“They’re here!” Everly shouted from upstairs. Before Ten could respond to Ronan, Everly came charging down the stairs. She threw open the front door and raced outside. Ezra was hot on her heels.
“Everly, grab your brother!” Feeling more tired than he had minutes ago, Ten turned back to Ronan. “Let’s finish this conversation later,” Ten said, feeling a headache coming on. “We can’t bundle me in bubble wrap until the danger passes. The last thing I want is to die, Ronan. I’ve got babies to raise and future grandbabies to spoil. I’m not taking these dreams or their implications lightly, but I’m also not going to sit and waste precious time by worrying or stewing over how or why this thing could potentially happen.”
Ronan opened his mouth looking like he had a lot to say on the matter.
Ten held a hand up to stop him. “Let’s finish this discussion later, okay?” He pressed a kiss to Ronan’s face and hurried outside to join Everly just as a dark SUV, pulled up to the curb.
“Everly!” Brooke shouted from inside the car, banging on the window. Seconds later, she was scrambling outside and hugging her cousin. Both girls laughed and started talking at once.
“Ten!” River ran around the vehicle to hug his brother. “It’s so good to see you.”
“I missed you.” Ten held his brother, never wanting to let him go.
River broke the embrace to help Barb and Delta out of the car.
“You look tired. Don’t tell me you’ve been slaving away getting ready for our arrival?” Barb asked after hugging Tennyson.
“Nothing like that,” Ten said, not wanting to lie to his sister-in-law, but not wanting to burden her with what was going on either. “Ronan, why don’t you take the kids inside and call Fitz, so he can bring Aurora over. Same with Jude. I’ll head over to Mom’s house and help River get settled in. After that, we can order some pizza and catch up.”
“Sounds good,” Ronan agreed. The dark look in his eyes was anything but good.
Ten pulled Ronan to the side, while River gathered their baggage from the car.
“I understand how upset and worried you are about what’s going on. Trust me, I am too, but every time we’ve seen my brother, there’s something going on. There was a dead Santa, the amusement park death, not to mention River being in jail for a murder he didn’t commit. I just want to have a peaceful reunion with my brother for once, without all of us running around to trying to catch a killer.”
Ronan sighed. “Okay. I hear you, but I’ll have my eye on things. Jude and Fitz too.”
“I would expect nothing less.” Ten brushed a kiss against Ronan’s cheek. “Not too much sugar for the kids or for you. Got it? The last time you ate some of Everly’s Skittles, you both had the zoomies for two hours.”
“Yes, dear.” Ronan rolled his eyes and herded the kids toward the house.
“Is all of this luggage yours?” Ten asked, looking at the bags on the street. There were three full sized suitcases along with two smaller ones and three backpacks.
“I live in a house with three women. Just be thankful there’s not more.” River grimaced.
“Oh, there will be when it’s time to go home.” Barb laughed. “Fitz said he’s got a ton of Aurora’s clothes for baby Delta to wear. Plus we’re going to shop until we drop!”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” River laughed at his wife. He dropped a kiss on her temple and grabbed two of the bigger suitcases. Ten grabbed what he could, leaving Barb with the backpacks, and followed River across the street, where Kaye was waiting for them.
“There you are!” Kaye wrapped her arms around River.
Ten smiled at his mother and half-brother’s embrace. Kaye’s reaction to River had been nothing short of miraculous. Finding out David had cheated on her before they were married had been a hard blow, but she’d never once taken that out on River or his family, treating them as if they were her own.
“Where are my grandbabies?” Kaye pulled back from River and hugged Barb.
“Ronan’s got them all. He’s gonna call Fitz and Jude and get everyone together. We’re gonna order pizza,” Ten said, hugging his mother.
“Well, I’ll just head over there for more hugs and to make sure Ronan orders salad to go with the pizza. He keeps trying to argue that he’s getting his veggies from the tomato sauce, but I call bullspit.” Kaye grinned at Ten. “You should have everything you need upstairs, but if there’s something I missed, we’ll pick it up later.” Kaye hurried across the street in time to meet Fitz, who was calling after Aurora. The little girl was in a dead run toward Ronan’s house.
“Let’s get these bags upstairs.” Ten lugged suitcases up the front stairs and then onward to the second floor. He left Brooke’s bag and backpack in her room and did the same for Delta, who had the most luggage of all of them.
Fifteen minutes later, all the bags were where they needed to be and Barb was unpacking stuff for the baby. Ten and River headed down to Kaye’s kitchen. The table had a fruit bowl filled with apples and pears. He grabbed bottles of water for himself and for River.
“Okay, little brother. Spill it,” River said, when Ten took a seat at the table.
“We’re still nailing down details about the charity circus, but that shouldn’t take up too much of my time. We’ll have plenty of time to hang out together.”
River raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Don’t try to bullshit me. I saw the look on your and Ronan’s faces when we got out of the car. Something’s up. What’s wrong?”
