11. Maddox
MADDOX
Maddox
Hey, man. You home?
Callen
Wanna tell me why the fuck you’re texting me from my driveway?
Maddox
Didn’t want to wake the baby.
Callen
Don’t worry about it. She’s on a sleep strike.
Stop stalking like a little creep and come inside. You’ve got a key.
I open my best friend’s door, and immediately, he puts my beautiful niece in my arms. Anastasia is four months old and the spitting image of my sister. Shocking jet-black hair, big beautiful blue eyes, and the palest, prettiest skin covering all the fat rolls on her chubby body. “Hey, piccolina .” I hold her above my head and blow a raspberry on her belly and smile as she giggles.
Man, that’s a great sound.
“Who’s your favorite uncle?” I cradle her in my arms and let her wrap her fist around my finger and bring it to her mouth. “Uncle Maddox. Not the other boneheads, right? Just Uncle Maddox.”
“Dude. Get your finger out of her mouth until you wash your hands. Who the fuck knows where it’s been?” Callen groans, and I hand Anastasia back to him and walk into the kitchen to wash my hands.
“Did Callen yell at you?” my sister asks as she pulls breaded chicken cutlets from the oven and lays them over a bed of arugula and tomatoes.
“Yeah. I did,” Callen answers as he walks in behind me. “Wash your hands so you can hold her. I’m hungry, and you’ve been slacking on your godfatherly duties, dickhead.”
Caitlin kisses my cheek and sets the dish on the kitchen table before she pulls out an extra plate. “You hungry? I made plenty.”
“No thanks, Cait.”
I wash and dry my hands, then hold them in front of Callen like a doctor waiting to glove up until he passes the baby back to me, grumbling something about hot water and thirty seconds, like it’s the first time I’ve ever held my niece.
“Suit yourself.” She sits down and makes herself a plate. “So what’s going on, big brother?”
I look from her to Callen. “Kind of wanted to borrow your husband for a bit.”
Caitlin points her fork at me. “I actually went all domestic and made Mom’s cutlets tonight. Let the man eat while it’s still hot.”
Callen kisses Caitlin’s temple and whispers something, and I gag. “Seriously, married or not, it’s still weird as hell, man.”
“I knocked her up and married her, asshole. Pretty sure I can kiss her,” Callen laughs, and Caitlin points her fork at him. In anyone else’s hands, it might not be a weapon, but Cait could probably do some serious damage with it.
“Fine. But you owe me.” She picks up her plate and walks into the other room.
“Dude. She’s gonna gut you while you sleep,” I warn him, half joking.
You never really know with Caitlin.
“Then this better be good, Madman. Because you look like you just saw a ghost, and my wife is apparently going to gut me because of you. I won’t tell you what she’s actually gonna make me do because you know... the whole sister thing.”
“Fucking stop, man,” I grumble and kiss Anastasia’s forehead. “Your daddy’s a dick when he wants to be, piccolina .”
Callen smiles like a fat, dumb, and happy little shit, and if it weren’t for the fact he’s with my sister, I might be jealous of his happiness.
“Spit it out. You didn’t come here just to see Anastasia. What’s going on? You having problems with the restaurant?”
“Do you remember Gracie’s roommate, Lennon?” It’s a stupid question. There’s absolutely zero chance of forgetting Lennon. She’s sweet and funny and sarcastic as hell. She’s also the kind of beauty who can bring a man to his knees with a single look. I should know.
“The hot redheaded princess you were banging in London? Not to be confused with the hot redheaded princess you banged in Elwyn.” He grins like he’s so fucking smart. “Yeah, I remember.”
“First, I never actually banged her in London,” I admit, and Anastasia drools on my chest as she starts to fuss. “And they’re cousins.”
“Sway.”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“Sway from side to side,” Callen tells me before shoving another forkful of chicken in his mouth like he doesn’t remember what it’s like to eat at a normal pace without the baby crying. “Now explain.”
I sway like the grandmas with the babies always did at mass, and sure enough, Anastasia calms down and rests her head on my chest. Huh. Not so hard.
“Lennon and I weren’t like that back then,” I admit. “I was just a dick who let you guys think that. I mean I wanted to be, but stuff with her was always...”—I choose my next words carefully—“complicated. And our timing sucked.”
Callen knows me better than anyone in my life.
He knows he’s not getting the full story.
But he also knows me enough to know he’s getting everything I can give for now.
“But man... this woman had me tied up in knots,” I admit. “For fucking years.”
“Damn...” He sits back in his chair and stares at me. “Tied in knots, and you weren’t nailing her.”
“Callen,” I groan. “Seriously, man. Stop.”
“Shit.” He’s fucking giddy. “It’s like that?”
I cup the back of Anastasia’s head and look down. Yup. Sound asleep.
Uncle Maddox is the favorite uncle.
Fuck my brothers.
“It’s always been like that with her,” I admit.
“Okay. So what’s changed? Because that was what? Five... six years ago?”
“Five. And back then, she had stuff going on she had to deal with and asked me to walk away. And man, it was the hardest thing I ever did. But it’s what she needed and what she asked for, so I did it.” I hate the words even more, once they’re said out loud. I sound like a whiney little bitch. “But seriously, she was the one who got away. Then a few months ago, she showed up in town during a damn snowstorm. Wrecked her car, and I found her.”
Just thinking about that night pisses me off.
Not because it wasn’t incredible.
But because it ended the way it did.
“So what happened?” Callen’s invested now. The asshole is hanging on every word. He’s not even touching what’s left of his dinner.
I look at him, and he smiles, proud. “Now, that’s what I call playing the long game.”
“Says the ass who’s been quietly in love with my sister for years,” I grumble, and his grin grows.
“Yup. So that was months ago. What happened between then and now?”
I pace the floor, hoping Anastasia doesn’t wake up. “My brothers showed up the next day and mentioned I’d slept with her cousin. She got pissed and left. And she showed up at il leone today and told me she’s pregnant.”
“Oh. My. God,” Caitlin gasps from the other side of the room. “Ohmygod. Oh please, please , please can I be the one who tells Mom? Please ?” she begs.
“Cait,” I warn her. “This isn’t funny.”
“Yeah, it is,” she deadpans. “You were so pissed when you found out I was pregnant.”
“I was pissed you two were messing around behind my back. It had nothing?—”
“Don’t even, Maddox,” Caitlin warns me. “Don’t go there. You were pissed. Dad was pissed. Mom wasn’t thrilled. And karma’s a bitch you pissed off. Oh man. This is freaking fantastic,” she giggles.
“Caitie,” Callen tries to rein her in, but once she gets going, there’s no stopping her.
“You banged two different princesses and knocked up one of them.” She claps her hands excitedly. “Is there any chance they’re both pregnant? That would be freaking amazing.”
“Caitlin—” I try to stop her. “No. I haven’t even...”
Her eyes narrow like a cat about to play with its prey. “Haven’t what?” Her eyes grow wide as my words click. “No shit. Not since last spring?”
“I am not having this conversation with you.” I walk over to her and give her my niece. “I’m out of here.”
Cait takes Anastasia from me and pouts. “Don’t go. I’m sorry. I mean, I’m not, but I’ll stop. I promise.” She sits down next to Callen and kicks her feet up in his lap. “So what are you going to do? Do you like this girl? Wait... how pregnant is she?”
“Jesus, Cait. Take a breath.” Callen looks almost worried she’s going to hyperventilate, she’s enjoying this so much.
“I was with her early spring. Like late March. So however pregnant that makes her.” I pull the sonogram from my pocket and lay it down in front of my sister.
Caitlin’s entire face softens, looking at it. “Wow, Maddox. She’s due on December twelfth. You’re going to be a daddy,” she whispers, awed. “What are you going to do?”
I think about the way we were already at each other’s throats earlier.
About her fucking engagement.
About that connection between us that always sparks to life the second I see her.
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“Looks like you’ve got about three and a half months to figure it out.”
Holy shit.
“That’s it?” I ask, my mind blown.
“Yeah, Madman. Babies don’t take that long to cook,” Callen adds. “Any chance you can get her to stay in Kroydon Hills? You don’t want her taking your kid back to London.”
The blank stare on my face must be all the answer he needs to know I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. “Oh man... This is basically the first time you’re not the one who knows exactly what to do.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I groan.
A smirk pulls at his lips. “Oh yeah. But we’re gonna figure it out.”
We’re gonna have to. Because I’m not letting my kid grow up a world away.