Page 60 of Gator
I covered my grin with one hand. “Pretty sure she learned that from Axel. I knew he was up to something when he asked if she could hang out with him and Maddox yesterday.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” he muttered. “Come on, baby boy. Let’s go.”
Sure enough, when we stepped into the lounge, the room went quiet for a beat too long. Wolfe sat at the poker table with Crowe and another of the guys, Isaiah, I thought, but I wasn’t sure. Axel sprawled on the couch, Tucker perched in an armchair with her ever-present energy drink, and Maddox leaned back with a grin already forming. Diego was there too, sitting in the same armchair he’d been in last time we were all down here.
“Good to see you, Julius,” Crowe called over. “About time someone civilized the swamp monster.”
Gator just rolled his eyes, and Crowe laughed.
“Nice jersey,” Axel said. “Guess we know who the real Saints fan is now.”
Before I could respond, Trixie piped up, “Saints suck,” earning a round of laughter.
Gator shot Axel a dirty look that said retribution would be coming later, then he lifted the cage to eye level and looked at her. “Keep that up, and you can just stay in your cage.”
“Trixie is a good girl.”
Gator rolled his eyes again and set her down on a table. “Fine. Let’s get you out of there.”
While he got her settled, I sashayed my way over to the snack table, making sure to put on a show since I could feel them all watching me. I opened up the bottle of wine. Yeah, it was screw top, but I figured it was game day, not brunch, so no one here would judge. I glanced around the table and realized I should’ve thought about a glass. I just shrugged and poured some into a redSolocup. See, I could totally do this.
I turned around and sure enough, they were all looking right at me.
“I’m not really a beer kinda guy. I prefer red wine, then I can pretend I’m drinking the blood of our enemies.”
That got a bark of laughter from Maddox, and Tucker pointed her can at Gator. “Man, you’re screwed. He already has better game-day style than you.”
“Not news,” Gator said, dropping into a chair and pulling me down onto his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Seriously?” Maddox asked. “We’re gonna have to put up with this level of PDA now?”
“Jealous?” Gator fired back.
“Please.” Maddox snorted. “If I wanted to watch a couple making heart eyes, I’d turn on the Hallmark Channel.”
“Good thing you’re here for football then,” I said sweetly.
Axel threw a chip at him, and the bickering started up like always.
Diego cleared his throat, offering me a quick smile that was more polite than teasing. “Good to see you here, Julius. Adds a little balance to the chaos.”
“Chaos!” Trixie echoed, bobbing her head like she’d won the point.
Before I could reply, Mika appeared from the doorway carrying a plate of cookies with Hawk right behind him.
“Don’t let them scare you,” he said, setting the plate down on the snack table. “They bark a lot, but they’re all big softies.” He gave me a quick wink. “Besides, you’re officially one of us now that you live here.”
I leaned back against Gator’s chest, finally letting myself relax as the twins bickered, Tucker rolled her eyes, Wolfe shuffled cards, Diego sipped his beer, and Mika flopped down cross-legged on the rug at Hawk’s feet like he owned the place. Trixie clambered higher on her perch, fluffed her wings, and said, “Sports ball,” like she’d been practicing all week.
Gator’s hand slid around my waist, low enough no one else could see, and he murmured, “Told you they liked you.”
I smiled, warmth spreading through my chest. Maybe he was right. Maybe this really could feel like home.
Chapter eighteen
Gator
The sun was dropping low when we hit the highway out of town, the sky bleeding into one of those deep orange-pink skies that this part of Texas was known for. Julius had one leg tucked under him in the passenger seat, humming along to the radio and drumming his fingers on the dash. The man could make a grocery run feel like a joyride.