Page 68 of Silver Spoon Falls, Vol. I

MORGAN

Nine Years Later

“Are you nuts?” my brother finally loses his cool and yells over the glass. I was just sitting here in the Silver Spoon High School Arena, wondering how long it would take for Miles to freak out. “That was a clean hit.”

“Sit down.” I grab his arm, but my incensed brother ignores me and keeps yelling at my nine-year-old daughter’s coach. “You’re embarrassing me.”

“It’s embarrassing that they are making those mistakes in an important game.” I roll my eyes at him. I knew this was going to be a bad idea. Ever since Arina could walk, Miles has been teaching her to ice skate. When she asked to play hockey like her Uncle Wiles, he just about wet himself.

“How’s the blood pressure, Uncle Wiles? I mean, godfather number two?

” Giant and Bella scoot in next to us. When Arina started talking, she decided she likes the name Wiles better.

I did everything I could think of to change the toddler’s mind, but here we are eight years later and both kids call my brother Uncle Wiles.

I secretly think my husband and Giant encouraged Arina.

“You tell me since you’re godfather number two.” I swear my brother looks like a three-year-old toddler right this second.

“Boys.” Bella decides to take this round of godfather control. “It’s Arina’s first game. Let’s all get along.” She glares at her husband, daring him to argue, before turning her laser stare toward my brother. “Later, you two can take it out back to figure things out.”

“He started it,” Giant mumbles, only to have his wife turn to him with fire brimming from her bright blue eyes.

“So sorry I’m late, Temptation.” Grizz sits next to me while our five-year-old son wiggles in between Giant and Miles.

“I stopped at Gatsby Books on the way here. The little man’s new book came in.

” My husband pulls me close to his side and wraps his arm around my shoulder, glancing around like he has to protect me from other men.

Like he hasn’t already made sure every man in Silver Spoon Falls knows who I belong to.

What can I say? I love my caveman and his sweet, protective ways. “I love you.” I give him a quick kiss on the lips.

“Love you, too. I’ll show you just how much later.” My body overheats at his whispered words. I glance over at the clock, wondering how much longer I have to wait until this game is over. Shoot. Two more periods to go. This might be the longest night of my life.

“Uncle Wiles, look at the new book my daddy bought me.” Aleksei holds up the new fantasy novel for my brother, and I appreciate the distraction. “I’ll let you read it once I’m done.”

“See, number one godfather,” my brother mouths to Giant over my son’s head.

In an effort to keep things easy and simple, we made both men co-godfathers to Aleksei, too, thinking it would help with the obnoxious competition between the two men. Only, it had the opposite effect when Giant and Miles upped their efforts to win over both children.

I’m not sure where they find the time, between their own families and their careers, but they’re both relentless in their battle to win the best godfather crown.

“I’m not even going to tell you what Tiny is planning for Arina’s tenth birthday,” Bella leans over and whispers in my ear before rolling her eyes dramatically.

“Please tell me it isn’t another bright pink ATV.

” God, I almost had a heart attack when Giant showed up with the ATV and helmet for Arina’s ninth birthday.

I made my husband and his boss promise that they wouldn’t let my daughter ride the darn thing until she had the proper lessons.

Luckily, the security firm owner was way ahead of me and had already booked Arina and Aleksei for ATV training courses.

“Nope. Definitely not a ten-thousand-dollar machine,” my friend snorts. “He went overboard this time and got tickets for all of us to go to the Winter Olympics next year.” Fudge muffin. It’s going to be hard for my brother to top that, but I’m sure he’ll try.

“I don’t even know what to do with these men.” I sigh and snuggle into my husband’s embrace.

“Love them and kick their butts when necessary to keep them in line.” Bella’s got that one right. It requires daily butt-kicking to keep a Silver Spoon Falls man under control, and I’m the right woman for the task.