Dreams of Ivory by Carrie Ann Ryan Page B

cracker.
    “What did I say about throwing food?” Jackson said as he came in the room. Without saying anything to her, he pulled her from the couch, sat down, and placed her on his lap.
    Honor raised her brow and noticed his brothers did the same. “You could have just asked if you wanted to sit.”
    Jackson shrugged. “I wanted to sit here.”
    Honor rolled her eyes again. The man made her do that too often, but she loved him anyway.
    She swallowed hard.
    Loved?
    Oh hell no, she couldn’t be in love with him again already. That did beg the question, though, if she’d ever fallen out of love with him in the first place. Hell, things were moving too fast, and yet, as she looked at the happy couples, their futures ripe with new babies, she didn’t think time was moving fast enough.
    Jackson rubbed the back of her neck, and she sighed against him. “You’re a menace,” she whispered.
    “That was never in doubt, dear,” he whispered back.
    She laughed softly then froze as she met the curious gazes of every single Cooper—three kids included.
    “Stop staring,” Jackson mumbled, and Honor squeezed his free hand. 
    The last thing she needed was tension due to her presence. Well, any more tension than there already was.
    Everyone just smiled, but continued to stare. 
    “Sorry, Honor,” Justin said, apologizing as he wrapped an arm around Rina’s shoulders. “We can’t help it. We haven’t seen the guy smile or act like this since…well, ever. We didn’t know you when you were dating him before, so we’re a little behind on the whole hazing-of-the-big-brother thing.”
    “You see, Jackson has been, shall we say, reluctant to enter the real world of talkative people in the past,” Brayden said with a grin as Allison ran her hand through his hair in an unconscious gesture.
    “You mean he doesn’t like to talk about his feelings like the rest of you do?” Honor said, a little annoyed they were putting Jackson in the spot. “I mean, you big tough Cooper men must love gushing about your feelings, right?”
    Everyone went silent, and Honor wanted to crawl under a rock. Here she was defending Jackson when his brother hadn’t said anything too mean. 
    Great way to make a good impression, Honor .
    Then Matt started to laugh, followed by everyone in the room—including Jackson.
    “I see we won’t be allowed to harp on you much,” Tyler said with a grin. “Sorry, Honor, we just like to gang up on each other, but we don’t mean anything by it.”
    Honor blushed while Jackson pulled her closer. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”
    “My brothers are just being asses like usual,” Jackson said as he rubbed her side.
    “Uncle Jacks said ass!” Lacy, Brayden and Allison’s six-year-old, wiggled from Allison’s hold to come up in front of Jackson. “You owe a dollar to the cuss jar.”
    Honor held back a laugh as Jackson sighed. “Fine, but you owe a dollar too because you repeated what I said.”
    Lacy’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean to. I swear.” She moved her hands, and her little mouth wobbled.
    Jackson immediately moved so that Lacy and Honor were each on his lap on a separate knee.
    “Now don’t cry, Lace,” Jackson soothed. “You didn’t mean to do it.”
    Lacy looked up with watery eyes. “So do I still have to pay?”
    Honor bit back a laugh at the hope on the little girl’s face. She had a feeling Jackson was being played by the adorable girl.
    “Don’t look at me with those big eyes, Lace. You cuss, you pay.” Jackson kissed the top of her head as he said it, and Lacy giggled.
    “Fine,” the little girl said as she hopped off Jackson’s lap. “Can I go play outside now?”
    “If your parents say it’s okay then fine,” Jackson answered. “I put out the horseshoes so the kids could play if they wanted.”
    Brayden nodded, and Cameron, Aiden, and Lacy ran out screaming and laughing.
    “Horseshoes?” Rina asked with a smile. “I