about you.”
“ Well, don’t just stand there. I’ll introduce you to the others.”
Dirk and Ryann followed Roxie over to the two couches. Once they were all seated, Roxie made the introductions. Ryann learned that the man with the black hair was Roxie’s husband, Beowulf. The other two people were Jager and Daylen, another husband and wife.
She couldn’t help but stare a bit at Jager and Beowulf. The two men were tall, muscular and had supermodel looks just like Dirk. Their spouses were pretty, but didn’t look like models found on a fashion runway. Ryann was thankful for that. At least, she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb when it came to the looks department.
Ryann had just sat back as Dirk put his arm around her shoulders when Jager said, “So, have the two of you slept together yet?”
“ Jager!” both Daylen and Roxie said sharply at the same time.
“ What?” he asked. “I know you’re both dying to know, well, at least Roxie is.”
Daylen shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Just ignore him, Ryann. My husband has the bad habit of saying whatever the hell’s on his mind, regardless of how bad it sounds coming out of his mouth.”
With his long, light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and tough looking exterior, he had the appearance of a man you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Jager’s expression softened, showing the feelings he had for his wife when he looked at Daylen. “And that’s part of the reason why you love me,” he said with a smile.
Next to Ryann, Dirk groaned. “As another person who lives in the same house as you, I can definitely say it doesn’t make me want to love you. Sometimes it actually has the opposite effect.”
As the others laughed at Dirk’s quip, Ryann turned her head to look at him. “Jager and Daylen are your roommates? I thought you lived alone.”
The laughter petered out as he answered her. “They’re not roommates, more like family. I like to think of them as the siblings I never had. Along with the others we live with.”
“ There are more than just the three of you?”
Dirk nodded. “Altogether, including the new baby Jaden and Leif are expecting, there are eleven of us.”
Ryann looked at him, feeling very much surprised. “That’s one big family. I don’t know if I could live with that many people. I’m so used to it just being Tyler and me.”
“ Don’t worry, Ryann,” Jager said. “You’ll think nothing of it once you’ve moved in.” He grunted when his wife elbowed him in the side.
“ Would you shut up, Jager,” Daylen said. She then looked at Ryann. “Like I said before, ignore him. Who’s Tyler?”
Ryann couldn’t help the smile that formed. “He’s my three-year-old son.” She quickly added, “I’m divorced.”
“ Where is he now?” Roxie asked. “You could’ve brought him along instead of leaving him with a sitter. We have plenty of room here for him to sleep, if and when he got tired.”
“ He’s with his dad for the weekend.”
“ Oh, so you don’t have to rush back home?”
“ I suppose not,” Ryann said, though getting Dirk alone again was something she planned to do as soon as she could without being rude.
Roxie stood. “I think the food should be done. Why don’t the rest of you head to the dining room while I get everything ready to serve?”
“ Do you need any help, Rox?” Daylen asked.
“ Nope, I’m good.”
Once Roxie left, Beowulf got up and led the rest of them to the dining area. The table was long, more than enough room for six people to sit comfortably. A dark blue tablecloth covered it, and it had already been set.
Coming through another doorway at the other end of the room that must be connected to the kitchen, Roxie came in carrying a large pan of piping hot lasagna. She placed it on the center of the table on a cooling rack. She took off the oven mitts she wore before she said, “I’ll just get the garlic bread, then we can dish up.”
The smell
“ Well, don’t just stand there. I’ll introduce you to the others.”
Dirk and Ryann followed Roxie over to the two couches. Once they were all seated, Roxie made the introductions. Ryann learned that the man with the black hair was Roxie’s husband, Beowulf. The other two people were Jager and Daylen, another husband and wife.
She couldn’t help but stare a bit at Jager and Beowulf. The two men were tall, muscular and had supermodel looks just like Dirk. Their spouses were pretty, but didn’t look like models found on a fashion runway. Ryann was thankful for that. At least, she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb when it came to the looks department.
Ryann had just sat back as Dirk put his arm around her shoulders when Jager said, “So, have the two of you slept together yet?”
“ Jager!” both Daylen and Roxie said sharply at the same time.
“ What?” he asked. “I know you’re both dying to know, well, at least Roxie is.”
Daylen shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Just ignore him, Ryann. My husband has the bad habit of saying whatever the hell’s on his mind, regardless of how bad it sounds coming out of his mouth.”
With his long, light brown hair pulled back in a ponytail and tough looking exterior, he had the appearance of a man you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley. Jager’s expression softened, showing the feelings he had for his wife when he looked at Daylen. “And that’s part of the reason why you love me,” he said with a smile.
Next to Ryann, Dirk groaned. “As another person who lives in the same house as you, I can definitely say it doesn’t make me want to love you. Sometimes it actually has the opposite effect.”
As the others laughed at Dirk’s quip, Ryann turned her head to look at him. “Jager and Daylen are your roommates? I thought you lived alone.”
The laughter petered out as he answered her. “They’re not roommates, more like family. I like to think of them as the siblings I never had. Along with the others we live with.”
“ There are more than just the three of you?”
Dirk nodded. “Altogether, including the new baby Jaden and Leif are expecting, there are eleven of us.”
Ryann looked at him, feeling very much surprised. “That’s one big family. I don’t know if I could live with that many people. I’m so used to it just being Tyler and me.”
“ Don’t worry, Ryann,” Jager said. “You’ll think nothing of it once you’ve moved in.” He grunted when his wife elbowed him in the side.
“ Would you shut up, Jager,” Daylen said. She then looked at Ryann. “Like I said before, ignore him. Who’s Tyler?”
Ryann couldn’t help the smile that formed. “He’s my three-year-old son.” She quickly added, “I’m divorced.”
“ Where is he now?” Roxie asked. “You could’ve brought him along instead of leaving him with a sitter. We have plenty of room here for him to sleep, if and when he got tired.”
“ He’s with his dad for the weekend.”
“ Oh, so you don’t have to rush back home?”
“ I suppose not,” Ryann said, though getting Dirk alone again was something she planned to do as soon as she could without being rude.
Roxie stood. “I think the food should be done. Why don’t the rest of you head to the dining room while I get everything ready to serve?”
“ Do you need any help, Rox?” Daylen asked.
“ Nope, I’m good.”
Once Roxie left, Beowulf got up and led the rest of them to the dining area. The table was long, more than enough room for six people to sit comfortably. A dark blue tablecloth covered it, and it had already been set.
Coming through another doorway at the other end of the room that must be connected to the kitchen, Roxie came in carrying a large pan of piping hot lasagna. She placed it on the center of the table on a cooling rack. She took off the oven mitts she wore before she said, “I’ll just get the garlic bread, then we can dish up.”
The smell
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