Page 53 of Take My Kiss
“No,” she cuts me off abruptly. “I thought a lot about the talk we had last night, and as much as I worry how they’re gettin’ attached to you and will be upset when we leave, I don’t wanna keep ’em from havin’ you in their lives. Even if it’s temporary, it’s not like Sam ain’t old enough to video chat or call you. And we can visit on the weekends, especially since he’s gonna wanna go fishin’ again.”
My heart pounds in excitement at the thought of having a plan to see them once this is over.
“Did you just—” I turn my body fully toward her, trying not to smile and give my amusement away before I get my next words out. “Give me joint custody of your kids?”
“Oh my God,” she groans with an eye roll. “Why do you?—”
I burst out laughing at her frustration. “I’m teasin’, Amelia. Of course, I wanna stay in contact with y’all when you go home. I’d love nothin’ more.”
She arches a brow. “Really?”
“Didn’t you know, single moms are my kryptonite.” I wink.
She leans her hip against the counter, crossing her arms. “So like, a kink? You’re only into me ’cause I pushed two humans out of my vagina.”
“Fuckin’ hell.” I laugh again, unable to control myself. “You know how to ruin a moment.”
“Didn’tyouknow that’s one of my superpowers?”
“Touché, darlin’.”
I spend the rest of the afternoon in my office, and just as I close my laptop, Wilder calls me.
“Hey.”
“Our cousin is a fuckin’ psycho,” he blurts, then continues before I can ask what the hell he’s talking about. “He left yesterday to pick up Sienna from the airport and called me five minutes ago to say that he’s in jail. Well, kinda.”
“What?” I nearly shout. “Kinda how?”
“She brought back a guy with her, he lost his shit and broke his nose. When he came to, he called the sheriff.”
“For fuck’s sake. Why did Madd hit him?”
“’Cause he refuses to admit he’s in love with his best friend, and when she announced she’s engaged to some guy she met six weeks ago, he realized he lost his chance.”
I snort, shaking my head. “And let me guess, Sienna has no clue about his feelings either.”
“Doubt it or she wouldn’t have asked him to be her maid of honor.”
“Wait, ain’t that usually a girl’s position in the weddin’?”
“Yep,” he pops the word. “Hence, his anger overflowin’. I told Madd he’d better practice walkin’ in heels.”
“Way to kick him when he’s down,” I quip. “So, is this guy alright? I imagine Maddox could give him brain damage if he wanted to.”
He’s buff as hell and has got to be close to six-foot-five.
“He’s alive, but he’s talkin’ ’bout pressin’ assault charges.”
“Shit, that’s bad.”
Wilder chuckles. “He didn’t know who the Jamisons were, so when he called, Uncle James showed up and cracked up when he had to handcuff his own son.”
“Oh my God, I would’ve paid money to witness that.”
“That’s what I said!” He cackles. “But since he’s the sheriff, he had to follow protocol ’round the new guy in town. Then he brought him in and let him hang out in his office while he processed the paperwork to release him.”
Not surprising in the least.
