Chapter 15
WILY
I can’t take my eyes off Satch as she organizes the kids through a series of games to keep them entertained and settled while we wait for everyone else to get here.
Sienna and Zander should be arriving any minute.
And we’re still waiting for another update from Tyrell and Dani.
It’s such a bummer their flight got canceled.
Man, I hope the weather plays fair and the flights run on time so they can make it by tomorrow night. It won’t be the same without them.
Resting my shoulder against the wall, my lips twitch as Sebastian tries to act out a movie title without saying anything.
That kid is a ball of energy, and he keeps going to speak, then slapping a hand over his mouth, which makes Charlotte giggle…
and then Kendall starts giggling, which sets off Nichelle and Harley.
Dom, my man with an old soul, sits on the edge of the room, trying to pretend like he’s too old for this stuff while he fights a grin, checking his watch every two seconds.
He’s busting for Logan and Cole to arrive.
They first met about a month after Dom was born.
Sienna flew over with Zoey and the twins to meet the little guy.
Zander had been busy with training, and Elizabeth and Sienna spent a week together.
The twins are only a year older than Dom, but they were taken with him.
They’ve seen each other a few times every year since then, and you’d think they were triplets the way they behave when they get together.
My eyes shift back to Satch because I can’t help myself.
She’s looking sexy tonight in her baggy jeans and this pale pink shirt that floats around her body.
Her boobs are bigger than normal thanks to breastfeeding, and her body is still carrying some of her pregnancy weight.
I know she doesn’t love it, but I’m not complaining.
It’s more of her to hold. I love her soft edges so much.
She’s curvaceous and lush, and damn… I can’t wait to be with her again.
We haven’t had a chance to have sex since Paris was born.
It’s been ten weeks now, and I’ve been waiting for her to make the first move.
I don’t want to put any pressure on her.
Paris’s birth was so fucking fast. It was the most stressful afternoon of my life.
Poor Satch went into a state of shock, and I was standing there in a parking lot, holding this blood-covered baby while Satch shook in the back seat.
She was as white as a ghost, and I was frantically calling an ambulance while little Paris screamed in my arms.
I still wasn’t back to full health myself and was fighting off waves of panic-induced nausea as I begged my wife to be okay and begged my little girl to stop crying. I was fucking traumatized by the whole thing.
Never again. Paris will be our last. No two-year-old birthday wishes will be changing my mind. Five is more than enough of a tribe, and I am so happy with our family, but now it’s time to stop having babies and move into the next phase of our lives.
And Satch agrees with me, which is why she got an IUD put in about two weeks ago. Which means she must be thinking about having sex with me again, right?
As if she can sense me thinking about her, she darts a look in my direction, her cheeks tinging pink, her lips curling into a smile.
Oh yeah, she knows what I’m picturing right now. Her lush body, writhing under my touch, her sweet pussy wrapping around my greedy cock.
Damn, I want her again.
Maybe I’ll score myself a little Valentine’s Day loving.
And let’s not forget the fact that it’s her birthday tomorrow.
She made me swear no presents until next weekend, but I’d happily deliver her an orgasm or ten.
That’d be a fucking awesome way to celebrate her birthday.
Might have to have a word with the guys and see if we can arrange some kind of “Do Not Disturb Under Any Circumstances” childcare.
Even just for an hour so I can enjoy my woman.
I’m still lost in the fantasy of what I want to do to Satch when Dom bolts out of his seat and starts running for the front door.
I follow him when the door pops open and the Donohue family bustles in with loud, cheerful greetings.
Dom and the twins are already hugging it out in that boyish, tussling way they always do. Sienna gives them a little nudge, pushing them into the room just off the entrance so they don’t take anyone out as they laugh and scrap on the floor.
Olly stands there watching them, obviously torn over what to do, because Charlotte is toddling toward him with her arms stretched wide, and he can never resist my little girl.
“Olly! Olly! Olly!” Her little fingers open and close in her excitement, and Olly bends down with a grin, scooping her up and swinging her in a circle like he did last time. She squeals with delight, clinging tight and laughing.
Zander manages to shoot out his hand and stop them from crashing into the doorframe while I lumber forward with a smile.
“Hello, Donohues!” I boom.
Sienna grins at me but is distracted by a hug from Blake, and then I’m being cannonballed by Zoey, who wraps her arms around my waist in a tight squeeze.
“Hey.” I rub her back, then cup her head when she won’t let me go. “You okay, cowgirl?”
She harrumphs against my chest, and I glance up to catch Zander’s eye.
He shakes his head, rolling his eyes at me and looking kind of salty.
Okay, so something’s gone down on the way here.
“Bad plane ride?” I squeeze her a little tighter.
“Stupid parents,” she mumbles against my shirt.
“Oh. Gotcha.”
She pulls back to look up at me with bright blue eyes that hide none of her angst. “Dad took my phone away.”
My eyebrows rise, and I keep my mouth shut. He must have done it for a good reason.
“And I’m not talking to him again until he gives it back, so just keep him away from me, okay? Keep my whole freaking family away from me!” she growls, but is then distracted as Portia starts jumping around us.
“We’re sharing a room! We’re sharing a room!”
“What?” Zoey jerks out of my arms.
“We’re sharing a room! You and me and Harley!”
Zoey’s face goes pale and she’s struggling to hide her disappointment, but Portia is too excited to even notice.
And then Harley takes Zoey’s hand and smiles up at her. “We’re going to be roommates for two whole days.”
Melt my heart. She is the cutest kid.
“Uh…” Zoey chokes out a laugh. “Cool.”
Harley’s smile grows even brighter, and Portia takes Zoey’s other hand, pulling her toward the stairs. “Come see! Come see!”
As Zoey is tugged away from me, I move in to intercept Zander before he’s tackled by the rest of my tribe.
“Give me a minute, guys. You can jump on him later.”
Sebastian whimpers like I’ve just ruined his entire night, but Olly distracts him by asking what they’re playing. The kids are soon back in the living room, and I can get a second to ask, “What’s up with Zoey? What’d she do to lose her phone?”
Zander sighs, running a hand through his hair while Carson sidles up beside us.
“She was really rude to Sienna.” He winces. “I had to do something drastic to prove my point. Seriously, why did we think fourteen was old enough to even own a phone?”
Carson scoffs. “I’ve seen kids younger than ten walking around with them.”
“Yeah, well, we held out until her fourteenth birthday, which apparently was archaic and completely evil of us.” Zander rolls his eyes.
I can’t help a soft laugh. “And now you’ve gone and taken it away again.”
“I was so livid with her. You should have seen Sienna’s face. Her feelings were so hurt.”
“What did Zoey say?” Carson crosses his arms with a curious frown.
Zander sighs. “Something about only idiots getting knocked up in high school. It was brutal.”
“No way,” he whispers. “Zoey said that to Sienna? But she knows you guys were young when you—”
“Yes.” Zander gives him an emphatic look. “We’ve told her everything except the shit that went down at Kelsey U.” He shudders. “It was a low blow.” He closes his eyes. “Shit, she’s being such a brat today.”
“Zoey?” I shoot him a skeptical frown. “A brat?”
“I’m serious.” He bulges his eyes at me. “She came home from school this afternoon in some guy’s car, then kissed him.”
“What?” Carson and I snap in unison, our brows bunching together.
“Exactly.” He flicks his hand up. “Thank you.”
“Who is he?” Carson growls.
“Some guy named Curry.” Zander spits out the word like it’s a foul taste in his mouth. “I’m pretty sure he’s a senior. He was driving her and two other girls, and he gave her a Valentine’s Day card, which apparently gives him the right to expect a kiss.”
“Where does he live?” Carson throws him a dark look and I join him, staring down at Zander.
“Think that little shit might need himself a visit from Uncle Wily and Uncle Carson.”
“Oh man, I would love that. If only we could.” Zander sighs. “Shit, you guys. Having a teenage girl is so fucking hard. Watching her grow up and become a woman? I simultaneously love it and hate it.”
Carson goes a little pale, and I’m sure my face is doing the same thing.
Oh man. I’m kind of dreading my girls growing up and getting boyfriends and all that shit. The thought of any of them getting mistreated or having their hearts broken… it kills me.
“Why do you all look like you’re about to throw up?” Grady comes to stand beside us, his phone clutched in his hand. “What are we talking about?”
“Being girl daddies,” Carson mutters, and then Zander quickly updates him on the Zoey news.
“Oh shitballs,” Grady murmurs. “Where does this Curry ass live?”
“I wish I could tell you, man.” Zander leans against the wall.
“But thanks to me taking her phone, Zoey has iced me out. I’ll be lucky to get anything more than glares from her this weekend.
Shit.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair yet again.
It’s sticking up all over the place, and he doesn’t seem to care.
“Such a shit show,” he complains under his breath, and Grady changes the subject.
Lifting his phone, he tells us, “Just heard from Tyrell. They’ve boarded their plane now, so they’re one step closer to home. Let’s just hope their connecting flights all work out.”
“Yeah, man.” I nod. “What a bummer for them. They’ll be spending Valentine’s Day on planes and in airports.”
“Well, hopefully they’ll get here by tomorrow night. I’m pretty sure the girls have some special stuff planned for the evening, so if they can make it for that…”
“Fuck.” Zander’s shoulders slump even further, his face going from white to gray as he shakes his head and slips away from us.
We all watch him shuffle off, and I glance at my brothers with a frown. “What’s that all about?”
“Not sure,” Grady murmurs. “But it’s got to be more than just the Zoey thing.”