Chapter 19 - Blayne
Nineteen
Blayne
An hour later, I’m loading Reggie and the kids into my truck and wondering when my life became this beautiful mess. There was a time when the idea of spending my Friday night at a family fun center would’ve sounded like hell. Now I’m looking forward to it.
“Shotgun!” Jaylen calls out.
“You can’t call shotgun when Mama’s here,” Nia protests. “She gets the front seat.”
“Actually,” Reggie says, “I’m fine in the back. Jaylen earned shotgun today.”
She’s wearing jeans that perfectly hug her curves and a green sweater that brings out her brown eyes.
Her hair’s down, falling in waves past her shoulders, and even though she was sick all day, she looks amazing.
The most beautiful woman in the world. And I have to force myself to focus on backing out of the driveway instead of staring at her.
“Everyone buckled?” I ask, checking the rearview mirror.
“Yes, Dad,” Annalise says with a giggle.
The word stops everyone cold for a second. Annalise doesn’t seem to realize what she said, but the rest of us definitely noticed. Reggie’s eyes meet mine in the mirror, and there’s something there I can’t read. Something soft and maybe a little scared.
“All right,” I say, clearing my throat. “Let’s go celebrate.”
The drive to Salinas takes about twenty minutes, and I spend most of it listening to the kids argue about what we’re gonna do first while stealing glances at Reggie in the rearview mirror.
She has her head tilted back against the seat, and every time she laughs at something one of the kids says, her face lights up.
Makes me want to pull over and kiss her silly.
“You feeling okay?” I ask during a lull in the conversation.
“Much better. Thank you, honey.”
When she smiles at me in the mirror, it’s like the sun’s shining inside here. Warm and bright, and it makes my chest so fucking full.
“Stop thanking me,” I tell her, shaking my head.
She rolls her eyes at me in the rearview mirror.
“Ma,” Nia interrupts, “stop being weird about it. Blayne wants to be here.”
“I’m not being weird,” Regie protests, making us all laugh.
“You’re totally being weird. You act like Blayne is doing us a favor when he’s just doing normal family stuff.”
That shuts both Reggie and me up.
* * *
The family fun center is packed, but we manage to get in without too much wait. The place is huge. They have video games, laser tag, and about six different food court options that all smell like grease and sugar.
“Where do we start?” I ask.
“Mini golf!” Annalise votes.
“Go-karts,” Jaylen counters.
“Arcade,” Nia says.
“Democracy in action,” Reggie observes with a laugh that makes me want to wrap my arms around her and keep her laughing forever.
“How about we split up for an hour, then meet back for dinner?” I suggest.
“No,” Annalise says immediately. “We should all stay together. It’s more fun that way.”
“She’s right,” Reggie agrees. “Family outing means everyone together.”
So we start with mini golf, which turns out to be more entertaining than I expected. Annalise takes every shot like she’s competing in the Masters. Nia’s surprisingly good despite her crutches. Jaylen pretends he doesn’t care but gets pissed when his ball doesn’t cooperate.
And Reggie… Christ, Reggie is so bad at mini golf. Hilariously, adorably bad.
“I don’t understand,” she says after her ball ricochets off three different obstacles and somehow ends up further from the hole than when she started. “It’s just a tiny ball and a tiny stick. Should not be this hard.”
She has a crease between her eyebrows, and her plump bottom lip is caught between her teeth. That makes my dick twitch, which is completely inappropriate for family fun times, but what you’re gonna do?
“It’s all in the wrists, baby,” I tell her.
“My wrists are fine.”
“Your form’s all wrong.”
“I don’t have form. I’m just hitting the ball.”
“That’s your problem right there.”
I move behind her, putting my hands over hers on the club. She’s warm and soft against my chest, and when she leans back into me, I catch her scent. Flowers and Reggie. Makes me want to bury my face in her neck and breathe her in.
“This is definitely cheating,” she says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
“It’s coaching.”
“Same thing.”
“Try it.”
She swings, and the ball rolls smoothly toward the hole, curves around a small windmill, and drops in with a satisfying plunk.
“I did it!” She spins around in my arms, grinning like a kid, and, fuck me, she’s so fucking beautiful. Her eyes are bright, and that smile could power half the county.
“Nice shot, princess.”
“I’m obviously a natural.”
“Obviously.”
We’re standing close enough that I could kiss her, and for a second I forget we’re in public with the kids and about fifty other families. All I can think about is how good she feels pressed against me and how much I want to get her alone.
Then Annalise cheers, and the moment breaks. “Mama got a hole-in-one!” she announces to anyone within hearing distance.
“It wasn’t a hole-in-one, baby. I had help.”
“Still counts,” I tell her, and when she looks up at me with her gorgeous dark eyes, I know I’m fucking done for.
* * *
After mini golf, we make our way to the go-karts, where Jaylen shows he’s the speed demon of the family and Annalise drives like she’s a ninety-year-old on the highway. Nia sits this one out because of her ankle, but she takes pictures and cheers us.
After a few rounds, I sit next to Reggie on a bench, watching the kids race around the track. I can’t stop looking at her. The way she tucks her hair behind her ear when the wind blows it over her face. How she unconsciously leans against my shoulder.
Regina gets back to the race while I sit with Nia.
“Jaylen’s going to get himself killed,” Nia observes as her brother takes another turn way too fast.
“He’s fine. He has good reflexes.” I grin watching them zoom by.
“And Mom’s about to get lapped by a six-year-old.” We both laugh.
I look over at the track, where Reggie is being passed by Annalise, who finally found her stride. But she doesn’t even care. She’s laughing and waving at everyone who passes her.
* * *
By the time we head to dinner, we have enough tickets to buy half of the prize counter, and everyone’s in a great mood. The hostess at the restaurant section seats us at a corner booth, and I end up next to Reggie with the kids across from us.
This close, I can see the little freckles across her nose, smell her perfume and feel the heat radiating off her perfect body. When she reaches for her water glass, her hand brushes mine, and the simple contact sends electricity up my arm. Fuck, it’s been too long since I’ve had my girl to myself.
“This is nice,” the hostess says as she hands out menus. “Family night out?”
“Something like that,” Reggie responds, and I hear the slight hesitation in her voice.
“How long have you two been married?”
The question catches us both off guard. I see Reggie’s eyes go wide, and I know I should correct the assumption. Should explain that we’re not married, not even officially dating, just… whatever we’re doing.
Instead, I hear myself say, “Few years.”
“And these are all yours?”
“Yeh,” I confirm, and the words feel natural coming out of my mouth. Right.
“Beautiful family. You’re very lucky.”
“Yeah,” I say, looking around the table and then at Reggie, who’s watching me with a “what the fuck” expression. “We are.” I just keep smiling at her.
The hostess leaves, and there’s a moment of silence at the table.
“So,” Nia says finally, “we’re married now?” Everyone laughs.
“Just seemed easier,” I say, chuckling.
“Plus,” Annalise adds, “it made her happy. Did you see how she smiled when she said we were a beautiful family?”
The words hang in the air, loaded with meaning none of us is ready to unpack.
* * *
By the time we’re driving home, it’s past nine and Annalise is asleep in the backseat. Nia’s nodding off against the window, and Jaylen’s scrolling through his phone.
Reggie’s in the front passenger seat this time, her head leaning against the window, and in the dim light from the dashboard, she looks tired but happy.
“Not too tired?”
Reggie shakes her head. “I’m good.” Then she’s quiet for a beat before saying quietly, “Thank you. For today. All of it.”
“Stop thanking me, woman,” I grumble.
“I mean it. You made this day special.”
“It was special for me too.”
“Really?”
I nod, eyes fixed on the road. “I’ve never…” I pause, trying to find the right words. “I’ve never been part of a family, baby.”
“Do you like it?” Her voice is soft, almost hesitant.
“It’s everything,” I reply solemnly.
Reggie reaches over and takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. Her hands are soft and warm. The car is filled with love.
“For me too,” she whispers.