Page 48 of Sold to the Single Daddies (Southern Heat Reverse Harems #4)

West

I shot a worried look at Mills over the table at the diner.

I’d never seen my oldest brother break down before but it’d been a long few days; made worse by his revelation that our parents had fucked him over and left us all in a state of financial failure.

He’d never told us. He’d given up all of his savings and worked hard to get the ranch back to a good place but he’d done it all alone and he’d suffered for it.

We’d all suffered for it. In the two days since he’d cracked, after Maxie cracked him, things already felt different. I felt closer to him.

“I’m fine, West.” Mills flashed a small smile and rolled his eyes. “A guy has one little mental breakdown and suddenly everyone’s worried about him.”

Tate slapped his shoulder as he slid into the booth next to him.

“One little mental breakdown? Is that what we’re calling you crying like a baby?”

“Yep. Unless you want me to shove my foot up your ass.”

I laughed but the sound froze in my throat when the door to the diner opened and Reagan walked in with Maxie and Nellie.

I catalogued everything about Reagan in a single sweeping glance and I was on my feet before I even understood what I was doing.

She was sad. And tired. I could see the bags under her eyes and I wanted to wipe them away.

She looked over and spotted me striding across the diner towards her. Her eyes went wide and she shifted Lucky in her arms so he was between us instead of at her side. She looked up at me when I stopped in front of her.

“West…”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d strode over like a lunatic and all I could do was stand there and stare at her.

Luckily, Lucky had my back. He squealed for me and nearly punched his mom in his efforts to get to me.

I gently took him and smiled down at him when his normally cranky little face lit up with a smile.

“That decides it. Looks like we’re having lunch together.” Maxie patted my back and winked at me. “Y’all mind moving to a table?”

Reagan looked like she was going to argue but Maxie gave her no room to. It was amazing to watch my sister, the sister who’d always been so easily walked all over, command a situation without hesitation.

I rested my hand at the small of her back as she followed Maxie to a table.

I watched goosebumps form on her neck and clenched my jaw to stop my body from reacting like a horny teenager.

I wanted to drag her into my chest and kiss her until she promised to come back home and never leave.

I couldn’t stop myself from leaning closer to whisper against her ear.

“You look beautiful, kitten.”

She stopped at the table and looked at me over her shoulder.

“Did you pick up lying lately?”

I smiled and slid my hand around her waist.

“No. You’re beautiful. An absolute sight for sore eyes. And if you don’t point out that I look tired, I won’t point out that you do, too.”

Her lips quirked up at the sides.

“If you think I look tired, you should see how I feel.”

Maxie had wrangled Tate and Mills over from the booth and I knew my private moment with Reagan was over. Tate and I sat on either side of her and Mills chose the seat directly across from her. Maxie and Nellie sat on either end side of Mills with matching grins on their faces.

“Isn’t this fun?” Maxie smiled and elbowed Mills. “I’m so glad we ran into y’all. Consider this our first official family outing of many. Even though we’re not all here.”

Lucky grabbed my beard and tugged at it while making happy sounds. I rubbed his back and leaned in to inhale his special baby smell. God, I missed him. I missed him and his mom being in the same house with us.

Reagan’s phone rang and she looked at it with a guilty blush staining her cheeks. I had to wonder if she was thinking of all the calls she’d ignored from us.

“It’s Harley. I’ll be right back. Sorry.”

I watched her slip outside and when I looked back at my family, I could tell we were all on the same page. Reagan had to come back home.

Mills leaned back in his chair as he watched Reagan.

“I’m going to ask her to come with Lucky when we pick him up tomorrow. I don’t want to take him away from her again.”

Nellie leaned into him and smiled.

“You’ve grown into such a nice young man.”

I laughed at his scowl.

“Are you okay with our plan of basically kidnapping her, Max?”

She smiled.

“I don’t think you’ll do much kidnapping. She’s desperate for y’all. She just thinks she has to do this. One little push and she’s going to run home. She wants y’all and wants to be there with you. But let’s not call it kidnapping. And let’s not let her know that I’m in on the plan.”

Mills nodded.

“We’ll ask first and hopefully that’ll be all it takes. Knowing her, though, she might like us kidnapping her.”

Maxie gagged.

“Nope. I don’t want to hear stuff about your sex life.”

He smiled.

“I thought we were closer now. We can share everything.”

Maxie shook her head.

“Not a chance. We don’t share everything. Just most things.”

Tate suddenly swore.

“What are the fucking chances?”

I looked back and saw Melanie fucking Boyd coming into the diner, her sights set on us. I saw Reagan watching from outside, her face pinched. It was time to put an end to whatever games Melanie was playing.

“Hey, there, boys. How’s it going?” She leaned against my chair and tried to run her fingers through my hair. When I swatted her hand away like an annoying fly, she just laughed it off.

Mills sat forward and rested his arms on the table.

“I’m glad you stopped by. We need to have a talk and, apparently, we need to do it in public so you don’t try to twist it into something it’s not.”

Maxie and Nellie sat back and crossed their arms over their chests, silent guards for their big brothers. I felt a jolt of appreciation and love for them in that moment that made me realize I wanted and needed to spend more time with them. They’d grown into amazing women.

“I want to make it clear that Tate, West, and I, are no longer interested in any kind of relationship with you. We haven’t been in a long time.

We’re interested in Reagan and Reagan alone.

Whatever chance we had at remaining civil and friendly went out the window when you slipped your dirty thong into my pocket and tried to make Reagan think I wanted you in any way at all.

” Mills kept his voice low and as he spoke, his eyes were as cold as I’d ever seen them.

“You tried to hurt the mother of our child and the woman we care about above anything else in this world. Never again. You’re no longer welcome on the ranch.

We’re no longer doing any business with you. Understood?”

I heard Reagan return but I didn’t expect her to add on to what Mills had to say. She was full of surprises, though.

“Excuse me. You’re blocking my seat. And to be clear, Melanie, it is my seat.”

“I wasn’t… It… Screw you, Mills.” Melanie left in a huff and slammed the diner door on her way out.

Reagan calmly sat in her chair and leaned over to tickle Lucky’s belly like nothing had happened.

“Aren’t you a happy baby? Did you think that was funny? Huh? Was that funny?”

Mills sat back with a smile on his face that spread when Reagan met his gaze.

“It is your seat, angel.”