Page 44

ATLAS

I could say with absolute certainty that the past few months had been the best of my life.

And that included the months I’d won the Big Game.

But there really was nothing better than knowing Sutton and Laurel were mine forever.

The first family dinner after Sutton had really, truly moved in with me, my mom had been smug as hell, giving me that what did I tell you?

stare. And I didn’t even mind.

Why would I, when what she’d told me had given me the kick in the ass I needed to get back the woman who had my entire fucking heart?

Sutton and Laurel fit right in with my family, just like they had since the first night I’d brought them over here.

Not to mention, my mom loved adding two more girls into the former testosterone-overload zone.

“Sutton, that book for book club came into the library, so I grabbed it for you,” Mom said.

“Thank you.” My gorgeous girlfriend smiled, accepting the book from my mom.

The cover featured a shirtless man wearing a Ghostface mask holding a bloody knife.

Raising a brow at her, I murmured in her ear, “Discovering a new kink, trouble?”

“Maybe. Probably not knife play, but I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to you in that mask.” She bit her lip as she trailed her gaze down my body, and fuck if my cock didn’t twitch behind the fly of my jeans at just that look.

You bet your ass I was going to order that mask just as soon as we got home.

And when the fuck would that be anyway?

We’d already eaten dinner, and now we were just waiting for my brother to show up.

“When the hell is Xander supposed to get here?” I asked, shifting in my seat.

Sutton shot me a smirk, as if she knew exactly what my problem was.

And I had no doubt she did.

“Any time now,” Mom said.

“Just need to have a little patience. No one’s more anxious than I am!”

“I very much doubt that,” I grumbled under my breath, earning a snort from Sutton.

“Well, I’m excited to meet him,” she said.

Mom beamed. “I’m excited too. Like you wouldn’t believe.”

She was excited for my girlfriend to meet my younger brother?

That was weird, but that was Mom.

“Oh, Laurel,” Mom said, “I grabbed a couple of books for you too. One of the college girls who was home last weekend went on and on about how good the series is.” She leaned forward, lowering her voice.

“Though I’m not sure how spicy your mom lets you read.”

Laurel snorted and slid a glance to Sutton.

“The one I finished last week had three dudes and two women in it.”

“Oh!” Mom stood up straight, her eyes wide as she darted them to my girlfriend.

Sutton shrugged. “I’d rather have her read sex written by women that explores consent, pleasure, and sexuality than have her look to mainstream porn that generally only focuses on the man’s satisfaction.”

“Good point.” Mom nodded.

“Well then, perhaps this one won’t be spicy enough .”

“Damn, I didn’t know they had all that in them,” Lincoln said, brows raised.

“Can you hook me up with one of those, Mom?”

“If you think you’ll read it,” she said, as if she didn’t care one way or the other, but I saw the self-satisfied smile before she turned around.

“How long is Xan staying?” Declan asked.

“He hasn’t responded to a text in, like, two weeks.”

Lincoln rolled his eyes.

“You’re a fine one to talk.”

“Fuck off,” Declan said without any heat.

“Watch your mouth, Declan,” Mom said.

“We’re having a special guest tonight.”

Lincoln snorted.

“Xander’s not special, Mom.”

“As for how long he’s staying, you can ask him yourself,” Mom said, staring out the window as she wrung her hands.

“He just pulled up.”

I removed my arm from around Sutton and pushed to stand.

“I’ll go help him with his bags.”

“Sit down,” Mom said, her voice sharper than usual.

“Just let him come in on his own.”

“Yeah, you don’t see either of us getting up to help, do you?” Lincoln said.

“Never do,” I shot back.

“Like Xander needs it,” Declan said.

“Seriously.” Lincoln nodded.

“If he has more than a carry-on with him, I’ll delete my dating apps.”

Sutton shot him a smile.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“You won’t need to,” Declan said.

“Xan packs like a minimalist.”

“Sounds like someone else I know.” She leaned into me and shot me a smile.

“I have a system,” I muttered.

While my brothers and Sutton joked about my grocery shopping system—who had time to fuck around with that shit?

Efficiency was key—Mom headed into the kitchen.

She grabbed a plate of cookies and set them on the counter before pulling out a juice box from the fridge—Jesus, was Lincoln making her buy those again?

Then the back door opened, and she hurried toward it, disappearing from my sight.

Her voice was soft and gentle as she said something I couldn’t make out, Xander’s deeper tone following.

I kept glancing toward the doorway, but neither of them seemed in all that much of a hurry to come in here.

I wished they’d get on with it already.

Some of us had a sex mask to order.

“What the hell’s taking so long?” Declan said.

“Seriously. I want some of those cookies Mom said we couldn’t have till Xan got here.” Linc rubbed his stomach.

“I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” I said.

Before Lincoln could respond, Xander and Mom finally appeared in the doorway.

It hadn’t been that long since I’d seen Xan, but he looked…

different. Exhausted.

Dark circles hung under his eyes, and there was tension in his shoulders he didn’t usually carry.

But that wasn’t what shocked me.

It was the small figure partially hidden behind his legs.

A little girl with dark hair pulled up into a lopsided ponytail clung to Xander’s jeans like a lifeline, peeking out at us.

“What the hell?” Declan murmured, perfectly voicing my thoughts.

“You didn’t tell me he had a little girl,” Sutton whispered, so low only I could hear.

“He doesn’t,” I murmured back.

“Hey,” Xander said, his voice rough.

“Sorry for the radio silence. Things have been…complicated.”

“Who’s your friend?” Lincoln asked.

Xander inhaled deeply before blowing it out.

Then he placed a hand on the little girl’s head and glanced down to her.

“Everyone, this is Emma.” He swallowed hard, his gaze darting to each of us.

“My daughter.”

His fucking what ?

Thank you for reading The Grump Next Door!