“Yeah.” Was all Eli replied.
“Three down, two to go.” Juliet stepped in to change the subject. She pointed to Milo. “Step up, Miley.”
I held my breath wondering what he’d say. He didn’t disappoint.
He shook Eli’s hand. “I’m Milo, and not only am I your half-brother, I’m Vi’s boyfriend and Rocky’s Dad.”
“You’re dating my brother?” Eli’s eyes went wide.
“Well, that’s up for debate right now.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“No, it’s not.” Milo answered.
“Save it for another time, brother.” Cal stepped up. “I’m Cal, it’s good to meet you. We don’t expect you to remember everything, all our names etc. Why don’t you come sit down and we’ll get you a drink or something and maybe you could look at some of those photo albums Silas has got out for you? You look similar to me too. It’s not only weird for you, mate. Having someone who looks like a younger version of me is bizarre but cool.”
Eli followed Cal to the sofa and sat in between him and Jules while Silas sat on the floor near them with the photo albums. Nervous about him, I watched him for a while until he must have sensed me staring and smiled. It was a big beaming smile and then he looked at Angela with the same one. Angela also smiled at me and then returned to her conversation with Josh. I guessed they had a lot to talk about if Eli was going to become a part of his siblings’ lives.
Milo had stayed by my side since Cal had shut him up.
“So are we going to talk about this then?” He asked.
“Not tonight we’re not. Stop being selfish, Milo. Your half-brother is over there wanting to get to know you.”
“I know, but there’s no point in him doing that if you tell me you don’t want me anymore because I’ll die of a broken heart. So you see you need to forgive me or he’ll have one less sibling.”
“Oh for God’s sake. We’ll sort things out tomorrow evening, okay?”
“Does sort things out mean you’ll forgive me and we’ll spend the night in bed?”
I walked away from him, refusing to tell him anything else.
Milo walked over to Eli and said loudly. “So, bro. You might be able to use my room soon, because either I’ll be living at Violet’s or I’ll have topped myself.”
“Milo!” Juliet screamed.
“What?”
Jules gave him her dirtiest look. “His father died of an OD, Milo. Your dramatics are insensitive.”
“Oh God. I’m so sorry, little bro.”
“Milo’s a complete tool, but he means well.” Jules added.
“It’s okay.” Eli said.
“No it’s not.” Milo made his sister budge up. “Jules is right. I can be an idiot. That’s why your cousin is giving me the cold shoulder, but I promise you, bro. I have the biggest heart and there’s room in there for you. Welcome to the family, Eli.” He pulled the boy into his massive manly arms and my heart soared as Eli accepted it.
“I can’t believe I have all this family.” He said when released.
“Like I said. If you want to stay over, you can use my room. I can be on the sofa if needs be.”
“Well, it’s a little early to be speaking of him staying over, Milo, but thanks.” Angela said abruptly.
“He’d be well looked after.” Josh reassured her.
“I’m not being funny, but we only found out about you all yesterday. We just met you. I’ve known Eli all his life and he’s a great kid, but he hasn’t been without his own problems, given the situations he’s faced.”
Eli’s face set as he watched Angela speak.
“I want to stay sometime.” He told her.
“We’ll talk about it in due course when we’ve had an opportunity for everyone to become a little more familiar to us.”
Angela was becoming defensive and then I realised. Here were proper family members, blood relations of the child who’d been in her care since he was a baby. She was scared she’d lose him. I walked over to her and hugged her to me.
“Thank you for bringing him, Angela, and thank you for caring for him for all these years. We will be guided by you all the way. You let us know if we’re moving too fast or slow. You’re his mum. You know best.”
“Thank you.”
I looked over Angela’s shoulder at Josh Waite and he nodded, understanding what I’d done.
After another thirty minutes, against Eli’s protests, Angela said they had to go, but she reassured him he could come back and he swapped some contact details with Cal and Juliet.
I said goodbye to the Waites and walked back across to my own home, standing at the back gate to let Angela and Eli leave. I opened the back door so Rocky could come out for a final fuss and run around the garden with Eli.
“Thanks so much, Angela. I know it can’t have been easy.”
“There’s just a lot you don’t know. That he won’t have told you. I know he looks like butter wouldn’t melt but he’s had his moments and the last was understandably when his father died. I just don’t want anything from here setting him off again.”
“We’ll take it slow. This is a good thing. He has more family.”
“I hope so.” Angela gave me a half-smile. “I really do.”
She and Eli left and I told him I’d be in touch in the next day or so.
Not long after they left I received a text.
Milo:What time tomorrow?
I texted back.
Violet:I’ll send you a message when I’m ready.
Milo:Okay, I’ll be ready and waiting for it.
I laughed to myself. I’m not sure he would be. Exhausted, I went to bed early that night.
At six pm the following evening I watched as Milo Waite was carried to my house by his brothers and sister. Each one had an arm or leg. Milo looked panic-stricken and was shouting, “What’s happening?”
They brought him into the house.
“Where d’ya want him, Vi? Dustbin?”
“Stand him up in the living room, would you?” I requested.
“Do you want us to stay?” Cal asked.
“No thank you. I just wanted him carried here as close to caveman style as was possible. I just didn’t think I’d manage to throw him over my shoulder.”
“None of us could, with maybe the exception of Silas.”
“And I couldn’t afford to risk putting my back out or injuring my shoulder. Not in my business.”
“It’s all good. I could see Milo felt helpless for a moment like a frightened little girl being chased by monsters.”
They all laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me. I was outnumbered.” He pouted.
“Stand there and be quiet. I’ll tell you when it’s your time to talk, Miley.” I ordered.
I thanked everyone and they left and then I walked back over to Milo.
“Milo Christian Waite. Since we met in July, you have been a bigger pain in my arse than the time I accidentally sat on the packet of screws. You repeatedly try to take over my life and demand a place in it. Well, times are a changing.”
“W- what are you trying to say?” His lip trembled, bless him. Maybe he thought he was getting dumped.
“What I’m trying to say is that given I’m in a relationship where I also get a say, I absolutely demand you move in here with me. Right now, Milo Waite. Don’t even think about saying no. Because it’s non-negotiable. You want the Princess? Well, you need to live in the castle.”
He grinned, a huge look of relief hitting his features as the tension slid from his body. Then it returned.
“Okay, erm, before I give in to your demands, I have one more confession to make.” He said.
“Go on.” I tapped my foot. He’d better not announce anything that made me want to throw him out after all this.
“The night you had the girls round…”
“Yessss…”
“Us Waite brothers might have gone around to Jay’s place and given him a warning.”
“
Did you hit him?”
He shook his head vehemently. “No, nothing like that. Just intimidated him, cut off his electric, and painted his wall in a blue warning message.”
“Pity.” I went over and reached onto my tiptoes so I could kiss his mouth. “Thank you.”
“You’re not mad?” Milo’s brow creased.
“Not in the slightest. Shame I couldn’t have seen it. But no more, okay? If Jay ever does show his face again, we deal with it together. No more secrets from now on, unless they’re Christmas or birthday presents.”
“Can you just wait there? Only I was going to bring something around tonight and then my siblings kidnapped me and brought me to your house and thwarted my plans.” Without waiting for an answer, he dashed through the back door.
A few moments later he was back standing at his side of the gate, which was now closed.
“Princess.” He yelled.
He yelled so loudly that by the time I got to the gate, Becca was hanging out of her upstairs window, Quinn was staring out of his, and the Waite family were hovering around the patio area.
“What on earth is wrong with you now, Milo?” I said as I stood staring at him, the gate between us. Then I gasped as the idiot dropped onto one knee.
“Princess. I know it’s not been that long in some ways but in others it’s been years since I first saw you in that very garden and named you Rapunzel. We can wait for the wedding, but I want everyone to know that my heart belongs to one person and that in true caveman style they can fuck off cos you’re mine. Violet Blake,” he held out a box and I laughed perplexed as I saw inside was a child’s Disney Rapunzel ring. “It’s adjustable, but obviously not your real one. I’d just rather you chose.” He explained. “So, will you marry me one day?”
He stared up at me waiting for my answer.
Did I want this crazy lunatic for a husband?
Hell yeah, I did.
“Yes. One day I’ll marry you.” I said, opening the gate. He slid the ring on my finger and our mouths and bodies met as the people around us cheered before gathering around us to congratulate us.
I looked back at the house I now lived in and smiled to myself. I’d never thought when I came chasing good memories I’d find a happy future.
Epilogue
Violet
The next day Milo replaced my ring with a diamond solitaire. He also moved his things into my, sorry, our house.
“So now you live here, do you want to change anything?” I asked him as we cuddled on the sofa with Rocky at the side of us asleep.
“Nope. This will do until we have kids.”
“Jesus, Milo.”
“What? I’m stating a fact. It’s a two-bedroomed home. Once you’re having our second where’s it going to go?”
Hurricane Milo was in the building. “I’m beginning to regret saying yes.”
“No, you’re not.” He pulled me close. “Oh and when we do get married, I’m paying off half of the mortgage.”
I kissed him and ran my hand across his groin. Something had to shut him up and we might as well both benefit from it.
Then we heard an almighty scream. A scream of utter pain and desolation.
“What the hell was that?” I yelled at Milo as we ran out of the front door, shutting it behind us and abandoning Rocky, and headed towards the noise. Headed towards Becca who had her front door open and was shouting for help while talking on her phone. Eyes wide, body shaking, I heard her say to someone.
“It’s my husband. I think he’s dead.”
THE END
* * *
Read about Becca in
Waiting for Callum
About the Author
Angel Devlin is the contemporary romance penname of paranormal/suspense writer, Andie M. Long. Check out Angel for stories as hot as her coffee.
She lives in Sheffield with her partner, son, and a gorgeous whippet called Bella.
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Waiting For Milo: THE WAITE FAMILY - BOOK ONE Page 19
