Chapter 18 #2
His chest puffed out a little when he realized that this was a special moment and I was treating it as such. “Yeah, okay.”
Whipping my phone out of my pocket, I pointed the camera at the mirror, then tossed an arm over Austin’s shoulder. “Okay, smiling or not smiling?”
With a dip of his chin, the teen declared. “Not smiling.”
“Good call. Shaving is very serious business for manly men.” The last few words were uttered in an overly exaggerated gruff voice that had Austin biting back a grin.
Snapping the pic, I checked the image to make sure neither of us had blinked, then set my cell down on the counter.
“Time for the razor.” I made a show of holding the piece of molded plastic up like a magic wand before bringing it beside my ear. “With your free hand, you want to pull the skin taut, then glide downward in short, even strokes.”
There was a scraping sound as the blades sheared off the quarter-inch of stubble I usually sported, leaving behind a strip of smooth skin.
“Go ahead and give it a try,” I prompted as I continued working to shave the rest of my face.
After a beat of hesitation, Austin brought the razor to his cheek and mimicked my motions. He didn’t have much hair there, but this would be good practice for when he did.
“Make sure to rinse out the blade to keep it clean,” I cautioned, running mine beneath the flowing water every couple of strokes.
When his jaw was free of shaving cream, I said, “I like to save my upper lip for last. Stretch it out over your top row of teeth, then go from one side to the other.”
Soon, we both had completely hairless faces, and I admired our handiwork in the mirror.
“Damn, we are a couple of good-looking guys, aren’t we?”
Austin offered me a half shrug. “Maybe.”
“Nah, come on, man.” I gave his shoulder a playful shove. “You gotta have confidence. Girls dig a guy who walks with some swagger because he knows he’s got it going on.”
He fixed me with a side-eye. “How’s that working out for you with my sister?”
“Oof, shots fired.” I clutched at my chest like I’d been wounded.
Humming, Austin remarked, “That’s what I thought.”
“She’s a tough nut to crack, your sister, but I’m making progress.” He arched a doubtful eyebrow, so I amended, “Slowly.” At a snail’s pace, really.
“Good luck with that,” he tossed over his shoulder on his way out of the bathroom. Pausing on the threshold, he turned. “Thanks for this, Levi.”
“Anytime, bud.”
By the time I cleaned up the bathroom, it was almost dinner time, and I was surprised to find the whole crew hanging out in the kitchen. Arizona must’ve made it home while I was still upstairs.
“Hey, how was your day?” I asked in greeting.
She spun around, opened her mouth to respond, but her lips quickly slammed shut again. Head cocking to the side, she surveyed me with a stare so intense that I began to squirm.
“What’s wrong?”
Her forehead creased. “Your face.”
“Oh.” My hand flew to my cheek, checking for blood. “Did I nick myself?”
“No.” She shook her head. “You shaved.”
A smile tugged onto my lips. “Yeah, had to teach the kid how it was done.” I hitched a thumb in Austin’s direction.
“What?” Her voice wavered, and I went on high alert.
Why did it sound like she was about to cry?
“Arizona, are you okay?”
Gaze shifting to her brother, she scanned his face, and I saw the exact moment she realized the dirty lip he usually sported was notably absent. A hand lifted to cover her mouth, and her blue eyes grew glassy.
“Excuse me.” She bolted from the room before I could utter a single word of protest.
Turning to the kids, I asked, “What was that about?”
Austin was elbow-deep in his bag of chips. “She’s fine. Probably getting her period or something.”
“Maybe . . .” But I wasn’t convinced it was as simple as that. “I’m gonna go check on her, okay?”
“Whatever,” he said around a mouthful of chips.
Jogging up the steps, I pushed into our bedroom but didn’t make it more than two steps inside before I came to a halt. My wife’s back was to me, both hands gripping the edge of the footboard, her head hanging.
“Arizona, what’s going on?”
She pulled in a deep breath before saying in a watery voice, “You’re an asshole.”
I shoved both hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels. “Pretty sure we’ve already established that, so you’re gonna need to be more specific.”
When she spun around, I saw the tear tracks lining her cheeks. “You’re so good with them—not just Maisie, but Austin too—and you make parenthood look effortless. Then there’s me. I try so damn hard, and yet I feel like I’m constantly failing him.”
Closing the gap between us, I said softly, “You’re not failing him.”
“I am!” Arizona cried, flinging her arms wide.
“I’m not enough for him, and he hasn’t been shy in letting me know that.
He’s desperate for a man in his life. He’d like for it to be his father, but that’s not an option.
” She hugged her midsection. “Then you come along, and you two have this instant connection. I love that he has someone to go to for ‘guy’ things. But what happens when this arrangement comes to an end, huh?”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I vowed. “Temporary marriage or not, I would hope that we can still be a part of each other’s lives.”
She blinked at me with wet lashes. “You say that now, but—”
“There is no but,” I cut her off. “The minute I put that ring on your finger, that made us family. For better or worse, until death do us part. You, me, Maisie, and Austin, we’re tied together for eternity, eventual divorce be damned.”
“Do you really mean that?”
With a firm nod, I declared, “I do.”
“I—I don’t know what to say.” After a thick swallow came a croaked “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary, and I hope it’s not overstepping, but you look like you could use a hug.”
Her lower lip wobbled. “You want to give me a hug?”
“I’m the one who offered, wasn’t I?” I opened my arms. “Now get over here.”
Arizona threw herself at me, burying her face against my chest, her tears soaking through the fabric of my T-shirt. She clung to me like she was drowning and I was the one who could save her.
“We’re all gonna be okay.” I stroked down the length of her long hair. “You’ll see.”
Emotional women used to send me running for the hills, but holding her as she fell apart and promising her forever felt so fucking right.
I was exactly where I belonged.