I frowned as I walked over to pick up my phone to let Hyde know I was awake and ask him if he needed me to bring him anything.
“All the grandparents? You mean Zeb and Sayer?” Didn’t Hyde say his ex’s parents weren’t interested in Hollyn?
Zowen snorted and finally closed his computer. “Mom and Dad were there, too. If you’re with Hyde, it’s like Hollyn is their first grandchild. You know Mom. She’s going to be all over that.”
I froze and felt my jaw drop open. It took me a minute to find words, and when I did, they were slightly strangled. “That’s too fast. Hyde and I barely started dating.” I was only just starting to think I could consider father and daughter mine. I couldn’t believe my mom was one step ahead of me. “She’s too much.”
Zowen shrugged. “If you ask me, she’s been planning on you being with Hyde since you were both kids. She’s been ready to be a grandmother since he came back. It’s probably her way of making sure Hyde knows she regrets how she treated him in the past, and that she’s going to go out of her way to welcome both him and Hollyn into the Archer family. When Mom screws up, she does it big time. But when she makes amends and tries to right her wrongs, she makes sure she gives it her all. Kind of like someone else I know.” He gave me a pointed look and climbed to his feet. He gestured toward the takeout and told me, “I got you enough to take something to Hyde. I know you won’t be able to stay home all night. Take a shower. Take your meds. Make sure you check in with your shrink sooner rather than later. If you need me for anything at all, call.”
He walked toward me and hooked my neck with his arm. He gave me a hug that was nearly suffocating and kissed the top of my head. His tone was stark and serious when he ordered, “Take care of yourself, Remy. That needs to be your top priority, always.”
If anyone overheard him just now, they might think he was cold and callous. However, I knew how hard it had been for him to be the one to find me the last time I was unable to make my health and myself the top priority. Zowen never wanted a repeat of that day, and neither did I.
I hugged his waist and swore, “I will. I need to learn how to take care of others and take care of myself simultaneously. It’s going to take some practice.”
Zowen snorted again and let go of his hold on me. “Everyone has to learn how to do that. Not just you. I’ll check in later.”
After my brother left, I forced myself to follow his terse instructions rather than run right back to the hospital. I took a shower. I took my meds. I left a message for my therapist, letting her know I needed an appointment to talk about all the sudden changes in my life. I ate some of the takeout. I checked in with my mom and dad to make sure they were no longer at the hospital. I didn’t want to overwhelm Hyde with the Archers if they were still visiting. Since my folks were already home and eating dinner, I left the loft, toting the extra food my brother bought.
The hospital was fairly quiet since it was getting late. There were still doctors and nurses buzzing around, and there was no shortage of worried parents on each floor where the elevator stopped, but the frantic energy of the ER and tension from when Hollyn first transferred over was missing.
I passed Hyde’s aunt and uncle on my way to Hollyn’s room. Campbell was with them, so I awkwardly said hello and tried not to shrink into myself under the scrutiny of Hyde’s Uncle Benny’s stare. The older man had always been pleasant enough when our paths crossed, but this time I felt like I was being evaluated and judged as a potential wife and mother. There was a lot in that intense gaze, but I must’ve passed inspection because a moment later, he gave me a crooked grin and told me, “Make him eat. He’s running on fumes and won’t listen to anyone. Well, that’s not entirely true. Your mom seemed to knock some sense into him earlier, so I’m hoping you have the same luck.” He flashed me a wink as he reached for his wife’s hand. “Small but mighty. I always get a kick out of women like that.”
I mumbled a ‘thank you,’ since I assumed that was a compliment. I was pretty sure he was laughing at me under his breath as he walked away.
I put the weird encounter out of my mind as I pushed into Hollyn’s hospital room. The lights were dim. The baby looked so tiny in the pediatric crib. There were still many tubes and wires attached to her, and a bunch of beeping and whooshing sounds coming from the machines surrounding her. Hyde was sitting next to the bed, one hand stuck through the slats, the other holding his phone as he read to her.
I expected to hear a Dr. Seuss book or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The closer I got, I realized he was reading from Lord of the Flies. I couldn’t hold back a startled laugh as I stepped next to him and placed the takeout on a small table near the only window in the room.
“Why are you reading her that?” He looked away from the screen on his phone and in the direction of the sleeping baby. “Because she wouldn’t look at me when I read Where the Wild Things Are or when I tried James and the Giant Peach. Of course, she seems fascinated by a book that’s all about survival at all cost and by any means necessary.”
I stepped next to his side and felt his big body relax slightly as I leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around my waist and buried his head in my stomach with a deep sigh. I ran my fingers over his short hair and across the back of his neck. I felt him melt into me as I did my best not to stagger under the sudden weight.
“She’s getting better. Every time a nurse comes in, they tell me she’s making progress, and her doctor seems optimistic. I’m trying to be happy about it, but I won’t feel any better about the situation until they take her off the ventilator.”
I hugged his head and held onto him with all my might. “Don’t discount the small victories. A victory is still a triumph, no matter how big or small it may be.” He nodded, bumping his forehead into my tummy. I could feel how desperately he was working to keep calm and not give in to despair. “Eat some dinner. I know everyone around you has been telling you to take care of yourself, and you’re blowing them off. I did the same thing when they told me to be careful. I’m not entirely sure what I can do for you, or what you need from me, but I figure I’ll just copy what the people who care about me do for me. So, you need to eat. You need to rest.” I lifted an eyebrow and rubbed the back of his neck. “And it might not be a terrible idea for you to find someone professional to talk to now and then. You’ve had a lot of loss in your life, Hyde. That takes its toll on anyone, no matter how strong they may be.”
He reached out and caught the hand that wasn’t busy stroking his head. He laced our fingers together and lifted his head, so he was looking up at me. “What I’ve lost can’t compare to all that I’ve gained. That’s also important to remember.” He gave me the barest hint of a grin and pulled me closer to him. “I’ll eat. I’ll rest. And I’ll talk to someone once everything calms down. I forget that I need to take care of myself so I don’t put you and Hollyn in a tough spot. Your mom sort of smacked me in the face with that reminder earlier.”
I couldn’t hold back my sarcastic, “I bet she did.” My mom was really good with those kinds of in-your-face reminders. “My brother told me everyone has to learn how to take care of others while also taking care of themselves, so I think it’s something we both need to practice.”
Hyde chuckled and rubbed his thumb across my wrist. My pulse thumped happily in response. His green gaze turned serious as he stared up at me. His voice was quiet and intent when he told me, “I want you to know that I love you, Remy. I’ve loved you in a lot of different ways from day one, but right now, I love you in the kind of way that makes me think I can’t imagine our future without you in it. I want to learn to take care of myself and you at the same time. I want to watch Hollyn grow up with you. I want to hear her call you Mom, and I want to come home to both of you every single time I leave the house. I know I’m asking a lot and putting a lot of expectations on you, but I can’t stop thinking about how nothing feels complete without you as a part of it. I know my love might not be enough, but it is all yours without any reservati
ons. You’re the only person I’ve ever known how to love. It comes as easy as breathing to me, even when it terrifies me.”
I used to tell him I loved him once a day when I chased him all over Denver. I said the words carelessly and thoughtlessly, even though I meant them. I never imagined when we reconnected, he would be the one to confess our grown-up feelings first. He was the only man I’d ever wanted to hear the word ‘love’ from, and now that he’d given me the coveted words, I had no plans to ever let him take them back.
“I’ve loved you from day one as well. I don’t know that my love from then is any different from the love I feel now, but I do know I can express it better these days. And I know there has to be more to my life than loving you. It means building a life with you, helping you raise Hollyn, figuring out how to take care of each other, as well as ourselves. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be there each and every single time you come home because sometimes I’ll forget, or get distracted, or get caught up in a project. That doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see you, or that I haven’t missed you while you’re gone. It just means my mind needs a minute to recalibrate and reset. It’s probably always going to be that way.” And I wasn’t going to apologize for it. If he knew how to love me, he understood there were things about me that would test that love to its very limits.
“I can wait while you recalibrate. You waited for me for a long time.”
“We waited for each other.” I said the words softly, but there was strength and certainty in each one of them.
I lowered my head until my forehead rested against his. “We’re going to be a family.”
It was something I didn’t dare picture for myself because I always thought it was out of my reach. Mostly because I thought Hyde Fuller was forever out of my reach.
Who would’ve ever guessed that the one time I was brave enough to try and grab a handful of stars, I was lucky enough to catch the whole damn sky?
It wasn’t like I’d ever done anything particularly special or amazing to deserve such an awesome reward. But I did survive, and I learned how valuable my life and my love were. I refused to throw either away ever again, so now I was fortunate enough to share both with the only person whom I ever felt truly deserved them.
Hyde and I were bound to have a beautiful but chaotic life together. It was going to be an imperfect masterpiece. I couldn’t wait to experience all the ups and downs, all the colors and rainy days, all the magic and mayhem.
But more than all of that, I couldn’t wait until we took our little girl home.
Remy
I COLLAPSED ON top of Hyde as the lingering traces of a powerful orgasm made my fingers and toes twitch. The Santa hat I was wearing had long been knocked askew by Hyde’s hands, and our skin kept changing colors along with the lights that blinked on the big Christmas tree that took up a corner in his living room. The sweat on Hyde’s bare chest glimmered blue and white, making him look like some kind of ethereal being as the lights cycled through a variety of colors and effects. I was pretty sure the cool highlight was lost on me. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d bet with the hat and the colors reflecting in my pale hair, I looked a lot like a cartoon character. However, the quick and vigorous sex I’d just had in the shadow of all the presents Santa left for Hollyn was anything but family friendly. I was never going to look at the fuzzy rug Hollyn liked to roll on in the same way.
Hyde chuckled as he reached up to play with the fuzzy ball on the tip of the red hat. One minute he’d been giving me grief because I bought what looked like a whole toy store for Hollyn’s first Christmas. I told Hyde if he helped me wrap everything up and put together the few items that needed some assembly, he’d get the best gift of all. He reminded me she was still little and didn’t need much, grumbling with each new package he had to put in colorful, decorative paper. I couldn’t care less. This was my first Christmas where there was someone I wanted to spoil, so I refused to curb my impulsive and excessive tendencies. It was the first Christmas where he and I were together, and I wasn’t wondering what part of the world he’d been shipped off to. I knew he was safe. I knew Hollyn had defied all odds. And I knew we were all doing our best to become a family.
I planned on making him some extra special Christmas cookies as a reward for all this hard work and indulgence, but I should’ve known he would want something else to commemorate our first major holiday together. We had to skip Thanksgiving together because he was called away to a partial tunnel collapse on some mountain pass I’d never even heard of before. I took Hollyn to my parents’ house, and they invited his mom and dad, as well as his aunt and uncle, so the baby would be surrounded by family and friends. While I was busy integrating myself into Hyde and Hollyn’s everyday life, my mom had made it her duty to bring all the extended family together. She’d even talked to Hyde about reaching out to Hollyn’s other biological grandparents to offer some sort of olive branch. He didn’t agree, but I knew my mom well enough to know she wasn’t going to give up after one try. And if anyone could bring them around and make them see what they were missing as Hollyn grew, it would be her. I was starting to appreciate her bulldozer method when it was aimed at anyone who wasn’t me.
Since Hollyn’s last brush with a life-threatening illness, she bounced back beautifully. She was still prone to respiratory issues, so when I came down with bronchitis a couple months ago, I made sure to keep my distance. But the reality was that the baby adjusted better than any of the adults to all the changes happening around her. She adapted to me being around permanently like a duck to water. Now, there were often times she reached for me first instead of Hyde. I secretly thought he was jealous she preferred me on occasion, but I never teased him about it because I was thrilled Hollyn fell in love with me almost as quickly as I fell in love with her father.
“Next year, I’m getting you an entire Mrs. Claus costume. Not just the hat.” Hyde chuckled again, and I felt it between my legs where our bodies were still connected. My insides fluttered lightly around his softened cock, and he groaned in response.
I rubbed my face against his shoulder like a big cat and asked, “So, does that mean you’re gonna dress up as Santa? I’m talking the big belly, long, bushy beard, and everything.” I couldn’t hold back a grin. “It might be kind of hot, actually.” I bet he’d look good with a beard. He looked so much like his dad, and Zeb had never been without facial hair. It looked so great on his ruggedly handsome face.
Hyde shifted his hips, and it was my turn to moan and groan as our lower bodies rocked together. “The beard, maybe. The belly is a hard no.” He turned his head slightly as the light illuminated his face in red and green. “You do realize we’re the ones who are going to have to open all those damn gifts we just wrapped? Hollyn can’t even read what’s on the box. It was a lot of work for nothing.”
“It makes me happy.” I also turned my head to look at the overflowing pile of gifts under the tree. “This is the first time in a long time I actually feel like celebrating.”
Hyde ran his hand down my back and paused to rest his palm on the curve of my ass. “Well, if it makes you happy, then it was worth it. You can spoil Hollyn rotten whenever you want.”
I sighed and wiggled against him suggestively. “I used to put all my effort into finding Zowen the perfect gift. I mean, he’s easy; as long as it’s something for a computer or his motorcycle, he’s happy, but I could only ever afford one nice thing for him.” My business had picked up, and I was gathering more and more repeat customers for design work. For the first time in my adult life, I wasn’t struggling to make ends meet. I also totally planned on starting a retirement fund, as well as a college fund for Hollyn when the new year rolled around. “Now that he’s planning on going to California, Hollyn is the only one I can go overboard with when it comes to gift-giving.” Hyde was too practical and too sweet. Whenever I asked him what he wanted, he would just say, “You. All I want is you, Remy.” So, my gift to him was to make sure his home was festive and decorated to the n
ines for all his daughter’s big firsts. He didn’t have to do anything other than come home. It worked out because I wasn’t sure when he asked me what I wanted either. As long as he was mine, I already felt like I had everything I ever wanted or needed.
“Your brother is really going to California?” I felt Hyde’s body start to react the more I rocked my hips and the tighter I clenched my insides around him.
I sounded a bit breathless when I spoke. “He’s going. He finally talked to my parents about it. He promised my mom he would finish this current semester and only take a year off if nothing worked out. They weren’t happy with his decision, mostly because motorcycle racing is so dangerous, but I think they learned their lesson about trying to keep us too tightly controlled. They told him they wouldn’t fuss about him leaving, but they weren’t going to offer him any financial support if he goes. If he wants to make it, he has to make it on his own. My dad made sure to tell him their door is always open, and Zowen can come back whenever he wants, no questions asked. I think he’s taking Zowen leaving harder than my mom. The two of them are so close, and they really understand each other. It’s going to be hard for my dad to adjust to Zowen being halfway across the country. But letting your kids go is part of parenting.”
Hyde grunted his agreement. “What about the girl? Did your brother finally admit he’s going for the girl?”
I shook my head and sat back up so I could put my hands on his broad shoulders. I felt his dick stiffen and kick where it was caught inside of me. Apparently, his Christmas gift to me this year was his remarkable ability to rebound so quickly. Wasn’t I a lucky girl?
“Zowen won’t admit Aston has anything to do with his decision to leave until he talks to Ry. He’s after his bestie’s approval, but Ry has been so busy with school and arranging his schedule so he can go on the road with Bowe for her first few tour dates next year. I don’t think he’s making things easy for my brother, but not on purpose. If Zowen wasn’t terrified of losing Ry’s friendship and being rejected by Aston, he wouldn’t be suffering the way he has all this time.” I sighed as Hyde lifted his hips and tightened his hold on my waist, driving himself into me with more force. The thrust made my breath catch and my eyelids dropped to half-mast. “I’m going to miss him, but I want him to be happy. He has to shoot his shot to find out if he even stands a chance. He’s gotta be brave.”
Prodigal Son: A Sexy Single Dad Romance: Book 2 in the Marked Men 2nd Generation Series (The Forever Marked Series) Page 23
