Chapter 31
JACE
All of my brothers are a blessing. Today, I officially and legally adopted Gerry, and my last will and testament was filed to ensure that his custody goes to Jackson and/or Justice if anything were to happen to me and Ash.
Obviously, I made sure Ash was listed as the primary guardian if anything was to happen to me.
If I was gone, Gerry might actually be the only thing that could keep Ash wanting to keep going.
We might have discovered we have a bit of a codependence problem. I mean, it’s a problem according to other people. We are both quite content with how things are.
On the subject of the love of my life, she is currently in another courtroom finalizing a huge step in her own life.
“Where did Ash go?” Gerry asks for the third time in under five minutes. The first time, Justice tried to answer ambiguously, so the kid turned to Jackson – who can’t keep a secret to save his life. That would be the reason why he wasn’t told anything about what was happening beyond the adoption.
Hell, the only reason Justice knows is because he helped with all of the legal paperwork.
“Do you trust her?” I ask him back and he has the audacity to pretend to think about it. Tickle retaliation is the only appropriate response at this point.
By the time Ash joins us, Gerry is hanging upside down over my shoulder with a case of the hiccups from giggling too hard.
Jackson is wheezing while sprawled out on the concrete stairs, and even Justice has cracked a smile that, for once, doesn’t look like someone is about to have their throat slit.
“What did I miss?” she asks and presses a kiss to my cheek before helping my little brother get back on solid ground.
“Brother Bear was being mean to me! You should beat him up,” Gerry says with a giggle before running to hide behind Justice.
Ash just looks at me with heat in her gaze. “Oh, I’ll make sure he pays later for anything he did wrong today.”
Oh, goodie. I didn’t think I could feel any more joy today.
I know we won’t be doing anything tonight because we have the slumber party with Johnny’s nephews coming over, but I can’t wait for the weekend when our friend returns the favor.
“Can I see it?”
Ash wiggles her eyebrows before handing over a document from the bag she had slung over her shoulder.
Ashton Reginald Harper shall now legally be known as Ash Harper Whitetower, effective this date of…
“You… I mean… you didn’t have… but your dad… and now we… I mean…”
She pulls my face down to kiss me and shut me up.
“We’re family, Biker Bear. That just makes it easier on everyone. And Dad is a thousand percent on board with me keeping his name as my middle name. He even said it feels like he married me off by doing it this way.”
“Way to kill the surprise, Dad,” I mutter.
Apparently, I didn’t speak softly enough because everyone around us freezes. Justice looks constipated. Jackson looks shocked. Gerry is practically vibrating from excitement. And Ash… My Ash looks confused.
“Married?” she squeaks out when I pull her in for a hug.
“The proposal was going to be on our anniversary while your Dad is up here to visit,” I confess. “There was a whole plan.”
Ash throws her head back to let out a hearty laugh.
“When has life ever gone according to a plan with us, Biker Bear?”