Chapter 18 #2
I stood outside watching the sunrise wondering how I’d known Wilson for years and had never known he’d been married. What the hell else was the man hiding? Out of the six of us, Wilson was the most closed off but he’d never even hinted at trouble in his past. Or had he and I’d missed it?
Before I could go over years of friendship and try to remember if Wilson had let something slip, the door behind me opened.
Brooklyn and Remy.
Christ, how was it possible she looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her?
First thing in the morning wearing one of my shirts that hit mid-thigh and holding Remington.
His long frame in front of her, his legs wrapped around her middle, his head resting on her shoulder, but his eyes were on me and he was frowning.
“You left,” Remy accused.
“I didn’t leave, bud. I’m right here.”
“You left,” he repeated.
“I told you, baby, Rhode didn’t leave us, he just came downstairs,” Brooklyn explained.
“You. Left.”
Brooklyn jolted, my stomach clenched, and the muscles in my neck tightened at the ferocity of his little boy tone.
“Okay, Remy, I hear you, son. I did leave. I woke up early and wanted to let you and your mom sleep so I came down here so I didn’t wake you. But now that you’re up why don’t you help me find something to make for breakfast?”
Brooklyn’s eyes had gone round and I wasn’t tracking the panic I saw there. I offered to have Remy help me make breakfast, not set bear traps.
“You all right, Sugar?”
“Why do you call my mom sugar?”
“Because she’s sweet like sugar.”
Remington smiled. Big and bright. So damn bright it was blinding. But it was his giggle that stole my heart.
I didn’t need a reason to fall in love with my son.
That had happened instantaneously. From the second I laid eyes on him a switch flipped on and I knew with a certainty that I’d never suspected existed, not only was Remington mine but that I would do anything to make him happy.
So it wasn’t that I fell in love with my son because he giggled, it was just that the small part I’d been holding back for self-preservation until we told Remy I was his dad and he accepted me was ripped clean away.
I was totally defenseless against the onslaught of love I felt.
“Will you give me a nickname, too?”
Son.
“Hm…” I tapped my chin and shook my head. “A nickname is earned, not given.”
“Earned?”
“Yep. Your mom earned hers by being sweet.”
“Do you have a nickname?”
“I do.”
“What is it?”
“How ‘bout I tell you over breakfast?” I suggested in an effort to come up with a plausible nickname because there was no way in hell I was telling my four-year-old what nickname my team had given me and why.
Remington wiggled until Brooklyn set him down on his bare feet. He was still in his clothes from yesterday. That would have to be remedied and Brooklyn needed clothes as well.
A football and blanket were all my son had.
The thought pissed me right the fuck off.
I also doubted I had much in the cabin by way of breakfast food. I’d been staying in CDA at the hotel with my team. Canned ravioli probably wasn’t what Brooklyn would consider a breakfast of champions.
“When are we going fishing?” Remy asked.
Fucking shit.
The hopeful, happy expression on my kid’s face was a knife to the gut.
I didn’t want either of them leaving the mountain but seeing the shine in Remy’s dark brown eyes I knew I wouldn’t deny him.
And while I hadn’t promised I’d take him out on the boat, I had told him I would and that was as good as a promise and I wasn’t breaking my word with my son ever.
So I was going to risk taking them down the mountain.
Fuck.
“After breakfast, we’ll get ready.”
Remington smiled again and I knew I was so totally fucked for years to come I didn’t bother thinking about how fucked I was right then. I just knew I would give him whatever he wanted if it meant he smiled at me like that.
“Is that wise?” Brooklyn asked.
Hell no.
But what she was actually asking was if it was safe.
“We’ll be fine out on the boat.”
More questions were dancing behind her eyes.
Ones she wouldn’t ask in front of Remy. As predictable as ever—not to mention transparent—I couldn’t stop my smile when she turned to Remy and said, “Why don’t you go snoop around the kitchen and see if you find something you want me to make for breakfast? ”
“Okay, Sugar,” Remy quipped.
Right or wrong I couldn’t hold back my laughter. And when Remington joined in his high-pitched little boy laugh I sobered, not wanting to miss a single second of the sound.
“Okay, popsicle,” Brooklyn returned.
“Popsicle?” Remy shouted. “No way.”
“You love popsicles. But if you don’t like that, what about lollipop?”
“No way. My nickname’s bulldog because that’s my favorite dog.”
Good breed. I could get on board with having a bulldog. I’d prefer a shepherd or a Doberman but a bulldog would do.
“All right, bulldog, go find breakfast. I need to talk to your—” Brooklyn clamped her mouth shut, swallowed, and started again, “I need to talk to Rhode.”
That was the second time she’d almost slipped up.
The second time my heart had lurched, desperately wanting her to finish her sentence the way she intended.
The second time she’d caught herself and called me by name.
And finally, it was the second time Remington had looked at her funny when she did it.
The boy wasn’t dumb; he sensed something was going on. I knew it by the way he looked at me. It was like he wanted to ask who I was, if I was his dad. If he were a few years older I had no doubt he would’ve already presented the question.
“I’ll be in to help in a minute, bud,” I told Remy.
With one more look between me and his mom, he took off into the house.
“Shit,” Brooklyn grumbled as soon as the door was closed. “It’s like I want to tell him so bad I keep slipping up.”
Goddamn, that felt good.
“We’ll tell him out on the lake.”
“No,” she insisted. “Here. I want to tell him on your mountain. Either before or after we go fishing. If I have a say, I think it should be before. Give him his first memory after we tell him he’s going fishing with his dad.”
If she had a say?
Christ, Brooklyn was killing me.
“Baby, you have all the say. I’m following you on this, remember?”
“And I’ve reminded you he’s ours, not mine, and we make the decisions together.”
Oh, yeah, she was killing me.
“Okay, then I agree; we’ll tell him during breakfast. But warning, baby, we might be having canned SpaghettiOs.”
“Remington will be in heaven.” Brooklyn smiled.
And it sucked that smile was so radiant because I had shit to tell her that was going to steal her happiness. But it needed to be said and before we went down the mountain.
“Talked to Wilson this morning.” As expected, her smile faded. “He got intel on the Horsemen. They were all accounted for during the time of the shooting.”
“So it wasn’t them?”
“No. Wilson’s source is solid; the Horsemen are cleared. But later we need to talk about Kiki.”
“What about her?”
Fuck, not only had Brooklyn lost her smile, she’d lost all remnants of happy.
“Come here, Sugar.”
I waited until Brooklyn got close then tagged her around the waist and hauled her to my chest. Since she was in my arms in nothing but my tee and looking beautiful, I dipped my chin and kissed her.
Unfortunately, with Remy running around it was closed mouth and quick but it was better than what I got yesterday morning, which was nothing.
“First, we’re gonna rewind. Mornin’, baby.”
Brooklyn’s lips curved up. It pained me to know we weren’t done talking about the shit that was gonna make her unhappy now that I had that smile back.
“Mornin’, honey.”
“Wanna wake up to that every morning, Brooklyn. And just sayin’, you give me that I swear you won’t regret it.”
Those blue eyes got watery when she replied, “You keep this up and I’ll have to start calling you Sugar, and you look more like a Bruiser than a sweet treat. But lucky for you you’re big enough no one will make fun of you when they hear your new nickname.”
“No one would believe you if you told them I was sweet.” I chuckled.
“Really?”
“Really,” I confirmed. “Can’t recall anyone in my life thinking that.”
Her smile turned sly then sad. But when her hands came up and rested on either side of my neck I forgot about her smile and starting wondering how a touch so innocent could make my blood run hot and my dick jump to attention. Then I concluded I didn’t give a shit and just enjoyed it.
“Well, I think you’re sweet, and since you’re mine my opinion’s the only one that matters.”
You’re mine.
Good Goddamn.
“Sugar, I am most definitely yours. But you cannot say shit like that to me when Remy’s snooping in the kitchen and you’re in nothing but my tee and all I’ve been thinking about for the last twenty-four hours is searching that beautiful body of yours for new ink.”
“That’s what you’ve been thinking about?” she called me on my lie and added a sexy smirk to punctuate her point.
“You’re skating on very thin ice, baby. You’re seconds away from telling our boy, Mommy and Daddy are going upstairs for some alone-time.
I figure you’re not ready to explain what that means to him but just so you’re clear about what it means—after I find those tats I’ll be having you for breakfast. And if memory serves and I know it does, you’re good with your mouth so you’ll be returning the favor. ”
“As long as my tats aren’t the only reason you wanna see me naked I’ll behave…for now. And it sucks because I’m enjoying this—you and me and teasing. But before Remy gets back please tell me about Kiki.”
Teasing? I wasn’t teasing about getting my mouth between her legs and I certainly wasn’t fucking teasing about getting her mouth wrapped around my dick. But she was right; Remy would be out and I had shit to tell her.
“Brace, baby, it’s not good.”
Her chest expanded with an inhale and I gritted my teeth when her braless breasts rubbed against my chest. When I had my dick back under control I told her everything Wilson told me, minus the undercover DEA agent inside the Horsemen.