The hum of an approaching engine catches my ear and my body stills as I stare intently at the winding driveway. A blue minivan pulls into view, and I laugh. Never in all my years did I ever expect Riff to be the guy who cruises around in one of those soccer mom mobiles.
My palms begin to sweat as the van parks, and I know it’s time to face the guys. Noel hops out of the passenger seat first, Trip following a close second through the sliding side door in the back. Riff exits last.
Riff’s extra tall Mohawk, tattoos, and lip ring makes the whole minivan situation even more comical. It so doesn’t fit the tough guy persona he’d always portrayed to the world until he married Aubrey.
I make my way off the porch so I can get a better look at Riff’s vehicle.
“Nice ride,” I tell him, a smirk on my face as I clasp my hand with his and give him a quick chest bump, and then do the same with Noel and my brother.
Riff’s lips twist like he’s doing his best to fight back a smile. “Shut it, fucker. It’s practical.”
I roll my eyes. “Now you sound like Aubrey. Man, does she have you whipped.”
“Ha!” A sarcastic laugh bubbles out of his throat. “You just wait. Your time’s coming.”
I rub the back of my neck and stay quiet, knowing that my brother has probably told them about my situation with Frannie.
“Yeah, that’s right. No more smart-ass jokes now I’ve brought up the hot doctor lady,” Riff teases. “We know all about that shit, but don’t worry, we won’t let it slip. Trip already told us it’s a secret because she works here.”
I nod my head as heat floods my cheeks.
“Pretty soon you’ll be driving one of these bad boys.” Riff jerks his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of his vehicle, and then points his gaze in my brother’s direction. “Both of you.”
Trip throws his hands in the air, palms up, in protest. “Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. There’s no way in hell I’ll ever be driving a fucking mom mobile. That shit’s lame.”
“It’s going to be funny to see them both eat those words when they have kids.” Noel laughs as he teams up with Riff. “They have no idea what they’re in for.”
Riff folds his tattooed arms over his chest. “Oh yeah.”
Trip shakes his head. “Nuh-uh. Not this guy. Even when Holly and I start making babies, I’ll still have a sweet-ass ride. My girl is a Mustang fanatic. There’s no way she’ll be caught dead driving one of those.”
Noel and Riff exchange a knowing glance before both of them chuckle.
“Keep telling yourself that, dude.” Noel smiles and then his gaze flits over to me for a brief moment before returning to my twin. “Your brother is about to be Team Dad soon, and he’ll tell you the same thing, so you might as well get prepared because it’s going to happen.”
Before we have a chance to say anything else, the screen door shuts behind us and we all turn and face the porch. Frannie stands there, watching us, and she’s never looked more beautiful. Her dark hair falls in long waves over her shoulders and the black skirt and blue top she wears only bring out the blue in her eyes even more. She smiles warmly, and I can’t pull my gaze away from the absolute perfection before me.
“Damn,” Trip says next to me. “That’s the hot doctor lady? She’s fine.”
I jam my elbow into his ribs, and he grunts. I turn to Noel and Riff. “Guys, this is Dr. Francine Mead. She’s my addiction therapist.”
Frannie walks down the steps carefully in her heels. “Hello, gentlemen.”
I walk over and take her hand, helping her off the last step. My fingers linger against her skin a little too long, but it’s hard not to touch her. Keeping how I feel about her secret is so—fucking—difficult. I wish I could shout it from the rooftops, but I know doing that will cause problems for her, so I force all my feelings to stay locked up inside.
I quickly introduce her to all the guys, each of them nothing but respectful as they shake her hand. A few years ago, they would’ve competed to catch her eye and steal her away from me, but now that they’ve all settled down, they only have eyes for their respective woman.
“I’m so glad you could all make it out. When Tyke told me he’d invited all of you to sit down and talk, I couldn’t have been happier. He’s made some real progress with his addiction, and I think it’s very important that he be very open with all of you so that you can support him through his recovery. He’s going to need your support, as this will be an ongoing struggle to stay clean for the rest of his life,” Frannie tells them.
If I were the old me, I would’ve denied everything that she’s saying, but I know now that I do have an addiction and that it’s impossible to deal with things alone. I’ll need the guys’ support if I’m going to succeed in taking control of my life.
“I know you all have crazy schedules, so if you gentlemen will follow me, we’ll get our group session started,” Frannie instructs the guys, before turning and heading back toward the main house.
When the guys enter into the place that’s been my home for the better part of the last two months, Trip lets out a low whistle. “Damn, the brochures on this place weren’t fucking kidding. This is a palace.”
“It hasn’t been too bad staying here,” I say as I stand beside my brother.
Trip’s head turns in my direction, and there’s a smart-ass grin all over his face. “I bet.”