Hearts and Aces (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 7)

him back into his bedroom and into his bed. Sitting beside him, I pulled the blanket up and tucked it around him as his eyes drifted closed again. “Sweet dreams,” I whispered in his ear before kissing his forehead and sneaking back out of his bedroom.
Tweedle silently waved at me from the kitchen. I nodded before entering my bedroom. My bed seemed to be calling my name and with every step, my brain shut down. I wasn’t awake long enough to register if my head even landed atop a pillow.

Chapter Two
I sensed Grady sliding into bed beside me and felt his heated damp skin snuggle against mine. I turned my head into his chest without opening my eyes. One of his arms moved between my shoulders with his hand reaching into my hair. The other hand slid down my body, parting my legs.
Before I could moan, he pulled my head back by my hair and covered my mouth with his. His tongue searched and swirled as his fingers danced within my panties.
Breaking the kiss, Grady whispered, “We have to be quiet. The house is full of people, but I locked the door.”
I looked up at him as I wrapped a leg around his hip. “I can be quiet.”
~*~*~
 “Hmm,” I hummed into Grady’s chest. “That was a nice way to start the day.”
Grady chuckled beneath me. “I vote we call in sick and stay in bed.”
“And the kids?”
“It’s after nine o’clock already. They’re in the classroom with Beth. Tweedle fed them. Anne made them get dressed and brush their teeth. And Donovan drove them over.”
Beth had been employed as the kids’ teacher for a little over a month now. The kids loved her, and she was good at challenging them educationally and socially.
“Beth’s going to have her hands full. With all the visitors, the kids will be distracted.”
“Tweedle didn’t make Beth’s job easier by fueling the kids with sugar. We had a disagreement about apple pie being breakfast appropriate.”
“Oh my goodness, that sounds so good,” I said, rolling out of Grady’s arm and pulling him with me. “Let’s hurry and shower. I’m hungry.”
 Grady’s hand wrapped around my waist as we stepped into the bathroom. “Me too. But not for pie.”
~*~*~
 “Well, someone got laid,” Katie said as Grady and I entered the dining room thirty minutes later.
“Jealous?” I asked as I sat to the left of the end chair.
“Ladies, behave. Or else…” Hattie scolded, setting cups of coffee in front of both Grady and me.
“Good morning, Hattie,” I said, grinning up at her.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she said, smiling over at me.
“Did you fly in with Wild Card?” Grady asked.
“Yes, and Reggie. Pops and Jackson stayed in Texas to manage the ranches.”
“Reggie’s here?” I asked. “Where?”
“He’s sleeping in the dorms,” Wild Card answered from the living room couch. “How come you don’t get that excited when I visit?” He was stretched out on the couch, shirtless, with Hattie’s afghan covering his midsection. His bare legs were exposed, crossed at the ankles with his feet propped up on the arm of the couch.
“You better not be naked under that blanket. That’s my favorite blanket.”
“You used to like it when I got naked.”
“Neither of you are going to like it when I launch your ass through the living room window,” Grady said to Wild Card.
“Hattie, Grady’s being mean,” Wild Card said as he rolled over and closed his eyes.
I was relieved to see he was wearing shorts. And, yes, ex-husband or not, I looked, which earned me a glare from Grady.
Hattie giggled as she returned the pot to the kitchen. It was then that I noticed the breakfast bar was covered in baked goods.
“Tweedle, why are you still baking?” I asked.
“I just finished the last of the pies, and then I’ll take a break as the breads rise.”
Bones and Ryan entered through the garage, both carrying two brown bags each of groceries. Tweedle started pulling ingredients before they could even set the bags down.
“You’re making homemade bread?”
“I already made apple-cinnamon bread for Bones, banana bread for Katie, and blueberry French bread for Lisa. Now I’m making sour dough, French, and ciabatta breads for sandwiches later. Do you think two dozen loaves will be enough?”
I turned to Grady and raised an eyebrow.
“Tweedle, you’re going to get me in trouble,” Grady said. “I told the girls they wouldn’t have to lift a finger to help this weekend. I have all the food being catered or slapped on a grill.”
“But we’re days away from the weekend, so unless Hattie wants her kitchen back, leave her be,” Bones said. “Besides, she’s less trouble when she’s baking.”
Tweedle glared at Bones, pulling the eggs from the top of the bag he was holding. Ryan took the bag from him and helped Tweedle take care of the groceries.
“I’m perfectly content,” Hattie said, handing Bones a cup of coffee before she plated some muffins and carried them over to the table. “She even washes everything as she works. The kitchen’s spotless.”
Hattie sat next to me, and Bones sat across from me. Donovan entered through the front door and held a hand up for Hattie to remain sitting as he retrieved his own cup of coffee. Ryan started another pot, as Hattie sat beside me, smiling while she watched them.
“Bridget?” Bones asked me.
“She and Trigger should be on their way back,” I answered, snagging a blueberry muffin. “The thief was arrested around three this morning.”
“You’re kidding me,” Donovan said. “The reward for that bastard has been out for months.”
“It takes a thief to catch a thief,” Tweedle said, laughing from the kitchen. “I miss Bridget.”
“She has a unique set of skills,” I said, saluting my cup at Tweedle. “Kind of scary how knowledgeable she is