24. Pecker
Chapter 24
Pecker
My stomach is in knots as I wait to see what’s going to happen the rest of the night. Wyatt’s been outside with Charlie for a while and I feel terrible about this.
I know everyone keeps saying not to worry and it isn't my fault, but it sure feels like my fault. If I never met Sophia, Wyatt wouldn’t be dealing with this. If I didn’t answer my phone, Wyatt would be laughing and smiling with the rest of us. If I didn’t come here, his world wouldn’t have gotten flipped upside down.
“Soph? Could you and Peck come outside?” Charlie peeks her head in the backdoor.
“Yeah, sure.” Sophia stands and waits for me to follow suit.
I don’t want to go out there. I don’t want to face the man I now know is my brother. I don’t want to hear what he has to say or how he doesn’t want a little brother.
I don’t want to feel rejected.
“Soph, go out there. Pecker will be out in a minute.” Wes stands to his full height and motions for me to follow him. “C’mon, son.”
This time I don’t hesitate. I respect the man and I'm not going to give him trouble when he opened his home up for me. Especially when he’s trusted me with his daughter over the past two weeks.
We enter a small office that’s decorated a little too feminine to be his. He shuts the door and leans against the desk, folding his arms across his broad chest.
“Just wait a few seconds…” He stares at the door, waiting.
“Ok… What are we waiting for?” I ask nervously.
“This.” He grins when the door knob turns and Blake walks in, shutting it behind him. Blake glances at both of us, then frowns.
“He knew I’d be coming, didn’t he?”
I nod my head, unable to find my voice. Blake lets out a loud sigh and falls dramatically into the chair behind the desk.
“He pays attention to too much. That’s where Sophia gets it from. All the little Robinsons really.”
“I’m sure Sophia’s told you, I don’t sugar coat anything. I'm going to tell it to you straight, then help you through it.”
“How much did I fuck up?” I whisper, dropping my gaze to the ground.
“You didn’t fuck up anything. Wyatt takes time to work through things and he retreats when he does. It’s how he processes. He’ll be fine, so stop beating yourself up.”
“I don’t think he’s stopping,” Blake singsongs, making me glare at him. He just chuckles and spins the office chair in a circle.
“Sophia loves you, Peck. I can see it in the way she looks at you. Don’t let something like this ruin what you have.” Wes keeps his gaze on me, refusing to look away.
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Eh, you were starting to. It’s written all over your face. You’re regretting coming here and are thinking about bolting,” Blake adds.
“Do you two always do this?” I motion between the two of them. When they don’t answer, I continue. “Wes throws the truth in the person’s face and Blake cracks jokes and calls you out?”
“Huh.” Blake stops spinning and slaps his hands down on the desk, making me jump. “I guess we do that.” He scratches his cheek. “Is that our brand? Is this what the kids always expect when they see us coming?”
“Probably.” Wes shrugs, not really caring either way. “Don’t run. Don’t regret anything. Don’t do anything except wrap Sophia in a hug and let it all out. She’ll be your rock and help you through this. That’s what the women in this family do. Between Charlie and her, Wyatt and you will be talking and laughing like real brothers before you go home.”
“Thank you for trusting her with me,” I whisper, knowing if Wes didn’t like me, he’d keep her away. He’d be encouraging me to leave and never contact her again. Instead, he’s talking me off of the ledge and helping me see things more clearly. “And thank you for this. I haven’t had a dad to talk to in a long time. It’s nice to get some perspective.”
“Damn, he might make me cry,” Wes mutters.
“Wes will be the papa you’ve always wanted,” Blake teases.
“Go find your girl. I have a feeling Wyatt wants to talk to you without an audience and that’s why Charlie called you out there.” Wes pats me on the back, then pushes me towards the door.
I quickly move through the house, more to avoid the stares of the family than anything else, and push through the backdoor.
Wyatt is sitting with Charlie on his lap at a table and Sophia’s sitting in the chair to the left of them. She smiles when she sees me and rushes over. She throws herself into my arms and hugs me tightly.
“I know this is shocking for you too. If you want to talk without anyone around, we can sneak off and no one will find us. You just let me know what you need.”
“I just need you,” I murmur against the crook of her neck.
She doesn’t let go until I create some space between us, then she takes my hand and interlaces our fingers. She marches us right over to the table and motions for me to take a seat. Without hesitating for a second, she plops down on my lap and massages the back of my neck.
“Wyatt, meet your little brother, Brad. But we like to call him Peck. Isn't he the cutest little brother ever!” She coos, grinning the entire time.
I chuckle, unsure of what else to do. She knows exactly what she’s doing and she’s great at it. I'm going to have to thank her later on.
“I'm not mad, Peck,” Wyatt says in a raw voice. “None of this is your fault. Not me being put up for adoption. Not how I found out. None of this. I did the DNA test because I wanted to know if I had family out there somewhere. I did it before I went pro, but after Charlie and I broke up. I lost so much and I was just hoping to gain something good in my life.”
He swallows hard and takes a moment to compose himself. I can only imagine the emotions coursing through him. He was abandoned by the woman who raised me. He was rejected, yet I was loved by the same person. How does that even happen?
“I always dreamed of finding a cousin or some long lost aunt…” He shakes his head like he still can't believe this. “I never thought I’d get a brother.”
“And a sister. She’s kind of annoying though. You might not want her. She also chews like a cow.” I grimace.
“Oh my gosh! She does not! Sydney’s amazing. I absolutely love her!” Sophia gushes about my sister and I fall a little harder for the woman.
I snake my arm around her waist and hug her. I’ve only had this amazing woman in my life for two weeks, yet I can't imagine living without her ever again.
“I told you they looked like they could be relatives when we were stalking him on social media.” Charlie leans down and gives Wyatt a quick kiss.
“Wait… I'm sorry, you two stalked me on social media?” I stare up at my girlfriend with amusement.
“First off, we didn’t stalk you.”
“Bro, they were totally gushing over shirtless pictures of you. I had to leave the room.” Wyatt rolls his eyes.
I swallow around the lump in my throat when he calls me bro. I know he could just be saying it because that’s what he calls other guys, but it still hits me straight in the heart and has tears pricking the back of my eyes.
“You know, I never really liked you,” Sophia huffs, folding her arms across her chest.
“Oh, c’mon, tiny Robinson. You love me and you know it.” He throws his head back and chuckles. “Actually… I distinctly remember you saying you wanted to marry a man just like me when you were little.”
“Oh my gosh! I remember that!” Charlie giggles.
“That was before I realized what a jerk you were.” She rolls her eyes.
“How fitting is it for you to be dating my brother?” He laughs even harder.
The backdoor opens and closes. Jax and Cody come out with a few beers in each of their hands. They pass them out and when Sophia reaches for one, Jax jerks it out of her reach.
“Sorry, squirt. I don’t believe you’re twenty-one yet.”
“I turn twenty-one tomorrow, Jax! Does it really matter?”
“I’m pretty sure the law says yes. We could consult the police officer.” He nods his bottle in my direction.
“This police officer knows the laws and my rights. I'm pleading the fifth.” I hold my hands up in defense and take a long pull of the beer.
“Why are you out here anyway?” Sophia glares at Jax and he finally hands her a bottle.
“Well, we figured we might need to break up a fight.” Jax shrugs. “If there was no fight, we figured alcohol would be appreciated.”
“He felt left out because we’re the only people under forty in that house since Blake’s kids left and he has severe fear of missing out.” Cody leans back in his chair and gets comfortable.
“That too.” Jax points his bottle in his twin’s direction. “I'm excited to have another brother.” He grins like he’s up to no good. “It’s a plus that he likes hockey. Wyatt sucks since he thinks baseball is the greatest sport ever.” He rolls his eyes and pretends to fall asleep, letting out a loud fake snore.
“At least I have your jersey,” Wyatt mutters under his breath with a devilish smirk.
Jax stands from the table without a word. He marches into the house like a man on a mission and comes back out a few minutes later with a sharpie cap in his mouth. He’s scribbling something on a shirt, then tosses it in my face.
“Oh, look! He has a signed jersey with my name and number on it.” Jax falls into the chair and crosses his ankles on the table.
“Didn’t your mother teach you manners?” Sophia pushes at his feet, trying to get them off.
“She tried,” Addi sighs as she shuts the door behind her and Wes. “Clearly, she failed. But three out of four isn't bad.”
“You’re only rocking a seventy-five percent, Mama, I wouldn’t be proud of that,” he calls loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear him.
“Are you sure he isn't Uncle Linc’s kid? He sure is loud.” Cody rubs at his ear with a grimace.
“Eh, Uncle Linc’s attractive. There are worse people you could say I'm related to.” Jax shrugs without a care in the world.
“I'm positive you’re mine. I'm the only man who’s ever stuck his cock inside of your mother.”
I choke on the sip of beer I just took and start coughing. Sophia pats my back, but doesn’t react. Wes wraps his arms around Addi’s waist like that’s a completely normal comment to make in front of his children.
“I’m still shocked you got Mom to date you,” Jax says with more balls than I’ll ever have. “She was a hottie and you were all…” He flexes his muscles and pinches his brows together, looking as angry as he can. “You wanna have my babies and live with this scowly face forever?” He does his best to imitate Wes and fails miserably.
“How’d you know that’s what I said when I proposed?” Wes deadpans.
“He sounded just like you. I actually got a little teary eyed.” Addi fans at her face, flipping off Jax in the process.
“Oh! The baby’s kicking.” Charlie grabs Wyatt’s hand and places it on her stomach. His face lights up when the baby kicks and he can feel it.
“Pecker!” Sophia squeals, turning around to face me so quickly that she almost falls off my lap.
“What, baby?” I place my hands on her hips, making sure she stays in place this time.
“That’s your niece or nephew!”
“Oh, shit. I didn’t think of that.” Wyatt grins. “This little baby just gained a few more family members. Does Sydney have a family?”
“She has a son named Danny. He’s ten years old. And a daughter named Bree. She’s six.”
“Aw, peanut, you already have cousins,” Charlie coos, rubbing her swollen belly. “I can't wait to meet them.”
“You want to meet Syd and the kids?” My brows raise in surprise.
“Of course I do. Charlie taught me a long time ago, family isn't always about DNA, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want my real relatives in my life. Family is all about who you let into your life. The people you turn to when everything else crumbles around you. Do you really think I wouldn’t want to meet my niece and nephew? My sister? I want to be there for all of you in the same way my family has been there for me.” He motions to the houses forming a circle with Sophia’s childhood home.
I glance over the railing, surprised at how many people are sitting on their decks, playing in the yard, or chasing a dog. They have such a massive support system. Mom died when I was younger and Dad died two years ago. I’ve only had Sydney and the kids for so long. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have so many people to lean on.
“If you’d like to, I’d love to introduce you to everyone. I know you won't remember their names and it doesn’t matter. I just want you to meet the people who are important to me.” Sophia stares into my eyes and I can tell how much this means to her.
“I’d love to, baby.”