d always hoped and Johnny and Shandra riding into the sunset. But the only person in my sunset right now is Izzy. If she’s under my care, I’ll make it so she doesn’t give a fuck either.”
“No offense but a son walks in his father’s footsteps,” Dave said.
“No offense taken, Dave, but sometimes that son watches instead then looks before he steps to make sure he doesn’t walk the wrong path.”
Dave nodded. “Gotta say, as much as it cut to lose him, I was glad he didn’t have to watch you lose Shandra. Now it hurts, knowing he’s not gonna see you get to the other side, finding Izzy.”
Johnny looked to the meat and grunted the understatement of the century, “Yeah. That cuts.”
“He would have liked her,” Dave said softly.
Johnny again turned eyes to him. “A person would have to be insane not to like her.”
Dave smiled.
“It’s getting close, Dave. Can you make sure the women are topped up on wine?” Johnny asked.