Page 15 of Sold to the Single Daddies (Southern Heat Reverse Harems #4)

Reagan

“Ma’am?!” A woman with a clipboard and a too-wide smile approached me on the sidewalk in front of the diner.

“Hi! I don’t recognize you. My name is Samantha Drury and I’m a member of the Third Baptist Church.

I’m going around today, getting folks to sign a petition to change the town’s name. Would you sign it for me?”

After walking out of the tense encounter with the Hellstone assholes I was too thrown off to keep a neutral face. I scrunched up my nose and tilted my head to the side.

“What’s wrong with the town’s name?”

She let out a fake laugh.

“Oh, dear. It’s named after the devil . That’s just wrong.”

Even though I knew she was being serious, the part of my brain that hadn’t grown up yet swore up and down that she was making a joke.

Unfortunately, at times that part of my brain was the loudest. I laughed.

It wasn’t a fake laugh like hers or a cute laugh, even.

I guffawed. Out of all the things in the world the woman was worried about, the town’s name was what she chose to crusade for?

“It’s hardly a laughing matter. This town was founded by lost and corrupt men.

It’s time we brought the church back into focus.

Every day we let this continue is one more day we earn God’s disappointment.

Having our town named after the devil is disgusting.

Our children play for teams that have the devil cheering them on in mascot uniforms. It’s deplorable. ”

“You’re serious? You think the name of the town is going to be its downfall? Isn’t there something real you can focus your time on, something that would actually make a difference?” I shook my head and looked down the street, hoping to see Rudy waiting close by.

“Where’s your husband?” Taking in my blank face, Samantha clearly thought she’d won. “Oh. You’re a single mom, huh? No idea who the father is? That makes so much more sense. Obviously, a woman like you isn’t going to mind a town of sin. You’ll fit right in.”

“Lady, you’d be smart to get the hell away from me. I’m having a shitty day and you’re not making it any better. I’ve got hormones firing from every direction and if you’re not careful, some of them are bound to knock you right on your ass for talking to me like that.”

“How dare you? I should call the police for you threatening me! I am a good, God-fearing woman and you should show a little respect.” She crossed her arms and stared down her nose at me. “I’m going to pray for you.”

“You’re going to need to pray for yourself pretty soon. I’m serious. I don’t appreciate being called names and judged. Your cause is stupid and I hope the devil mascot pushes you down at the next game you attend. You’re a jerk.”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve!” She actually moved even closer to me and tapped me in the chest with her clipboard. “You’re—”

“That’s enough!” West shouted as he pulled me back a step. “Leave her alone, Samantha. You want to push your bullshit petition, go do it somewhere else.”

I was surprised at his sudden appearance but more than happy to watch Samantha’s mouth flop open then close, as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say back to him.

I moved back a few more steps and shook his hands off of me.

I wasn’t going to thank him for saving me from Samantha being an asshole when he and his brothers had just done worse.

“West…Of course you’re tied up with this woman.” Somehow the woman decided sticking her nose even higher in the air was the answer. “Is this your spawn?”

“Yeah, he fucking is. Do you have an issue with that?” West shifted, blocking Samantha from looking at Lucky. “If you do, you should head on down to the bar and ask your husband why having an issue with the Hellstones is a bad idea.”

With a red face and a whole lot of huffing she stormed off, leaving West and I together on the sidewalk.

I sucked in a deep breath when he turned around to face me.

I was so angry at him and his brothers but there was still something in his gaze that made my blood pump faster.

And then there was the simple fact that he’d claimed Lucky.

“You—”

“West! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.

” A beautiful blonde with the poutiest lips I’d ever seen in person came rushing over from across the street.

She was wearing a low-cut tank top and the tightest shorts I’d ever seen and I was instantly envious of her figure.

She definitely hadn’t had a baby just three short months ago.

She didn’t take a second glance at me as she wrapped herself around West’s arm and smiled up at him.

“You left your hat at my place the other night. Want to swing by later and grab it?”

A sick feeling of jealousy washed over me and I rejected it as hard as I could.

It wasn’t my business if West hooked up with a woman who could’ve been a Playboy model.

That didn’t mean I wanted to sit around and watch it happen.

I didn’t plan on waiting around to hear what he had to say but when I tried to slip away, he caught my upper arm and held me still.

“Wait a minute. I’m not done talking to you.

” West seemingly ignored the other woman and squatted in front of me so he could look at Lucky more closely.

He reached towards our son and Lucky latched onto his finger with a frown on his face.

He tried pulling it towards his mouth and his frown turned into a scowl when West resisted.

“Sorry, little dude. I think it’s probably best you only chew clean fingers. ”

I shouldn’t have but I stared down at West in awe.

He’d softened his voice and lowered it like he was having a private conversation with his son.

Our son. He rested his big palm on Lucky’s belly and a look crossed his face I didn’t recognize, but it made me want to cry.

He’d claimed Lucky. I could forget all the shitty things they said to me if they’d be good fathers to Lucky.

They didn’t need to like me, only respect me enough to raise a son with me.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know you. You’re not from around here, are you?” The blonde had her hands on her hips and an assessing look on her face. “Melanie Boyd. I own Petal, the florist shop down the street.”

“I’m not from around here, no. I’m Reagan—"

“West? Are you going to come over to get your hat, or not?” She cut me off and focused on West. “I guess I could ask Tate or Mills to give it back to you.”

A stiff breeze could’ve knocked me over.

As much as I didn’t want to be bothered, I was.

I could still hear their voices, husky with arousal, telling me they’d never shared a woman before.

I thought we’d shared something special but it seemed like maybe that was a lie.

It sure seemed like they shared Melanie if her raised eyebrow and smirk said anything.

I had better things to do than sit around and have their relationships shoved in my face. I gently stepped away from West so his hand fell away from Lucky.

“I have to go.”

“Where?”

I felt my face slip into a scowl and quickly relaxed it. Scowling was Lucky’s thing.

“Mason’s waiting on me. Good luck getting your hat back.”