“I never told anyone except Rocky,” Layne replied. “She used to call me Tanner until I told her that. After I told her, she never said it again. I didn’t ask her to call me Layne, she just did.”

Vera’s eyes moved to Rocky for a beat then came back to Layne and Layne kept talking.

“Now, Ma, I’m happy to see you. The boys’ll love it that you’re here. It’s even cool why you’re here, comin’ home to look after your boy. But you don’t know what’s going on, you don’t know what went on and you’re not gonna know. All you gotta know is, what you see is the way it is. You don’t like it, I don’t care, you’ll have to learn to hide it. You can’t learn to hide it and keep actin’ like that, I hate to say it because I love you but I’ll show you the door. Is that clear?”

Vera’s hand went to her throat and Rocky went solid beside him.

“Layne,” Rocky whispered.

“You’re choosin’ her over me?” Vera asked on a breath.

“No, you’re choosin’ to hold onto something that isn’t there over Rocky. You never had a daughter, you told me when I hooked up with her you were glad I gave you a good one. Look close Ma, she’s back.”

“She –” Vera started.

“I know, Ma, it happened to me. It’s over. We’re movin’ on. That’s all you’re gonna get because that’s all you need,” Layne stated.

Vera’s eyes moved back to Rocky then to Layne.

“I just –” Vera began.

Layne cut her off. “I know, now you can just cool it.”

Vera stayed silent. Rocky remained unmoving against his side.

Devin closed the sliding glass door and called, “Anyone gonna go get donuts?”

“I’ll go get donuts,” Rocky said instantly.

“No, I’ll go get donuts,” Vera returned.

“Fuck me,” Layne muttered.

“Jesus, I’ll go get donuts,” Devin stated and Layne heard a belt buckle clink.

“Then I’ll go get dressed,” Rocky whispered.

“Excellent idea,” Vera retorted.

“Ma,” Layne said warningly and then looked down at Rocky. “Make coffee, yeah?”

She looked back at him and replied, “Sure, but I’ll get dressed first.”

“It’s Saturday and there’s a law that on Saturday, you don’t get dressed until at least noon,” Layne told her.

She bit her lip, let it go and said, “Layne –”

“Make coffee.”

“Layne –”

His arm gave her a squeeze. “Sweetcheeks. Make. Coffee.”

“Someone make coffee, I’ll be back in ten with donuts,” Devin declared and, without looking at a soul, he walked through the bodies around the front door and out of it. While the door was opened, Layne saw he’d parked at the curb.

Fucking Devin.

“I’ll make coffee,” Vera declared, stomped into the house and rounded the corner into the kitchen.

Rocky watched her, going so far as to twist her neck to look over her shoulder.

“Baby,” Layne called gently and Rocky’s eyes snapped to his.

“I need to go home,” she whispered and he turned her full frontal into him and wrapped both arms around her.

“You don’t need to go home,” he replied.

“I need to go home,” she repeated.

“Okay, well, you’re not goin’ home and you can’t get home anyway, you don’t have a car.”

“I’ll walk,” she returned, Layne grinned and dropped his face close to hers.

“You think, after last night, I’m letting you out of my sight until you have to leave Monday morning to go to school, think again, sweetcheeks,” he murmured, pink came into her cheeks and her body shifted into his even as her hands came up to his biceps and gripped.

“You said we’d talk,” she told him and his grin turned into a smile.

“Well, that’s not gonna happen with Ma here, Devin here and donuts comin’.”

Her fingers gripped harder even as her body pressed closer. “Layne, we need to talk.”

He dipped his face closer, veered to the side and whispered in her ear, “I’ll talk and I’ll use my mouth but what I say won’t be words and how I use my mouth, baby, I know you’re gonna like.”

“Layne,” she breathed and his c**k twitched.

Christ, he liked it when she breathed his name like that. That was new, that was this Rocky in his arms. She didn’t do that before. She might moan his name but that sweet, breathy hunger he’d never heard. And, f**k, but he liked it.

He lifted his head and his hands, gathering her hair in both palms, he held it loosely behind her head, resting his forearms gently on her shoulders and went on. “Live this with me, just live it, whatever happens, however it happens, live it with me for two days. It doesn’t go the way you like, we’ll talk Monday night. It goes the way you like, we live it real and ride it out. Will you give me that, honey?”

Her brows drew together. “Live it with you?”

“Live it with me, Roc, live it here, with me, make it real, as real as it can get for two days.”

“Make it real,” she whispered.

Layne nodded. “For two days.”

She stared up at him and he knew he had her when her fingers uncurled on his biceps and her hands moved to his chest.

She confirmed it by saying, “Okay. Two days.”

“Promise,” he pushed and she hesitated so he tugged gently at her hair and repeated, “Promise.”

She gazed into his eyes and then whispered, “Promise.”

He dropped his forehead to hers, ran her hair between his hands, his hands travelled down her back then he wrapped his arms tight around her and trapped her close.

“Thanks baby,” he whispered.

“Coffee’s brewing!” Vera shouted.

Rocky jumped.

Layne grinned.

Then he heard the garage door go up, his forehead left hers, he turned his head and listened.

Only he and Jasper had a garage door opener. Devin had the key to the front door. And Jasper had no reason to be there.

Shit.

“Is that –?” Rocky started and Vera appeared around the corner, she’d lost her antagonism, her face was beaming.

“I think the boys are here!” Vera shouted.

“Now I definitely need to get dressed,” Rocky murmured and it sucked but she was right. At this juncture, Rocky wandering around his house on a Saturday morning in his tee was not cool when both his sons were getting used to a new woman in his life as well as the fact that they both went to her school. It’d take awhile before it was cool.