Chapter Twenty #2
Remi melted against him, her hands fisting in his shirt, as if holding on to him, to this moment, to everything unspoken between them.
The taste of her, warm and familiar, sent another jolt through him, and he had to remind himself that he didn’t have her in his bed, and he had to throttle back on this heat burning between them.
He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, tangled up in each other, but when they finally broke apart, their breaths were uneven, their foreheads touching.
“I needed that,” he managed to say.
Remi’s lips curved, and she kissed him again, softer this time, a slow brush of warmth. “I needed that, too.”
Brody took in a deep breath, the lingering heat from the kiss settling something deep inside him. He wasn’t caught up in the anger anymore, though some of it still simmered under the surface. That would take time to fade. Maybe it never truly would. But right now, he didn’t want the anger.
He wanted to see his sons.
And he wanted Remi right there with him.
Without another word, he started the drive up to the house. The long gravel driveway felt different this time, not just a place he was returning to but a place where his life had changed forever. His sons were inside, waiting. Safe.
He had already released most of his deputies to work the crime scene at the inn, but Holt had stayed behind. As Brody pulled the cruiser to a stop, Holt was already at the front door, opening it for him.
“Everything quiet?” Brody asked, scanning the perimeter, instincts still on high alert.
Holt nodded. “Yeah. No trouble. Your mom’s inside with the boys. She hasn’t let them out of her sight.”
Brody wasn’t surprised. Sandra had always been the steady presence in his life, and now she was that for his sons, too.
“Good,” Brody murmured.
Brody stepped inside, and they quickly made their way to the nursery. The moment he opened the door, he saw his mother standing by the crib. His sons were both awake and squirming in their blankets.
Sandra turned at the sound of their footsteps, her face lined with exhaustion but flooded with relief. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. Then she pulled Remi into the same embrace.
“Is it really over?” Sandra asked, her voice hushed, as if she was afraid to believe it.
Brody nodded. “Yeah. It’s over.”
He wasn’t naive. There’d still be the aftermath to deal with, reports to file, trials to prep for. But the immediate threat, the nightmare that had kept him from breathing easy, was done. His sons were safe.
Sandra blew out a deep shuddering breath of relief. She touched his cheek, then Remi’s, before stepping back. There was something knowing in her gaze.
“Well,” she said, clearing her throat, “I think I’ll go make some coffee and let you two have some family time.”
She didn’t linger. She didn’t ask questions. She just patted his arm and slipped out, leaving them alone with the boys.
Brody swallowed hard as he turned to the crib. His sons. Both of them. Safe. The emotions hit him like a fist to the gut, stealing his breath.
“Hi, Joe,” Remi said, smiling down at the boy.
Frowning, Brody glanced at the two babies. To him, they looked so much alike. Not identical but alike enough that he couldn’t tell the difference.
“How do you know that’s Joe?” he asked.
Remi turned that bright smile on him. “See this little curl right here?” She brushed her fingers over the slight wave in Joe’s dark hair, just above his temple. “His brother’s curl is a little straighter.”
Brody leaned in, inspecting the tiny detail she’d pointed out. Sure enough, the other boy’s hair lay slightly flatter. He shook his head, half laughing. “Huh. I never would have noticed.”
“You will,” Remi assured him. “Soon you’ll pick up all the little differences.”
Brody nodded, but something in the way she said it made his chest tighten. Because she wasn’t just saying it. She had absolute faith he’d be the kind of dad who would notice those little things.
He looked down again when Daniel let out a tiny grunt, followed by a sudden, unmistakable sound. “Pretty sure Daniel just filled his diaper,” Brody muttered.
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Remi agreed. “And he looks way too pleased about it.”
Brody shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his face. Yeah, he did look pleased, and Brody wanted to scoop him up in his arms. Wanted to change that diaper, too. But first, there was something he needed to say to Remi.
Or rather something he needed to do.
He reached for her, sliding a hand around her waist and pulling her in.
And he kissed her. It was slow at first, deep and unhurried, but it didn’t take long for it to shift, to heat.
Her arms curled around him, her body molding to his, and Brody lost himself in the way she tasted, in the warmth of her mouth, the way she responded without hesitation.
By the time he pulled back, she was breathless, her cheeks flushed. And he knew. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I’m in love with you,” he murmured against her lips, waiting for the surprise, the hesitation.
But instead of shock, she blew out a breath of relief and let out a laugh. It was light, free and damn near perfect.
“Good,” she said, smiling up at him. “Because I was trying to figure out how to tell you I’m in love with you.”
Brody stared at her for a second before shaking his head. “You could have just said it.” But he stopped, rethought that. “Guess it would have been hard to work that in with everything else.”
But there was certainly time now. Well, unless the twins started to stir more than they already were.
Brody cupped her face, his thumb tracing the soft curve of her cheek. He could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes, but they weren’t from sadness. No, this was something else entirely. Something good. Something right.
“I want you in my life,” he told her, his voice low, steady. “I want you in my bed. And I want you in my sons’ lives.”
Remi blinked, a single tear slipping free before she let out a soft laugh. Then she kissed him, deep and slow and filled with everything she hadn’t said out loud yet.
“Yes,” she murmured against his lips. “To all of it. To you. To them. To this.”
Brody didn’t think he’d ever known relief like this. He held her close, breathing her in, wanting to memorize this moment. A moment of peace, of happiness, after so much chaos.
Then Joe let out a tiny grunt, nearly identical to the one Daniel had made a minute earlier.
Brody glanced down at his son, already guessing what had happened. He lifted an eyebrow at Remi. “That’s the sound of a kid who just pooped his diaper, isn’t it?”
Remi laughed and nodded. Together, they each picked up a baby and headed toward the changing table.
Before they got there, Brody leaned in, brushing one last kiss against Remi’s lips. She kissed him right back, and it was everything. Comfort, love, promise.
Brody had spent so many years chasing justice, chasing ghosts. But now, for the first time in a long while, he wasn’t chasing anything.
Because everything he needed was right here.