Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
Maddox
“You want one?” Legend offers me a beer.
“Nah, I told the wife she could drink.” I hold up my bottle of water.
Legend grins. “How is the wife?”
“Fucking perfect.” I glance around, making sure no little ears are close by to hear my declaration. I need to work a little harder at cleaning up my potty mouth, especially when the kids are around.
“Yeah,” Legend agrees. “Just wait until you add a kid to the mix. It’s unlike anything else, man.”
I follow his eyes, and he’s watching his wife, Monroe, and their son, Kane, who was born four months ago. “That’s what I hear.” I nod toward Roman and Forrest, sitting on the living room floor with Lilly and the twins, River and Rayne, playing with blocks.
“It won’t be long and they’ll be having another one,” Legend says.
“Which one?” I ask, because today is Lilly’s second birthday, and I know Roman wants more, and Forrest, he’d have a houseful if Briar was on board, and who knows, she might be. If there was ever a man meant to be a father, it’s Forrest. Hell, all of them. I’d even go as far as to say that about Lachlan and me as well, but we’re not there yet. Well, he’s not. I’d knock my wife up tonight if she would let me, but she needs time, and that’s okay. We’ll get there. I believe that with all that I am. If I’m ever a father, it will be because Brogan Lanigan made me one.
“Both of them.” Legend laughs.
“What about you?” I ask him.
“Yeah, as soon as Monroe’s ready.”
I watch as Monroe hands Kane to Brogan and says something before moving down the hall. “I’ll be right back.”
“Bring my son back with you,” Legend calls after me.
I wave over my shoulder as I make my way toward Brogan and baby Kane. “Hey,” I say, offering Kane my finger, and he latches on, giving me a gummy smile. “Look at you, little man. Growing like a weed,” I tell him.
“He’s the sweetest,” Brogan says, smiling down at the baby in her arms.
“You need one of those,” Lachlan says, joining us.
“We need a couple, but we’re in no hurry,” I tell him.
“Maybe you’ll have twins. That’d be cool. Three sets of twins in the family.” Lachlan nods like it’s the best news he’s heard all day.
“Maybe Forrest and Briar will have twins,” I tell him.
Lachlan grins and points his index finger at me. “Four sets. Hell yeah, that’s cool as hell.”
“What’s cool as h e double hockey sticks?” Forrest asks. He has a daughter on each hip.
“Twins,” Lachlan replies, keeping his answer basic, not to confuse River and Rayne, making them think there is going to be another set of twins.
“I’m a twin,” River says.
“Me too,” Rayne says, laying her head on Forrest's shoulder.
“That’s right. Just like Mommy and Aunt Brogan,” Forrest tells them.
“Come here, Rayne. Uncle Maddox needs some of that love.” I reach for her and she comes into my arms, resting her head against my shoulder, just like she did with her dad.
“Me too. Hand her over, Daddy. You’re a daughter hog.” Lachlan holds his arms out.
“Daddy’s a daughter hog,” River repeats with a giggle as she holds her arms out for Lachlan to take her.
“Daddies do that,” Roman says, joining us, bouncing Lilly on his hip.
“We need more babies,” Forrest grumbles.
“I’m taking mine,” Legend says, reaching for Kane.
Brogan turns, blocking him. “I just got him,” she whines.
“I lost mine too,” Forrest tells him.
“Who’s going to even this up? We need two more. Mad? Lach? Rome? Forrest?” Legend asks.
“What are we talking about?” Monroe asks. She looks at Brogan. “Want me to take him?”
“No.” She smiles at her friend, and my heart squeezes. I love seeing her like this. It’s easy to imagine it’s our baby in her arms. Fuck me, I can’t wait for that day.
“We need more babies,” Legend tells Monroe, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
She leans into him. “Not it.” She laughs. “I just need a few more months, then we can talk.” Legend whispers something in her ear, making her blush.
“I think Lilly needs a little brother,” Monroe says as Emerson joins our little huddle, snuggling up to her husband.
“Why are we all huddling on this side of the room? And a little brother or little sister, I’d take either,” Emerson adds with a shrug.
“Baby girl?” Roman speaks up. “We have a room full of babysitters.” The way he’s looking at her, I fear she might get pregnant by immaculate conception.
“Gah! Stop that!” Forrest covers his ears, making us laugh. He’s teasing. He’s long past worried about his best friend being married to his little sister.
“And we should be next. The girls are going to be five,” Forrest answers.
“What are we next for?” Briar asks. She hands each of their daughters a juice box before going to Forrest’s side and snuggling against him.
“I want a baby brother,” Rayne says.
“We need more boys, huh?” I ask her.
“I’d like a sister too,” she tells me, and everyone laughs.
“Daddy, can we have one of each?” River asks Forrest.
“We’ll see what we can do, Razzle,” he says, using his nickname for her. He kisses Briar’s temple, and she smiles up at him.
Briar returns his with one of her own. “We’ll see,” she eventually answers.
My eyes go back to my wife, only to find her watching me. She smiles and takes her eyes back to the baby in her arms.
“You ready for presents, Lilly?” Emerson asks her daughter.
“Pwesents.” Lilly nods.
“Let’s do it.” Roman kisses her cheek and moves farther into the living room. We all follow him to find a seat. Monroe takes Kane back and sits on Legend’s lap as she holds Kane on hers.
River and Rayne are on the floor with Forrest as they help Lilly with her presents. Emerson sits nearby with her camera, snapping pictures. Lachlan’s in the recliner, and Briar is on the couch with Brogan and me. Lilly laughs her way through her gifts, and River and Rayne are thrilled to be able to help her open them. Lilly is still at the age that she’d rather play with the wrapping paper, but eventually, with the help of her older cousins, she makes her way through all of her gifts.
“She’s such a cutie,” Brogan comments.
“She really is,” Briar agrees with her.
“So, is there something you need to tell me?” Brogan asks her sister.
Briar laughs. “Not yet, but maybe soon.”
“Really?” Brogan asks excitedly.
“Yeah, we both want more, and the girls are going to be turning five soon. We don’t want much more time between them.”
“Briar.” Brogan’s voice cracks. “I’m so happy for you.” She pulls her sister into a side hug.
“Thank you. I never knew it could be like this. There are some days I still feel like it’s all going to disappear, but then Forrest wraps his arms around me, and I remember that I wouldn’t trade a single moment with him. No matter what our future holds, my time with him will be here.” She taps her chest.
“I’m proud of you,” Brogan whispers.
Briar replies, but her voice is too low for me to hear.
“Who wants cake?” Roman asks.
“Cake!” River and Rayne climb to their feet and rush toward the kitchen.
“Girls! Don’t run in the house!” Briar and Forrest call out to them at the same time, making each other laugh. Forrest offers Briar his hand and leads her into the kitchen.
I wrap my arm around Brogan and pull her onto my lap once it’s just us in the living room.
“Do you not want cake?” she asks, furrowing her brow.
“I just needed to hold you for a second.” I hug her tightly. I can’t seem to ever get enough of her. If she’s close, I need to be next to her. Something tells me that’s never going to change.
“You okay?” She turns to look at me, resting her palm against my cheek.
“I’m perfect. Being here with them, and their kids, it makes me excited for us to get there. I know we’re not ready yet, but it’s something to look forward to, you know?”
“That’s… not what I expected you to say.”
“I know you need time, but as soon as you’re ready, you let me know.”
“Knock knock,” Maggie says as she opens the front door and steps inside, ending our conversation before she can reply. “Hey, you two.” She smiles when she sees us snuggled up on the couch.
“Hey,” Brogan greets her. “I’m glad you could make it.”
“Me too. I picked up a shift before I knew the party was today, but it was only a half a day, so I hope I didn’t miss too much.”
“Presents,” Brogan tells her. “They’re in the kitchen serving cake now.”
“I could go for a nice big piece of cake after that shift. It might have only been half a day, but it was busy.” Maggie chuckles and heads toward the kitchen.
“We better go before they eat it all,” I tell my wife.
“Did you see the size of that cake?” Her eyes grow wide. “No way they can eat all that.”
“Lachlan has a sweet tooth,” I tease. It’s not a complete lie, but even he can’t devour that big-ass birthday cake.
Brogan laughs as she leans in and pecks a quick kiss to my lips. “Come on, you.” She stands, pulls me from the couch, and I follow her into the kitchen. We make it just in time to sing “Happy Birthday” and watch Lilly devour her own little mini cake, making a mess of herself and, well, everything around her. Roman and Emerson smile as they watch her, and Emerson snaps picture after picture.
It’s a great day with family and celebrating Lilly. She’s not the oldest anymore, but she was our first Everlasting Ink baby. I love them all the same, but Lilly will always be the first. It’s also been a day of affirmation for me. I know that Brogan is my future, and I’m certain we’ll get our happy ending.
“Just think, we get to do that again in three weeks.” Brogan laughs as she sits on the couch next to me. “I can’t believe River and Rayne are turning five. It feels like it was just yesterday we were bringing them home from the hospital.”
“Sounds like it won’t be long until they’re bringing another home from the hospital.”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “I’m so happy for them.” She leans over and rests her head on my shoulder.
“A lot has changed in a year.” I think back to River and Rayne’s fourth birthday party that the guys and I pretty much crashed. I mean we were invited, but I don’t think they expected all five of us to show up.
“Right? It’s been a good year, though.”
“The best,” I say, wrapping my arms around her.
“I should get up and do something before I fall asleep. There must have been something in that cake,” she says, covering a yawn.
“We’re napping. Nothing needs to be done right now. Here or the bedroom?”
“Here.”
I manage to lie down without either of us standing up, and she takes the spot in front of me. I reach for the blanket that she keeps on the back of the couch and cover us with it.
“I think I like afternoon naps,” I say, wrapping my body around her like a koala. “We should do this more often.” I can definitely get on board with napping with my wife.
“I’ve never been much of a napper.”
“That was when you were single. You’re a married woman now. Saturday afternoons are reserved for cuddling your sexy husband on the couch.”
“Sexy?”
“Come on, baby, you know you think I’m sexy.”
“Compared to who? Have you seen Lachlan’s abs?” she teases.
I swat her ass and she giggles. “Saturday afternoons are reserved for naps with my sexy husband.”
“Damn right, they are.” I press my lips to her forehead and close my eyes.
The house is dark when I open my eyes. “Hey,” Brogan rasps, her voice still laced with sleep.
“We must have been tired. I blame you. You’re all warm and snuggly.”
She laughs. “I could say the same thing about you.”
“Are you hungry? I can make us something,” I ask her. My stomach growls, making us laugh.
“Why don’t we just order pizza?” she suggests, sitting up.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” I reach for my phone on the coffee table and pull up the contact for the local pizza place. “Call it in.”
“Our usual?” she asks.
I love that we have a usual and the comfort level we’ve reached with one another. “Yep.” She makes the call and tosses my phone back to the table and stands. “I need to get out of these jeans.” She curls up her nose. “Remind me on our next nap to not sleep in jeans.”
“What I just heard was to strip you naked before we take our next nap. Noted.”
“Stop.” She laughs. “I’ll be right back.”
I stare after her as she moves down the hall toward our bedroom. I move to sit up, and my jeans are tight around my cock, because, of course I’m hard. I just had my wife nestled up against me for over two hours. I wince as I stand, and the zipper of my jeans presses painfully against my hard length. “My wife is smart as hell. No more naps with jeans,” I mutter as I make my way to our room to change into some sweats.
When I step into our bedroom, Brogan is sliding a pair of pajama pants over her hips. “Damn, I’m late.”
She points a finger at me. “No funny business. The pizza will be here soon, and from the sounds coming from your belly, you need nourishment.”
She’s not shying away from me. “If you think you’re not nourishment, baby, I’m doing something wrong.” I wink at her.
“Stop.” She snickers and covers her face with her hands.
“You want me to show you?” I ask her.
“Maddox!”
I shrug. “You brought it up.”
“I did not.” She shakes her head, a smile playing on her lips. “I’m going to go wait for the pizza.”
I give her time to get one step out of the door before I call after her. “Fine! You can be dessert.”
“Oh my God!” She laughs and sprints down the hall.
I quickly change out of my jeans and join her in the living room. She has music playing on the Bluetooth speaker and is scrolling through her phone.
I walk up to her and hold my hand out for her. “Ma’am.”
She peers up at me, setting her phone to the side. “Yes?”
“Dance with me.”
“Here?” She glances around the living room.
“Were you more interested in a mattress tango instead?” I wag my eyebrows.
“What am I going to do with you?” She chuckles, placing her hand in mine, allowing me to pull her off the couch and into my arms. “Dance With You” by Brett Young begins to play, and it couldn’t be more perfect.
“Dance with me.” I smile down at her, tugging her close. I don’t want an inch of space between us as I sway to the beat and softly sing the lyrics in her ear. She melts into me, which has me closing my eyes and memorizing this moment. Maybe we should make this an after-nap tradition too. I’m down for anything that keeps her in my arms.
She might not be able to say it yet, but I feel it. I feel her opening up to me more and more every day, and I can see our future so clearly. There are so many more nights like this. Just the two of us hanging out together, barefoot and dancing in our pajamas. Then, days like today where we spend time with our family, and so much more. Our kids are dancing around us. I see it all like a vivid movie reel in my mind.
When the song ends, she lifts her head, and there are tears swimming in her eyes, but her smile lights a fire inside my soul. I move my hands to cradle her cheeks and kiss her. I take my time tasting her, showing her that this is one of the moments. One that we’ll cherish and look back on for years to come.
When the doorbell rings, I groan and my wife chuckles. “You need food.”
“I was holding my food,” I counter.
“Your food is hungry.” She kisses the corner of my mouth and pulls away to get the door.
I tug her back into me and crush my mouth to hers. The doorbell rings again, and I force myself to release her. “What about now?”
“What?” she asks, dazed.
“Are you still hungry?”
She nods. “Pizza. Right. I have to get the pizza.” She pulls away, and this time, I let her go. I grab us drinks, paper plates, and napkins so we can eat in the living room and start that new series she’s been talking about. We talk and laugh, and eat way too much, and it’s the best night. One I hope we’ll repeat over and over again.