Page 45 of Going Home

How the fuck did she pull up without me hearing her?

"Lex, hey," Gavin says and clears his throat while Hailey adjusts her bra underneath her T-shirt. "We didn't hear you."

"No shit."

"This isn't what it looks like."

Smirking, she laughs. "It looks like you're making a date with one of the newest members of our family while feeling her up on my front porch."

"Okay... This is exactly what it looks like."

Hailey jumps off his lap, and he misses her body heat. And the cover of his embarrassing erection. "It's not as bad as it looks—"

"Oh, please," she says and waves a hand in the air. "Make out. Touch each other. Just don't get knocked up."

"You don't care?"

She laughs. "I don't know if I'd go that far, but I was a teenager once myself."

"Told you Lex is cool," he says and smirks at Hailey.

"You told her I was cool?"

"Show her the scar on your tat."

Rolling her eyes, she slides her jacket down her arm and pulls her T-shirt down her shoulder to show Hailey the tattoo. Hailey stares in shock. "You got shot through the eye of the eagle?"

Lex turns and shows the exit wound on the front of her chest. "Through and through. Burned like a bitch, but my shoulder was better than Gracie's head. Now, you said your birthday is in a week. What kind of party am I throwing?"

"No party. Please. I'd rather have a lowkey day."

"You sure? We kind of go all out for parties in this house."

"Except yours," Gavin reminds her.

Glaring at him, she sneers. "For good reason, smart ass. Besides, I'm old. You're not. Celebrate. Eighteen is a big year."

"No," Hailey says, her voice adamant. "No party." After a moment of a standoff staring contest with Lex, she adds, "Please."

Lex smiles and nods. "Okay, but that means you have to accept whatever gift I decide to give you."

"No gifts."

"It's either a gift or a party. Your choice. I'd say I don't make the rules, but I do, and this is one of them."

For some reason, Hailey looks annoyed in situations that would have anyone else jumping for joy and thrilled. "Okay, fine. Whatever gift you give me, I'll accept."

"Okay, good. Now, I'm going to go inside and try to get some sleep. You can go back to kissing and copping a feel, but Colt will be home with the kids in about an hour. Whatever you're going to do, you better be done by then. And you might want to move to the back porch to give yourself a little bit of extra time in case time gets away from you."

She walks inside, giving them a wink, and Gavin stares at her. Her smile and demeanor mask things fairly well, but her eyes give her away. Tired eyes.

"She looks like death walking," Hailey whispers. "It's getting worse, not better. And she doesn't sleep much. She and Colt have lots of sex, but she doesn't seem to shut down and rest much."

"And you really don't know anything?"

"Not at all," she says and holds out her hand. "Before we get too carried away again on the back porch, let's talk about that date."

Chapter Sixteen

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