Down and Dirty (4 page)

Yori sighed.
Idiots
. He’d have to check this guy out. There was no way he was going to let some other bastard move in on Shaundra. “Dae-Hyun? That’s not a Japanese name.”

“It’s Korean,” Satoshi said.

A Korean
? “Let me guess. He’s handsome.”

Both Satoshi and Ichiro nodded.

“I knew I shouldn’t have moved out the farmhouse. You guys need me around to keep your sorry asses in line.” He pointed to Satoshi. “You fix that shit with Cristal.” Then he pointed to Ichiro. “You better find a way to get Shaundra away from Dae-Hyun before he gets in her bed.” He turned to Takumijo. “You!”

“What?” Takumijo asked. “I haven’t done anything this time. I got my woman, and she’s going with me to Kagawa.”

Yori raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what the hell is happening, but I know it all better be right by Christmas.”

“I thought you were spending Christmas with your in-laws,” Satoshi said bravely.

“I am, but I’m coming home right after dinner. Amaya can stay if she wants to, but I can’t leave you guys on your own.”

****

“Dude, how come I feel like I’m ten years old?” Satoshi asked as he, Ichiro, and Takumijo rode back to the farmhouse after having lunch with Yori.

“Because Yori chewed you a new asshole,” Takumijo teased.

Ichiro pouted. “I don’t know why he’s so mad at me. It’s not like I let Shaundra move out. You’d think she was his wife.”

“She almost was,” Takumijo said. “But he stepped aside, thinking you could take care of her and make her happy.”

Ichiro parked the van in the lot behind the house and they all got out. He didn’t know what was eating Takumijo either. He’d been superrude all afternoon. “I did make her happy.” He looked down at his watch. “Oh shit,” he said.

“What’s wrong?” Satoshi asked.

“I almost forgot. Shaundra’s bringing the boys over later. I have to cook dinner.”

“You forgot?” Satoshi asked. “And need I remind you, the boys don’t have any teeth yet.”

“Not them. I’m talking about Shaundra.”

“Did she say she was coming for dinner?” Takumijo asked.

“Yes, Mr. Smarty-pants. I’m going to fix Kobe beef. It’s her favorite.”

They entered the farmhouse. Ichiro ran up the stairs to change.

“He does realize he has to cook for us too,” Takumijo said selfishly.

Satoshi just shrugged.

****

Shaundra drove up to the gates of the farmhouse in her new SUV and got stopped at the gates by a security guard.

“Can I see some ID, miss?”

Shaundra didn’t recognize him and he didn’t recognize her. He was tall, thin, and Japanese, and working on her last nerves. She lifted her sunglasses as she handed him her identification card. “My name is Shaundra Yoshida. I live here.”

The guard looked at her ID card and then her. “I’ve never seen you before, and I don’t see your name on the list of occupants.”

Shaundra sighed. She had no right to be upset. He was right. She was the one who moved out. “Just buzz the main house.” It had started to snow again and she was starting to freeze talking to him.

The guard handed her back her card. He didn’t seem like he was in too much of a hurry. “Cute kids,” he said, peeping into the back seat. “Are they yours?”

Shaundra rolled her eyes at him even though she knew he couldn’t see it behind her glasses. People asked her that a lot when she took the boys into town since they both resembled Ichiro. “Yes.”

The guard finally picked up the telephone, dialed, and spoke to someone in Japanese. She did make out black woman and babies.

The guard quickly took the receiver from his ears. Apparently, someone inside the farmhouse didn’t like something he said and was hollering at him very loudly. The guard hung up the phone. “You may pass through, Mrs. Yoshida.”

“
Arigatou
.”

He lifted the gates.

Shaundra drove down the familiar path that led to the main farmhouse. She got a moment of weakness when the actual house came into view. And it got worse when she saw the three Japanese males standing on the front porch waiting.

Shaundra gulped, shocked by how differently they looked with their new haircuts. Especially Ichiro, who used to have hair all the way down to his butt.
Oh my God, Takumijo is a blond
. That was sinfully wrong on so many different levels. Her heart did that stupid little thumping thing it did whenever they were near her. Shaundra fought back the silly emotions, turned off the engine, and opened the car door.

The three men came down the stairs to greet her.

“Welcome back,” Ichiro said, giving her a peck on the cheek. He greeted her like she was back for good.

Shaundra didn’t respond, afraid of what she might say or do. She simply smiled.

Satoshi gave her a big hug and brushed his cheek against hers. “You look great,” he whispered in her ear. His warm breath tickled. He released her.

One of the babies woke up in the back seat and cooed.

Satoshi peeped into the car. “Hey, little dude.”

Shaundra smiled. He sounded so American.

The baby gurgled and cooed like he recognized and understood Satoshi.

“Nice to see you again, farmhouse queen,” Takumijo said. He wasn’t much of a hugger, but he managed a weak one to be civil. Of the four members of Aomori, he was the only one not tied to her emotionally, which she was grateful for. He and Satoshi lifted the boys out their car seats while Ichiro grabbed the boys’ diaper bags.

“They’re getting so big,” Ichiro said, peering at their sons.

Shaundra smiled and nodded, feeling maybe coming over was a big mistake.

“Go on inside. It’s too cold out here,” Ichiro told her.

Shaundra grabbed her keys, locked the SUV, and then walked up the stairs, huddling in her nice warm coat. The aroma of Kobe beef caught her attention as soon as she entered. Ichiro must have prepared it especially for her. Shaundra sighed. Her love could not be bought with food.

The guys followed her in and then Ichiro led the way to the den. Shaundra picked up the little changes. Someone had bought new drapes for the living room, and changed the light fixture in the hall. And there was a new clock on the wall. There were also several new pictures of Aomori in the den, probably from their European tour.

Satoshi and Takumijo got the twins out of their winter wear while Ichiro helped her out of her coat. The scent of his cologne just drove her crazy, and the look he gave her literally stole her breath away. The hunger in those big blue eyes could not be denied.

“Doesn’t she look fantastic?” Satoshi said as he sat down on the sofa with Ryoto. “It’s hard to believe you just gave birth to twins.”

“Thank you,” Shaundra said. She’d been working out hard and practicing martial arts with Dae-Hyun to get back into her pre-pregnancy shape, but she couldn’t tell him that without starting a riot. She wore a pair of black slacks, a black-and-white pullover sweater, and her new black knee boots. “I’ve lost most of the weight, but I’m still trying to tone up a bit.”

Ichiro had his eyes fixated on her bosom. Those she still had to work on.

“Are you still nursing?” he asked.

There was no subject taboo to these guys. “Yes. The boys refuse to drink their milk from a cup.”

Takumijo chuckled at her joke. “Good boys,” he told Raiden. “You will grow up big and tall like Uncle Takumijo.”

Shaundra smiled. No doubt the boys would be tall and fine like Ichiro.

“Would you like something to drink?” Ichiro asked.

She could use something to stop the butterflies in her stomach, but she didn’t drink, and she didn’t want alcohol to contaminate her breast milk. “No, thank you. I’m good.”

Ichiro finally drew his eyes off her breasts and hung up her coat. “Dinner will be ready shortly.” He left the den to check on it, leaving her standing in the same place.

“You can sit down,” Satoshi told her. “You’re safe.”

Shaundra sat down in a seat across from the sofa. She wished she could believe him. Ichiro was on his best behavior at the moment, but she didn’t know how long it was going to last.

“It’s so quiet now that the others are gone,” Shaundra said, speaking of Yori, Cristal, and Masaaki.

“We’ve gotten used to it,” Takumijo said, playing with Raiden.

“How’s the writing coming?” Satoshi asked. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she arrived.

“Fine. My latest book is on the top of some best-sellers list again.”

“And you don’t think that’s fantastic?” Satoshi asked.

Shaundra shrugged. It was hard keeping up with such things with the twins constantly needing her attention. Dae-Hyun was big help, but he couldn’t nurse the twins. “Yes, I think it’s great. The royalties are just rolling in.”

“That’s a sign of a good writer,” Takumijo said. “Before you know it, you’ll be a millionaire.”

Shaundra smirked. She was already a millionaire. Harper had taught her how to invest in stocks and property, and she was raking in the dough. Sadly, none of that mattered to her. “Have you heard from Cristal?” she asked.

“No,” Satoshi answered.

“She’s okay,” Takumijo said. “Mr. Niigata is keeping her busy, and she has a new assistant to help her out.”

The expression on Satoshi’s face said he didn’t know any of this, which led her to believe that something bad must have happened between Cristal and Satoshi in Europe. She’d spoken to Cristal a couple of times since the group returned, but her friend hadn’t told her a thing.

“Are you ready for the christening?” Satoshi asked, obviously changing the subject. No one wanted to bring up any bad subject or open any wounds.

“Yes, Daichi has been drilling me on my part, and I’m looking forward to a little road trip.”

“Speaking of which, isn’t that a new SUV?”

Shaundra nodded. “I needed something bigger to chauffer the boys around in. Two boys, two car seats, and two diaper bags take up a lot of room. I guess I’ll have to invest in a family van when the boys get bigger.”

“I can’t believe how much you’re getting around Osaka now,” Satoshi teased. “I remember when driving in a lot of traffic frightened you.”

“Sometimes you have to do what you have to do,” Shaundra said.

“I’m impressed,” he said to her in Japanese.

“Arigatou. You are most kind,” she replied in Japanese.

“That’s very impressive,” Ichiro said, entering the room. “Your Japanese is flawless.”

“I’ve been practicing,” Shaundra said. “I want to be able to communicate with my boys and their teachers. You don’t know what it’s like being a stranger in a foreign country.”

“Of course I do,” Ichiro said. “I’ve been outside Japan before. I’m sorry I haven’t noticed how much of a challenge it’s been for you to move here.”

“Osaka is my home now,” Shaundra said. “I’m getting used to it. I’ve even made some friends in town and the people at the market don’t hassle me quite as much.”

“Dinner is ready,” he said, still serious. “I’ve set up the seats for the boys so you can eat in peace.”

The dining room seemed so empty with just the four of them. Usually, every seat at the big table with occupied. And there would be conversation and joking.

Raiden went back to sleep the moment his father placed him into his baby seat. But Ryoto was bright-eyed and animated, cooing at Ichiro. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he was filling him in on family secrets.

“Daddy misses you too,” Ichiro said, tenderly stroking the baby’s cheek and jaw.

Don’t you dare fall apart
.

Ichiro walked away from the baby and began serving the food.

Satoshi wasted no time reclaiming his namesake. “Your daddy is the best chef in the world. You need to grow up so you can try this.”

Ryoto cooed at him like he understood.

“He’ll be eating strained food soon enough,” Ichiro said. “Right now he’s getting the finest meal in town.”

Shaundra couldn’t help but smile at the joke.

Ichiro finally sat down and joined them at the table. “I can’t wait to take them to Kagawa. My family is so excited. They’re the first twins in the family and are considered good luck.” He sighed. “I wished my grandmother was still around. She would have loved them. She used to tell me stories of the blue-eyed gods who visited the earth bestowing blessing on people. So when they discovered I had blue eyes, my birth was celebrated similar to what will go on this weekend.”

“So the people of your village consider you a god?” Takumijo asked.

“Not exactly, but I was treated special because of it. But all that ended when my parents died and Daichi moved us here to Osaka.”

There was so much she didn’t know about him. Maybe rushing into a marriage wasn’t such a good idea.

Raiden woke up crying and ended the peaceful setting.

Ichiro was on his feet instantly. He lifted the baby out of the seat and cradled him in his arms. “Hey, Raiden. It’s Daddy. Did you have a nightmare?”

The baby stopped crying.

“Check his diaper,” Shaundra told him. “He’s probably wet.”

Ichiro balanced his son in one arm, slipped a finger though the slit in the sleeper and tested the diaper. “Soaking,” he said. “I’ll change him.”

“His diaper bag is the blue one,” Shaundra told him.

“Why two diaper bags?” Takumijo asked.

“It’s a me thing,” Shaundra said. “I want them to be treated as individuals. It’s bad enough they share a birthday.”

“So that’s the reason I never see them in matching outfits,” Satoshi said.

“Yeah. If I treat them like individuals, then everyone else might too.”

“We’ll be back shortly,” Ichiro said. He left the room with Raiden.

Satoshi checked Ryoto’s diaper. “He’s still dry.”

“He’s waiting for dinner,” Shaundra told him, returning to her meal.

Satoshi gently rubbed Ryoto’s stomach. “You lucky baby.”

Shaundra smirked. “Yeah, and he knows it.”

“Where’s Dae-Hyun?” Satoshi asked.

Shaundra wondered when his name would come up. “Home, hopefully relaxing. His day begins at four thirty in the morning and ends around nine at night.”

“Ichiro is still pretty upset with him,” Satoshi told her. “He doesn’t think it’s right that you’re out there alone with a stranger.”