With Caution

sort of surprised.
    With Gadget having nine kids, he was expecting a little less…well, nice. Mechanics didn’t make that much, did they? Then again, what did he know, he’d been raised on the reservation. He was used to poorer houses.
    “You ready?” Jake cut the engine and peered over at him.
    “Yeah. I’m ready.”
    Jake unbuckled his seat belt and tilted forward.
    Remi did likewise, meeting his mate halfway. As their lips were about to touch Jake groaned and looked past Remi.

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    Huh? Remi was expecting a kiss. Turning his head, he bumped his nose into Jake’s cheek.
    “What are they doing here?”
    Their core pack members, all but Gadget, were standing on the lawn waiting on them.
    Dago and Nick smiled and waved. Tank tipped his head and Rhys stood there, scowling as usual. Zack came forward and opened the passenger side door. “Y’all coming in?”
    At the door, they heard a woman yelling about something.
    Remi raised a brow at Jake.
    Jake shrugged. “Gadget’s wife.”
    “Are we welcome?” Remi asked hesitantly and glanced behind them at the rest of the guys. They’d dressed for the occasion. There wasn’t a leather jacket in sight and all but Dago had on slacks instead of jeans. But Dago made up for the jeans with a tie, so it sort of evened out.
    Tank leaned forward to whisper something, then the door opened.
    An attractive blonde with short hair, wearing tight jeans and an even tighter shirt stood in the doorway, her mouth pinched together. She gave them a hostile glare and huffed out a breath, making her bangs move. Stepping out of the door, she left it open and barged past them without a word.
    Matt strolled past the entryway with a baby on his hip and spotted them. “Hey, guys, come on in.”
    Jake was the first one to move. The rest of them followed.
    The foyer of the house was large, with a carpeted staircase to the right. Past it led to a big open den area. It was very neat and tidy but for a few toys in the middle of the floor.
    Three boys about ten or so crowded in front of the TV, playing a video game. Two more closer to five or six played with cars behind the boys at the TV. They ran them around in circles making vroom vroom sounds and crashing them into one another.
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    Matt stepped over them. “Dad’s in the kitchen finishing dinner. Looks like it’s just going to be us. Mom had a meeting or something.”
    A boy about four came running in from what appeared to be the hallway, squealing and holding out an action figure. He ran to Matt, flopped onto the floor at Matt’s feet and threw the broken toy.
    “Darren, get up from there right now,” Matt growled.
    Falling backward, Darren started wailing.
    “Darren? Are you throwing another fit?” Gadget’s voice came from the left, the kitchen Remi assumed.
    Jumping to his feet, Darren shook his head. He said, “No,” at the exact same time Matt said, “Yes.”
    “Matthew?”
    “Yes?” Matt asked.
    “Put him to bed, I’m tired of his temper tantrums,” Gadget answered back.
    “No, I be good.” Darren held his hands out to Matt, shaking his head. “I be good, Maff. I be good.”
    Chuckling, Jake headed toward the kitchen. Zack trailed after him. Tank, Nick and Dago walked further into the living room. Tank and Nick went straight for the video game. Dago got on the floor and started playing cars. Rhys followed Zack and Jake.
    Matt turned to Remi. “Umm, Remi, would you, ah?” He dipped his chin toward the kid on his hip.
    “Sure.” Remi held out his hands. “Hey there. What’s your name?”
    The boy shied away, clinging to Matt.
    Darren got to his feet and tugged on Matt’s pants. “I sorry, Maff.”
    Leaning toward Remi, Matt tried to hand the clinging child off. “This is Eddie.
    Eddie, this is Remi. Be careful with his knees, Remi. They’ve been bugging him. I gave him some Motrin a few minutes ago.”
    Remi took the boy from Matt and realized the child’s hands were held in. This was the kid Gadget wanted him to see. “Hi, Eddie. How old are you?”

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    To Remi’s surprise Eddie blinked his big brown eyes and smiled. “I’m two.”
    Remi grinned at the clear, precise voice. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t you?”
    Eddie nodded, making hair fall in his eyes.
    He reminded Remi of Sterling at that age. Remi had loved playing with Sterling as a baby. Sterling never