Tag We’re It: The Love Game: Book Six Read online

  Tag, We’re It

  The Love Game: Book Six

  Elizabeth Hayley

  This book is a publication of Waterhouse Press.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  * * *

  Copyright © 2021 Waterhouse Press, LLC

  Original Cover Design by Wicked by Design

  Cover Redesign by Waterhouse Press

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  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic format without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Elizabeth Hayley

  About Elizabeth Hayley

  For everyone on a journey toward a happily ever after…

  we hope you get there

  Chapter One

  R A N S O M

  “You’re acting like a nesting mother. Seriously. Put the Swiffer down.” Taylor’s voice somehow sounded both frustrated and fond, so I decided I could ignore her demand.

  “I would if someone hadn’t decided to eat cereal out of the box like some kind of Tasmanian devil and dropped crumbs all over the floor.”

  She took a deep breath as if she were drawing in strength before she spoke next. “Okay, I’m trying really hard to be understanding of the fact that you’re nervous, which is making you behave like an unhinged Mary Poppins. But”—she came over and ripped the Swiffer out of my hands—“that’s enough. Hudson is nineteen, not ninety-five. She’s probably hung out in much worse places than your apartment.”

  “Great. Now I’m picturing her hanging out in a dingy basement with a bunch of dudes huffing spray paint.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Your brain is such a scary place sometimes.”

  “Tell me about it.” I made a grab for the Swiffer, but she danced away from me. “Gimme it.”

  “This place is clean!” she yelled with some sort of odd deep voice and her arms spread wide. “Of dust, dirt, bad intentions, evil spirits, everything. It’s clean. Now go sit somewhere.”

  “I can’t just…sit. There are things that need to be done.”

  “No, there aren’t. You’ve done all the things. Pretty much nonstop since she called.”

  I shot her an annoyed glare, but I couldn’t dispute her words. When Hudson had called, telling me she was in trouble and needed help, I hadn’t hesitated to offer to fly her up to stay with me.

  What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t help her when some asshole knocked her up and then treated her so badly she had to run away? I wasn’t going to push, but eventually I’d get a name for whoever this guy was and pay him a visit, distance be damned. Roughing up some dude who thought it was okay to mess with my sister would be worth the trip to Georgia.

  There was no question that I’d been stress-cleaning since she’d called. Taylor and I had just gotten our own drama settled—or at least mostly settled since we’d realized we weren’t murderers—but still had to contend with her crazy ex-boyfriend Brad because now we knew he was out there somewhere.

  We weren’t necessarily thrilled to now be thrust into someone else’s drama. But after spending a few hours with my biological family at the reunion, I understood why Hudson felt she couldn’t turn to them for help with her pregnancy. They couldn’t be trusted to raise a Pomeranian, let alone a human. It was amazing Hudson and I had turned out as well-adjusted as we were.

  My sister was counting on me. I wouldn’t let her down. And if the first step in showing her how responsible I was meant scrubbing my apartment from top to bottom, then so be it. I smiled at Taylor, lulling her into a false sense of security before I lunged, grabbing the Swiffer back and hoisting it over my head in victory.

  She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Listen. You dealt with your stress by forcing us to travel the length of the contiguous United States, hitting some states more than once due to your dodgy reading abilities, and—”

  “You promised you wouldn’t bring that up anymore. How was I supposed to know there was a Georgia, Vermont? Anyone could’ve made that mistake.”

  “Mmm,” I hummed doubtfully, honestly unsure that anyone else would buy bus tickets for Vermont when they’d intended to go to Georgia.

  “And I didn’t force you. You willfully agreed to go.”

  “Well, yeah, because I thought we were being hunted by the fuzz.”

  She scoffed. “Who says ‘fuzz’?”

  I shrugged. “It sounded good in the moment.”

  “You should be thanking me,” she said, her lips clearly trying to fight a smile. Which made sense because what she’d just said was ridiculous.

  “Thanking you? For what? Leading us to a random house that you swore was a restaurant but was really a family home that could’ve housed the Manson family?” I should’ve known better than to think I could resist bringing any of this up again. It was just too damn funny.

  “You know that the Mansons weren’t a real family, right?”

  I ignored her and continued. “Or maybe it was when you got drunk with Owen’s grandmother and tried to cuddle with a chicken.”

  “Now you’re just being mean. His mom and grandmother slipped something into my drink. I’m sure of it.”

  “Yes, that’s…actually incredibly likely,” I deadpanned.

  Hands planted firmly on her hips, she stepped closer in a move she probably thought was menacing. But while she was tall, her blond head barely reached my chin. “Do you think Hudson ever would’ve called you if we hadn’t gone down there for the reunion? And do you think you ever would’ve gone to the reunion if I hadn’t said it was a good idea? Nope. So really, you getting to feed your hero complex is all because of me.”

  “Should I just forget about all the times you profusely apologized for making me go to that reunion?”

  “Yes,” she said, her voice emphatic.

  We glared at each other for a few seconds before we both erupted in laughter.

  “I can’t believe you brought up my hero complex. That was a low blow.” So I’d offered to house-sit and look after a few dogs, babysit a seven-year-old selective mute, and rescue a wayward sister? That didn’t make it a complex.

  She calmed, but the smile stayed on her face as she wrapped her arms around me. “I love that you love your sister. And I also love that you’re so worried about being welcoming and accommodating. But she chose to call you because she knew she could count on you. It’s not about the state of your apartment or anything like that. It’s because you make people feel protected and cared about.”

  I leaned down and rested my cheek on top of her head. “Stop saying nice things to me. It weirds me out. And, oddly, turns me on.” I pressed my erection against her a bit as evidence.

  She spluttered out a laugh. “I’m just speaking the truth, you perv.”

  “Well, your version of the truth makes me horny.” I started running my hands up and down her back.

  “What time was Hudson’s flight getting in?” she asked, her voice breathy.

  “She said she’d call when she landed.” Her flight had been delayed, so it had been over twenty-four hours since her frantic call, but I was relieved she was on her way.

  “With our luck, she’ll call as soon as you start something.”

  I started kissing down her jaw. “Maybe you should start it, then.”

  “Mmm, I think you beat me to it.”

  “I can stop,” I said as I pulled away from her a little.

  She reached up and pulled my head down to hers until our lips touched. “Don’t you dare,” she mumbled against me before drawing me into a heated kiss.

  As our tongues tangled and we gasped and moaned into each other’s mouths, I thought about how life couldn’t get much better. Against all odds, Taylor and I had somehow grown closer while enduring enough drama to fuel a soap opera.

  I began moving us toward the couch so we could stretch out on top of each other, preferably with less clothes on. As soon as Taylor’s back made contact with the fabric and I settled on top of her, we began grinding desperately. This was how I always hoped things were for Taylor and me: incendiary. I wasn’t sure anyone could go from zero to sixty like we could.

  I reached a hand down between us to pop the button o
n her jeans and then began gliding the zipper down. I’d just gotten my hand inside to tease along her underwear when there was a knock at my door.

  Groaning, I buried my face in her neck. “If that’s one of our friends, I’m disowning them.”

  “Well, they tend to travel in packs, so it’s probably more than one. They’re also impossible to get rid of. Kind of like the herpes of humanity.”

  I laughed as another knock came. “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” I yelled, hoisting myself off Taylor.

  She snorted. “Not now, you’re not.”

  Jerk.

  When I reached the door, I gave a quick look over my shoulder to make sure Taylor was decent. Seeing that she’d refastened her pants and was sitting up on the couch made a wave of longing rush through me. Was it too much to ask to have spontaneous sex with my girlfriend one last time before my sister moved in?

  I was going to kill whoever was on the other side of the door. Though not literally. I’d already avoided one murder rap. No need to tempt fate.

  Taking one more deep breath to make sure my body was back under control, I opened the door, ready to give hell to whoever was on the other side.

  But as my gaze settled on who was there, I jerked my head back in surprise. “Hudson?”

  A frown marred her face. “Yeah. Were you…not expecting me?”

  I snapped out of my shock and moved to envelop her in a hug. “I thought you were going to call from the airport.”

  She shrugged against my embrace. “I didn’t want to make you come all the way down there to get me. It was just as easy to Uber.”

  “I would’ve been happy to come get you.” In fact, I was a little irritated that she hadn’t called. She didn’t need to be traipsing all over the place in her condition. She’d been through enough already. But coming down on her for it wouldn’t help anything. What was done was done. “How did you know my address?” I asked as I pulled away and gestured for her to come in.

  “You texted it to me a while back, and I saved it in my phone.”

  That made me smile. I’m important to her.

  “How’d you get in the building?”

  “Someone opened the door for me because I was holding my bags. It would’ve been tough for me to get to my keys.”

  “Because you don’t have any.”

  “Minor detail,” she said with a smile.

  “Well, I’m glad to know my apartment’s got top-notch security.” It was one of the more high-end complexes in the area, which was one of the reasons Taylor had stayed here so many nights when Brad had been lurking around town. Though clearly that hadn’t done much to protect her from him.

  “Well, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the most threatening human being. Most people aren’t very scared of teenage girls.”

  “Tell that to my high school self,” l said with a laugh.

  I held the door so she could enter, and after it closed, I spun and saw Taylor hugging her.

  “We’re so glad you’re here,” Taylor said.

  Hudson chuckled, the sound a little awkward. “I’m sure you have better things to do without being inconvenienced by me. But I appreciate you letting me come anyway.” Hudson turned to look at me. “I promise, I’ll get my shit sorted and get out of your hair as quickly as I can.”

  “Don’t be silly,” I said. “You’re not inconveniencing anyone, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you need.”

  She smiled at me, but I could see hesitation in her eyes. I’d just have to work on convincing her that I wanted her here.

  “I’ll take your stuff into the bedroom. Do you need anything? I ran to the grocery store and got a bunch of things, but if there’s anything you like that’s not in there, I could run back out.”

  Settle the hell down, Ransom.

  The words had poured out of me almost frantically. I just wanted her to know I was happy to have her here, but I didn’t want to oversell it either. She’d probably interpret it as disingenuous if I were too effusive.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” she said, giving me a sweet smile. “I’m not picky.”

  Maybe she wasn’t yet, but I’d heard cravings were a thing when a woman was pregnant. And hormones. Should I ask about her hormones? Damn it, I probably should’ve spent more time on Google instead of with my hand down Taylor’s pants.

  “Let me take your coat,” I said as I started to pass her.

  She pulled it off and handed it to me, and I made a mental note to take her shopping sometime soon. Her coat was sufficient for Georgia, but she’d freeze in the winter here.

  She’d probably also need some maternity clothes eventually. Not that I really knew what made something maternity, but I assumed it was…stretchier.

  “We should go clothes shopping,” I blurted.

  Hudson looked at the jacket in my arms and then down at herself before focusing back on my face. “Why? Is something wrong with what I’m wearing?”

  I tried to ignore the What the fuck is wrong with you? look Taylor was shooting at me as I stammered out a reply that wouldn’t put her on the spot to discuss something she maybe wasn’t ready to.

  “Oh, uh, no, I just…thought…um, new place, new clothes, ya know?”

  Hudson looked confused, her reply cautious. “I’m good. For now, at least.”

  Right. For now, her clothes still fit, so she was fine. Maybe shopping for pregnant lady stuff was too much change all at once.

  “Ransom.” Taylor’s voice shook me from my internal musings.

  “Huh?”

  “Weren’t you putting Hudson’s things in the bedroom?” she asked.

  Oh. Yeah. Shit. I’d been standing here like a doofus. “Right. Yeah, I’m just gonna…do that.”

  As I walked away, I heard Hudson whisper, “Is he okay?”

  “Sure. He’s always super weird and awkward. Don’t worry about it.”

  That wasn’t exactly how I’d always dreamed of being described by the love of my life, but at the moment it was stunningly accurate, so I decided to go with it rather than argue.

  I had a feeling that would be my approach to a lot of things in the coming months.

  T A Y L O R

  Ransom needed to slow his roll way down. He’d been hovering over Hudson since she’d arrived an hour ago, and I could tell she was beginning to question if coming up here had been a good idea.

  Watching him was cute, honestly. He’d been fluffing pillows, fetching drinks, messing with the thermostat, offering blankets, whatever he could think of to make Hudson comfortable. When—a long, long time from now—I was pregnant, he was going to be amazing. Until I got tired of it and killed him. But it would be a really enjoyable few hours before he made me homicidal.

  I was watching some reality show with Hudson when Ransom burst out of the kitchen, clutching his phone. “I read something about feet. Do yours hurt?” The look on his face was so earnest I almost laughed.

  “Uh, no,” Hudson replied carefully. She looked like she’d just realized he might be a pod person she’d need to escape from.

  “Ransom, can you help me with something in the bedroom?” I asked as I stood.

  His brow scrunched up, and his lip curled in disgust. “My sister is here.”

  My eyes narrowed in disbelief. “Are you serious right now?” Did he really think I was suggesting we disappear into the bedroom to have sex while his sister channel surfed on the couch?

  “I…don’t know how to answer that,” he replied.

  Pointing toward the bedroom, I gritted out, “Go.”

  Sighing, he made his way across the room toward the small hallway that led to the bedroom. As he passed the couch, he hesitated. “Do you like peppermint tea?” he asked Hudson.