Chapter 35
Thirty-Five
CALLIE
SIX WEEKS LATER
L ewis’s parents’ home was a comforting cacophony of people talking over one another, asking to pass the food and drink, and calling back and forth between the adult and kids’ table. The two tables weren’t a deliberate attempt to separate the young from the older, but a necessity since the Adair family had grown exponentially in the last two decades.
There were twenty-four humans in Thane and Regan’s living area, including the one in my belly. I’d counted. The five Adair siblings and their partners; my parents; me and Lewis (Eilidh was the only Adair not in attendance), plus Fyfe, who was an honorary member of the family.
Then there were the teens, Lewis’s cousins—almost sixteen-year-old Vivien, who was the spitting image of her mother Robyn and had all the cocky confidence of her father. If I’d been half as confident and charismatic as Vivien at fifteen, I could have ru led the world. Viv was best buddies with her cousin, Skye, Mac and Arro’s daughter. The cousins couldn’t have been more opposite, but born in the same year, they’d grown up as close as sisters. Skye was reserved, artsy, and seemed to be one of the few people Morwenna gravitated toward, despite the two-year age gap.
Next in age to Skye and Vivien was Nox (Lennox), Brodan and Monroe’s son. He was almost fifteen but thought he was forty, was as big a flirt as Eilidh, but was also the one keeping peace at their table as Vivien argued with her younger brother, Brechin, who was Mor’s age. The siblings had been at each other’s throats about everything and nothing, while Nox kept intervening in a laid-back manner that was a lot like his uncle Arran.
Arran and Ery’s twin daughters, Keely and Kia, were next in age and kept calling over to me with questions about the baby. They were fascinated and excited to be aunts, which was a nice change of pace from Harry who thought it was weird he was going to be a twelve-year-old uncle.
His birthday was a few weeks ago, and he liked to remind everyone whenever he could that he was twelve, as if this was some kind of statement of manhood. The thought of high school had been a distant flag of beckoning teenagedom. That was before classes started, and now Harry wouldn’t stop complaining about how much homework he had. Also, he didn’t much like going from top of the school to the bottom. “The sixth years treat us like wee kids,” he’d complained only five minutes ago, glowering at Vivien.
Vivien had shrugged insouciantly. “I’m not a sixth year. But you are a kid.”
A brussels sprout had gone miraculously flying at her head a few seconds later and landed in Arran’s glass of water with accidental precision. “What the fuck?”
“Language, for fuck’s sake,” Lachlan mock scolded, making us laugh because seriously, it was an uphill battle to get the men in Lewis’s family to watch their language now that the kids were all a bit older.
Arran had turned to the children’s table. “Who did that?”
“Wasn’t us, Daddy,” Keely assured him.
Harry began to whistle, as if that weren’t a dead giveaway.
Arran smirked and turned back around. “He’s a wee comedian.”
Dad threw a brussels sprout that hit Harry on the head with perfect aim.
“Oi!” Harry wrinkled his nose, rubbing his temple.
“Walker, really.” Mum slapped a hand over her face in disbelief as the Adair men burst into a rumble of laughter.
Dad shrugged. “Now he won’t throw another vegetable across the room because he knows his dad’s got better aim than him.”
I snorted, sharing a grin with Lewis as Arran got up, unbothered, to refresh his water.
Fyfe leaned over to us, chuckling. “I love your family.”
Looking around, feeling the room filled with the buzz of life, I touched the now growing swell of my stomach. I couldn’t be more grateful that my child would be raised among these wonderful people.
“Callie, is that a bump I see?” Regan asked from down the table, face bright with excitement.
“A small one.” I nodded, smoothing my hand across the slight swell.
“How many weeks are you?” Lewis’s Aunt Arro asked.
“Eighteen weeks. We had our fetal anomaly scan yesterday.”
“All good.” Lewis hurried to say. “Baby is in perfect health.”
Robyn leaned past Lachlan. “Are you doing a gender scan? ”
I nodded. “We want to know. We have an appointment at a clinic in the city in three weeks.”
“Exciting.” Ery smiled, genuine joy in her eyes. “Are you particular about what you get?”
“Just pray it’s not twins.” Arran winked.
Having heard that, Kia bounced out of her chair and looped her arms around her dad’s neck. She pressed a loud kiss to his cheek and proclaimed, “You love us really, Daddy.”
Arran’s expression melted into utter tenderness as he leaned into her hug. “So much, Keekee.”
“Wrapped around their little fingers.” Ery shook her head, eyes bright with amusement. “I swear to God, they could come home and say they murdered someone but add ‘But we love you, Daddy’ onto the end of the confession, and he’d cover it up for them.”
“Not wrong.” He patted Kia’s arm before she pressed another kiss to the top of his head and returned to the kids’ table.
Lachlan turned to look at his daughter. “How come he gets that treatment and I get ‘Dad, have you got twenty quid?’ every five seconds?”
Vivien rested her chin on her palm. “You’re too smart for that kind of manipulation, Dad. I’m completely transparent with you because I respect your intelligence.”
Lachlan was just breaking into a smug grin when Vivien leaned forward. “But … do you have twenty quid?”
Her father scowled and turned back to the table as Vivien shot Skye a devilish smirk.
Robyn leaned into Lachlan. “She loves you really. She’s just fifteen.”
“I do!” Vivien waved her fingers without looking back at our table. “For the record, if we need to get mushy, I do love you, Dad. Your movies are a bit meh, but you’re great.”
We all struggled to hold back our laughter .
“Children.” Lachlan’s lips twitched. “Great for the ego.”
“What about my movies?” Brodan asked his niece.
“Oh, your movies were great, Uncle Bro. Why did you quit?”
“Note, she did not ask me that.” Lachlan took a huge swig of his pint. His wife’s mouth trembled with laughter while she soothed a comforting hand over his back.
Before Brodan could answer his niece, Regan interrupted. “You were saying about the sex of the baby?”
Lewis reached across the table to take my hand. “We’re happy with either.”
“I can’t believe my nephew is going to be a father.” Lachlan scrubbed a hand over his face. “I feel old. Or that might be because of my daughter. It’s hard to tell these days.”
“ I love your movies, Dad!” Brechin yelled.
“You’ve never seen his movies,” Vivien shot back.
“But I know I love them.”
“Thanks, son.” Lachlan raised his glass to him. “I’ll give you twenty quid when we get home.”
“Uh!” Vivien squeaked in indignation as Brechin did a victory dance in his chair.
“How do you think I feel?” Thane asked, taking a sip of whisky. “I’m going to be a grandfather, and I’m younger than you.”
“Something you like to point out whenever you can.” Lachlan shrugged. “But I understand. You need something to cling to since I’m so much better looking than you are.”
Thane grinned. “Aye, you wish.”
I noticed Fyfe taking everything in, thoroughly entertained, and I was reminded he hadn’t had this growing up. These messy, chaotic, bantering, silly, loving scenes of a large family. Mum and I hadn’t either until moving here. Then we’d become honorary Adairs, especially when Lewis and I were dating. This family had a magic about them. Orphaned siblings whose bond was so strong, they lived on the same patch of land here in Caelmore, and even though they’d been blessed with wealth in a material sense, they’d always understood their true wealth was in each other. Those who were lucky enough to be loved by them were forever fixed within that bond too.
Lewis had asked me to move in with him a few weeks ago. The house, which was now our house, had been cleared of the mess from the break-in. We’d ordered new furniture, some of which had arrived, some of which we had a few weeks to wait for.
Arro and Mac had been understanding when I broke the lease on the cottage, and they’d decided to sell it. It was snapped up in three days.
Now my home was with Lewis. I mean, it would always, always be with Mum too. But, aye, it was with Lewis. My attention turned to him as he laughed with Fyfe over a story they were telling about a new student in our tae kwon do class. I was still attending classes, so I’d witnessed the cocky wee shit who’d come in, total newbie, and challenged Lewis to a sparring match.
The kid was like a boxing bag. Every time Lewis defeated him (in two seconds, I might add), he bounced back, determined to take more. Lewis was being incredibly patient with him, but he was taking up class time, so Fyfe stepped in and floored the kid with a jump back kick. Like literally knocked him on his arse and the breath out of him.
I’d understood why Fyfe did what he did. People like that kid would get themselves or someone else hurt if they didn’t learn from the get-go not to treat martial arts like a joke or worse, a weapon. But it didn’t mean I didn’t love the fact that Lewis had the patience of a saint. I kind of already knew that about him, though. My gaze swept lovingly over his face as he talked and laughed. Some times it took my breath away that he was mine.
As if he sensed me staring, he looked at me. He reached out casually and caressed my cheek before turning back to his conversation with his family. I smiled to myself and looked away, only to lock eyes with Regan.
Hers glistened with warmth and tenderness, and I’d know why later when we were leaving and she drew me into a hug and whispered, “Thank you for loving him the way he deserves to be loved.”
Something about her words eased a bit of the guilt I still hung onto from our past.
Coming home to our beautiful house in the woods, it felt almost too quiet after our Sunday dinner with our families. I said as much to Lewis as we snuggled up on the sofa bed we’d borrowed from my parents until our new sofas arrived.
Lewis cuddled me into his side. “Wait until the baby is here. We’ll be pleading for silence.”
I chuckled, resting my head on his shoulder as he flicked through TV channels.
The last six weeks had been a mixed bag of emotions, but what was new? The police had reviewed CCTV but had no luck identifying the men who had broken into the cottage. We were pretty sure from their height and build it was the same men who broke into the house.
I might still be worried about a possible future burglary, but we were all pretty damn certain Nathan was behind it. Dad had reached out to his contact, and he’d been honest and up-front with me when he said that they’d paid someone on the inside to use force against Nathan. Despite my black belt, I wasn’t an advocate for violence. I just wanted to know how to defend myself against it, since it had been perpetrated on me and my mother.
But I felt no remorse that Dad had someone beat up Nathan as a warning. Whi le that put me in a morally gray category, he was the one person in the world I had no compassion or sympathy for. He’d caused us too much pain.
Though he’d sworn to the “contact” that he had nothing to do with the break-ins, they coincidentally stopped after Nathan’s attack. No more men in black, no more watching over our shoulders. Nathan was scum of the earth, and I wished it hadn’t been him taking revenge for his parole hearing, but I wasn’t surprised by it.
Intimidation was his favorite game.
Evil arsehole.
I shuddered anytime I contemplated the fact we shared DNA and that my blue eyes came from him. “The only good thing he ever gave you,” Mum used to say.
Lewis loved my eyes too, but I was manifesting our kid inherited his shade of blue instead of mine.
“I missed Eilidh tonight,” I said as we settled on an action movie that I probably wouldn’t watch through to the end because I needed to be up early for work.
“She’s finished filming in Romania,” Lewis shared. I did not know that. “I think she’s avoiding us.”
“Why?” I sat up, frowning at him.
“I don’t know. I’m worried about her.”
“Like how you’re always worried about her, or do you think there’s something to be worried about?”
“I think there’s something to be worried about.”
“Then I’ll call her tomorrow,” I promised and cracked, “I’ll guilt her into coming home by pulling the ‘I’m pregnant with your niece or nephew’ card.”
“Aye?”
“Look at me already pulling the mum guilt card. How ready am I?”
He chuckled and tugged me back into his side. “Do what you have to do to bring her home. ”
I nodded, tracing a heart over his heart. “You know who else is avoiding us? Carianne. I’ve barely heard from her in weeks.”
“Talk to her if it’s bothering you.”
“Hmm. I’m just … She seemed cool about us last time we chatted, but maybe she’s secretly upset about me and you. Or maybe she’s no longer interested in a friendship because of the baby.”
“If either of those are true, you’re better off without her.” He kissed my temple.
I melted into him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Let’s switch off the movie and go have hot, sweaty sex.”
His chest rumbled with amusement beneath my cheek. “One day, people will call you the romantic one in our relationship, but today is not that day.”
Laughing, I got up, tugging him to his feet. “I promise I’ll scream something really romantic when I come.”
“I think we might have a different idea about what romantic actually means.” He switched off the TV before I dragged him toward the staircase.
“Are you saying ‘Lewis, you’re making me come so good’ isn’t romantic?”
His laughter bounced off the walls as I hurried him downstairs. “No, nor is it grammatically correct.”
“Ooh, I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
I squealed as he suddenly lifted me into his arms, carrying me bridal style into our bedroom. “Never change, Callie Ironside.” He lay me gently down on the bed and then braced himself over me, gazing deep into my eyes. “Well, maybe there’s one thing I’d change about you.”
I grimaced. “Oh?”
Lewis’s voice was gruff. “Your name. ”
What?
I froze, wondering if he meant what I thought he meant.
“I know I gave you shit for not being romantic and, believe me, this wasn’t how I planned to do this, but I can’t wait any longer. I love you so fucking much, Callie. And I know this is the opposite of taking it slow … but taking it slow would be a lie. I’m going to love you forever and I don’t see any point in not telling you I want forever to start now.”
“Lewis?” Blood rushed in my ears as I gaped up at him in abject joy.
He reached across the bed and pulled open his bedside drawer. I gasped at the ring box he pulled out. Sitting back on his heels, he popped it open, revealing a simple, elegant platinum engagement ring with a princess-cut diamond. It was perfect. “Callie Ironside … will you marry me?”
Never in all the times I’d imagined Lewis Adair proposing did I burst into full-blown sobs. But that’s exactly what I did.
“Fuck, fuck.” Lewis’s panicked voice cut through the painful cries I couldn’t seem to control. “I’m sorry. I didn’t?—”
“Yes!” I sobbed, reaching for him through the blur of tears. “Yes, I’ll m-marry y-y-you.”
Bundling me into his arms, he rubbed a soothing hand down my back and pressed a hard kiss to my temple. “Why are you crying, then?” he whispered hoarsely.
I needed to get a hold of myself for his sake, so I took deep, shuddering breaths. After a minute, I had calmed, even though salty warm tears seemed to fall with a mind of their own down my cheeks. I pulled back to cup Lewis’s face in my hands. “Because for so long I thought this dream was lost. These are tears of relief, Lewis. Of joy. I never wanted to admit, even to myself, how painful those years without you were. Now you’re mine forever.” I pressed a wet kiss to his lips, and he deepened it. When we broke apart, I leaned my forehead against his. “I have a notebook in my room, from high school. It has Mrs. Call ie Adair scribbled all over it.” I laughed softly. “I guess I manifested it.”
Lewis laughed quietly and pulled back to raise my left hand. His eyes held mine as he slipped the beautiful ring onto my fourth finger. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” I kissed him again, smiling between kisses now. “Mrs. Callie Adair.”
Lewis stiffened.
“What?”
He quirked an eyebrow and looked down at his crotch. “I think we just found my new kink.”
I cackled with laughter, pressing my palms to his chest to force him onto his back. “Oh, you like the Mrs. thing, do you?”
“Say it again so I can check.”
“I’m going to be Mrs. Callie Adair.”
Heat flashed in his eyes. “Aye, definitely does it for me.”
Without preamble, I straddled him, feeling the evidence of his newfound kink between my legs, and I whipped off my T-shirt and unclipped my bra. Lewis arched into me, caressing my waist and back with possessive tenderness as he focused on the slight swell of my stomach.
“Do you want me naked with nothing but the ring?” I teased.
His gaze flew to my glittering diamond. “I know you’re joking, but I’d actually really love that.”
I slipped off the bed to wriggle out of my jeans to do just that when I suddenly stopped. “I should really call my mum to let her know we’re engaged.”
Lewis raised an eyebrow and practically squawked, “Now?”
I pretended to take a step away from him. “I’ll be five minutes.”
I’d barely turned when I heard him hop off the bed. Then I was swept up into his arms again before finding myself flat on my back.
Lewis pinned my hands to the bed, his thumb stroking over the engagement ring. “Your mum can wait. Your husband-to-be cannot.”
My belly fluttered deliciously. “I think we just found my new kink.”
“Aye?” Lewis grinned, leaning to brush shivery kisses down my neck and chest. “Do you want your husband to make love to you or fuck you, Mrs. Adair?”
Arousal flooded between my thighs. “Both,” I answered breathlessly. “I think it can be both.”
“Your wish, my command,” he promised.
It was both.
It was very much, mind-blowingly, fucking fantastically both.