Page 96 of Trick or Treat

“Yes! Yes! I’ll marry you and your sweet, sweet children.”

Taking the ring out of her hand, he slipped it on her finger. He pulled her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of her hand. The woman’s squeal of joy was so loud and shrill he thought his eyes might cross. She wiggled in her seat like her ass was on fire and jogged her legs up and down from her seat on the couch beside him.

“What’s going on, Daddy?” Reagan and Keegan had come running when they heard Lindsey squealing. He laughed and shook his head.

“I asked her to marry me and be a stepmom to you guys and she said yes. She’s just squealing because she’s happy.”

“Then why aren’t you the one going nuts if she said yes to marrying you?” Keegan frowned, clearly not understanding women. Reagan jumped up and down, spinning in circles, doing some squealing of her own.

“Because she got a shiny new ring out of the deal?”

“A ring?” Reagan’s voice dropped to a reverent whisper. She came over to where Lindsey held her hand out so his girl could get a closer look. “It’s so pretty.” Her voice filled with awe. “Can I have one?”

Trick almost swallowed his tongue. “Uh, no, baby girl. That’s the kind of ring a man gives a woman when he wants to make her his wife. Sorry, but you won’t be getting one for a long time yet.” Then under his breath, he mumbled, “Better be a long, long fucking time.”

Which brought him to now. He was sitting at a table with Race, Jackson, Tulsa, Maverick, Dagger, Jed and Tuck.

“What are those two squealing about over there?” Tuck asked the table at large, his focus on where Lindsey and Calliope sat with their heads together.

“That would be the ring I put on Lindsey’s finger when the kids got home today.” Yes, Trick knew he probably looked pretty damned proud of himself, but he didn’t care. He’d caught himself a damn fine woman. After the horrible way things went with his ex, he’d thought he’d never get married again. Then he realized Lindsey was nothing like Michelle. The more he was around her, the more he knew his life would never be the same without her in it. Only a fool would let her get away and Trick was a lot of things, but a fool wasn’t one of them.

“Congratulations, man. I’m glad Michelle didn’t turn you off the idea of ever getting married again.” Jackson clinked his beer bottle to Trick’s.

Jed smiled from across the table. “Congratulations, Trick. You’ve got a good one there.”

“Yes, I do.” He shared a smile with Lindsey from across the room before he tipped his bottle back.

“Dad!” Keegan came stomping over to the table. “Reagan is trying to make Ryder play Barbies with her when he’s already playing video games with me. Tell her to leave him alone.”

“Reagan!” He waved his girl over. “Honey, you know sometimes the boys just want to play with other boys, right?”

“Why? They should play Barbies with me. They’re so pretty. See?” She shoved one in his face. It had one tit hanging out and the bottom of her dress was up around her waist.

“Gimme that.” It took him a few seconds because it wasn’t his first rodeo dressing the damn things, but he got the clothes adjusted. “Why the hell do they make these clothes so damn small?” he said to no one in particular.

“Daddy, you said a bad word,” his daughter chastised him.

“Daddy says a lot of bad words, but little princesses do not. Now, go play with Isabelle over there.” He pointed to where Dagger’s granddaughter was sitting at a table coloring.

“You know what’s going to happen,” Dagger started. “She’s going to grow up believing she’s an actual princess and dress like that damn Barbie.”

“Fuck you, Dagger,” Trick laughed. Sadly, he’d often had the same thoughts himself. He scratched at his jaw. “I really gotta get her interested in something else.”

“Well in the not-too-distant future, it’ll be boys,” Dagger pushed.

“Do youwantme to knock your block off?” Trick scowled. The notion that his precious girl would ever be interested in boys was not something he was looking forward to. He knew what teenage boys were like. He’d been one once. All they thought about was sex. Any cocksucking boy that thought he’d get near his Reagan was in for rude awakening.

“Hey, what’s the mean face for?” When had Lindsey made it over to him? She raised her brows waiting for his answer. “Nothing. Just trying to figure out where to bury the bodies.” She stood next to his chair with her arm laying across his shoulder. He wrapped a hand around of one of her legs and gave her a squeeze.

The men at the table exploded in laughter. Tuck almost choked on his beer. Lindsey was just confused.

“Speaking of keeping boys away from your girls, look who just walked in.” Dagger tipped his head toward the door.

“Fuck you, Dagger. I’m going to help Trick bury your sorry ass if you don’t quit talking about that shit.” Race shoved his VP hard.

Dagger had already lived through it. Twice and he had one more to go. Well, hell. He wasn’t sure if he wanted Lindsey to give him any girls or not. Maybe they’d get lucky and have all boys.

Jed got up, leaving an empty seat next to Race for one of his kids. He came around the table, leaned down and kissed Lindsey’s cheek, congratulating her on their engagement. “They’re talking about how to keep boys away from their girls.”

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