by Parker, Ali
He grinned at her. “It’s delicious.”
“How can you tell?” she teased. “It’s all over your face.”
He laughed. So did Linden.
I devoured my meal. It was without a shadow of a doubt the best spaghetti I’d ever had. The fact that I loved the woman who made it might have been clouding my taste buds, but I was fairly sure that wasn’t the case. She was just a damn good cook.
Emelia cleaned her plate, and so did the boys. When everyone was done, I collected the dishes, loaded the dishwasher, and took the time to clean the bigger dishes in the sink, like the two pots she’d used and the strainer. When everything was sitting aside on a drying mat and the dishwasher was running, I turned to my little family sitting at the kitchen table.
“Movie time?”
“When are we going to tell them?” Emelia asked later when we lay in bed together.
I rolled onto my side to face her. “Tell them what?”
She rolled to face me and smiled. “Don’t play coy with me. You know what. When are we going to tell the boys that they’re half brothers? And that you’re Linden’s father?”
It was a question with a lot of weight. I considered my answer. “I don’t know. I think we should tell Linden first. And then tell them they’re half brothers. Baby steps, right?”
“Right.”
“Tonight was great. Just think. Every night might be like this if things go well?”
“If?” she mused.
I draped an arm over her hip. “When.”
She smiled. “That’s better.” Then she propped herself up on one elbow. “I have to tell you about something that happened this morning. I just haven’t had a chance with the kids around.”
“Uh oh. Now what?”
“I ran into Gwen when I went to get us coffee.”
“What? My Gwen?”
She nodded. “Yep.”
I flinched. “So she’s in town then?”
Emelia sighed. “Yes. She is. We um… we sat down together and had a chat.”
“About what?”
“About Paxton.”
I felt the hair on the back of my neck standing up. She and Gwen sat down and talked about Pax? Just the two of them? I wondered what that conversation might have looked like.
“I told her she couldn’t keep stringing Paxton along,” Emelia said. “I told her it wasn’t fair, and I told her that she might be doing irreparable damage. I told her she was making mistakes she can’t take back. And she confessed that she’s afraid of being a mom. She doesn’t know how to relate to Paxton. She has no clue where to start.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Emelia shrugged. “It means she’s more out of touch than you thought. But she does love him, Jace. She really does. She just doesn’t know how to be around him. He scares her in a way.”
“Scares her?” I asked. “How could he scare her? He’s four.”
“I know. She’s out of her depth when children are around. But I told her she just needs to be his friend. That’s all he’s looking for. And I offered to help if she needed it.”
I stared at her. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Emelia smiled. “Because it’s not about me, or you, or Gwen. It’s about Paxton getting time with his mother. And if making that happen means I tag along for their first couple of outings together, then that’s just fine. I can be a buffer for both of them and help them connect.” She paused and reached out to run her hand down the middle of my chest. “Did I cross a line? I didn’t want to overstep. The opportunity to talk to her just presented itself, and I went for it.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t cross a line.”
“You’re sure? You can tell me.”
“I’m sure. I’m glad you talked to her. If this changes things, well, we have to consider that a victory, right?”
“It is a victory,” she said firmly. “But I think we should keep this between us for now. If Gwen follows through, then that’s great. But you’re on the right track. Paxton doesn’t need to know until the moment happens. No build up. No anticipation. No let downs. What do you think?”
“I’m in.”
“Yeah?” Emelia asked, her smile stretching.
“Yeah. All I want is for him to know his mom loves him. How I feel about her doesn’t matter.”
“Exactly,” Emelia said, her smile growing more and more devious by the second. She sat up, and the thin strap of her silk pajama top slipped down her shoulder. She pushed at my chest, rolling me onto my back, and then swung one leg over my hips to straddle me. “She doesn’t matter. All that matters is me and you.”
“And the kids.”
“Of course,” Emelia said slyly. “But not right now. Right now is our time.”
“I never knew sleepovers could be so much fun,” I said as she rocked her hips in my lap. My cock twitched. “Tease.”
Her hair fell over her shoulder as I reached up to inch her silky top upward. “Maybe one of these days, we won’t be restricted to just sleepovers. Maybe we’ll have our own bedroom to share. And the boys will have theirs. And we won’t have to sneak around.”
“Maybe? I think you mean when.”
She bit her bottom lip. “That’s exactly what I mean.”
She descended upon me for sweet kisses. I worked her shirt up and over her shoulders, and our lips parted just long enough for the silky fabric to pass between us. As soon as I threw it aside, she was back. Her tongue slipped between my teeth, and I cupped her bare breasts in my hands as she continued to roll her hips in my lap.
She moaned softly into my mouth and plunged her fingers into my hair. I ran my hands down her stomach, over her sides, and down to her hips. I squeezed her ass, and her soft little moans became soft little giggles.
“You’re such an ass man,” she cooed.
“You were walking around my house in those leggings of yours. You know what that does to me. I can’t help it. I had to keep my hands to myself for so long. But now? Now you’re all mine.”
I rolled her over and pinned her beneath me. She giggled, and I clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Hush, baby. This old house has thin walls.”
She nodded, and I removed my hand. Then I worked my way down the length of her body, pulling her silk shorts down as I went. She spread her legs, and I settled between them, gazing up the length of her lean tummy as she gazed down at me.
It was a sight I knew I would never get tired of.
Epilogue
Emelia
One Year Later
Jace wrapped an arm around my waist, and we both gazed out at the sprawling expanse of our new yard. It was at least three times bigger than mine and Linden’s rental house, and two times bigger than Jace’s old yard. The vibrant green grass was a blank canvas of possibilities, and the yard was private, protected from prying neighbor’s eyes by a six-foot-tall white fence.
“It’s going to be perfect,” I said.
Jace pointed to the far corner where a young oak tree was growing wide, thick, fanned-out branches. “What do you think of a swing there?”
“The boys would love that.”
“Not just for the boys. For us. Not a toy swing. A wood one. With pillows and blankets. A place you could read your book if you wanted.”
I smiled up at him. “I love it.”
He grinned. “And a pool in the other corner during the summertime.”
“A pool, huh? Getting a little ambitious, aren’t we?”
He shook his head. “I can do it on a budget. I’ll make one myself.”
I put my head back on his shoulder and let out a content sigh. “We’re going to make beautiful memories here.”
“And maybe another baby.”
I laughed. “Now you’re really getting ambitious.”
“What? You don’t want a girl?”
“How am I supposed to enjoy my new book on my new swing in my new yard with a glass of wine
if I have a newborn?”
Jace smirked. “I’m not one of those no-good dad’s, you know? I help out. Change diapers. Handle late-night feedings. Swaddle. Cuddle. Play. I do all the things.”
“Just slow your roll, stud. Let’s enjoy the new place first and see where things lead.”
Jace chuckled. “How about a puppy then?”
“No!”
He laughed in earnest now. “Why not?”
I shook my head and slipped out from under his arm. “Let’s just enjoy what we have and where we are now, okay? No need to add more to the mix. A new house and two kids are enough.”
He grinned. “All right. All right. Come on. They’re being far too quiet in there. Let’s make sure they haven’t started a fire or aren’t trying to redecorate with crayons.”
Jace and I stepped through the sliding patio doors off the back of the house. The inside smelled like fresh paint from all the painting we’d spent the last two days doing. Tonight was going to be our first night in the house, and the boys had just seen it for the first time about an hour ago.
All of our furniture had arrived today, too. The movers toted everything in, and I had flashbacks to last year around this time when Linden and I moved into the little rancher, just the two of us.
Everything had been fresh and new and exciting then.
But I’d also been a little scared.
I didn’t know if I could do this whole life thing on my own without the support of my parents. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone.
Everything had changed over the course of the year.
I had the man of my dreams by my side, and I’d inherited another son. Linden had gained a father and a brother. Jace had found his second son. And Paxton had a healthy relationship with his biological mother, as well as one with me.
I couldn’t have asked for more.
He called me Em, which was fine by me, because I wanted to protect his relationship with Gwen. She’d come a long way over the last twelve months. I had to hold her hand at first, and I think that made all the difference. I was there to support her when she didn’t know what to do or what to say, and her and Paxton saw each other at least once a month. If she was out of town, she’d call or Skype, and with that effort, Paxton knew that she loved him.
Their rekindled mother and son bond was good for Jace, too. There was no more resentment on his end, and he and Gwen were civil. She and her boyfriend had even come for dinner two months ago before we started packing up our houses. It had been a little uncomfortable at first, but after the first hour, everyone was laughing and chatting and wrapping their heads around what the new normal looked like. It helped immensely having John and Marie there with their newborn, a sweet baby girl they named Ella, whose cuteness sucked any and all tension out of the room.
“Pax? Linden?” Jace called for the boys as we made our way through the dining room and kitchen to the front of the house where the family room was.
It had a twelve-foot ceiling completed with white rafters that stood out against the rich wood ceiling. The house was beautiful. Truly beautiful. It had a rustic farmhouse feel throughout, picked up in the worn-in wood floors, paneled white walls, and rustic lighting features. It was the kind of home I’d dreamed of living in but never believed I ever could.
It was the home to raise a family in.
We found the boys nestled up together in the living room. Jace had thrown together a spot for the four of us to cuddle and watch a movie tonight. There was no better way to break in a new home.
He’d put our king-sized mattress on the living room floor right against the back wall. The TV was plugged in and on the floor on the other side of the room. He’d piled the mattress high with blankets and then propped up all the pillows we owned against the back wall to create the semblance of a couch.
On either side of the mattress, he’d hung up white curtains to create a mock fort. The boys had explored the whole house and, when they came to the fort, were over the moon that that was where we were all going to spend the rest of the night.
I’d added a finishing touch of draping twinkle lights from sheet to sheet across the top. By the time we were all cuddled up in there and cozy, it would be nighttime, and the lights would add the perfect ambiance for our first ever movie night in our new home.
Jace stood at the end of the mattress with his fists on his hips. “Are you two ready to order some dinner?”
Linden nodded. “Pizza.”
“Thai,” Paxton suggested.
Linden frowned. “No Thai.”
“How about Chinese?” I suggested.
“No,” all three of them said in unison.
I held up my hands. “All right. All right. Well, how about the lady chooses this evening?”
Jace and the boys looked at me expectantly. “Um. I don’t know. I’m good with anything.”
Jace narrowed his eyes at me. “I heard your stomach growling out on the deck. What do you feel like? Whatever you want. Right, boys?”
“Right,” they both answered.
I didn’t like the pressure of making the decision, but I was hungry, and if I didn’t pick something, we were going to spend the next half hour bickering over what to order. “How about butter chicken from that new place that opened last month? We keep saying we’re going to try it, don’t we?”
They all agreed.
“Sounds good,” I said, clapping my hands together. “I’ll order. You guys pick the movie.”
By the time dinner arrived, we’d picked our film, and everyone had changed into their pajamas. We unpacked the food in the kitchen and got the boys’ plates together first, sending them off into the living room to wait for us.
Then Jace and I stole some steamy kisses in the new kitchen.
He grabbed my ass. “You sure you don’t want to try for another baby on our first night in our new home?”
“I think I’m going to have to get my tubes tied, with you talking like this,” I teased, pressing a kiss to his lips.
He chuckled. “I’m just playing around.”
“Maybe in the future.”
“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.
I smiled and smoothed his shirt out over his chest. “Yeah. I just want to enjoy this time together. We don’t have to rush anything. Right?”
“Right.”
“We missed a lot of steps in our relationship,” I said. “I just want to take things slow and really soak in the moment. Does that make sense?”
“Of course it does,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “One step at a time. Get back together? Check. Solidify our family unit and get to a place where Linden calls me Dad? Check. Buy a house?”
“Check.”
He grinned. “Let’s get some food in that stomach of yours before it eats itself.”
We only sort of half watched the movie once we finished eating. Everyone was too wound up about the new house, and we spewed out ideas of what we could do with it. The boys talked about how they would arrange their rooms, and I told Jace where I wanted to put our Christmas tree when the time came. The boys wondered if Santa would still be able to find them now that they lived in a new house, and Jace and I had to spend fifteen minutes assuring them that Santa was magic, and he could find them no matter where they were.
The end credits of the movie scrolled across the screen. Paxton and Linden were nestled in between us, and Jace draped his arm around all of us, pulling us into him. “Life is good, guys. This little family of ours? I’m more grateful for this than anything in the world.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
The boys smiled up at us.
Jace pursed his lips. “But I’ve been thinking. Something is missing.”
My brow furrowed. “What?”
“Something sparkly,” Jace said, scratching his chin.
“Sparkly?” I asked, looking from him to our boys sitting in between us, looking up at me with big, toothy grins. “You two know something, don’t you?”
>
Linden giggled, and Paxton hid his face in their father’s side.
I scowled playfully. “What are you three playing at? Are you keeping a secret from me?”
Jace pushed himself off the wall. The boys moved with him, going to stand behind each of his shoulders. I watched, confused, as Jace lifted one knee and slid a hand into the pocket of his loose-fitting sweatpants.
He pulled out a deep purple velvet ring box.
My heart leapt into my throat.
Jace’s eyes glittered with the reflection of the twinkle lights strung up above. “Ms. West,” he started with a smile. “We’ve come a long way, you and me. Don’t you think?”
I scrambled up to my knees to face him. My pulse flickered at my throat, and my palms started to sweat. “Is this real?”
Jace chuckled and so did the boys. “It’s real, Em. I wanted to get this right. We’ve done all our steps backwards. We’ve been through storms and come out the other side stronger. And I know one thing for sure. I fall in love with you more and more every day.”
My eyes burned with tears, and I wiped them away furiously as they blurred my vision. I had to see him. I had to see all of this.
Jace continued. “And I don’t want to wait anymore. You’re everything I’ve wanted and more. And you and Linden have changed my life. And Paxton’s. You brought us so much light and joy. We can’t imagine our life without you anymore. Can we, Pax?”
Paxton shook his head. “We love you, Em.”
I sobbed and more tears fell.
“So, with that being said,” Jace said, his own eyes growing glassy as he looked me in the eyes, “will you marry me?”
Linden was nodding over his father’s shoulder. Paxton had his tiny hands clasped together in hopeful anticipation.
My world came rushing into sharp focus. “Yes,” I breathed. “Yes.”
Jace gathered me up in a hug. The boys crashed into our sides and threw themselves on us, and everyone laughed while I cried. Then, before I was ready, Jace pulled away, called my name, and flipped open the ring box.
The most dazzling diamond sat wedged between the dark fabric inside. It was a halo cut, elegant, feminine, and intricate yet simple. It was white gold, and my hand shook as he took it out of the box and slid it on my finger.
