Chapter 8
REECE
“What do I have to call them?” Bella asked. She wasn’t looking at me, her attention out the passenger side window, but that was fine. After all, with the bright blue skies, and the park filled with a small community event, it was much more interesting than anything I had to say.
“You can call them whatever you need to. Within reason.”
She looked at me then, a brow raised.
“I know that look. I see that look in the mirror.”
“No you don’t,” she said, and I let that slide as well. We were not having a good morning.
I’d woken up late thanks to dreams that would not let me out of their grip.
There was no need for me to be dreaming of Brooklyn like that.
Just like there had been no need for me to grab her like I had and stuff my tongue down her throat.
But that was neither here nor there because it wasn’t going to happen again.
Of course, my dick last night hadn’t agreed with me, and here we were.
Breakfast had been a fight, as Bella hadn’t wanted a single thing in my fridge but wanted to go out to a fancy coffee place for a pastry and sugar laden drink.
And while part of me wanted to just let her have her way because I was tired, and unsure what to do, I didn’t want to set a precedent.
Bella was hurting, I knew that. But she was also pushing back with everything she had because she had no idea what the fuck she was doing, just like I didn’t.
We made a team, a team that I wasn’t sure she wanted any part of.
Well too fucking bad, because we were both stuck in this situation, weren’t we?
“But do they want to be called grandma, grandpa? Or grandmother and grandfather. That’s what I call my mom’s parents.”
Her voice quieted. As I turned down my parents’ street I tapped my fingers along the steering wheel, trying to formulate an answer.
My daughter was just as lost as I felt. Just the idea I could say the phrase my daughter scared me.
I had lost so many years of her life, she’d had twelve years of thinking I was a deadbeat—or dead.
“You should ask them. My parents are nice, you know?”
“Whatever.”
“Bella.”
She sighed. “Sorry. I’m sure they’re nice.”
My lips twitched. “They are. They will be just as cringe as you need them to be.”
“We don’t say cringe anymore, Reece.”
“Well, I do. And I’m not trying to sound like I’m one of the kids.”
“Well, good. You’re too old for that. What are you, like seventy?”
“I know you’re trying to get a rise out of me, but I would look damn good for a seventy-year-old.”
“You’re not supposed to curse.”
I nearly winced but pulled into my parents’ driveway.
“I’m going to curse a lot. I’ve had my whole life without a kid there, so I’m not used to holding back.
Your uncles are going to be worse.” The fact that I’d somehow kept them away from her until this point had been sheer force of will.
The art camp was familiar to her as she’d done one similar with her friends before, so that hadn’t been a true adjustment.
But grandparents and a set of uncles who wanted to shower her with love had been too much for her—she’d said as much.
And now it was time to take that step.
She shifted in her seat and looked down at her hands. “What if they don’t like me?”
The softness of her voice nearly broke me, and I swallowed hard.
“Bella.”
She didn’t respond, so I reached back, and tapped her knee. Her gaze shot to mine in the rearview mirror, and I didn’t blink.
“They’re going to like you, kid. They’re going to love you. And not just because you’re mine.”
“Are they nice?”
I thought back to the four of us running wild as kids, beating each other up, protecting the others from bullies.
The fact that we still gave each other shit and tackled one another because we could.
There was no such thing as tackle-free football on Thanksgiving in the backyard. Not for the Fox kids.
“They are.”
“It sure took you a long time to think of the answer.”
I undid my seatbelt and unclicked hers. “You’re an only child, so I don’t know how to explain the concept of siblings.”
“I’m your only child that you know of.”
I winced. “Touche, but we’re going to go on the statistical possibility that I don’t have any other kids out there.”
“That’s fine with me. Brothers and sisters seem like a lot of work.”
That made me grin. “Believe me, I know. My brothers, your uncles, are a lot. But then again, I think most people in our lives can be. They’re going to overwhelm you, but no matter what, they’re going to be there for you.
So if you need anything, and don’t want to come to me, you can go to them. I promise.”
“What about Brooklyn?”
I stiffened in my seat, my hand on the door handle. “What do you mean?”
“Can I come to her too? If I need anything.” She mumbled the last part, her head down, and I swallowed hard.
“Yes. If you need something, Brooklyn will be there for you. Do you like her?”
“She’s nice. And well, I don’t know. I like the bread.”
That made me grin. “I like the bread too. And Brooklyn is nice.”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
I blinked. “No. She’s my coworker.”
“Okay. Do you have a girlfriend?”
“You know, we’ve had how many days now alone, and you’re just now asking the twenty questions?”
“So the answer is yes?”
“No, Bella. I don’t have a girlfriend. You are the only girl in my life.”
“That’s pretty sad.”
I looked at the front of the house and realized that we had an audience.
“Not to worry you, but my parents and my brothers are all in the window staring at us. I have no idea what they did to hold my mother back from running out here and just pulling you out of the car and hugging you.”
Bella’s face paled. “She’s a hugger?”
I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile. “I’m sorry, kid. I think we all are.”
“Oh well. The Montgomerys are huggers too.”
That made me burst out laughing as I opened the door.
“Don’t even get me started on the Montgomerys.”
“I didn’t realize there were that many kinds of cheese.” She laughed with me as we jumped out of the truck. Apparently, the Foxes could not hold my mother back anymore.
“Well, that’s a good sound to hear. Hello, Bella, I’m Reece’s mother.”
Mom moved forward but didn’t reach out and hug Bella. Although with the way that she gripped her hands together, I knew she was practically seething inside at not being able to.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hello, son,” my mom said, then went to her tiptoes and kissed my cheek.
“Hello, Mom. You’re doing good,” I whispered.
“So are you,” she said, not bothering to whisper. “My name’s Katherine, and I don’t know if you’re ready to call me Grandma yet, but you’re welcome to call me Ms. Kathy if you like.”
“Mom,” I put in, but my mom just held up her hand and waved me off.
“Go inside and make sure there’s room for Bella to get into the house. Your brothers are annoying me.”
Bella’s eyes widened, and I just snorted.
“Welcome to the family, Bella,” I grumbled.
“Ms. Kathy’s nice. I like your name.”
Bella sounded as awkward as I felt, and I was sort of grateful that I wasn’t the only one in this situation.
“I love your name as well. Now come inside and meet your uncles. I want to apologize now on behalf of whoever raised them.”
“Wasn’t that you?” Bella asked. My mother gave me a look even as her eyes danced.
“Yes, but as any good mother does, all of their bad traits come from their father.”
“I heard that,” my dad said as he moved towards Bella.
“Welcome to our home. And I just want to say that it took all within us to keep your grandmother away from yours and Reece’s home. You have no idea the energy it took.”
I rolled my eyes at them, as Bella found herself standing in the middle of our living room, surrounded by Foxes. I’m sure there was a predator versus prey analogy in there somewhere, but I was too worried about my kid to think any more deeply than that.
By the time Bella was introduced to all my brothers, my mother finally got her hug in, as did my dad. Denver, Rowan, and Aiden all gave her space, and Bella’s shoulders relaxed after only a few minutes.
When my mother took Bella outside along with Aiden and Rowan to check out the landscaping, I found myself in the kitchen, with my dad handing me a beer.
“Just the one.”
“I know the rules. Plus I’m driving with my kid now.”
“Holy cow. Can’t believe you made me an uncle.” Denver ran his fist over his chest, and my lips twitched.
“Yes, because this is all about you.”
“She’s beautiful, you know. I assume she got that from her mother?”
“Ha-ha. And you know as well as I do that she looks like Mom.”
Denver winced. “I feel like I just went gross there.”
“You mother is beautiful, jackass, stop being a weirdo,” my dad said as he slapped the back of Denver’s head.
I sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter as I watched the four of them out in the backyard. “I’ve no idea what the fuck I’m doing, Dad.”
“Your mom and I didn’t either. By the time we got to Aiden, we just gave up.”
“Can I please tell him that?” Denver asked.
I knew they were trying to lighten the mood, but I felt just as lost as ever. I listened as my father and Denver spoke of nonsensical things, each letting the others in the family get to know Bella on their own terms. I knew they’d trade positions soon so that way they didn’t overwhelm my daughter.
My daughter.
It was still crazy as hell to think those words.
“Bella sure seems interested in landscaping,” Denver drawled out, and my gaze shot to his.
“What do you mean by that?” I hadn’t meant to snap the words and my brother’s eyes widened.
Denver raised a brow. “I don’t know. Why do you seem so protective? Could it be that it’s because she’s spending time with a certain landscaper?”
I set my beer down and turned my back to the others so I could glare at my brother and father. “Where are you getting your information?”
Denver just grinned. “I think you forget that I’m friends with Dash Montgomery.”
“I hate you.”