Chapter 12TRAVIS
Chapter Twelve
Travis and Sophia
TRAVIS
“Are you having fun with Nana and Papa?” I stare into the phone and grin at my son, Max. He’s my little mini-me with his dark hair and grey eyes that are identical to mine.
Becoming a single dad at twenty-three was the scariest time of my life, but he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. That and finding out Sophia was his kindergarten teacher, who he couldn’t stop talking about. He was as infatuated as I was with her, and the two have become inseparable.
“It’s been so fun! Papa and I have taken Nemo and Ryland to the beach every day.
Nana says she gets to spend the night tonight so Uncle Ryder and Aunt Evie can have some alone time on New Year’s Eve.
We are making a tent in the living room, and Papa says I get to stay up until midnight because it’s New Year’s.
Not Ryland, though. She’s too little, but I’m sure Nemo will stay awake with me. ”
“Sounds like fun,” I laugh. Nemo is his one-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever.
Sophia and I got him for Max after we learned there was one left from the litter where Maverick and Bella got his sister, Daisy.
We let Max pick out his name, and of course, he went straight to his favorite movie at the time.
“I’ve been helping Nana with Ryland just like you asked me to. Nana says we have to watch her carefully because she’s curious about everything and will wander off to explore if we don’t keep an eye on her.”
“That’s right, buddy, she’s only two and doesn’t understand the dangers like you do. Thanks for helping Nana out. I know Uncle Ryder and Aunt Evie are glad she has such a good big cousin to look out for her.”
“Once Aunt Evie has her baby, I’m going to have my hands full,” he groans. “Little kids are harder than puppies.”
“Tell me about it,” I laugh. “You were a monster at two. I found you on the roof one day after you escaped out the window.”
“I wasn’t on the roof,” he giggles.
“Hmmm. Maybe it was the top of the refrigerator I’m thinking about,” I tease.
“Dad…” He belly laughs again, and my heart swells at the sound. He focuses behind me, and his eyes light up. “Mom!”
I turn to look over my shoulder, and my breath gets sucked out of me.
“You look really pretty, Mom. Doesn’t she, Dad?”
“Yeah, she does,” I whisper. I keep my eyes trained on my wife and take her in as my throat goes dry.
She’s wearing a silver dress that sparkles when the light from the window hits it.
The soft fabric drapes down in the front, revealing a deep V, giving me just enough glimpses of her breasts to have my mouth watering.
It’s long-sleeved and backless all the way down to just above the curve of her ass, where the silver dress hugs her and ends mid-thigh.
My eyes darken when I see the black thigh boots she’s wearing.
Images of her on my bike wearing them flood my mind as I flick my eyes back up hers. Her lips turn up slightly as if she knows exactly what I’m thinking about. I’ve drawn her in these boots with nothing but these boots on… right before I bent her over wearing them and buried myself inside her.
She breaks her gaze and smiles at the phone. I had completely forgotten I was still holding my son in my hands. Sitting down next to me on the bed, she takes it from my hand as a whiff of her light floral scent hits me. Plumerias…her favorite flower and my weakness when I smell it on her.
“How’s my favorite little guy in the whole wide world?
” She beams into the camera, and Max lights up like it’s Christmas morning.
He excitedly tells her everything he just told me.
She listens to every word he says, and I can’t help but say another thank you to the universe for bringing her to Max and me.
It took me a while to let her into our lives out of fear she would leave us like Max’s mom did after he was born, but when it came down to it, there was no life I wanted if she wasn’t by my side.
Max never knew his biological mother. She wanted nothing to do with being a mother and left us when he was only four weeks old.
Last year, I found out she passed away from a drug overdose.
Sophia never left my side as I dealt with the guilt and pain I felt of not being able to recognize the help his mom needed.
I felt like I had let Max down somehow, and it was through Sophia’s love that I was finally able to let go of all the anger and hurt from the past. She breathed life into me and brought color to areas I thought would always be grey.
She has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen and has loved Max from the moment she met him on his first day of school. After we got married, I surprised her with adoption papers, and she immediately said yes.
I listen to them talk some more before we say our goodbyes to Max. She smiles and sets the phone down on the bed.
“God, I love him so much. I know I didn’t give birth to him, but I don’t know how I could possibly love him anymore if I did.”
“That’s because he’s your son in every sense of the word.
You don’t need to give birth to him to feel that.
You two were just meant to be a family a little later in life when the timing was right to bring us together.
He loves you just as much as he loves me.
It has nothing to do with blood and everything to do with souls.
Look at Ryder. Blood-wise, he’s my cousin, and my mom is his aunt.
Soul-wise, he’s as much my brother as Jake and Miles are, and my mom loves him just as much as the ones she gave birth to. ”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. I just…” She sighs and fidgets with the hem of her dress. I reach out and take her hand in mine.
“You just what?” She looks up, and her green eyes fill with tears. “Hey…don’t cry.” I swipe a tear away and get an ache in my heart at seeing her get upset. “Tell me what’s bothering you so I can make it better.”
“I just worry sometimes that Max will think I don’t love him as much as his brothers or sisters because I didn’t give birth to him.
He means so much to me, and it breaks my heart to think that he may feel that way.
Cause I won’t, Travis,” she shakes her head adamantly and squeezes my hand.
“I promise I won’t love Max any different when we have other children. ”
I stare at her, shocked that she would even think that thought would enter my mind.
“Listen to me real carefully,” I place my hands on either side of her face so she has no choice but to look into my eyes and see the truth when I say it.
“That thought never once crossed my mind. Ever. And I promise you Max will never think that either. Every day, we feel the love that you pour onto us. When we have children together, they will feel your love, too, but it won’t ever take away from the love Max already feels from you. ”
I swipe the last of her tears away with my thumbs.
“In his heart, you are his mother, and even if we have ten more children, Max would never doubt his place in your heart. The bond you guys have made is unbreakable. If anything, he’s got an upper hand on his future siblings.
He was your first child, and trust me, as the oldest in my family, we do get special privileges being the first. Moms never forget their firsts, especially if they are as good-looking as me, which Max is.
We can get away with murder and still do no wrong. ”
She laughs just like I wanted her to. “I do love to spoil my little guy.”
“See, he has you wrapped around his little finger already.”
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“For what? All I did was speak the truth.”
“For loving me and making me a mom.”
“There’s no one else that Max or I would want to love.” I bring her lips to mine and kiss her softly.
She pulls back and grins. “Ten kids?”
“Well, maybe I overextended on that one, but I will have no problem giving you as many as you want. We have five months to practice because as soon as your IUD comes out, I’m putting a baby in you.”
Sophia and Bella have always had this pact to get pregnant together, just like their moms did. They want their kids to grow up as best friends, so they’ve concocted this plan to get their IUDs removed right before Bella’s wedding in May and let fate take it from there.
“I’m planning on it. I’ve heard the Montgomery sperm are very powerful.”
“Oh yeah,” I laugh. “Where did you hear that from?”
“Eve told me. The first time, the Montgomery sperm made it through the pill, and the second time, it happened on the first night they were together after being apart for three years.”
“I had no clue the Montgomery sperm was the topic of conversation at one of your girl chats,” I chuckle. “I don’t doubt it, though. My sperm is very athletic, and I have every intention of scoring a touchdown on our first try.”
“I have no doubt that you will.”
I pull her closer to me and nibble on her neck. “Maybe we should practice just to be sure.”
“As tempting as that sounds, we are already running late for our reservations, and I need to fix my makeup real quick. I’m sure the tears ruined it.”
She kisses me briefly on the lips and stands up, leaving me wanting so much more.
I watch her ass sway in that dress that barely covers it before she disappears into the bathroom.
Groaning, I lay back on the bed. It’s going to be hard to get through the night with her in a dress that should be illegal…
and I literally mean hard as I glance down at the big bulge in the front of my pants.
Since I can’t have what I really want…yet, I head to the bar in the house. I laugh when I see all the guys standing around it. I guess I’m not the only one who needs to take the edge off. Taking the drink Noah just poured for me, I take a long sip of the burning brown liquid.
“I take it you just saw your wife in her dress?” Noah asks, chuckling.
“Yep.” I take another sip and relish in the burn the bourbon brings.