Chapter Thirty-Nine
Cal
T his is not how I expected to spend Christmas Eve. I’m slightly annoyed because I had an entire romantic night planned for my fucking girl . Little Hornet had to go and fuck that up.
“How is it that your scowl is even hotter than your actual smile?” Loden asks, nudging my foot with his.
I lift my gaze to find everyone staring at me, amusement in their eyes. “What?”
“You should put that on your résumé when you apply for modeling jobs,” Loden says. “Maybe you should take your shirt off and walk around so I can give you some tips.”
Turning to look at Charlotte, I frown in confusion. “What the fuck is he going on about this time?”
She laughs. “Everyone is happy the baby is coming, but you’re mad. They’re just giving you shit.”
“I’m not mad the baby is coming,” I argue. “I’m mad that she decided to come tonight. I’m going to nickname her Cockblocker.”
“Because that’ll go over well with Jordy,” Hollis deadpans.
“You’d rather bang my sister-in-law than be here for Roux’s baby?” Roan asks, his pierced brow lifted. “You’re an asshole, man.”
Charlotte threads her fingers with mine. “My asshole.”
I lean in and kiss her neck that’s now bandage free. “Sorry. My mind is on other shit.”
“You okay?” she asks, running her fingers through my hair.
I shrug.
“Want to talk about it?”
“Later, loser.”
“So romantic,” Loden says with a laugh.
I flip him off, darting my eyes to the clock. How long until this damn baby gets here?
“We’re going to take a walk,” Charlotte announces. “Call me if anything happens.”
She stands up and pulls me to my feet. After we put on our coats, I follow my fucking girl like a lost puppy. We head outside where it’s snowing. Again. Fucking winter.
She walks us to my truck and then pulls down the bed. It’s ridiculous to sit out here in the snow, but she seems content. I grip her hips and lift her up to sit on it. Pushing her knees apart, I stand between them. Her nose turns pink quickly from the cold. I should stop being a pussy and go back inside.
I can’t, though.
I’m nuts about her and had this whole night planned for us.
Looks like I’ll have to improvise.
“I guess I’ll be the next dumbass Hornet to get married.” I take her cold hands in mine.
She laughs. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about you,” I growl, fishing the ring box from my pocket. “I had a whole romantic thing planned, but then Cockblocker up there decided to show up.”
“Cal!” She giggles, but her eyes are shining with delight.
I flip it open to show her the ring. It cost me, too. I’ll be paying back Dad until I’m dead most likely. I don’t care, though. She’s worth it.
“Charlotte, my beautiful parasite,” I murmur, kissing her cold knuckle. “You stole my soul and my heart. Might as well steal my last name too.”
“Wow,” she breathes. “Don’t quit your day job to become a romance writer. You kind of suck. Lucky for you, I understand your asshole language and am quite fluent. Yes, Cal Hutton, I will marry you.”
I slip the ring on her finger and yank her to me, kissing the fire out of her. I love this girl more than anyone in my entire life. She’s it for me. When we break for air, she pulls away, running her fingers through my hair.
“I’m still in high school.”
“So?”
“I want to marry you, but I also want to do things for me, too.”
“I’d never dream of taking anything from you. You know that.”
She nods. “I do.” Tenderly she touches her neck. “After…after what happened, it solidified one thing. I do want to be a doctor like Dad. I’m going to want to go to medical school. I don’t know where that’ll take me. It might take me out of Horn River.”
“And you don’t think I’ll follow your ass to the ends of the Earth?”
She smirks. “I guess you can terrorize high school students no matter where we go. That is, if you want to remain being a teacher.”
“I’m a fucking badass teacher,” I tell her with a shit-eating grin. “In fact, I was thinking about getting my master’s. I could really get away with being an asshole being a college professor.”
“Really? You want to do this? Get married, go where the wind takes us?”
“Will it eventually bring us back home?”
“It wouldn’t be Horn River without the King of Chaos.”
“And Queen Parasite.”
“I hate you,” she teases.
“Nah, you love me, English.” I grin at her. “I cannot wait to fucking call you Hutton.”
“Better than loser…”
“You like that too, loser.”
“Maybe a little.” She winks at me. “We better get back inside.”
I pull her off the truck and tuck her into my side. I feel like I’ve waited my entire life for life to begin, and now it’s finally getting started.
“Emilia Noelle Martin.” Charlotte grins at the mini Hornet sleeping in her arms. “She’s a Christmas miracle.”
Jordy grins from his rocking chair that he dragged over to be right next to Roux’s bed. They’re both obnoxiously happy. It makes me wonder if Charlotte and I look the same. While Jordy and Roux softly talk, I wrap an arm around Charlotte, pulling her close. Her body is tense as she admires the baby that is a perfect mix of Jordy and Roux.
I know she hurts for the baby she lost.
I can practically hear the sobs of injustice rattling inside her head.
“You okay?” I ask, kissing her head.
“Yes.”
“Want me to steal it?”
“Cal,” she hisses, but laughs. “It’s not an it. It’s a girl.”
“They’re so wrapped up in each other, they might not even notice if we took Little Cockblocker.”
“You’re such a freak.”
“We’d be doing the kid a service. Just think. In like sixteen years or so, Jordy’s ass will be back in prison. Mark my words.”
Charlotte shoots me a warning look.
“A little girl—his little girl—who looks like Roux, surrounded by Horn River idiot boys…” I shrug. “He’s going to kill them all. Hell, he’ll probably recruit me to help.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”
“I’ll make Jordy my bitch in prison. I’m sure he’s used to it. Probably took it up the butt all the time.” I glance over at Jordy, who’s watching me with narrowed eyes. I wink at him. “Bet you let Jace be your daddy.”
Jordy leans forward, a fierce glint in his dark eyes. “Keep talking.”
Roux and Charlotte giggle at our antics.
When the new parents start talking softly again, I tuck Charlotte’s hair behind her ear and kiss her temple.
“She’s so beautiful,” Charlotte whispers, a slight crack in her voice. Envy. Sadness. Despair.
“Ours’ll be cuter.”
She turns to look at me with watery eyes.
“One day, Charlie girl. One day.”
A smile tugs at her lips as she nods. “One day. I’ll hold you to it.”
“I can assure you, my lovely fiancée, you will not need to remind me to knock your ass up. The second you decide to stop taking birth control, whether it be tomorrow or ten years from now, my super sperm will be inside you doing its damn job. That you can trust in.”
Love shines in her eyes. I know it’s the same look reflected in mine. And to think I actually tried to convince myself months ago that I could hate her.
I couldn’t hate her if I tried.
“You ready to give that baby up so we can go pretend to make one of our own?” I ask, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Five more minutes.”
“I’ve got the rest of my life, Hutton,” I say, already loving my last name as hers. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be right here. I’ll always be right here.”