The Naughty List Bundle - Kylie Adams [115]
Sawyer reached over and clapped his laughing son on the back. “They’ll both strangle you for that, Case.” Then to Morgan: “Stop letting them bait you. You look ready to do bodily harm, and then what will Misty think of you?”
“She’ll think I’m possessive.”
“And you have the right to be?”
“Damn right.” Morgan released her hand and put his arm around her, hauling her up so close she felt her ribs protesting. “We’ve come to an agreement.”
She gave Honey a helpless look, but Honey just rolled her eyes, as if she’d expected nothing less from Morgan.
In between bites of pancake, Gabe asked, “Is the baby’s father aware of this agreement, or is he likely to show up here any time soon, demanding to know what’s going on?”
Jordan scoffed. “If he has any sense, he’ll show up. I know I would. ‘Course, I wouldn’t have let her get away in the first place.” Then he eyed Morgan, and added, “Not that it’s likely to do him any good if he does come here.”
Misty had never felt so overwhelmed in her life. Not only did they seem to accept her pregnancy without hesitation or condemnation, but they also championed her and complimented her and apparently welcomed her involvement with their brother. There were no prying questions.
She was totally speechless.
Morgan was not. “He’s out of the picture, and I say good riddance. But if he does ever show his face here, believe me, I’d love to have a minute or two alone with him.”
“He doesn’t know where I am,” Misty pointed out.
Morgan gave her a level look. “Perhaps you could tell him.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” Honey shook her finger at Morgan. “You’re always looking for a reason to pound on somebody.”
“Sometimes you don’t have to look for a reason.”
Honey turned to Misty. “Don’t pay any attention to his threats. It’s like a dog growling, all for show. He’s actually very sweet.”
A round of masculine grunts disputed Honey’s description. Obviously nobody else thought Morgan to be sweet.
“He is!” Honey protested. “At least, once you get to know him better—” She stopped and laughed. “But I guess you know him well enough already, huh?”
Morgan paid them no mind. “I think I do a pretty good job of not pounding on people most of the time, which is why I was elected sheriff.” He grinned. “Total control of my temper.”
“As I remember it,” Jordan said, “it was your ability to take control of everyone else that gave the townsfolk assurance you could handle just about any situation.”
“I don’t seem to have control over your mouth, brother.”
“No.” Jordan chuckled. “But then, I’ve been fighting with you all of my life and lived to tell about it.”
“Can we get back to the subject at hand?” Gabe asked. “What’s this agreement you two have? I’m dying of curiosity.”
Misty held her breath, uncertain as to what Morgan might come up with by way of explanation. None of them seemed particularly surprised that they were supposedly involved, which to her was no less than amazing. All they’d done since they first met was antagonize each other. Or at least that’s all any of his family had seen. If anything, they should have believed that they despised each other. But of course, his brothers knew Morgan better than she did, and maybe grousing and growling was part of his normal temperament.
Heaven knew, he seemed to wear a perpetual frown when he wasn’t laughing with her or trying to kiss her. She glanced at him and saw that indeed, his brows were pulled down and his expression was dark. It irritated her. She moved away from his side and gave him a look to let him know that if he spelled out their agreement completely, there’d be hell to pay.
To her surprise, he laughed, then kissed her loudly, right there in front of everyone. “Quit scowling, Malone. You’re going to get wrinkles.”
“Yeah. Or worse, you’ll start looking so forbidding, we’ll confuse you with Morgan.” Gabe ducked when Morgan reached for him, then laughed as he resettled himself in his seat and went back to work on his pancakes.