While still chewing, the brothers looked back and forth among each other before shaking their heads.

Not that Darla had any intention of bringing two-day-old pie to a dinner at Eggie’s Momma’s house but still . . . it was the principle!

Disgusted, she stepped away from Eggie and marched toward the stairs. “Guess I’m going shopping tomorrow.”

“Don’t need to,” Benji told Darla as she passed him on the stairs. “I think your sisters are all bringing pie.”

Darla stopped at the door, faced the Smith boys, her eyes narrowing. “Oh? Are they?”

The four males backed away from her. Not that she blamed them.

With a sniff, she stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Eggie’s brothers shuddered after Darla slammed that door. Then they turned to leave—only to come face to face with Eggie.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Bubba lied. And the bastard was lying. “Why?”

“Whose idea was this dinner?”

“Momma’s. It’s not like she’s had any time to spend with her favorite boy.”

Eggie rolled his eyes. “She said that one time after drinkin’ and you still haven’t gotten over it, have you?”

“See ya tomorrow, big brother.” Bubba walked by him. “Can’t wait for the show.”

Bubba disappeared into the trees and the rest of them followed. With a sigh, Eggie went into his house—and found Darla going through all the cabinets.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“Seeing what I need to buy from the store tomorrow.” She faced him. “You do know what this is, don’t you?”

“You being irrational?”

“No. They’re challenging me.”

“Really don’t remember that being said.”

“You don’t know my sisters. This isn’t over.”

Eggie walked over to Darla and slipped his arm around her waist.

“Eggie . . . no.”

He didn’t answer, just kissed her neck.

“I’ve gotta make lists and . . . and things.”

Kissed her jaw.

“Eggieeeee,” she whined out, her arms reaching up and gripping his shoulders.

“Don’t make me face that bed alone, Darla Mae.” Don’t ever make me face that bed alone. Not ever again.

Darla gazed up into his face. “But if everybody thinks that Janie Mae’s pecan pie is better than mine . . .”

Eggie, smiling, picked Darla up and carried her to the stairs. “Don’t worry. That’ll never happen.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

Darla rolled out of bed naked and stood, stretching her arms high over her head. With an allover shake, she grabbed one of Eggie’s blackT-shirts off a chair and pulled it on over her head while she hurried downstairs. She rubbed her stomach and gazed into the refrigerator, trying to figure out what she wanted for breakfast.

“What’cha making this morning, Darla Mae?”

Darla closed her eyes and willed herself not to jump out of her skin at the voice coming from behind her. When she felt calm enough, she glanced over her shoulder. “Hey, Nicky Ray.”

“Hey.”

He pointed at the wall and Darla blinked. “A phone? You put in a phone?”

“Eggie told me to.” He grinned. “I’m the technically savvy one in this family.”

Darla, too nice to hurt the man’s feelings, smiled and nodded. “Of course you are. But Bubba said Eggie hates phones.”

“He does, but he wants you to feel safe. He asked me to take care of it when we first got back from Smithville. I just didn’t mention it to anybody.” Nicky swiped up an apple he had lying on the counter and took a bite out of it. “So y’all coming tonight?”

“Of course.”

“You sure? The whole family will be there.”

“Not a problem.” She yawned and grabbed the milk.

“Should you talk to Eggie first or are you speaking for both of you now?”

Darla glanced at the wolf before pouring milk into her glass. “Kind of an instigator, aren’t you, Nicky Ray?”

“Don’t know what’cha mean.”

“I think you do.”

He grinned at her and turned to go but he crashed right into his brother’s chest. “Hey, Eggie.”

Eggie bared his fangs and snarled. Eyes down, Nicky maneuvered around his brother and bolted out the backdoor.

Laughing, Darla shook her head and drank her milk.

“You sleep all right?” Eggie asked her.

“When I got sleep, yes.” She winked and handed him her half-finished glass of milk. Eggie took it and finished the rest in one gulp.

“Now,” she asked, walking to the phone, “why is this here?”

“Safety. You have any problems, you dial zero and Stacey, the town operator, will send the sheriff and deputies right over.”

“You sure all this is necessary, Eggie?”

“I’m not taking any chances. Not with you.”

Darla grinned and Eggie began to move toward her. But the new phone rang and Eggie’s reaction was . . . surprising. He jumped back about four feet and began barking at the phone, over and over again.

Not sure how long before the dang phone was ripped from the wall, Darla quickly picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

Unable to make out any words over the continued noise, she looked at Eggie and snapped, “Egbert Ray!”