12. Tessa

12

Tessa

C in arrives back just as the pizzas Kade and Harry made are ready to cook. I still can't believe how good Kade is with my son. Kade seemed pissed that Enzo thinks he's too much, but as much as I love my son, he's a tornado of energy at times.

"Some help would be good, yeah?" Cin yells as he staggers toward the deck, laden down with bags.

"What the hell?" Madden mutters when he appears from somewhere inside. "I sent you for diapers, not the entire contents of the store."

"I saw a few things we might want." Cin drops the bags and rolls his shoulders like he's just run a marathon. For all I know, he might have. There's no way it was a short stroll down the mountain to the nearest store. The poor guy's been gone for hours.

He pulls out a large pack of diapers. "These should last until the road's open again." Then he gives Harry some candy and me chocolate. "A treat for you. The chocolate's probably melted a bit, but it'll still taste good." I'm so surprised by his kind gesture nothing comes out.

"Candy! Yay!" Harry yells. "Candy and pizza! Best night ever!"

"Pizza?"

My brain kicks back into gear, and I remember my manners. "Thank you for the chocolate. And yeah, Kade and Harry made pizza. They're ready to go in the pizza oven."

"Amazing, I could eat a horse." He strips off his tee and uses it to wipe his sweaty face, which means I have no choice but to ogle his muscular body. The chocolate he gave me isn't the only thing that's melting.

"I bought a few other things for you. I'll leave them in your room."

Before I can thank him, he jogs away, taking the bags with him.

Harry is falling asleep on my lap, his belly full of pizza and candy. Chloe is ready for bed too, but I can't carry both of them at once.

"Want me to put the little guy to bed?"

I look up in surprise, not expecting any of the guys to help me with the kids. Their job is to keep deranged killers from the door, not play surrogate father.

"You don't need to. I can take him."

"Tess, it's fine." Before I can protest any further, Cin scoops Harry up and carries him away. In less than 24 hours, these guys have acted more like fathers to my son than his actual father. I can't decide whether to be angry or sad.

I lift Chloe from her rocker chair and take her indoors. She's clean, fed, and ready for bed, so I'm hoping she'll settle quickly. We could all do with a good night's sleep.

Cin's tucking Harry in when I walk in. He has a new stuffed giraffe in his arms, one of the little extras Cin picked up from the store, along with a cute tee shirt that says 'can't sit still'. I chuckled at that one. It's so apt for a little boy who loves to run.

Chloe doesn't stir when I place her in the crib and pull a blanket over her. "Sweet dreams, baby girl," I whisper before kissing her pink cheek. Then I drop a kiss on Harry's forehead, inhaling the sweet, soapy scent of his skin.

"Your kids are amazing. You're lucky." There's something wistful in Cin's words.

"I am lucky. They mean everything to me."

I'm tired but not ready for bed yet. As much as my bed calls me, I need to unwind a bit first. Maybe a small glass of wine will help. Madden opened a bottle of red, so I might steal some.

Kade and Madden are both sitting outside chatting when I walk back out with Cin on my heels. I don't miss the way Kade scowls at his brother. There's clearly some tension between them.

"Drink?" Madden gestures at the bottle, reading my mind. I nod and he pours me a glass.

"Thanks." The wine is smooth, far better quality than I'm used to drinking. Stella isn't much of a drinker, so we rarely have anything alcoholic when I visit, but I appreciate a good bottle of wine. Mostly because I can't afford to buy any usually.

"So tomorrow, we need to tackle the fallen trees. One of us will stay at the house with you and the kids, and the other two will be down the track."

"OK." I appreciate the update, but I can entertain myself and the kids.

"I'll stay with Tessa," Cin volunteers.

"How selfless," Kade mutters before knocking back his wine and splashing some bourbon into his glass.

"You know me, selfless is my middle name." Cin smirks and Kade rolls his eyes.

"None of you need to stay with me. If the track is blocked, no-one can get up here. And besides, nobody knows we're here." I'd rather have some peace and quiet. Being around these guys has me on edge all the time. They're all too much. The testosterone overload is killing me. If I have to spend too much time with them, I might need more than one glass of wine to help me cope.

"You are safe up here, but I'm not taking any chances." Madden's tone is unequivocal. "Kade can stay with you while Cin does some hard labor. It'll do him good."

"Mean," Cin mutters, but doesn't bother protesting. Then he spins around to look at me with a grin on his face.

"You can bring Harry and show him the fallen trees and the creek. I bet he'd love that!"

He would actually. That's not a bad idea at all. There's a baby sling hanging in the boot room, so I can use it to carry Chloe. Some fresh air will do her good. The poor kid doesn't spend enough time outdoors. Neither of them do.

"Yeah. He'll love it."