Chapter 34
I quietly tiptoed into the bedroom, careful not to wake up Rhode and Remington.
Father and son.
They were both on their sides, Remy tucked close into the curve of Rhode’s big body. I knew the comfort those arms offered. I knew what his warmth felt like. Even before Remington was taken I knew—now it was tattooed on my soul.
But it’d been a week and I needed to talk to Rhode.
The child psychologist Remy saw said we needed to take our cues from Remington and be patient.
It wasn’t the patience part I was worried about—Rhode had all the time in the world for his son.
All of the time, which translated into Remy never being more than a few feet from Rhode.
His protectiveness knew no bounds which I was grateful for.
But unlike Rhode, I had talked to a counselor, so I knew my irrational fear Remy would be taken again was just that—irrational.
Rhode didn’t think it was unreasonable and was glued to his son.
But that talk wouldn’t happen today.
Today we were burying Kiki.
I hadn’t wanted Remington there. Rhode insisted Remy join us.
Kiki’s last gesture on this earth was to shield Remy.
She’d taken a bullet to the chest and had died before paramedics arrived despite Davis’s best attempt to save her life.
Rhode’s opinion was Kiki died a hero and Remington should know that and honor it.
At four I didn’t think he’d understand. But I gave in. Michael and Tally needed to see my family whole and healing after what Kiki did. They needed to see us there to support them.
And Letty. My sweet, stubborn, best friend was running herself ragged.
She was at my house every day. She visited her parents every day.
She’d helped her mom plan the funeral, she’d spent hours talking with her dad.
She’d been to Smutties to accept her deliveries.
Hell, she’d even opened the bookstore part-time.
What she wasn’t doing was grieving, so I needed to talk to her, too.
I snagged my phone off the nightstand and quietly tiptoed back out to the living room.
I sat down on the couch and looked around the room. Plain. Boring. Sterile. One more week and we’d be in our house and I was hoping that would help. Normalcy—a home, a new beginning, our family settled.
“Everything okay?”
I craned my neck and watched Rhode saunter across the room. Bare chest, chiseled abs, sleep pants riding low on his hips, smooth tanned skin, hair messy from sleep, eyes gentle.
Boy, had I been right all those years ago.
Dark and delicious.
“Yeah, honey. Sorry if I woke you.”
“You didn’t. I was being lazy.”
There was nothing lazy about Rhode. He was always in motion, always doing something.
Rhode stopped by the end table, tagged my mug, and took two swallows of piping hot coffee.
“Sugar,” he grumbled.
That was not him calling me my nickname. That was him complaining about the four scoops of sweetener I used in my coffee.
I smiled at him as he sat next to me.
“What can I say? I don’t like the taste of coffee.”
“Yet you drink a pot a day.”
He had me there so I said nothing.
“Later, do you think you’ll be up to go with me to the dealership?”
I blinked at his bizarre question.
“Dealership?”
“Need a new ride. My Jeep’s totaled and Wilson hasn’t said anything about my using the company SUV but I can’t use it indefinitely. Though, I like the Tahoe, plus it’s safer than a Jeep so I was thinking that’s what I’m gonna get.”
I could see Rhode driving a Tahoe and not just because that was what he’d been driving recently. He was a big guy and needed a big vehicle.
“Maybe Tally and Michael—”
“Sugar,” he warned.
Low and rough and unyielding.
Time to talk was nigh.
I shifted and threw a leg over Rhode’s lap to straddle him. His hands immediately went to my behind and mine went to cup his face.
If the last week’s proved anything to me it was how much I loved him.
“We have to let Remy get back to his life.” Rhode stiffened under me and I rushed on. “He’s safe, honey. You got to him and made him safe. Nothing’s going to happen to him.”
Still rock hard.
“Please tell me what’s bothering you.”
“The tape.”
“Rhode.”
His name was nothing more than a whisper as I felt his pain and fought to keep my body still and my eyes open even though I wanted to block out the knowledge my son’s mouth had been duct-taped.
“Seeing him standing there scared. But it’s the tape. My boy gagged—that I can’t get out of my head. I can’t stop seeing it. Just give me some more time, Brooklyn.”
“Okay, honey,” I quickly agreed because really, what else could I do?
Rhode was there. Rhode saw things I didn’t. Remy did, too.
Patience.
We were giving that to Remington and I had to give it to Rhode, too.
“The house is ready next week and I still need to sort my condo in Scottsdale.”
Topic change.
“One last thing before we talk about Arizona,” I told him. “I love the way you love me and Remy. I love how protective you are. I even love the way the guys come around all the time to spend time with us. I love that you and Remy have them—”
“You do, too,” Rhode interjected. “Circumstances being what they were, Jack and Asher up to Canada, dividing the team, you didn’t get to know them well, so they’re making up for lost time.
But other than that, this is just them. We’re tight, all of us.
They’re brothers. They’re gonna want to know my family and be involved. I hope that’s not an issue for you.”
No way. I loved Rhode’s friends.
“No problem. I like having them around and so does Remy. He’s got five new uncles to play with. But just to say, Letty’s on the verge of physical violence.”
Rhode’s lips twitched before he smiled wide. “She’s found herself six big brothers with protective streaks a mile wide.”
True story!
“Well, maybe you can remind Reese she’s never had a big brother and tell him to let up on Pen Pal.”
“That shit’s strange, Sugar. They’ve been texting for fourteen years. That’s a long-ass time not knowing who someone is. All sorts of red flags are waving.”
He wasn’t wrong. It was strange, but strange in a sweet way.
“I would agree if this were new, and in the beginning, I was totally against her texting some random guy, but it’s been fourteen years. If he was a bad guy and wanted to hurt her, he would’ve done it by now.”
“The dude could be lying and he’s really married with kids.”
“So? They’re not in a relationship. They’re friends and if he has a wife and kids that’d suck only in the sense that would make him a liar.
But Pen Pal doesn’t scam her for money, doesn’t pretend to love her.
They’re friends. And he’s special to her.
Letty calls him her MBF. That’s Male Best Friend.
And he totally is. They tell each other everything and right now Letty needs all the good she can get. ”
“I’ll have a word with Reese,” Rhode sighed.
“Okay, back to Arizona. I want to go with you. We’ll make it a family vacation. You can show me and Remy all your favorite places. I haven’t been back to Arizona since I graduated ASU.”
I noticed that Rhode had started to relax but as soon as I said ‘family vacation’ the remaining tightness vanished.
“Damn, I love you.”
Damn. I loved to hear him tell me he loved me.
“Wanna make out?” I blurted.
Rhode’s body started vibrating under me right before he boomed a laugh. His first since Remy had been taken.
“All this time I thought I fell in love with you when I first saw you. I was wrong. I didn’t fall, I was falling, and every day since you found me, I’ve been falling deeper and deeper in love with you, Rhode Daley.
Love at first sight isn’t real, it’s the beginning of real.
The real love inches its way in. The real love grows a little more every day.
Real love isn’t a moment in time—it’s all the moments.
As they happen, as they collect, as they continue. ”
“Ocean blue,” he groaned while tipping his chin and tilting his head.
Rhode didn’t make out with me.
Though his tongue glided against mine lazily, his lips moved over mine gently, his hands roamed over my rear end and up my back slowly.
He was taking and giving and doing both really well.
I leaned in deeper, moaning into his mouth. He unfortunately broke the kiss but not our connection.
“I want more kids,” he muttered against my lips.
“Yeah?”
“As many as you’ll give me, Sugar. I want Remy to have brothers and sisters. I want to see you carry our child. I want to hold your hand, I want to hear their first breaths. And not because I missed those things with Remington. I just plain want them.”
I fought back the need to strip him naked and get a jump start on making those babies right then.
“Okay.”
“I want us to settle into our home, give Remy what he needs to heal. After that, I want to give you and my son my last name.”
“As they happen,” I whispered.
“Collecting all the moments as they come, Sugar. But I’m telling you now so you’re not disappointed—can’t fall any more in love with you, can’t give you more of my heart, and you can’t dig any deeper.
It’s yours, everything, the blood in my veins, the beat in my heart, the air I breathe. All for you, Sugar.”
Perhaps I couldn’t fall more in love with Rhode.
“And you say I’m the sweet one.”
“No, I said you taste sweet.”
Little feet pounded on the hardwood floors, then a flying leap had Rhode and I separating just in the nick of time. Remington landed between us with a humph.
“Pancakes!” he demanded.
“Inside voice,” I half-heartedly scolded.
“Pancakes,” Remy whispered.
“Cheeky boy.”
I ruffled my son’s thick brown hair at the same time Rhode’s hand went to Remy’s belly, making our son twist and kick.
“Uncle. Uncle!”
Rhode’s gaze lifted to mine, and as it happened so many times before when I saw the happiness dancing in his eyes, my lungs seized.
Speechless.
Breath stolen.
Butterflies swarming.
“Nap time?” Rhode smiled.
Oh, yeah!
“To be continued,” I agreed and climbed off my man, leaving him to tickle his son.
I was halfway to the kitchen when Rhode called my name.
“Brooklyn?”
I glanced over my shoulder—father and son, hair messy, identical smiles, same sweet look in their eyes.
“Infinitely,” he said.
“What?”
“To be continued, infinitely.”
Yes, breathless.
Funny thing about love, the magnificence of it, the reality of it, the moments that start collecting, the beginning that’s a forever, and an ending that’s a never.