Protect Me (Rivers Edge Book 4)(5)

"Hey, Bean. How's my favorite niece?" I ask following a big kiss on her cheek.

"Good. I got to play in the sprinkler today with Grant at Grandma's house," she informs me.

"Awesome," I reply. "Who's your favorite uncle, anyway?" I ask with a big smile.

"You, of course," she informs me with another giggle and scrunches up of her cute little nose.

"That's what I thought. Your smelly Uncle Jake is on his way over. Don't  tell him that I'm your favorite or you'll make him cry," I inform the  girl in my arms.

Bean throws her head back in laughter, enjoying the attention each of  her uncles give her as we vie for the title of Favorite Uncle. We've  been doing it for as long as I can remember.

"It'll be our secret," she informs me with a kiss on my scruffy cheek.

Maddox and Ryder walk up and I happily kiss my nephew's forehead while  he's in his father's arms. "Hi, buddy. Is Uncle Nate your favorite,  too?" I ask the drooling child. He doesn't answer, of course, but the  way he throws his arms up and down in excitement, I'm pretty sure that's  answer enough for my question.

"Jake on his way?" Maddox asks as we head towards the kitchen. We walk  into the warm, inviting, spacious kitchen that smells of cooked meat and  warm sugar.

"Yeah, though he may be a few minutes late. I think Erin was distracting him as he was walking out the door," I say with a wink.

Maddox laughs as he walks up behind my sister and kisses her  passionately on the mouth, which after nearly two years, still makes me  uncomfortable. I don't imagine I'll ever get used to a man  –  even her  husband  –  groping my sister. Ryder giggles and grabs a hold of Avery's  hair which dangles down by his face.

"Hey, little man," she says as she pulls her long blond locks out of his grip. "Hey, Nate. Hungry?"

"Always," I remind her.

She pulls the Italian sausage links out of the oven and places them next  to all the condiments spread out on the island counter. Maddox buckles  Ryder into his highchair, and I go about placing Bean in her designated  spot at the table.

"Help yourself. I figured we'd have extra mouths to feed when Maddox  mentioned that the guys were meeting in the back to discuss Jake's  bachelor party."

"Thank you, little sis," I say as I lean down and place a kiss on her  cheek. Avery smiles back at me as she fixes plates for both kids.

Maddox and I each dig into the delicious array of food spread out. Avery  has grown into a decent cook over the past year. Back before she hooked  up with Maddox, Avery's idea of cooking was mac and cheese or pancakes.  Now, she's a regular Suzy Homemaker, and I'm pretty sure Maddox has put  on about ten pounds since they've been together. Lucky bastard.                       
       
           



       

"Hello?" I hear called out from the front entry. Travis, my youngest brother, walks into the room carrying his toddler, Grant.

"Hey," we all holler at them as they make their way into the heart of  the kitchen. I take one look at my little man and a huge smile spreads  across my face. Grant sees me and reaches out, shimmying to get out of  his father's grip and get to me. See, favorite uncle.

I abandon my plate and stalk straight over to my happy little nephew.  "Hey, little man," I say as I take him from his dad and into my arms.

"Where's Joss?" Avery asks as she places food in front of Bean and Ryder.

"She went over to Erin's to help her with the final plans for the gala next month," Travis says.

Erin is holding a fundraiser gala for the library at the beginning of  September, over Labor Day weekend. The library is in desperate need of  an updated children's area so she decided to organize a large fundraiser  to help cover the costs of the renovation. The gala is just two short  weeks after her wedding to Jake so she's trying to finalize all of the  plans before then. Josselyn has been helping her out with the entire  process.

"Food is on the counter, Trav," Avery says as she goes about making her own plate.

"Thanks," Travis says as he dives into the food.

I sit down on my chair with Grant securely on my lap. He digs into my  potato chips and steals a bite of my potato salad. I don't care. I'd  give this kid - hell, any of my niece and nephews - whatever in the hell  they want.

"Why does he always go to you so quickly?" Maddox asks as he sits down at the table.

"He knows who's the coolest of all his uncles," I say matter-of-factly.

"You wish, sweetheart. He's just too young to know the difference yet," Maddox says with a smug smile.

Travis sets a plate of food next to my plate and Grant dives into his  food with gusto. Just as he's sitting down next to me at the table, his  cell phone chimes in his pocket. He quickly pulls it out, scans the  message, and bursts out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Avery asks.

"Apparently, Joss got to Jake's a little too quickly. I have a text that  says, ‘I just got the full view of your brother's ass!' with a face  sticking out its tongue and one green with sickness," Travis tells the  table.

We all laugh just as Jake comes strutting through the front door. We  take one look at his cocky, shit-eating grin, and all burst out laughing  all over again.

"How's it going, brother?" I ask with a smile.

"Excellent," he replies as he pulls up the sides of his pants. Jake  struts over and helps himself to a heaping plate of food. "I'm  famished," he says as he sits down at an empty seat and dives in. "Oh,  and Travis?" Jake asks with a mouthful of food.

"Yeah?" Travis replies.

"It's not my fault if your wife finds you second best now that she's  seen my ass," he mumbles as he swallows his food. The entire table  erupts into laughter.

"If anything she's going to have nightmares now, man," Travis quips with  a smile. "I guess you need all the practice you can get before the  honeymoon," Travis adds.

"Practice what for the honeymoon?" Bean asks in all of her five year old innocence.

"Uncle Jake needs to practice his laziness for the honeymoon, Sweetie.  Uncle Jake and Aunt Erin are going to do a lot of lying around," Avery  tells her daughter.

"You're right. You do need practice," Bean says innocently which causes the entire table to burst into another fit of laughter.

"Not funny," Jake mumbles and takes a huge bite of his sausage.

I lean forward and look straight at Brooklyn. "See what I mean about  crying? He has already had his feelings hurt," I tell her with a wink.  She giggles, eyes sparkling with mischief.

After the food is consumed, the guys, along with Grant who is still  contently nestled in my arms, head out to the man cave to get down to  business. Avery stays behind to give Ryder a bath before bedtime and to  read Bean her choosing of princess stories.

"So, what's the plan for next Saturday?" Jake asks.

"You just be ready at one o'clock. I'll be picking you up at the house and we're heading to your parents' house," Maddox says.

"Seriously?" Jake asks, annoyance written all over his face. "It's my bachelor party and you're taking me to my parents' house?"

"To start off with. We're trapshooting for the afternoon so bring your  shotgun and as many shells as you can get your hands on. I have eight  cases of clay pigeons ready to go. A handful of guys from the force are  coming out, plus your brothers and father. Your mom is providing some  appetizers in the afternoon and we'll have plenty of beer," Maddox says.                       
       
           



       

"Cool. I like it," Jake says between swallows of beer.

"Then around six, we'll head up to Jack's Pub where your dad arranged  for Laverne's to cater steaks and a bunch of sides," Maddox adds.

"Entertainment?" Jake asks with the rise of one of his eyebrows.

"I plead the fifth. This way, if anyone asks you," Maddox starts as I  interrupt, coughing the name, ‘Erin', "you know nothing about the rest  of the evening."

"I'm pretty sure she already knows," Jake says with a smile.

"What are the girls doing?" Travis asks.

"Spa night, I guess. Sounds boring as hell, but the thought of Erin  getting rubbed on in some strip club makes me see red. So, spa night it  is," Jake says.

Details are gone over and plans are finalized as we finish our drinks in  the cave. Grant fell asleep in my arms about fifteen minutes ago so  Travis gathers up his stuff and gets ready to head out.

"See you all Sunday," he says quietly over his shoulder, referring to  Sunday family dinner. Our family always gathers every Sunday afternoon  at my parents' house. As a bachelor, it's one of my only links to real,  home cooked food.