Darcie
Darcie
FOUR YEARS LATER
Some days, when I thought about my life and the journey it took me to get here, I almost couldn’t believe this was real. The kick in my distended belly told me otherwise. Rubbing the spot, I smiled as I walked out onto the deck. It was one of my favorite places, and I spent any free moment sitting out here in the sun.
The deck wasn’t anything special—it wrapped around the back of the house and had a swing, picnic table, and grill. Flowers bloomed from pots, and the floral aroma tickled my nostrils as I settled onto the swing, the canopy providing the perfect shade. Bending one leg on the cushion, I kicked with the other into a slow rock and sat back to stare out into the yard.
The view was what drew me to this spot. It provided the perfect place to watch the ones I loved. On days like today, when it was cool, I could find just about everyone in the house out here. Brooks walked beside Charlie, our three-year-old, as they sat atop Ginger, their pony. The kid loved horses as much as Brooks and spent every waking hour he was allowed to riding.
Next to them, Bubba tended to his garden. He’d gotten into growing his own food and even had a booth at the local farmer’s market where he sold any excess. It was cute to see him tending to his crops. He took as much care with them as he did tattooing. The man was resolute in his focus, something I took full advantage of when he was between my legs.
Maddox shut the door to the chicken coop, a basket full of eggs in his hands as he headed my way. We now had six chickens, one rooster, a pot-belly pig, two cats, and a dog. Our little farm of unwanted animals had grown exponentially, and I loved every single one of them. Becca rushed over to him, and he stopped to listen to her. She’d blossomed so much since she’d come to live with us. She’d become an integral part of our family.
She helped at the tattoo shop and Live Like A Queen throughout the week. She’d tried the mechanic shop and gym, but they’d both been too loud and chaotic for her. The customers at Tattooed Hearts loved her, and she enjoyed being around Bubba. There was something about his energy she jived with and any time she had a choice; she’d spend it helping him. It was sweet. But she also liked making a difference at Live Like a Queen , so she would alternate her days to help women find their voice. Something she’d gained once she was out from under her father’s thumb.
“What’s shakin’, good lookin’?” Grayson said, sitting beside me and wrapping an arm around my back. He handed me a glass of lemonade and kissed my cheek.
“Just watching,” I said, taking a sip.
“Hmm, it is a good view.”
“It is.” I smiled over at him. “Did Grace go down for her nap?”
“Yep.” He smiled, sighing as he leaned back. “That girl’s got some spirit.”
I chuckled. “That’s one way of saying she’s stubborn.”
“Nah. Spirited.”
Leaning my head against his shoulder, I nuzzled closer into his body and enveloping scent. His free hand moved to rub my belly. I couldn’t believe we were about to have three kids under three. Thank Gucci there were plenty of hands to help out. It hadn’t been our plan to have this many kids so close together, but something about me being pregnant made all of my husbands feral, and the second I was able to have sex again, they were on me. Not that I complained. The sex was amazing.
Hopefully, after this next one, I’d get a little break. Childbirth was exhausting.
Grayson and I rocked for a few minutes alone until Charlie finished his riding lesson. He barreled up the steps on his wobbly legs, his smile big as he hurried to me.
“Momma. Daddy G!” he cried, launching himself at us when he was close. Since Charlie was the first, he got to choose what he called all the guys, much to their dismay.
“What’s up, little man? Did you have fun on Ginger?” Grayson asked. He roughed up his brown curls, pressing a big kiss on his cheek.
“Uh-huh. Dad said I’m natural.” He smiled big, proud of himself.
“That you are, Bug . ” I brushed his hair off his forehead, smiling into his face. “You ready for a snack, or do you want to help Pop in the garden?”
He thought about it, tapping his finger on his chin like he saw Maddox doing at times. “Snack.”
“I’ll take him,” Becca said, holding out her hand. She loved being an aunt and had been a massive help with watching Charlie and Grace.
“Go with Auntie Becs,” I said, kissing him on the cheek. He slid off Grayson’s lap but stopped and kissed my belly.
“Love you,” he said, patting my bump before he ran to his aunt.
“We have the best kids,” Grayson said, sighing into my hair.
“That we do.”
“Room for me?” Maddox asked, stepping onto the deck.
“No,” Grayson said while I said, “Yes.”
Maddox ignored Grayson, came to my other side, and sat beside me, wrapping his arms around me.
“Nice try, Pretty Boy,” Maddox teased.
Grayson huffed and laughed, but we both knew it was playful. My guys loved one another and had become a true family of brothers.
We got about fifteen minutes of peace before chaos erupted, per usual. Lennox came around the side of the house, shuffling as she neared. Slade glared at her from behind but knew better than to tell her she couldn’t do something. The girl was wide as a house and was due any day now with twins. She’d been forced to mostly bed rest in her last trimester with only fifteen minutes of exercise allowed a day, which she used to walk across the street to our house.
“Hey, girl,” I said, sitting up.
Lennox collapsed into the lounger and heaved out a long breath. “Hey. I don’t know how you did this three times. I’m so done after these two. I hate being pregnant,” she said, glaring at her husband. Slade glared right back, not at all intimidated.
Simon and Thane came through the backdoor, a giggling Grace on Simon’s hip, as Charlie and Nova, their two-year-old daughter, raced out around them.
“This one was making noise when we came in, so I just had to grab my favorite niece,” Simon said, blowing raspberries on Grace’s neck.
At the announcement of more people, Brooks and Bubba joined us on the deck. All the men said hello as the kids and pets ran around us.
I loved this: our two families intertwined and together, the loud and craziness of it all. It reminded me of the best parts of growing up in an MC. We looked out for one another and helped each other raise our kids. They were as familiar to them as we were, and I loved that. I firmly believe that you could never have too many people love you.
At some point, Bubba lit the grill and made our mouths salivate as he cooked burgers and hotdogs. Grayson worked in the kitchen with Simon, putting together some side dishes. However, if I had to guess, they were scheming up their next beauty product and wanted to discuss it away from Slade’s penetrating glare. Brooks took turns giving Nova, Grace, and Charlie rides on his horse, Pepper, leaving Lennox and me to gossip on the deck. She’d moved over to the swing to stay out of the sun.
Slade and Maddox had gone out to the garage to work on their bikes, and Thane was sitting on the deck with the dog and cats on him. Slade wouldn’t let him bring any more pets home, so they ended up with us when he found one that needed a loving place. I wasn’t sure if it was because he knew we’d take good care of them or so he had visitation rights, but considering he never charged us vet fees, I’d let him do whatever he wanted.
“I’m going out,” Becca said, waving bye before walking to tell her brother. He nodded, and I could hear the ‘be safe and call me’ speech from here. Maddox was a big worrywort, but Becca had made a good group of friends, and they watched over her. She’d blossomed so much once she wasn’t sequestered away.
“Did you ever think we’d end up across the road from one another, pregnant, with multiple husbands, but so happy?” Lennox asked out of the blue.
“You mean when I met you to give me a tattoo?” I laughed. “Nope. At that point in my life, I was just happy to make it to the next day. There weren’t a lot of future plans involved.”
“I’m glad we’re here.”
“Me too, babe.”
“Do you miss music?” I asked.
Lennox had released an EP after their tour with Shadows of Mayhem but ultimately decided the rock star life wasn’t for her. She loved music but wanted her privacy. She’d written several songs with Aspen over the years and would duet with people she’d met when they asked. But that was it. She strictly stuck to karaoke these days.
“Nah. There’s a different type of music in my heart now.”
I smiled, knowing exactly what she meant. Motherhood was a weird and glorious thing. “Have you told the guys the gender of the twins?”
“Not yet.” She smiled. She’d found out, but the guys had wanted to be surprised. Their household was about to get a whole lot more pink.
“I can’t wait to see how Slade gets when they’re all grown up. Whoever they date is gonna need to be tough as nails.”
She laughed. “I think Nova might be okay.” She looked over to where Nova and Charlie sat talking about nonsense, considering they were two and a half and three, and there weren’t a lot of actual words shared. We both smiled at the two. They were quickly becoming best friends. “But you’re right; I have a feeling the twins will run circles around their dads.” We giggled together.
“For some reason, I can’t wait to watch that.”
“Me either.”
“What are you two plotting?” Thane asked, bending over the back of the swing.
“Nothing,” we said together, laughing harder.
He lifted his eyebrow, his gaze skeptical, but he let it go. Smart man. The food was done soon after, and everything was placed on the large picnic table. Lennox and I sat surrounded by our guys and kids, laughter and noise filling the space around us. Our lives weren’t perfect, but damn, they were close.
Seeing all the love around us, Chase, Stanley, and Damon seemed like a lifetime ago. As much as I hated those moments, I was glad they brought me here. To the people I loved and the life I was meant to lead.
“I’d like to make a toast,” I heard myself saying before I realized it. Everyone turned and looked at me. I laughed. “I know. I’m not one for making toasts; I guess none of us are, but this feels important.”
“All right, Sunflower. Give us your toast,” Grayson said, lifting his glass.
I smiled at him. “I’m just grateful to have every one of you in my life. From the best of friends to the best husbands and kids, I love the life I get to wake up and live every day. My business name came from a place of growth, of figuring out my worth and not taking any less. But damn, I do get to live every day like a queen.” The table laughed, and I smiled. “So here’s to all of us, to having these impromptu dinners, to our kids growing up as best friends, to all the adventures we’ve yet to take?—”
“Lovely speech, Darce. Really. So much so that the twins wanted to hear it in person. So, um, could you wrap it up?”
“Wait, is it time?” I asked, my eyes wide. She nodded, calmly eating her burger while waiting for me to finish. Her husbands were not as calm and immediately jumped into hypergear.
“To us!” I shouted, the kids joining in and making us laugh. As Slade and Simon panicked, Thane calmly asked Lennox questions about her contractions and walked with her to the stairs. Bubba offered to drive them to the hospital and pulled around the van we’d gotten last year.
“Nova, you want to have a sleepover?” I asked. Simon spun on his heels, seeming to remember his daughter. His eyes were wide, but I waved him off, and he sighed appreciatively. Nova clapped, and Brooks gave Charlie and her ice cream.
Yep, this was the life right here.
In the end, all this Mississippi girl needed was a farm full of animals, the best of friends, and a family overflowing with love. I lived better than a queen.