Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MacGyver was exhausted. The mission had a few small glitches and had taken longer than they’d hoped. But in the end, they’d located the terrorist they’d been tasked with taking down and had stopped yet another plan to kill innocent US citizens. But eliminating terrorists was like playing Whac-A-Mole. They’d get one bad guy, then another immediately popped up to take his spot.
Being a SEAL was rewarding, but it was also a never-ending job. In the past, MacGyver had gotten depressed over the fact that there would always be humans trying to kill other humans, usually for no good reason. But today, even though he was tired, he was also filled with adrenaline.
They were almost home. They’d been debriefed in Germany, and back in Riverton, they’d have several meetings regarding the mission and what they could do better next time, but before that, MacGyver would get to see his family.
Even the thought was enough to make him feel buzzed.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Safe asked.
“What?”
“Having people waiting at home for you.”
“Yeah, it is. How’s Wren’s job going with her father?”
“Great. She loves it. And finding her dad and her three half-brothers was such a blessing. How’re things going with Ellory and her biological father?”
MacGyver frowned. “ Not great. Vogel is nothing like Wren’s father, that’s for sure.”
“That sucks. Is Ellory okay?”
“I don’t really know. I hate that I missed this last meeting they had, but from what Addison told me, it didn’t go so well. She said she’d tell me the details when I got home.”
“Well, they’re all lucky they have you. You’re a great father, MacGyver. I have to admit when you said you wanted to keep Artem, Borysko, and Yana, I had my doubts. I mean, what do we know about raising kids? I want kids myself, but I’m also selfish enough to want to spend time with Wren before we go down that road. You jumped into fatherhood with both feet without any kind of life preserver.”
“I can’t tell you how I knew those three kids were meant to be mine. Something happened when we were skulking around that burned-out city in Ukraine. The thought of leaving them was so painful, I couldn’t even contemplate it.”
“Well, we’re all very happy for you. And I meant what I said, you’re a really good dad. The role suits you.”
“Thanks.”
By the time they landed, MacGyver was antsy as hell. All he wanted was to get home and see the people who’d become his whole world.
“You gonna call Addison and give her a heads-up that you’re back?” Preacher asked.
“No, I think I’m just going to go straight home and surprise everyone. It’s early enough that they should all still be awake.”
“Not sure that’s the best idea,” Preacher replied with a frown.
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. You might give them a heart attack if you just walk in.”
MacGyver grinned. “I’m willing to risk it.”
“Well, don’t come crying to us if you get read the riot act for not telling Addison the second your feet touched the ground back here in the US.”
MacGyver considered his friend’s suggestion for a moment, but he really wanted to see Addy’s and the kids’ reactions when they realized he was home. Besides, he didn’t want to waste any time on the phone when he could be on his way to holding his wife again.
The SEAL team scattered in the parking lot and MacGyver got into Addison’s VW Bug, and thankfully it started right up. He couldn’t help but smile at being in her car. She loved this thing. He hoped she didn’t have any issues with his Explorer while he was gone.
A million questions were rolling around in his head. How was Ellory doing with her Crohn’s? Was Yana talking more? Had Borysko learned a bunch of new words like he’d asked? Did Artem get a good grade on his most recent science homework? And Addison…was she completely frazzled? Had she been able to juggle everything all right? He worried about her most of all.
The lights were on in the house when he pulled into the driveway, and MacGyver couldn’t stop smiling. This was like Christmas, Easter, and the Fourth of July all at the same time. He left his duffle bag in the car, deciding to deal with it in the morning, and headed for the front door. It was locked—thank goodness; he’d begged Addison to keep it locked anytime they were home—and after using his key to open it, he quietly stepped inside the house.
Taking a deep breath, MacGyver felt his chin quiver. He never thought a scent could bring him to his knees. But after spending weeks in dirt and grime, smelling his own and his teammates’ body odor, the scent of freshly baked cookies had the power to bring tears to his eyes.
He heard the kids laughing, and it was just another layer of happiness that was almost too much for MacGyver. He walked silently toward the living room and saw his family lounging on the couches, covered in blankets he hadn’t owned before marrying Addison. The scene was straight out of a Hallmark movie, except Yana’s bangs had recently been cut haphazardly, Borysko had a bruise on his forehead, Artem’s shirt had some kind of food stain, and Ellory was rolling her eyes at something one of her brothers said.
And Addison…she looked even more beautiful than she had before MacGyver left. She had dark circles under her eyes, her hair was in curly disarray, she was wearing one of his Navy T-shirts…and he couldn’t stop staring at her.
This was all his. The mess, the chaos. The woman. The kids. They were his . It was so hard to believe. And it made what he did for a living completely worth it. The thought of any of these precious humans being caught in the crosshairs of a man like the one they’d just taken out was abhorrent.
“Ricky?”
Ellory’s incredulous cry silenced the room for a split second—then pandemonium broke out. The kids screamed and leaped up from the couches and ran toward him. Even Ellory. MacGyver went down on a knee and held out his arms. He was bowled over by his exuberant children as they practically tackled him.
“You home!”
“Ricky!”
“When you get here?”
“I can’t believe you didn’t let us know you were back!”
MacGyver couldn’t stop smiling. He’d never been so happy in all his life. This was why those cheesy videos about soldiers surprising their families and kids were so popular. Why people cried when they watched them. He was experiencing that kind of emotion firsthand.
Looking up through his pile of children, MacGyver saw Addison standing above them with her hand over her mouth, tears running down her face. For a split second, he panicked, wondering if those tears were happy ones or not. But then she fell to her knees and joined the pile of bodies on the floor.
MacGyver laughed as he tried to wrap his arms around not only his kids, but his wife as well. Of course, that didn’t work, partly because Yana came within two millimeters of kneeing him in the balls, Artem was practically yelling in his ear, asking him question after question, Borysko was lying like dead weight against him, and Ellory was kneeling right against his side, smiling like a loon.
It took a moment or two, but eventually MacGyver got everyone on their feet again and turned to Addison. “Honey, I’m home,” he joked.
She let out an adorable mix between a snort and a laugh, then threw herself at him. MacGyver went back on a foot, but held steady as he hugged her tight. This. This was what he’d dreamed of. Waited for. Yearned for. Holding his wife.
But she didn’t stay in his arms for nearly long enough. She pulled back and her gaze swept over him from head to toe. “Are you all right? You look like you’ve lost weight. Did you get hurt? Is everyone else okay?”
“I’m good, everyone else is fine, and I probably did lose a few pounds, but whatever smells so damn good I’m sure will put the weight back on me in no time.”
“Mom made pound cake,” Artem said, leaning against MacGyver as if he couldn’t bear to be away from him for a second. “We never ate. But it is good.”
“Strawberries!” Yana exclaimed from his other side.
“You had pound cake with strawberries?” MacGyver asked.
“Yes!” Borysko told him with a huge smile.
“And what happened to your hair?” MacGyver asked, brushing an uneven lock back from Yana’s forehead.
“She got a hold of a pair of kitchen scissors,” Addison said dryly, with a small shake of her head.
“And you, Borysko? That’s a big bruise on your forehead.”
“Fell at school.” Then he clapped his hands together, obviously showing MacGyver how he’d hit the floor with his head.
MacGyver winced. “Ouch. But you’re okay?”
“I am okay,” he said with a smile.
“And how are you, Ellory? School going all right?”
“If you’re asking about Chrys, she hasn’t been bothering me. Well, she did once. Before school. She came up to me with some of her friends and started saying mean things, but I just stared at her with big scary eyes, like you suggested. When I didn’t say anything or do anything, she got weirded out and left me alone.”
MacGyver chuckled. “Good. And your theater work? How’s that going?”
She beamed. It was the right question to ask, apparently.
“It’s awesome! I love it. Before this year, I thought theater was only about acting, which I didn’t want to do. But I love being behind the scenes. I was actually able to fix one of the lights last week. It went out and wouldn’t work and no one could figure it out. But I channeled my inner MacGyver and tweaked this and turned that, wiggled a few wires, and it started working again!”
“That’s my girl!” MacGyver praised.
It took over an hour to get caught up with each of the four kids and what they’d been doing while he was away. As he gave all his attention to the children, Addison quietly heated up some leftovers and brought him a fork and plate while he was talking. Then she took the dirty dishes away when he was done, bringing him a glass of water and a large chunk of pound cake smothered with strawberries.
The kids weren’t wrong, it was one of the best desserts he’d ever eaten. His taste buds were tingling as he enjoyed every bite.
It took another forty-five minutes to get the kids into bed. They were keyed up because he was home, and they all wanted to talk to him at the same time. MacGyver read three stories to Yana, tucked the boys in and reassured them that he’d be home for a while. He had a quiet moment with Ellory to ask about her health. He told her that he wanted to hear all about her visit with her father when they had a bit more time and privacy, and to his relief, she simply nodded, didn’t say she didn’t want to talk about it.
MacGyver was exhausted—from the trip, the emotional reunion with his family—but he felt a contentment deep in his bones. This was what he’d been missing. Yes, it was tiring being a father to four children and making sure all their different needs were met, but extremely rewarding as well. Thinking about what Artem, Borysko, and Yana would be doing, where they’d be sleeping or what they’d be eating if he hadn’t brought them to the States, was enough to give him an anxiety attack.
Now, finally, the kids were in bed and he could turn his attention to his wife.
Addison was waiting for him in the living room. She’d cleaned the kitchen, folded the blankets, and had started getting the kids’ lunches ready for the next day. Once again, he was amazed at how good a caretaker she was.
Without a word, he walked over to her and took her in his arms. Neither of them spoke for a long moment.
“Welcome home,” she murmured into his hair. “To the crazy.”
“I missed it,” MacGyver reassured her.
She chuckled against him, then pulled back, keeping her arms around his waist. “I can’t believe you didn’t call and warn me you were coming home,” she said with a small frown.
“Didn’t want to take the time. The only thing I could think about was getting here and seeing everyone.”
“All right, I’ll forgive you this time. But next time, you had better call me the second those wheels touch down.”
MacGyver chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” He studied her for a moment. “You good? You look exhausted.”
“I think that’s my line,” she joked.
“Addison,” MacGyver warned.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just tired. I thought being a single mother to one kid was hard. Four is a whole new level.”
MacGyver felt guilty for leaving her.
But she shook her head and said, “No.”
“No what?”
“No, you aren’t allowed to feel guilty. You’re doing what you’re meant to do. I can handle the kids while you’re gone. But I did miss you. I thought about you every second of the day. Wondered where you were, what you were doing, if you were hurt…it wasn’t fun.”
MacGyver’s heart skipped a beat. What was she saying?
“I understand what Caroline, Alabama, and the other women tried to tell me now. That while being a Navy wife isn’t easy, it’s damn hard at times, but it’s also rewarding. Knowing that I’m taking care of things here while you’re off doing your job…it makes me feel needed.”
“Oh, you’re needed, Mrs. Douglas.”
She smiled a little at that. “Mrs. Douglas. I still haven’t gotten used to that being my name.”
“And speaking of names…don’t think I missed Artem calling you ‘Mom.’ I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it when he said it, because I didn’t know if it was a regular thing by now or what. How do you feel about that?” MacGyver asked.
Addison smiled. “It’s awesome,” she whispered. “And that was the first time,” she added, still grinning.
“This has been the best homecoming I’ve ever had. You, the kids, hearing Artem call you Mom…it’s all more than I ever thought I’d get.”
Addison hugged him tightly and MacGyver closed his eyes, appreciating the hell out of the woman in his arms. He pulled back and slowly threaded his fingers through her auburn hair. The strands clung to him as if they were just as glad to have him home as he was to be there. “I’m dead on my feet,” he admitted. “All I want is to sleep in my own bed and hold my wife.”
“I think that can be arranged,” she said with a smile. “Go on and shower. Wait, where’s your bag? I can get that from the car while you clean up.”
“Leave it. It’s full of nasty-smelling stuff you don’t want any part of. I’ll take care of it tomorrow. I don’t have to go in until noon. We have a debrief meeting with the commander and that’s it. I’ll pick up the boys tomorrow.”
Addison sighed. “I missed you so much. I swear I’ve put at least a thousand miles on your car driving everyone around.”
“I think it’s about time we got the boys on board with taking the bus to and from school. They’re more comfortable in their surroundings and their English is so much better.”
Addison nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. It’s a lot, dropping them off and picking them up every day, along with Yana and Ellory.”
“Come on. No more shop talk. Our bed is calling our names.”
Addison smiled and tilted her head. “Is that what that sound was? I thought it was a hallucination.”
He loved this woman. So damn much. After making sure the house was locked up tight, MacGyver headed for the bathroom and a much-needed shower. By the time he was done, had scrubbed his teeth three times, and even put on some lotion—the heat in the Middle East was brutal on his skin—Addison was in bed and waiting for him.
Sighing in contentment at the feel of clean sheets and a comfortable mattress, MacGyver had barely settled onto his back before his wife was in his arms.
Closing his eyes, he did his best to control his emotions. His reunion with his kids had been poignant, but this…lying here in his bed, his wife in his arms, was overwhelming.
“Welcome home, Ricky,” Addison whispered against his chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too. So damn much.”
MacGyver thought he’d lay awake for a while, enjoying the feel of being home, being clean, and having Addy in his arms. But instead, he fell asleep almost instantly. Feeling safe and loved—along with being up for almost thirty-six hours—served as a great sleep aid.
* * *
Addison was so tired, but she couldn’t sleep. She’d dreamed of this every night since Ricky had left. Of lying in his arms. He smelled like lemons. He’d obviously used her lotion before coming to bed. The feel of his chest rising and falling as he breathed in and out was mesmerizing. He was back…and relatively unharmed. She hadn’t missed the bruises on his chest and arms, but since he didn’t even act like they hurt at all, she did her best to dismiss them.
Her husband was home. The time he was gone had been more difficult than she’d ever admit. She worried that she wasn’t doing or saying the right things for the kids at every turn. Stressed about her ex and Ellory. Wondered how she was going to finish her baking jobs and get everything else done as well. The laundry was backed up, the house was a mess…but everyone was happy and healthy, so she was going to count that as a win.
She hadn’t talked about tomorrow’s schedule with Ricky, as was their usual routine when they went to bed, but he was obviously more than exhausted. He’d fallen asleep in seconds. They had time to talk about who had what activity and which chores needed to be done in the morning, during breakfast.
Sharing the first meal of the day with her husband wasn’t something she would ever take for granted again. Nor all the things he did for their family. Yes, he worked during the day, but he still managed to do so many things that eased the workload on her shoulders.
Addison eventually fell asleep, one leg hitched over Ricky’s thighs, her arm around his belly, clutching him to her tightly even as she slept.
She wasn’t sure what woke her up, had no idea what time it was. It was still mostly dark in the room, except for the glow coming from the nightlights on the walls they’d installed in case one of the kids needed something in the middle of the night and came into the room.
In a flash, the evening before came back to her. Ricky was home.
“Sorry,” he whispered, “my sleep schedule is whacked. I woke up, had my beautiful wife in my arms, drooling on me—but I won’t mention that—and my cock, which has behaved itself for the last few weeks, suddenly developed a mind of its own.”
Addison chuckled and looked up at her husband. Ricky was hovering over her, his weight on an elbow as his other hand was under her…his…shirt, playing with her nipple. She could feel his erection against her thigh.
Immediately, her libido switched on. She hadn’t felt the slightest urge to pleasure herself while he’d been gone. She’d been too busy, too worried to think about sex. But now that he was home, safe and sound and in bed with her…it was all she could think about.
Without hesitation, she sat up a little and whipped the T-shirt over her head. Then she shoved her underwear over her hips and kicked them away before lying back down and smiling at Ricky. “Hurry. Before the kids wake up and demand the foot-high stack of pancakes they eat every morning. I swear they have hollow legs. I don’t know how they pack it all in.”
Ricky smiled but did as she ordered, lowering his head to take one of her nipples into his mouth. Arching against him, Addison moaned softly. She’d missed this. Sex with Ricky was out-of-this-world amazing. He made her feel things she’d never felt before, and certainly couldn’t duplicate with her own fingers and toys.
Feeling impatient, she reached down and shoved her hand inside his boxers, wrapping her fingers around his erection.
“Fuck, hon. Yes.” His hips pushed into her hand, and Addison smiled.
Then he was a whirl of motion, pushing his boxers off and getting on his knees between her legs. He shoved his hands under her ass and lifted her hips off the mattress at the same time he lowered his head.
Addison jolted in pleasure at the way he literally attacked her pussy. There was no finesse in his actions. No gentle wooing. He went right for her clit and licked and sucked at her as if he was a dying man, and she was his only sustenance.
It had been long enough, and he was talented enough, that it took only a few minutes before the telltale shaking of her thighs began as she approached orgasm.
The second she tensed around him, he lifted his head, dropped her ass back to the bed, and pushed her legs apart. She was still coming when he shoved his cock inside her in one quick thrust. The feel of him filling her to the brim prolonged her orgasm. As did the way he began to fuck her hard and fast.
He leaned over, bracing his hands next to her shoulders. His hips thrust powerfully as he took her. Addison reached up and grasped his biceps while staring into his eyes. Ricky didn’t take his gaze from hers as he claimed her.
Every time he bottomed out, he pressed against her clit, making her twitch in pleasure. Had sex with him ever been this amazing? Probably. But it had been too long and she’d obviously forgotten.
“I love you,” she breathed.
“Love. You. So. Much,” he said in time with his thrusts.
It wasn’t long before his rhythm began to falter and she knew he was close. Addison leaned up and took his earlobe between her teeth and sucked it hard. That was all it took. Ricky groaned and pushed deeper than he’d been before as he came, collapsing against her.
After a long moment, he went up on his elbows and said, “Holy hell, woman, you almost killed me.”
“I didn’t do anything but lie here,” she teased.
“I know,” he said seriously. “I love you so much. You’re my everything. With you, I’m the man I always wanted to be.”
“Ricky,” she said, on the verge of tears. She’d missed him so much. Having him home safely was a dream come true. She refused to think about all the times in the future he’d be leaving for missions. She wanted to think that the first deployment would be the most difficult, but she had a feeling they’d only get harder and harder.
She shifted under him, and he asked, “Am I squishing you?”
“No, you feel perfect.”
“Oh hell.”
“What?”
“I didn’t use anything… again . I’m sorry! I swear I’m not doing it on purpose. But all I could think about was your taste on my tongue, then getting inside you.”
“It’s okay.”
He stared at her for a beat. “Are you on anything yet? Did you see a doctor while I was gone?”
Addison bit her lip, looking away. She’d meant to. It had been the perfect time to start birth control. But with everything going on with the kids and her job, she hadn’t gotten around to it. She shook her head nervously.
“Look at me, Addy.”
She raised her eyes and met his gaze.
“Four kids is a lot. More than you probably ever thought you’d have on your plate. Adding a baby into the mix would be crazy. Would ramp up our already jampacked lives to the max. With that said…the thought of you having my baby? A little red-haired boy or girl? I want that so bad .”
She felt his dick twitch deep inside her body.
“Me too,” she whispered.
“Fuck,” Ricky sighed, lowering his forehead to hers. “You’re killin’ me, Addy.”
“The timing isn’t great. We don’t even know if we’ll get permanent custody of the kids as it is.”
“We will,” Ricky said with conviction. “Tex will come through. The house isn’t big enough for another, though. But we can probably get by with the baby in here with us for a little while.”
Hearing her big bad husband talk about having a baby with her as if it was a done deal felt surreal. “It might not happen right away,” she whispered.
“How long did it take you to conceive Ellory?” he asked.
“Um…one time. When the condom broke,” she admitted.
Ricky chuckled, and Addison felt it from the inside. “Right. There’s always the possibility that there could be a problem with my sperm, but we can play things by ear. So…is that it? Did we decide we aren’t going to use birth control…that we’ll let mother nature do her thing?”
Addison felt giddy inside. Jittery, but in a good way. “I think we did.”
Ricky began to rock his hips slowly and sensuously, his cock moving in and out of her soaking-wet sheath. “This is gonna be fun.”
Just then, the sound of Borysko’s too-loud voice, yelling at his brother in Ukrainian, came from outside their room.
“Fuck,” Ricky sighed with a grimace.
“Fun until our kids cock block us,” Addison said with a giggle.
Ricky lifted his hips until his cock slipped out of her body, then he shifted to his knees. His erection brushed against her belly as he got up on all fours, leaning down to kiss her. “We’ll just have to get creative. If we want Baby Douglas to join us anytime soon, that is.”
“I have one request,” Addison said as the voices outside their room got louder.
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“We are not naming this baby, or any baby in our future, Doug.”
Ricky chortled. “Doug Douglas. No way in hell. I’m going to shower, get myself off so I can be presentable to our children at the breakfast table. But…after the kids are at school? I want you back here. Under me. Taking my cock and my come. Now that you’ve said yes to a baby, I’m going to want to fill you every chance I get.”
“I’ve created a monster.”
“Yup,” Ricky agreed. Then he kissed her once more before hopping off the bed and heading for the bathroom. His hard dick bobbed in front of him as he went, making Addison giggle again.
She quickly followed his lead, climbing out of bed, throwing back on the shirt she’d been wearing, a clean pair of underwear and a pair of sweatpants. Then she went to the door to their bedroom and slipped out. She’d use the kids’ bathroom to freshen up. She had little ones to get ready for school, pancakes to make, laundry to do, cakes to bake…and apparently a husband to make love to. Life couldn’t get any better.