8. Madden

8

Madden

T he wind has died down, but it's still raining. In the distance, I can hear the roar of the creek, which has grown from a gentle stream to a full-blown river thanks to the massive downpour of rain over the last 24 hours. And, given it's still raining, there's a lot more water to come.

I'm on foot because I feel like the exercise. The dynamic in our home has shifted with Tessa's presence, and I can't shake the feeling that she's the catalyst for change. It's ridiculous, but I've learned to trust my gut.

It saved my life more than a few times while we were on active duty in Afghanistan. My instincts have also proved useful in my professional life, where threats have a habit of materializing out of nowhere.

The trail down to the bridge is slippery as hell. Several trees have come down overnight, one of them partially blocking the track. It's nothing we can't fix, though. I have a chainsaw back at the house, and there's always room for more logs.

Rain continues to fall, soaking my shoulders and hat. High above, the sky is still gray, although the clouds have lightened up some in the last hour. I hope the bridge is intact. If Tessa and her children are going to be staying for a while, we need stuff for the kids. There are diapers in the store, but they won't last forever. She might need formula too. Although she mentioned breastfeeding the baby, so possibly not.

Cin's going to love that. I caught him staring at her tits earlier, while she cuddled the baby. Yet another reason Tessa can't stay with us for long. He needs to stay focused on work. We have a big job coming up and I need him to get started on the planning. If he's distracted, he'll end up missing something.

When I reach the overlook that heads down to the bridge, my heart falls. There are several massive fallen trees across the road.

It looks like Kade will be stuck here for a while, a week, maybe longer. It depends how long it takes to remove the trees. We don't have any lifting gear here, so it will be a case of chopping them up with a chainsaw and using brute force to move the logs. Given the size of the trunks, we can all look forward to a fun workout.

I snap some photos of the fallen trees to show the guys and then traipse back up the hill.

Kade's in the kitchen drinking coffee when I get back. He looks less rough this morning, despite having to sleep in a too-small bed. Still, it beats the couch. The TV is on in the living room. I hear Cin laugh, followed by a child giggling, so he must be on entertainment duty.

Figures. He loves kids. Probably because they're on the same mental level.

Kade sees me looking toward the living room and smirks. "Cin's dug out some of Jake's DVDs. Harry's a Bluey fan, apparently."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Kids are great. I love them to bits. Mostly.

At least Harry isn't a whiny little monster like my nephew, Jake. And the baby doesn't scream all night like Lucy and Logan. How Serena copes is a mystery. No wonder she and Richard looked exhausted when we saw them at Christmas.

"You'll also be a fan soon."

"Huh?" He looks confused and my smile widens.

"Guess what, asshole, you're not going anywhere for a bit. The road's blocked."

"What? Oh fuck. Alberto's expecting me back this evening!"

He swipes through the photos I took and groans. "Damn it. I better go call him. Good job my laptop's in the car. At least I can work while I'm here."

"Is everything OK?" We both look up to see Tessa watching us cautiously. The baby sits on her hip, sucking on a plastic toy and cooing happily. Chloe really is adorable with her strawberry blond mop of curls and pink cheeks.

Tessa's dark eyes flick between Kade and me. Damp red hair hangs down her back, and she looks more refreshed than she did earlier. The woman is smoking hot, but I shove that thought down.

"There are several trees down. Kade's going to be stuck here for a while," I tell her.

"Does that mean I can't get any more diapers for Chloe?" She looks panicked at the thought.

"We can still get to town on foot, but it'll take longer. There's a trail down the mountain. About five miles or so. I'll send Cin later. He loves a good hike."

Kade snorts into his coffee, knowing full well the main reason I want Cin out of the house is to keep him away from Tessa.

"Um OK. I guess." She chews her lip, looking awkward as hell. "I'm sorry for putting you out like this. Hopefully you won't have to put up with us for long."

"Don't worry about us," Cin announces breezily from the doorway. "We love having you here, don't we, Daddy?"

Tessa cocks an eyebrow at him calling me Daddy but says nothing. Kade doesn't comment either. He just rolls his eyes and pours a fresh cup of coffee. He knows I have a friend-with-benefits relationship with his brother, and he's cool with it. He's also well aware how Cin likes to yank my chain.

Cin smirks when I catch his eye. From the faint touch of color in his cheeks, he's horny as hell and deliberately winding me up to get the reaction he wants, which is me punishing him for his bratty attitude.

"We're happy to have you here, Tessa," I confirm. The last thing I want is for her to feel like a burden. It's hardly her fault someone wants to kidnap her. And besides, protecting people is our job. A job we're damn good at.

"Cin, a word, please. My office. Now."

Cin's throat bobs before he nods. He knows he's pushed me too far.