Teddy Bear Sir (The Sloan Brothers Book 3) by Jo Willow Page A

glass that mom always used.
    “ Your mother has been working her ass off.  It’s the least I could do.  I thought we’d do bacon and eggs for breakfast with biscuits and gravy.  It’s fast, easy, and it’ll be an easy clean up.  I made cinnamon rolls too, they’re in the warmer if you’d like one.”
    I was in trouble.  Women think that they’re the ones who have to contend with mothers that are making perpetual wedding plans for their daughters.  For some reason, the consensus is that a man’s mother never wants him to marry.  That there’s no girl good enough for their son.  The consensus has never met Bree Sloan.
    My mother has been on the prowl for the perfect wives for her sons since the day we drew breath.  Never discounting any possibility, she watched with intense interest as we dated through high school and college, waiting for the opportunity to put her two cents in.  That’s when the three of us agreed not to bring girls home.  Getting our mother’s hopes up wouldn’t be right, because none of us planned on marrying.  Seriously.  Once we started making money, gold diggers came out of the woodwork and they weren’t always obvious.
    Then Deacon brought home Dorothy.  Dorothy was genuine.  The real deal.  There wasn’t a dishonest bone in that woman’s body, and my folks loved her instantly.  I think subconsciously, Deke knew that.  That’s why he introduced them.  Yes she was writing a book, but she could’ve done that without meeting my folks.  Deacon’s sneaky.  He could’ve arranged a phone call, but he didn’t.  He brought her home.  Now I believe (and he might disagree with me on this) that he did it because he wanted to see if they felt the same way he did about her.  I think he knew he was in trouble the first time she pretty much told him to fuck off.  That happened the first time she met him and he told her not to fall in love with him.  I still laugh when I think about that, because I also believe that he fell before she did.
    Having said that, the same thing happened with Anton, only different.  You see, Deacon didn’t know he’d fallen until he was neck deep in it.  Then he started swimming and never looked back.  He’d kill anyone that tried to come between them now.  Deacon’s like that.
    With Anton, he knew immediately that he loved Melody.  They’re a perfect match and have been since they met.  They’re exactly alike.  Both stubborn, stupid to a fault, and dedicated to one another to the point of flustered denial.  The simple truth is, they don’t know what to do with one another.  They figured it out later on of course, but I’m giving you the background on my involvement with the clusterfuck that is now my life.  What’s the phrase?  Anton was screwed, blued, and tattooed the minute he met Melody Lincoln.
    Now it was my turn.
     
    The writing was on the wall whether I chose to read it or not.  My parents loved Ayla.  What’s not to love?  The additional knowledge and proof that she could cook, would be the final nail in my coffin.  They’d already watched us orbit each other the night before.  They’d seen the open and honest affection between us and I’m sure it didn’t escape them that whenever one of us went to get a drink or a cookie, an extra drink or cookie was brought back for the other.  We took care of one another.  It had begun weeks ago and we’ve never broken the habit.  Ayla and I cohabitate well together.  The cinnamon rolls sealed the deal.  My father would walk ten miles on his nose for a homemade cinnamon roll.  When he found out that what he believed to be my girlfriend made them, he’d be suggesting baby names and Spring weddings.  He’d have his daughter that could bake.  Her helping my mother by starting breakfast would merely be brownie points in his book.  Like I said.  I was in trouble.
    There was only one thing I could do.  I had to come clean with her.  She had to understand the