Risking Fate (Mitchell Family #4)(16)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I wondered if I was going to be different when the boys came. Would I be able to be harder on them, because they were boys? Would I know what to do when they got into trouble?

“I’m really in for it, ain’t I?”

Colt took another drink of his beer. “I reckon you have a lot of learnin’. Noah is my son and I love him more than my own life, but that kid likes to cause mischief. Mom says that I was just like him, I just don’t remember gettin’ into things like that boy does. Sometimes I think he is testin’ my last nerve.”

We sat down at the table and Colt started shuffling up some cards. Our family loved to play cards. “What are we playing for?”

“You already owe me twenty bucks,” Colt teased.

“Bullshit. You bet me, I didn’t bet you, dick. Besides, you knew all along that shit was nasty.”

Colt began laughing again. “If you could have seen your face after that first swig, man that was priceless.”

“It was gross, that’s what is was. Those poor babies don’t even understand. No wonder they cry all the time. Their food tastes like ass.”

He shook his head while he began dealing the cards. I could hear the girls talking in the other room. They probably wouldn’t even come and sit with us. Since they couldn’t drink, they usually spent their time watching romance flicks while Colt and I stayed up and played cards. I knew we weren’t able to stay to play with everyone tomorrow night, so it was just Colt and I. “I say we play for kid duty tomorrow mornin’. If I win then you and Randa need to take the kids over to my moms and get up with them in the mornin’. If you win they can stay here and I will take away the golf cart keys so they can’t ride out to the main house.”

“You got yourself a deal, Cuz.”

We played a game of five hundred rummy, keeping it close the whole time. It went faster with just two people and in no time we were neck and neck and on the determining last hand of the night. The kids had passed out upstairs in the playroom on the bean bag chairs after watching a movie. Savanna and Miranda were sound asleep on the couch, while Colt and I had the baby monitor in the kitchen, listening in case Christian woke up.

I decided I was going to change things up and hold all of my lay down cards in my hand until I could just go out at once. Colt took his time, collecting and laying down the cards as soon as he got them. I had four jacks and two queens in my hand. All I needed to do was pick up one more queen and I won the game. Lucky ass Colt picked up the card he needed first and threw down three aces. He didn’t have a discard, so he was floating until his next turn.

I closed my eyes and drew my last and final card. This had to be a good one or I was out of the game and lugging sleeping bodies back on one golf cart. My card was a queen. I threw down everything I had in my hand and discarded the remaining card.

Colt pounded his hands on the table. We had been drinking for a couple of hours and I could even tell we were being louder than normal. “You prick. That was cheatin’.”

“Bullshit! There is no rule saying you can’t do that.” I reached my hands up in the air and started to stretch, even adding a yawn to my appearance. “I guess I need to take my wife and get her tucked in. We’ll see you guys in the morning. Not too early though. We like to sleep in.” I winked as I stood up.

“Asshole! That shit shouldn’t have counted.”

“You lost Colt. Get over it!”

“Whatever, I will see your cheatin’ ass in the mornin’.” He gave me a shake of the hand and a half hug as I walked out of the kitchen. I reached down and picked up Miranda and Colt got the door for me. While I was sitting Miranda down, he reached in the other golf cart and got the keys. I saw him holding them up to show me the kids wouldn’t be paying us another early visit. I waved as we pulled away from the house. I won fair and square. There was no doubt in my mind he was going to steal my play and use it on the family tomorrow after we left. I couldn’t help laugh about it as we made our way to the main house.

Miranda was half awake when we pulled up, but I insisted on carrying her anyway. She didn’t weigh that much, even being pregnant and sometimes it made me feel like her hero.

I would have liked to take advantage of having another night alone, but my wife was already back to sleep when her head hit her pillow. I took off her socks and her jogging pants and covered her up before climbing into bed beside her. I couldn’t help but sit there and watch her sleeping. Inside of that belly was my boys. I couldn’t wait to meet them and teach them how to live. I loved them so much already.

I found myself stroking her stomach with my fingertips. Within seconds they were moving all around in there. I fell asleep with my hand across her stomach, while my boys moved all around beneath it.

Chapter 7

Miranda

As much as Ty and I loved to visit, we hated having to leave more. After a very nice brunch, we said goodbye to our family and started our trip back home. Baby Christian’s christening was coming up and we knew we would be back in few weeks to see everyone again.

It was great that for holidays and family affairs, Ty and I always got to be with our whole family. We didn’t have to fight over which side to go to like other couples.

It also meant a lot to me that Bella could be with both my mother and Ty’s parents. Even John had become attached to my little girl after dating my mom for going on three years. I wasn’t really sure, but it seemed like somewhere down the road, they may even consider getting married.

Our ride back to North Carolina was uneventful. I made Ty stop three times so that Bella and I could use the bathroom. He never complained and wouldn’t even let me drive the whole way. Bella got restless after a couple of hours and finally went to sleep. She had finally stopped crying when we left the ranch. For two years she had cried every single time. I hated seeing her so sad to leave Noah.

She knew we were coming back in a couple of weeks, so this time she wasn’t as sad. We’d purposely left early so that we could arrive home before it was dark out. The deer were starting to rut and they liked to act all crazy at night. From living in the country my whole life, I knew it was safer to travel in the day where you could see all around you.

Since Conner lived with us, we knew he would be home when we arrived. Sure enough, he was sprawled out on the couch watching television. Bella went running over and jumped on his chest, knocking the air out of him.

“Uncle Conner, Daddy got floured.”