Reaper's Salvation: A Last Riders Trilogy by Jamie Begley (reading e books .txt) 📕

“Me, too,” Isaac chimed in.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her brothers’ eagerness.

“You’ve stepped into it now,” Ginny warned Gavin. “Sheds are porn candy to my brothers.”

Silas shook his head at her. “She’s exaggerating.” He nudged her out of the way to place himself between Gavin and her. Placing a companionly arm around Gavin, he began edging him away from her as Isaac and Matthew flanked his other sides. “What size are you thinking about getting? Plastic, wood, or metal?”

“Does it matter?”

Ginny knew Gavin was done for at his inquiry.

“For sure.” Matthew nodded authoritatively. “The size is important, too. You don’t want it too small, or you’ll have to buy another one. Size is important.”

Yes, it was. Ginny had to concur with that one.

Restless, she moved away, trying to keep her impatient gaze away from Gavin. Was it her imagination, or was he getting better-looking every day? Today, he was wearing worn-out grey jeans that snugly accentuated his body, and the long-sleeved black thermal was as soft as butter. She should know, since she’d been using every opportunity to rub against it since they dressed this morning.

Ginny went around the staked-out area again, imagining the home for years she’d longed for. A home centered with her brothers around her, with a man she loved more than life itself. She wanted to pinch herself she was so happy. With the happiness came fear it could be taken away just as easily. Each time in her life that she had found happiness, it had been callously ripped away. Her hand unconsciously went to her belly, fear rising that she’d be faced with losing her family again, and this time the loss would be unrecoverable.

Ginny turned when she heard footsteps coming, placing her hand in her jacket as she turned to see Gavin.

“Your brothers want to go with me to the store. What time is your appointment with Dr. Price? Should we get the sheds tomorrow?”

“No, you can go today. Trudy has an appointment with him before mine. Dalton and she are going to pick me up at the club in an hour.”

“I planned to take you.”

“There’s no need for you to take me. Dalton has to wait in the car. No one other than patients are allowed in the office. Afterward, we’re going to the diner. I want to introduce Trudy to Marty.”

“You’re wanting one of his burgers.”

Ginny laughed. “I want several of his burgers.”

“Keep your phone on you,” he ordered.

“Yes, sir,” she smarted off.

“Damn, that sounds good.”

She raised her chin in the air, moving toward her excited brothers, who weren’t hiding their impatience to leave.

“Dream on.” Taking his arm, she pretended she needed his help to step off a branch.

“What?” he pretended innocence.

Ginny snorted. She was much better at pretending.

“I’m in a great mood today.” Stroking her cheek on his shirt, she raised her eyes to his, wanting to gauge his mood.

“I can see that. Any particular reason?”

“Mmhmm. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“Are you trying to talk me into a bigger shed, like your brothers are?”

As always, Gavin showed no hint of emotion toward her. The only time he exhibited any visual reactions to her was when he was aggravated, especially when she denied the legality of their marriage. Each time she did it upped the level of his irritation and his doubling down that they were legally married.

“Of course,” she teased. “Bigger is always better.”

Gavin winced. “Is the shed gonna cost me as much as the house?”

“Could be … Silas has his eye on the Tuft Tahoe, and Matthew has his on a kit the size of a manor.”

“How about Isaac?”

“He wants the Hansen. It has a garage.”

“They make a shed with a garage?”

“Oh yes. Isaac even has the color picked out. Red.”

“How much does Isaac’s cost?”

“Around twenty thousand. I would go for Silas’s. The one he wants is four.”

“Thousand?”

Ginny laughed. “Yes, thousand.”

“Which one do you want?”

“The one I already bought. Just don’t tell my brothers. It’ll ruin their day.”

Gavin stopped in his tracks. “I was going to pay for it.”

“You can pay for the inside when we get the outside done. The lumber and the shed, I’ve already taken care of. I’ve been saving for this house since I was a little girl. I didn’t know how much lumber to order, so if it goes beyond what I arranged for, let me know and I’ll transfer more money.”

“I’ll take care of it if the price exceeds what you paid.”

“Perhaps I should go.” Ginny stubbornly raised her chin again at him. “I can reschedule my appointment. Of course, we won’t be having anymore sex until I see Dr. Price.”

“I can take care of it, and you can pay me back if it exceeds what you prepaid.”

“I good with that. We should be going. Trudy and Dalton will be at the club in twenty minutes.”

“We’ll meet you at the lumber store. We’re going to take Silas’s truck,” Isaac shouted out as they went ahead of them.

“Seriously, I can take care of it.”

“Seriously, so can I.”

Ginny waved at her brothers as Silas backed his truck out of the driveway.

Going to the side door of Viper’s SUV, she reached out to open the door, but Gavin beat her. Getting inside, she buckled her seat belt as he got in the driver’s seat. Expecting him to back up, she looked over to him to find him staring at her.

“I like babies.”

Her insides melted like a chocolate bar and marshmallows on a s’more.

“You do?”

“I’m not getting any younger, as you pointed out.”

With her good hand, she caressed his arm. “I was teasing you.”

He nodded, staring ahead out of the windshield. “There really isn’t a need to worry about birth control if we’re ready to have a baby.”

“I’m not ready, Gavin.”

Gavin nodded again, still not looking at her. “When do you think you’ll be ready? A year or two.”

“When I’m married for real,” she emphasized, removing her hand. “We need to go. I don’t want to be