32. Juliette
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
juliette
This creek holds so many memories from my childhood, it’s hard to pinpoint a favorite. Now, seeing my little girl standing next to her daddy with a mini-fishing pole in her hand as he teaches her how to fish, I realize life has come full circle.
Beck’s in a pair of peach swim trunks the boys gave him shit for, his bare chest on full display. His staple ball cap is on backward, his curls peeking out from the bottom. He’s so big and muscular that I can’t watch too long or I’ll get myself too worked up with no way to blow off steam.
Wyatt’s sitting beside them, his pole in the water as he leans back on his palms. Wearing a pair of navy trunks and a tight gray tank, I swear he’d fit right in with the California surfers on the West Coast with all that wavy blond hair.
He’s already caught a couple of smallmouth bass, but Charlotte made him throw them back.
Her big heart couldn’t stand killing them.
Me? Well, I’m in Kash’s lap with my head resting on his shoulder. He’s also shirtless, which is not helping my current situation, with a pair of black-and-white trunks that do phenomenal things for his thick legs. His sweat-drenched chest is warming me up in ways too filthy for Charlotte to see.
His fingers fuss with my braid as his lips press against my jaw. “You know, I was twelve the first time I realized I loved you.”
My eyes meet his when I tilt my head back. “What?”
He nods, shifting my face forward so he can prop his chin up on my shoulder.
“We were right here, and you had just snagged the biggest fish of the day. My pre-teen ego was hit pretty hard, but you walked right up to me, held out that fish, and told me I could tell all the boys I’d caught it if I wanted. ”
My smile is so wide, it hurts my sore cheek. “I remember that. They had been hounding you mercilessly for spending so much time with me, and I didn’t want to give them more ammunition.”
“Whatever happened to Griff and Memphis?”
“Oh, they’re still in town. Griffin got saddled with a kid he had with some Beta in the Valley and is in full-time single-dad mode. Memphis has his own pack now, but they don’t have an Omega to rein them in, so they’re as wild as ever.”
His brow furrows. “They never tried to court you?”
My laugh earns me a side-eye from Wyatt, who slowly stands and stalks toward me. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare off the fish.”
“You’re lucky I love you, hotshot.” He winks, then snatches me out of Kash’s arms, carrying me back over to the bank as I giggle.
He settles me into his lap, earning a glare from Kash, but his eyes are already turning back to his pole.
“Well? Did they?” Kash demands, not letting go of his initial question as his scent gets just a smidge bitter.
“Nope. They didn’t.”
“Why the hell not?” he barks, seeming both relieved and affronted at the same time.
Wyatt sighs. “Remind me not to fish with the two of you around.”
We both ignore him while Beck chuckles.
I shrug, looking back at my affronted Alpha. “Pretty sure they were scared of me.”
“More like they were scared of all that glitter your mama used to doll you up with,” Kash mutters.
“Hmm. Yeah, you might be right about that.”
“You got one!” Beck shouts. “Reel it in like this…”
He’s wrapped around Charlotte’s back, his larger hands helping her reel in the tiniest trout I’ve ever seen.
“Look, Daisy!” Charlotte proudly holds up the pole with the poor fish dangling from the end. Now that she’s got the guys, apparently Mama is chopped liver, not that I can blame her one bit. “I caught one.”
I snort, earning a side-eye from Kash who has pretty much given up on ever getting rid of the nickname now.
Charlotte has taken it on and claimed it as her own.
Not even sure he’s aware he does it, but when he hears her say those words, there’s a soft purr that rumbles through his body. Melts my heart every. Single. Time.
“Good job, jelly bean.” He glances down at his watch. “But it’s time to pack up, guys. We don’t want to be late for the barbeque.”
“But, Daisy , do we have to?” Charlotte pulls out her legendary pout. I wait to see how he responds, because Lord knows the man’s wrapped around her little finger.
But Beck comes in clutch. “Put that lip away, princess. It might work on Daisy over there, but right now we have to get back to the house because everyone’s waiting on us.”
Her sigh coupled with her big pleading eyes turn to Wyatt, which has me fighting a grin.
The Beta stands with me in his arms, then sets me on my feet. “Lady Charlotte, I do believe I heard Gran say she was making Jello cake. Don’t know ‘bout you, but I don’t want to miss out on that .”
Her eyes cut to me, and I simply nod, knowing my daughter’s sweet tooth is the way to her heart. Apparently, Wyatt’s figured that trick out too.
“Gran’s Jello cake is the best.” She miraculously drops the pouting act, then turns to Beck. “Daddy, we gotta head back. Can you let my fishie go for me, pretty please? I don’t want to touch it.”
We all share smiles, then take the next few minutes to pack up our gear and load everything back into the saddlebags.
Kash mounts his horse and holds out his arms for Charlotte, who eagerly seats herself in front of him, yapping away about the fish and how huge it was.
Beck and Wyatt are already urging their horses up onto the trail, holding back for Kash to lead and me to follow.
The second I’m on Calamity, it’s this rush of euphoria mixed with more than a little nostalgia.
The fact that I’m able to give my daughter little hints of what I got to experience growing up means everything to me.
She’ll know how to ride, learn how to fish, fix trucks, and maybe even learn how to shoot when she’s older.
More than that, if she wants to wear dresses and makeup, buy high heels, and get her hair done all fancy like, I’ll support her in that too. So will her daddies.
And when it’s time for boys to start sniffin’ ‘round…well, I’ll be there to calm them down and force them to put away their guns. Not that I’m even sure they own any. Though I wouldn’t put it past Kash to buy one just to scare off some pimple-faced kid.
My eyes scan the landscape I know like the back of my hand, then pause on the sight of all three of my men on horseback while we ride along the paths Kash and I took as children.
It’s sexy on a whole other level. Shay would call them citified country boys , and maybe she’d be a smidge right about that, but seein’ the old Kash come back to me—the one not afraid of getting dirty, who’s more comfortable in a hat and boots than a suit, and his Darling twang sneaking back through—is worth every second of the years spent apart because now I know he’s mine .
The horses carry us to the trail that splits off onto the Callahan estate, and it isn’t long before the scent of smoke and pork makes its way to us.
By the time we hand the horses off to the stable hands, wash up in the sink, and make our way out to the back lawn, Hudson and Gran are seated in adirondack chairs, chatting with my mother, who’s in a casual yellow sundress, while Daddy mans the grill.
To be honest, I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen him so informal—khaki shorts, button-down short-sleeved shirt, and flip flops.
He’s relaxed, humming to himself as he works the tongs, and I share a loaded look with Kash.
Yeah, he’s shocked too.
“Papa Hudson, I caught a fish!” Charlotte goes running to him, climbing up into his lap as she regales him and Gran with the story of reeling in her first catch.
“You look happy, little mama,” Beck murmurs into my ear, his arm sliding around my waist until I’m tucked into his side.
“Maybe that’s because I am.”
“That mean you’ll be ready for our bites soon?” Kash murmurs, grabbing my free hand.
“Look at you, just jumpin’ right into the deep end after barely treading water for a lifetime.”
“What can I say? When there’s something I want, I’m not afraid to dive right in.”
“Bullshit,” Wyatt fake coughs.
Kash scowls over at his packmate. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re lyin’ like a no-legged dog. You overthink everything .”
“Not the important stuff,” Kash mutters.
Beck laughs beside me. “To be fair, I’ve been thinking about it myself.”
“You both know I want your bites…”
“We know, little mama,” Beck agrees.
“I don’t want to rush bonds just because we’re in the midst of chaos and our instincts are riding us hard.
I want it to be meaningful and well thought out, when we’ve had time to fully reconnect.
We haven’t been able to do that with everything going on.
Between finding you guys, the hell with Pack Latham, then the rodeo, the situation with Jack, Kash and me crossin’ that friendship line… It’s just been a lot, guys.”
There’s silent communication happening between them, and I wait patiently, hoping they not only listened to what I just said but actually heard me too.
I want them. There’s no one else for me, but I won’t let drama drive us into something before we’re truly ready.
“You’re right, June bug. It’s all happened very fast. And to be fair, these two still have some courting to catch up on.”
Wyatt grimaces. “He ain’t wrong.”
“Okay, then how about this? With everything that happened yesterday, I forgot Elliott asked me to come down to the Valley for the weekend. I?—”
Kash grips my hips, turning me to face him. “You honestly think we’ll let you go off alone while Jack is potentially out there watching and waiting?”
“Kash, it’s a roughly three-and-a-half-hour drive straight down into Slate Creek.
Elliott and her pack literally live tucked away on a mountain.
I’ll drive straight to Elliott’s house, no stops along the way.
We’ll stay in and drunkenly watch movies and have too much ice cream.
I can even have Elliott call Reese, who will give Chief the heads up of what’s going on up here just in case.
” My hands land on his chest, and I stare up into his eyes so he can see how serious I am.
“We can wait until next weekend just to see if there’s been any sign of him.
If not, then I’ll have one last hurrah with my friend.
I’ll be careful, and when I come back, it will be to my pack, and you better have those teeth ready. ”
Beck steps into my back, kissing me on the top of my head. Both of their scents have gone sour, and a whine is building in my chest the longer they stay silent.
“Fine,” Beck finally says. “Give us the week. If we can get confirmation he’s no longer in the area, you can make the trip. But after that, no more waiting.”
Wyatt leans in. “That kinky Beta better not try shit. Fair warning.”
Both Alphas growl, their little show of uber masculinity making me chuckle. “Elliott would literally sever his balls. You don’t have to worry about that. Plus, he’s also bonded to one of the Alphas.”
“We sure this Elliott isn’t a dude?” Kash grumbles.
“Definitely,” Wyatt assures him. “I did some research. She’s a columnist for the Sun Times . Her Alphas take turns helping her with her column. They’re all pretty high profile, along with their friends, West Carter and Cadence Parker, and their packs.”
My gaze cuts to him. “You didn’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust that Beta,” he mutters.
“I fucking love you, pretty boy.” I step out from between the guys, letting Wyatt lift me up and spin me around.
“I love you, hotshot.”
“Me too! Me too!” Charlotte calls out, hopping off Hudson’s lap and running over to us. She lifts her arms, staring up at Wyatt with big pleading eyes.
He sets me down, then, with great fanfare, picks Charlotte up and spins her around before tossing her into the air. She squeals in delight.
“Uncle Wyatt?” she asks, circling his neck with her arms.
“Yeah, Lady Charlotte?”
“Can you be one of my daddies too? Uncle is fine, but daddy is better.”
He looks at her like she just stole his entire heart. “You want me to be your daddy too? But you’ve already got Beck and Kash.”
“I know. But you make me as happy as a pig in mud, and you deserve to be one of my daddies too.”
“You done melted my heart. How can I say no to that?”
“That mean yes?”
He smiles. “Yup. How about, to avoid confusion, you call me Daddio, and we can even add some finger guns. It’ll be way cooler than Daisy .”
“Okay, Daddio,” Charlotte repeats with a nod, throwing her hands into the air and pointing them at him like mini finger guns. Then her eyes cut over to Kash with a worried look. “But I still like Daisy just fine too. Don’t you worry.”
We all laugh, and when I see my parents hugging near the grill, watching us, and Hudson and Gran sharing a sweet kiss, I know I don’t have to worry about anything else. It’ll all come out in the wash.