At exactly nine in the morning, Frisco knocked. “Hey, doll,” he said when I opened the door.

“Hey, Frisco. Come on in,” I told him and stepped to the side for him to walk inside.

“Hey, buddy.” Joe greeted him in the foyer with a giant smile. “Glad you’re here.”

I rolled my eyes because I wasn’t happy about his presence in my home. I loved Frisco, we’d been friends for years, but that didn’t mean I wanted him watching over me the entire day, every day, until the threat was neutralized.

“Just know I’m here until you get home, and I’ll keep them safe.” Frisco smiled and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I know Sunshine isn’t happy about this, but I promise to stay in the background and out of her way.”

Without saying a word, I walked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen. Ro and Lu would be hungry soon, and I was warming up two bottles and mixing some rice cereal for their bellies. The two girls ate way more than I ever remembered Gigi eating at the same age. They were growing like weeds.

They both were rolling over constantly and ready to start crawling. I dreaded that day. Right now, I could keep an eye on them because they stayed wherever I set them down, but as soon as they crawled, it would be a constant game of cat and mouse.

I looked around the living room, where I spent the most time, when Joe and Frisco walked into the room. “Babe, can you grab some baby gates today on your way home from work?” There were easily five ways for the twins to escape from this room.

Joe grabbed his keys off the counter and shoved his wallet into his back pocket. “What happened to the ones we had?”

“I gave them to Max to use. I want new ones anyway. Get at least five. Five,” I repeated and pointed at each entryway. “I don’t want to be chasing them around the house all day.”

He wrapped his muscular arms around me, cocooning me in his warm embrace. “Gotcha. I’ll grab at least five and more if they have them. That way we don’t have to move them around the house.”

“Thanks, baby.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his soft lips.

“I won’t be gone too late tonight.”

“I’ll be okay,” I reassured him and peered over his shoulder at Frisco. “I’m sure Georgia will be happy if Frisco makes it home at a reasonable time.” The statement earned me a wink from Frisco.

“No going anywhere without him. Got me, sugar?” Joe stared down at me with his stern look I loved so much.

“Whatever you say, Joe.”

When I smiled, his eyes grew more serious, his stare turning more severe. “I’m serious. Do not go anywhere without Frisco.”

“Yes, sir.” I saluted him.

He smacked me on the ass before pulling me closer against him. “Don’t make me punish you later.”

Rubbing my nose against his, I laughed. “It’s not really punishment when I like it.”

Joe shook his head and sighed. “Be a good girl.”

I tucked my hand under Joe’s T-shirt and dragged my fingertips over the dimples above his ass. “Just go to work. I promise not to put my life in danger—or our girls. Stop being so overprotective and scoot. You’re wasting Frisco’s time, Joe.”

“I’m out. Thanks for being here.”

“Just go,” I repeated myself, letting my hand wander down to his ass and giving him a small pinch. He barely flinched. He said good-bye and walked out.

I turned to face Frisco. “Sucks having to babysit me, huh?”

“I’m not babysitting you, Sunshine.” His arms were crossed in front of his chest, muscles bulging under his solid black T-shirt.

“What would you call it?”

He laughed and tipped his head back. “Protecting you and the girls.”

“Coffee?” I changed the subject, because what he called protecting, I called watching. “We have a few minutes peace left until Ro and Lu are up to eat again.”

“Sure,” Frisco said, unfolding his arms before walking toward the island counter.

He looked good. Better than I’d ever seen him. Being with Georgia, his wife and my good friend, agreed with him. Pushing them together was difficult. The two of them were so quick to find reasons not to be together, even though they were perfect for each other. They almost reminded me of Joe and me when we first hooked up.

“How’s Georgia?” I asked, pouring him a cup of coffee.

“Working like crazy these days. There’s some book fair at the school, so she’s been staying late.”

I always loved the book fair and missed being surrounded by so many new novels. “I miss the fair. Maybe we can stop in there this week.”

“She’d like that.” He nodded and took a seat as I pushed the mug in front of him. “Thanks, Sunshine.”

After refreshing my cup, I leaned over the counter and stared at him over the rim while I took a sip. His hair was a little shorter than usual, probably Georgia’s doing. His face had barely aged a day since I’d met him. That’s what happened when you didn’t have three little ones to wear your ass out. I felt like I’d aged twenty years in under seven. There were barely any wrinkles near the outer edges of his almond-shaped eyes. “Any plans for babies?”

He started to choke on his coffee. “Not yet. G’s too young still.” Using the back of his hand, he wiped his lips.

“That’s the best time to start. You’re not getting any younger.”

“Thanks, Ma.”

“How are your parents, anyway?”

He moved to Florida to escape them, but after his mother visited when he was dating Georgia, she decided to move closer to her son. She was a piece of work. She made Mrs. Gallo seem like a lightweight. “They’re good. They’re way too much in our business, but I know Ma’s heart is in the right place.”

“Does she like Georgia now?”

“It only took a year or so, but I think she finally accepts her.”

“She doesn’t think she’s a tramp anymore?”

That earned me a laugh. “No. She realized the error in her ways.”

“About damn time,” I said before finishing the last drop of coffee in my cup. Just as I was about to speak, Ro started to scream upstairs. Before I could move, Lu joined in. “I gotta get them.”

“Want help?” he asked, setting his coffee down and standing.

“I’m used to doing it myself.”

“I have two free hands, Suzy. I’m not going to follow you around all day. I’m going to head outside soon to survey the perimeter, but I can help you carry the babies downstairs.”

“I won’t turn down the help.” The girls were so heavy that, at times when carrying them both, I wondered how my back didn’t give out. Especially when carrying them down the stairs. I hadn’t thought ahead when we built the house. Why didn’t we build a ranch?

Frisco followed me up the stairway and into the girls’ room. “Shh, Ro,” I whispered before pulling her from her crib. She was already waiting, holding on to the side for dear life and making sure to scream toward the door so I would hear her.

“Man, they’re getting so big,” Frisco said when he lifted Lu up and cradled her in his arms. She instantly quieted and peered up at him with wide eyes.

“They grow like weeds, my friend.”

By the time we made it back to the kitchen, Lu was cooing at Frisco and touching his face. His eyes lit up when he stared at her.

“You look good with a baby in your arms.”

“Soon, Suzy. When Georgia’s ready, we’ll start our little army.”

I handed him a bowl of rice mush for Lu and grabbed one for Ro before sitting down at the counter with him. “Just feed her small bites. Like this,” I said, scooping some of the bland, colorless food onto the spoon.

“What about a high chair?” He stared down at her with a twinge of fear in his eyes.

“It’s easier since there’s two of us to just hold them. If you’re not comfortable, you can put her in the chair.”

“No. I can do this.” He swallowed hard before repeating my motions and filling the spoon with food. “Just shovel it in?”

“Put it near her mouth and she’ll open for you.” I placed the spoon near Ro’s mouth and she immediately opened. “See?” Lu’s eyes sparkled as she stared up at him.

Frisco tentatively placed the spoon in front of Lu’s face, but she opened for him without hesitation. “There you go, baby girl. Eat the nummies.” Frisco had a paternal side. He just didn’t know it. No one calls it that unless they have the baby talk down pat.

“She likes you.” I smiled at them both.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, lingering just a little to take in the baby scent. “She’s a cute little thing.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him that her cuteness would wear off soon. After she had her cereal and drained her bottle, she’d have her morning poop. Lu was great that way. Her body was like clockwork. I could almost set my clock to her morning bowel movement.

“So what are you going to be doing here all day?”

He gave her another spoonful, keeping his eyes on her as he spoke. “I’ll be outside a lot. I need to make sure no one enters the perimeter, and since you have a lot of land, there will be a lot to cover.”

“Don’t stay outside too much. It’s too hot to be out there long.”

“I’ve been through hotter when I was on the battlefield, babe. We didn’t get a break.”

“Well, this isn’t the military. Come in whenever you need something to drink or to just cool off.”

“I will,” he promised when he placed the last spoonful of cereal into Lu’s hungry mouth. “Now what?”

“Bottle time.” I nudged the waiting bottle toward him. “Want to go sit on the couch for it? It’s just easier.”

“Sure.” Frisco grabbed both bottles in one hand, holding them between his long thick fingers and carried Lu with him to the couch. I followed behind with a fussy Ro and took a seat next to him. “Here,” he said and handed me a bottle before adjusting Lu in his arms. When he stuck the bottle in Lu’s mouth, she instantly started to drain it. “Jesus,” he muttered as he stared at her with wide eyes.

“Yeah, they eat like they’re starving to death.”

“It’s cute.”

“Just wait.” I giggled because I knew in under five minutes he’d meet the not so cute side of Lu.

We sat in comfortable silence, feeding the babies and enjoying the quiet time. Frisco had always been one of my favorite friends of Joe’s. He quickly became my friend, and especially once he hooked up with Georgia. I knew he’d always have my back. I think I liked him the most out of the Neon Cowboy guys because he wasn’t a perverted sicko like Tank and Bear, although they had their moments when I loved them too.

“What’s that smell?” Frisco’s nose wrinkled.

“Lu.”

“Oh my God. How does something so horrid come from someone so beautiful and tiny?” His lips angled down and his face turned a funny shade of green. Big, bad military man couldn’t take the smell of baby poop.

“Just be happy it’s not climbing out of her diaper and soaking through her onesie.”

“What?” He looked at me with wide, confused eyes.

“You’ll learn someday, Frisco.” I placed Ro in her carrier and snapped her in before placing her on the coffee table in front of Frisco. “I’ll change her, just finish giving Ro her bottle.” I held the half-full bottle in front of him.

We swapped bottles and I lifted Lu from his arms, instantly hit by the stench. “Will she do the same thing?”

“No.” I chuckled and glanced down at Ro. “She’s more of an afternoon pooper. We still have a few hours until she clears a room.”

“Thank God.” He scooted forward to get closer to Ro.

“Men are such lightweights,” I whispered to Lu when I carried her into the den, which we’d set up as a makeshift nursery so I wouldn’t have to run up and down the stairs all day. “A little poop and they freak out. Not Daddy, though, he’s like a pro.” I smiled down at her as I set her on the changing table. She blew raspberries and grabbed her toes.

After I unsnapped her onesie and exposed the dirty diaper, I held my breath. “I wish I could keep you like this forever.”

Someday she’d grow up, far too fast, and I’d have to deal with her teenage years. I couldn’t imagine her old enough to have a boyfriend. Joe would probably be the one crapping his pants when his daughters started to date. It would be payback time for all the ladies he wooed in his youth.

“You’re such a pretty girl,” Frisco said in the cutest baby voice to Ro. “Just like your mommy.”

I couldn’t stop the smile on my face from growing wider. Frisco made me blush. He probably didn’t know I could hear him, and I’d never embarrass him in that way, but it was nice to know that even after three kids had ravaged my body, I still had it.

After I cleaned up Lu, we headed back into the living room to find Frisco cradling Ro in his arms. “Couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“They need to bottle this scent. It’s intoxicating.” His nose rested on the top of her head as he gently rocked her back and forth in his arms.

“You’re so ready to be a dad. Be careful, once you get the baby bug, it doesn’t go away.”

He exhaled and his shoulders relaxed. “I could do this.” Just as he went to kiss her cheek, the little princess let out the biggest burp. Frisco gagged, probably getting a whiff of the baby formula that had already soured in her belly. “Maybe I need a little more time,” he said, backing away from her and taking a deep breath of fresh air.

“You still have time.” I giggled and placed Lu on the rug in the middle of the room.

“I better get outside. City would have my balls if he knew I was in here playing house.”

“Probably right.”

Ro looked like a newborn in his giant arms when he stood. He rocked back and forth on his feet, gently patting her back before he set her down next to her sister. “Thanks for a nice morning, Sunshine.”

“Thanks for the help,” I told him, before taking a seat next to the girls on the floor.

“Holler if you need me. Text if you hear or see anything, and I’ll be inside before you know it.”

I gave him thumbs up. When he walked outside and the door closed, I collapsed onto my back next to the girls and stared up at the ceiling. All I wanted to do was climb into a warm bath and relax. But mommy duties superseded everything else. Maybe in five years when the twins started school, I’d have a moment to myself again. Maybe.

---

Frisco stayed outside until late afternoon. I kept peeking through the curtains to check on him, but I’d barely catch a glimpse before he’d disappear again.

“Everything okay in here?” he asked after I let him through the sliding glass doors that lined the back of the house.

“Everything is quiet and calm.”

“Good.” He nodded and wiped the sweat from his brow.

I quickly grabbed a towel for him and a glass of water. “Sit down for a bit. You deserve a break.”

He took the water and downed it before I had even had a chance to move. “Where are the girls?”

“Sleeping.” I handed him the towel and took the glass from his hands to refill it.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said.”

With my back to him, I stared down at the water with my eyebrows furrowed. I couldn’t remember what I’d said to him earlier. I was still half asleep and worn out.

“I think I’m ready to be a dad.”

I whipped around, almost spilling the water in the process. “You are?” I couldn’t stop my eyes from being as big as saucers.

“I am. Now to convince Georgia.”

I tried not to jump up and down. I already knew she was ready. She had talked about it to me many times, but she worried Frisco wasn’t ready. She didn’t want to rush their relationship, especially since they were newlyweds.

“I’m sure she’ll be on board. Talk to her about it. She may surprise you.”

His face brightened. “You think?”

“I do!” I screeched and had to tell myself not to run to my phone and text Georgia the good news. Soon he’d be back outside and I could drop the bombshell on her.

“I think it’s time we start a family of our own.” His smile grew large and his shoulders went backward, puffing out his chest. “I’m ready for it.”

The baby smell had gotten to him.

It gets everyone.