by BA Tortuga
“Darlin’?” Reid grinned up at him, those bright blue eyes dancing.
“Mmm. Thinking of Santa Fe.”
“Yeah? You ready to get back?”
“I can wait. The girls seem to want to be back to normal, huh?”
“Always. They crave it.” Reid searched his eyes, looking for God knew what.
“Normalcy.” He grinned. “I only mean I can wait until the wedding is over, baby. That’s all.”
“Yeah? It’ll be a crazy drive, explaining to the girls that you’re coming home.”
“You don’t want to do it together?” He held his breath. These were the little compromises. Reid wasn’t going to be single-parenting anymore.
Reid’s eyes went wide, all lit up. “Did you not bring your car? I’d love to drive home together.”
“Oh!” The light dawned. “You rode up with Jen!” He laughed, clapping his hands. “We need to transfer the car seats.”
“Yeah? That sounds amazing. We can share the load. That’s the longest nine plus hours on earth.”
“I’m in.” He couldn’t stop grinning. Just… yeah.
“Cool. I think I’d like you to bring it up with Dani. Luce gets it more, I think, but Dani….”
“Sure, baby.” He could totally do that. Poor baby barely knew him, in the great scheme of things.
“You know she’ll be excited, but confused.” Reid ran one hand over his shoulder, the touch burning at him. “Me? I’m not confused. Excited? Yes.”
“That’s the important thing. If we’re sure, the kids will follow. You think Dolly will remember me?”
“You know it. She loves to sniff the girls when they come back from your place.”
That made him laugh. “Well, good. I would hate for her to be all indifferent.”
“Oh, between her and Luce, you know there will be drama.”
“There will.” He chuckled. Lucia was their thoughtful, deep girl. She was also a wee bit moody. He had no idea where on earth she might have gotten that.
“She does take after you,” Reid murmured, reading his laughter perfectly.
“That’s why she adores you, querido. You’re her hero.”
Reid looked at him and blushed dark, his eyes filling with tears. “I have to get up.”
“What? What did I do?” He pulled back right away, though, helping Reid to sit up once he’d achieved kneeling.
“I… I want to be. I don’t want to be the one that fucked up and made her papi leave.”
“We did that together. We’ll keep explaining, and when they’re older, they’ll get that.” Mat knew it was true.
“I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to be… I don’t know. A mooch? I wasn’t into you for your money.”
Mat sat back, half lifting Reid into his lap. “I didn’t have much when we met….” He sighed. “I hate that I made it about that. I was just so stressed.”
“We had two babies, you started your own firm, and we bought a new house. Things were…. We weren’t strong enough to survive that, I guess.”
“I think we’d never had to be. Trial by fire was too much.” Mat kissed Reid again. “Now I know how much harder it is without you.”
“The house is still empty without you in it. It was made for us, all four of us.”
“It was.” They’d handpicked the house and its contents together, and the designer in Reid had never protested Mat’s more eclectic cowboy-Mexican style.
“But you’re coming home. Are… are you coming back to our bed? Are you bringing your chair and desk back?” Reid sounded so worried, but so excited too.
“I am, if you have room.” He had no idea how the house had changed. There was really nothing homey about his condo. “Should we keep my place as an investment or sell it for the girls’ college funds?”
“Do you want my brain’s answer or my heart’s?” Reid grabbed his hands. “I have room. We have five bedrooms. There’s room.”
“Okay. I’m not attached to the condo, querido. I think selling it would be good. Market is up in town.”
“Yeah?” Jesus, look at his husband’s smile. He’d chosen well. “I think that sounds… perfect.”
“Yep.” He made a bunch of mental notes. Move the desk back home. Get the housekeeping service in for a move-out clean. List condo.
Back home.
Jesus.
He could move the girls’ toys and his comfy chair and his big screen, and when he worked from home, his babies and Reid would be right there.
Was this real? Was he going to wake up and find he’d fallen on the floor and hit his head?
“I hear you,” Reid muttered.
“What?”
“I hear you. This is scary. It’s everything I’ve wanted, and I’m so fucking scared.”
“You do get it.” He took a deep breath, squeezing Reid’s hand. “We make a pact. We talk about it. We bring it up. Whatever it is. No matter how hard.”
“Yeah. I didn’t know… I mean, I didn’t know how bad you felt, darlin’.”
“And I had no idea how insecure you were feeling. How overwhelmed.” He would have to make sure they both balanced work and home now too. His successful designer. “Have I told you how proud I am of you? I felt like I’d burst with joy when I saw your work in the catalog.”
“You knew it was mine?”
“Of course I did, baby. I would know your style anywhere. It’s like a fingerprint to me.” He loved Reid’s stuff.
“I… I assumed Jen told Alejandro.”
Mateo would do anything—anything—to keep that light in Reid’s eyes. Luckily all he had to do was tell the truth. “Nope. I knew it right away. You know me and my online shopping habit….”
“Did you… did you buy my pieces?”
“I did.” They were the only personal touch in his kitchen. Reid’s pottery.
Reid looked at him, lips curling into a beautiful, happy smile.
He grinned back, his belly blooming with warmth again. God, he loved this man.
“So….” Reid grinned at him, a flush crawling over his high cheekbones. “Wanna go again?”
Mat grabbed the lotion off the nightstand, figuring this time he could ride. “Oh, hell yes. That sounds perfect.”
Chapter Fifteen
“YOU did what?” Jen stared at him like he’d grown another head. “I was gone for twenty-four hours!”
Reid looked at the woman who had gotten him through his divorce, had petted his head and eaten enough ice cream with him that they’d both had to go paleo for three months. “I had some of the most amazing sex of my whole life and asked him to come home.”
“Oh my God!” If her eyes went any wider, they would bug right out of her head.
“I know. I know. I meant it too.” She wasn’t helping with the panic and the stress. “It wasn’t wrong, was it?”
“I mean, no. But what if it’s just wedding love? Like, what if it’s the atmosphere?” She clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Jen!” Oh God. It wasn’t for him—he knew that. He knew it, but what about Mateo? What if…?
“Stop.” She grabbed his hands. “That was a shitty thing to say. Neither of you are fickle.”
“I… I love him, Jen. I love him, and I want this. I want him to come home.” But what if she was right? What if Mat changed his mind? What if this was a mistake and he fucked his girls up again?
“Then you do what’s best for you.” She chuckled. “I’m just all pregnant.”
And getting married tomorrow, and this wasn’t about him, dammit. This was about Jen, and he needed to remember that.
“You are, and I’m going to be the baby’s godfather. So, are you ready for tomorrow? Hell, are you ready for tonight?”
“No.” She laughed again, more nervously. “But I have to be. And we’ve had all this planned forever, so we practice, then boom.”
“You’re going to do great. Seriously, honey. You and Alejandro are made for each other.” He squeezed her hands, holding on. “It’s going to
be an amazing day. After all, you have that crazy redneck wedding planner. That man is insane.”
“He is! Doughnut walls are out, darling.” She flipped her hair. “You have to have a cocktail taco truck and a Bloody Mary bar!”
“I cannot wait for that, girl. I’m not going home until Wednesday, so I intend to indulge my inner Bloody Mary.”
“Reid, honey, what about your foot? You need to see a surgeon.”
“Nonsense. I got this.” He didn’t even want to think about the recovery.
“Don’t be stubborn. How are you getting home? Is Mat driving?”
“Yeah. I think so. I mean….” Reid. Stop it, dude. Not your day. Her day. Her wedding. “I’ve got this.”
“Okay. Well, you let me know if I need to tell Mom and Dad to help.” She reeled him in to kiss his cheek. “God, this is crazy, huh?”
“Yes, ma’am. Just think, in forty-eight hours you’ll be in London.”
“Oh.” She went a little green around the gills. “Oh, I have to fly.”
“That is how you get to England, honey….”
“What if I puke all over Alej?” She swallowed hard, over and over.
“Sprite, honey? Ginger ale?”
“Please. God.” She took off at a run, and he looked in the mini-fridge and then grabbed a Sprite and the sleeve of saltines that were sitting on top.
When she came back out, he smiled, offering the bottle he’d uncapped. Poor baby. She was all sweaty.
“Sorry. Sorry, God.” She was shaky as all get-out, and he set one crutch aside to hug her.
“Honey, it’s normal. Breathe. You want me to get Alej?”
“No. Oh, I don’t know.” She sniffled. “I just want to have a good day tomorrow and not be a bridezilla.”
“You don’t have an ounce of ’zilla in ya.” Reid waggled his eyebrows wildly, trying to make her laugh with the joke.
“No?” She did chuckle. “Alej says I have a bitch-o-meter, but I rarely tip to the dark side.”
“You’re a doll baby, and damn anyone that says otherwise. Tomorrow you’ll be Mrs. Harris.”
“I will.” She looked at her hand, where her engagement ring sparkled. “Finally. Did you feel that way? Like you waited forever?”
“I did.” And then he’d fucked it up and lost it all because he hadn’t figured out how to do it—create and raise babies and love on Mat and get in the studio. He had figured it out, once he was on his own and had no choice, and what did that say about him? What kind of man was he? Shit. “And it was worth it. I wouldn’t have missed a minute of being with him.”
“Oh, Reid, you’re getting a second chance at that too. I’m so tickled for you.” She looked better after a couple of saltines.
“Thanks, honey.” He felt a little nauseated himself, but he had taken up enough of Jen’s energy with his own shit. “So do we need to do anything today? I know tomorrow morning is makeup and hair for you and the girls.”
“Today is just the rehearsal. And I need to make sure all the flowers got in.” She pushed her hair off her face. “Okay. We can do this. Both of us.”
“Of course we can. I need to go make sure the girls are okay and get a long nap so we avoid meltdowns at the rehearsal dinner.” He knew all about that mess, especially with the girls so ramped up about being flower girls tomorrow.
“Are they excited? I want them to be happy.” Jen was a good person.
“They are over the moon. They have new cowboy boots, new princess dresses, new jean jackets, and flower headbands!” He could do a wicked Dani impersonation when he needed to.
She giggled madly. “Is it awful to hope I have a little girl? Harrises tend to throw boys.”
“Matty had a girl, remember. I think you’ve got a good shot.”
She frowned a moment, and then her face cleared. “Duh. I always forget the girls are y’all’s for real.”
“Yep. Jacking off in a cup is a thing.” He winked at her eye roll. “I had intended to wait until Luce was five before we tried again, but Dani was meant to be.”
“She was.” She hugged him again. “I need to do something.”
“Want to go see the girls with me? Or you could check the yurts?” Yurts. Three of the bridesmaids were in yurts.
“I’ll go look at the flowers. I need to call early if something is wrong.” She looked at his foot. “I’ll walk you back as far as your cabin, huh?”
“I’ve got this, honey. I have to find my kiddos.” He grabbed his crutches and took a deep breath. “Possibly find my guy and make sure he doesn’t have buyer’s regret.”
“Don’t. I told you that was a stupid thing to say.” She bit her lip, eyes worried.
“Shh. Chillax, honey. I got this.” He had to, one way or another.
“Okay. I’m sorry.” They headed out, splitting off when she went toward the main house.
He stopped out of sight and panted a little. He didn’t want to let on that it still hurt, but he throbbed like a bitch. He really did need to see a doctor, but he trusted the folks at home enough to fix him up.
Right now, he needed to find the girls, maybe Matty, and then sit for a minute. Think. God, he hated thinking. It always got him in trouble.
“Querido? Is that you?” Matty came around the corner, face already concerned. “I thought I saw you.”
“I was with Jen.”
“You’re hurting.” Mat hurried to him, then wrapped an arm around him, no mean feat with the crutches.
“Shh. I’m okay, darlin’. I got this.” The worry felt so good. The concern was very real, and warm, leaving him basking some.
Mat looked at him, dark eyebrow raised. “Uh-huh. Humor me. Let me help.”
“Okay. Where are the girls?” He let Mat steer him to the cabin.
“The uncles have them. They’re playing Candy Land. I’m fairly sure there is money involved.”
“Oh God.” They made it inside, and Reid realized he was wearing a cold sweat.
“Reid. Querido. You need a doctor.”
“I had one in. It’ll be fine.” He wasn’t going to start any trouble, dammit. “I’ll use some KT tape under the brace tomorrow.”
“Not sure that counts.” Mat eased him down on the bed.
“No?” He sat there, the whole world feeling heavy, a little sick.
“No. I mean, you’re white as a sheet.” It was his turn to be handed a Sprite, which he always kept in case Luce got carsick.
“Just a little—” He grabbed Mat’s hand. “Is this because of the wedding? If Alejandro hadn’t gotten married, would you ever have talked to me again?”
“What?” Mat blinked, sitting back to stare at him.
“Jen asked if it was wedding love. If we were being stupid.”
Now Mat scowled. “No. I mean, I have no idea when we would have seen each other. Maybe court. But it’s not the wedding.”
“That’s what I said, but what if I’m wrong? What if I fuck up the girls’ lives again?”
Mat pressed his lips together. “You don’t trust me?”
“I do! I’m scared! I want this so much that I’m worried I’m making half of it up, like I’m living in this wonderful dream.” And he needed Matty to help him, to make it better.
“It is wonderful, but it’s not a dream.” Mat grabbed his hand. “Querido. We got this amazing chance. We both want it. We need to take it.”
“Promise? You swear to God?” He sounded like Dani.
The scowl faded into a gentle smile. “I swear. I’ll find a way to prove it.”
“I love you, Mat. I have been so empty, so fucking lost without you.”
“Same here. Don’t doubt us, Reid. Please. No second thoughts. Not this time.” Mat sat next to him and kissed him, encouraging him to lie back.
“What are we doing?”
“You’re resting. You’re exhausted and hurting.” Mat stroked his belly. “Jen is exhausted and pregnant. I think everyone needs to breathe. I want you to rest as much as possible today.”<
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“I’m not tired….” God, he was wrecked. “Alej told you.”
“Alej is about to explode. Of course he told me, and you’re gray. I keep telling you that, and you keep not listening. Did you eat anything?”
Mat had been up and out with the girls, leaving him sleeping with a tray of pastries and a thermos of coffee on the table, but he couldn’t face all that sugar.
“Hmm?” He was able to prevaricate with the best of them.
“Oh, baby. You need something. Your body is trying so hard to heal, and it will really take it out of you. What do you want?” Mat grabbed the phone.
“Bacon?” He curled into Mat, his head throbbing. “Don’t tell Jen.”
“I won’t rat you out. Hey, Tiny. It’s Mat. Do you have time to do a second breakfast for us down here? Yeah, bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, Texas toast….”
Oh, all of his favorites. It was love.
He felt his eyes fill with tears, so he closed them, snuggling into his lover. He wanted to take a tiny nap before the food got there. Mat would wake him up to stuff his face.
Then they’d get the girls ready for the rehearsal dinner.
Reid yawned. Right. Jen had it correct.
They could do this.
Chapter Sixteen
MAT watched Reid sleep, then fed him, then put him back to bed with the girls when Pop dropped them off. They would all need to get up soon, but he didn’t want to disturb them yet.
They were so damned cute they were killing him.
He also spent a long time soul-searching. Was this a wedding hookup? Reid deserved the hard thought Mat gave it, and he decided it wasn’t. All he’d had to do was see Reid again; it had nothing to do with ambiance.
It had to do with love. Love that even divorce couldn’t shatter.
He watched Reid’s chest rise and fall, wanting to wake him with kisses and love him into believing. That insecurity was his fault, and Mat knew it. The girls kinda nixed that.
His phone beeped, Alej’s name popping up.
Dude. Save. Me. From. Mama. NOW
“Uh-oh.” He sent a note to Reid’s phone before heading out. Where are you?
Big barn. Hurry. Jen’s coming
He hurried. He needed to distract Mama. Maybe he would send her to get the girls ready. Tell her Reid needed help.
