25. Family Gatherings
Chapter twenty-five
Family Gatherings
T he next afternoon Isobel and I walk hand in hand through my parents' front door a little ahead of schedule, as I'm finding Isobel is just about always early to an event. We step through the foyer and greet my parents' butler, who takes our jackets and instructs us to the family room where father, mother, Mason, and Teresa and her husband are sitting.
Mother's holding baby Vi while father sits next to her cradling Vi's head in his big palm. Mother croons down at Vi, who's looking up at her, swaddled tightly in her blanket.
"Hey sis, she looks so beautiful," I say to Teresa, bending down to give her a kiss on the top of her head and then shake Brody's hand. He's proud, boasting the biggest smile I've ever seen on another man's face. "Brody, you did good, my man. How does it feel?"
Brody furrows his brow. "Like I want to kill someone over her. "
Teresa giggles, rubbing his arm. "Well, hopefully not until the first guy comes knocking on the door in about sixteen years." At her obviously harmless teasing we all turn our heads to look at Brody and grin as the blood visibly drains from his face and he narrows his eyes with an expression I'd never seen from him before.
I guess my turn is coming next.
I sit in a nearby chair as Isobel sinks to her knees in front of Madre and watch as she gently hands Vivian over to her. I'm not even bothered that Izzy gets to hold my niece before I do, I want to see what my woman looks like with a baby cradled in her arms.
It's everything I've dreamed.
At first I wasn't sure if we should tell our families today about our pregnancy, considering we're so early on, and I didn't really want to steal Teresa's and Brody's thunder. But when Isobel looks over at me, and I see the happiness in her eyes, the pure joy radiating from her in this moment, I can't help but want to suck everyone into our bubble so they can be a part of it too.
I'm fixing to open my mouth when my parents' butler comes into the room, announcing Donna and Melody's presence.
"Hello!" Donna greets us as she walks in first, toting a shy Melody behind her.
I stand and walk over to welcome her, worried that I've done irreconcilable damage to mine and hers relationship. But as I draw closer, that fear recedes as she goes from being obviously fake irritated with me to a bright welcoming smile.
"Hendrix King you brute!" she teases, hitting me lightly on my chest before letting me pull her into a big hug with a chuckle. "You better be so grateful that you're so charming!"
"Mom!" Isobel states rapidly as she rises off the floor with Vi and rushes. "I've missed you so so much- "
Isobel squeaks when, as she gets close to her mother, Donna grabs Vi out of her arms instead of hugging Isobel. She stands there silently looking rather confused as Donna snuggles Vi, then coos at her. "Oh you're so adooorablleeee!" Donna gushes.
I stand there like a sore thumb, watching Isobel get passed over for the baby.
"Well," Isobel huffs. "Glad to see you missed me too." She leans over to embrace Melody who sidesteps Donna.
"Oh please, I knew you were okay," Donna chastises Isobel gently, rocking Vi and giving my family a bright smile. "Hi everyone, I'm Isobel's mom. How are you all?"
Everyone chimes in their hello, except for one voice that's missing. I turn to do some chastising of my own. I glance over and see Mason staring rather hard at Melody, looking overcome.
"Mason?" I call out, still seeing him locking eyes with Melody, who's turning redder and redder with every passing second. So immersed, that he still isn't comprehending that I'm speaking to him. "Mason!" I snap.
Nope, he's gone deaf; looking at Melody like he's going to leap across the few feet at her and eat her up. Leaning forward I snag Mason by the elbow and yank him behind me, moving to the other side of the room and well out of the ear shot of our families.
"Hey Hen, let go of me!" he snaps tugging against my hold, but it just makes me tighten down even harder as I jerk him around to face me.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I hiss. "She's sixteen, Mason!"
He throws his hands up but I know better; I saw what I saw.
"Nothing, Hendrix. Goddamn, you are such a fucking killjoy . I thought being married to Isobel would calm you down a little because you're finally getting laid on a regular, but nope, still just as uptight of a dick as ever." He snatches his arm away and glares at me with an annoyed expression; however, I couldn't care less about his obvious disdain of me.
Pointing a finger at his face, I glare at him. "Stay the fuck away from her, Mason," I growl at him. "She's underage!"
"All I did was look at her! Goddamn, bro. Can you mind your fucking business for once?" A muscle ticks in Masons' jaw as he averts his face from me and folds his arms to lean against the wall.
"No," I snarl at him, clenching my fists hard. Out of all the things, this takes the cake for me. Mason's eyes slowly slide back to mine, and I truly debate whether or not I could get away with making a scene at his next words.
"I want her."
I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose hard. "Ohhh, Jesus you have really lost your goddamn mind." Taking a deep breath, I pray for my heart rate to slow.
However, the more I look into his eyes, the more I see that determination and rebellious spirit that has caused many a fight between me and him throughout the years. Except this time, there's something different present within his gaze that's all too familiar to me.
"No, Hendrix. You don't understand, I want her."
As we stare each other down, my eyes widen slightly, realizing what he means.
"No!" Shaking my head, I take a threatening step into him. " I forbid it! She's too young. Stop thinking with your mother fucking dick! She's not a conquest, Mase. Not one of your back alley whores you pick up at the strip club. That's my wife's sister, and I won't hesitate to fuck you up if you hurt her," I warn.
Mason's eyes narrow. His features tighten and he taps his hand nice and slow against his bicep; his tell that he's made a decision. "She's got two years then. Say, what do suppose you call your sister-in-law if she's your brother's wife, as well as your wife's sister?"
Following his gaze, I see Donna has sat in between Teresa and my mother, and Melody settles in the chair I was occupying. She crosses her long legs, and though she's in a skirt that goes to her knees, the action causes it to ride up showing plenty of thigh. I scoff, giving up on my inappropriate fuck up of a sibling and walk over, snagging a blanket and draping it over her legs, ignoring her arching an eyebrow at me.
I look at my phone that suddenly dings.
Fuck you, Hendrix. -Mase
I'm in the middle of looking down at my phone getting ready to give him a good old fashioned cuss out in response when I hear it.
"Isobel," Donna says, leaning forward to squint at her daughter. "You look… different."
My eyes snap to Isobel, whose eyes rise in surprise. She blushes before averting her eyes. "No I don't. I look fine." She tucks her hair behind her ears and tugs at her blouse uncomfortably. I turn to sit next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders and then pull her in, giving her a kiss to her temple. Taking a deep breath I sit for a second, soaking in the peace of the moment that's quickly ruined by Mason coming and sitting directly next to Melody, sending my blood pressure straight through the roof.
I take my phone back out.
I'm literally going to haul you to the backyard to beat your fucking ass. Go sit somewhere else, NOW! - Hendrix
Mason throws me a filthy look before shifting his stance; he spreads his legs and crosses his arms, grazing Melody's thigh with his. She shoots him an innocent look and smiles, shifting herself to where she's facing him a little bit more head on and pulling her leg away from his.
Good girl. I look down at my phone pinging.
No, I don't think I will. Is this how you felt when you first met Isobel? -Mase
I look up at him with what I know has to be a hateful expression. He gives me a sly grin before turning to Melody, who's clueless.
"Damn, you got some legs girl! You a runner?"
I grit my teeth, holding my palm up to Donna who's asking if I'd like to have a turn holding my niece. But I can't, because I'm too busy preparing to leap off the couch at Mason, who no one else seems to see has set his sights on Melody.
"Yeah I'm in cross country. I can run ten miles without stopping."
"Jesus, sounds like you have some stamina. My name's Mason; I'm Hendrix's brother." He holds out his hand but doesn't shake it, just wraps his fingers around hers and squeezes.
My eyes flit to Donna's seeing her single-mindedly focused on speaking with Teresa, my mother, and holding baby Vi. I look over at Isobel, who's frowning at Mason but staying silent, looking lost in thought.
"I'm Melody, pleased to meet you too, Mason." Melody deftly plucks her hand out of his grasp, causing his eyes to flicker to her lips for a hot second.
When she looks away back towards the baby, I see his eyes go even lower to pause on her breasts before flickering back up to her eyes. He catches her attention once more and her face goes bright red. She's shy, and way too innocent for my brother. I can't let this happen.
"No, I'm pretty sure the pleasure's all mine, Mel," he responds .
Mason gives her a look and a smile that makes my blood boil. Inwardly I seethe, because I know that smile and that look; it's the same one I give Isobel. Absolutely ready to rip his face off, I lean forward, preparing to get him, when Donna's voice magically breaks through the anger taking over my body.
"Baby, are you pregnant?"
It stops me in my tracks. The room falls to a dead silence, and oddly enough so does my blood pressure, making me relax ever so slightly at the feel of Isobel's fingernails clawing into my forearm. We're sitting there with everyone staring at us, even Mason, who's leaned over completely in his seat to look around Melody at the two of us.
Glancing over at Isobel, I wait for her to say something, anything, but she's stuck looking like a deer in headlights. Leaning over, I whisper in her ear. "Let's tell them, baby. I think your mom already knows." My lips graze the shell of her ear ever so slightly, and she leans in to nuzzle me, making the rest of my upsetness at Mason ease.
"Yes, we just found out yesterday. I wasn't going to say anything because it's Vi's day and we didn't want to take her shine away," she says, pulling away from me, and then turning back to my family who are all in the middle of various expressions. Brody's the most unexpected one; his chest puffs out, and he heaves a great sigh as his eyes water.
"Man," Brody stands up, holding his hand out to me. "I can't think of anyone else who deserves this happiness more than you. I can't believe Vi gets to grow up with a cousin!" I shake his hand with a grin, seeing my father stand up before leaning down to embrace us both.
"Oh, you two!" Dad booms, making Isobel almost jump out of her skin.
He hauls her up out of her seat and wraps her in his arms for a longer hug than I can ever remember personally receiving from him. She brings up a hand to wipe a tear away, and I can tell he's stepping into a father figure role for her.
But it's Donna and my mother embracing with Vi tucked safety between them that makes my eyes water. They're crying, being emotional as women do, and I can tell we're going to be one close knit family.
I couldn't ask for more, apparently because Mason's fingers are inching towards Melody.
"Get your hand off her," I shoot across to Mason through my teeth, narrowing my eyes at him.
Well, there's always one more thing to be asked, anyway.