by C. A. Harms
I snorted in laughter as I remembered the look of terror on his face when he’d seen Harper’s mastiff. His eyes bugged out as he backed up and held out his hands. I never expected that anything would frighten him that much, and after that I decided Jude was probably not a dog person.
When I looked back at the kids, they were staring at me with their big, pleading eyes, and slowly my reservations were fading. Hell, even the puppy had paused and sat back on its hind legs, wiggling its tail happily.
I truly had no hope of walking out of this place without this puppy in tow. I knew it, and so I decided to stop fighting it.
“We are not going to fight over what we name him,” I said, and both Zoey and Matthew smiled brightly. “We will each put a name in a hat, and whatever we draw is what we will call him. Can we agree on that?”
They nodded, and I turned to the kid behind the counter. “I need you to help me gather everything I’ll need for this puppy.” His smile only grew wider. “And stop smiling so brightly,” I said as I narrowed my eyes at him. “You did this to me, and if my boyfriend freaks out, I’m giving him your name.” I looked down at his nametag before looking back to meet his gaze. “Dylan.”
He nodded and walked away, trying to hide his chuckle. I followed as he began tossing things in a shopping cart, and all I could do was shake my head. I had just been played by two kids, a teenage boy looking for a commission, and a little black puppy. I was such a sucker.
***
“Hello.”
I froze as Jude’s voice carried up the stairway, then jumped up from my position on the floor in our bedroom and scrambled for the door. Before I opened it, I turned back to face the kids, who were playing tug-of-war with the unnamed puppy. “Stay here.”
They both nodded, and I slipped out of the room, closing the door behind me.
Jude had just reached the top of the steps, and he looked up with a smile. “Where are the kids?”
“They’re playing in our room,” I said as I approached him.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I assured him as I continued to walk. He cocked an eyebrow at me, and my stomach dropped. He was seeing right through me. I was such a bad liar.
“The kids are busy. Wanna sneak downstairs and have a quickie?” I wagged my eyebrows, but his facial expression did not change in the slightest.
“Now I know you’re full of shit. You’re actually attempting to distract me with sex,” he said with a grin.
I was just about to argue when the puppy barked.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Uh…” My stomach was flipping around anxiously, and I didn’t even get to figure out a way to break the news before everything broke loose. The bedroom door came open behind me, and I heard the puppy’s claws tapping against the hardwood floor as Zoey and Matthew followed him. Squealing and laughter filled the hallway as I remained locked in place. I avoided looking at Jude. In fact, I stared down the floor instead.
“Are those my boxers?” Jude asked, and I looked up. He was pointing at the puppy, who was sitting back on his butt looking up at Jude. Hanging from his mouth were a red pair of Jude’s Calvin Klein boxers I had just purchased last week.
“Warrior likes to play tug-of-war with them,” Matthew announced as he pulled on the other end of the red material. “See, you just hook your hand through this handle, and he pulls back.” Matthew slipped his little hand through the front opening in the boxers.
“His name is not Warrior,” Zoey argued. “We still have to draw for his name, remember? Callie said so.”
I could feel Jude’s eyes boring in to me. I knew he was waiting for me to look up, but I was avoiding eye contact.
“What do you think we should name him, Uncle Jude?” Matthew asked. “I like Warrior, but Zoey said Buddy or Charlie. I don’t like those.”
The kids began to argue over the name of our new puppy, and of course I continued to keep my head down as my heart raced with the idea that Jude may be angry.
“Callie,” Jude said, and my stomach lurched. He didn’t sound mad, yet he didn’t sound happy, either. Silence set in, and I knew all eyes were on me.
I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes tightly. “I never should have let them convince me to go into the pet store, but before I knew what hit me, they were laughing and playing with this cute little guy.” I looked up and found Jude staring back at me, an unreadable expression on his face. “They ganged up on me, and they gave me that look. You know the one.”
It was then I noticed the smile tugging at his lips. “Are you ever going to be able to tell them no?” Jude asked as he stepped around the puppy.
I shook my head. I knew the moment they turned on me and gave me those big, sad eyes, I was putty in their hands. I was unable to disappoint them.
“So we have a dog now,” he whispered as he hooked his finger in the waistband of my pants and pulled me against him.
I nodded as he slipped his other hand around my waist.
“I love that you want to make them happy,” he said. I looked up, and our eyes connected immediately. “We live together, we’re raising Zoey and Matthew together.” He paused as he lowered his mouth closer to mine. “And now we have a puppy. Is this practice before the next step?”
My heart sped up and felt as if it may beat right out of my chest.
“I think we should probably make things more official since our family is now growing.” His lips hovered over mine. “Just a thought I think we both need to look a little further into.” He kissed me before stepping back and kneeling to formally meet our newest family member.
“I don’t know, Zoe, I think I kinda like Warrior too,” Jude said as he tugged at the boxers the puppy still held in his mouth.
Zoey looked at him and wrinkled her nose. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back on her feet.
“Just think, if Matt is focused on this Warrior,” he said, pointing toward the dog, “he won’t be trying to feed your Barbies to the toilet.
“No, he’ll just feed them to the dog instead.” She pouted.
Epilogue
Jude
“Is everything set up?” I held my phone tightly against my ear as my heart raced.
“It’s good to go. She doesn’t suspect a thing,” Jett assured me. “She’s busy with a stack of papers I gave her to work on.” He chuckled deeply. “I have her in the breakroom, buried behind a ton of shit that I’ve had done for days. She was pissed off about that.”
I smiled as I thought of the sass Callie had to have handed Jett after he tucked her in the dingy room with no windows.
“Quinn and the girls are waiting in my office with all the guys. Callie’s parents got here a few minutes ago, but they’re waiting out front for the all clear.”
“All right, give it a few minutes and go get her. Feed her some shit about the shake machine being broken or something.” I took in a deep breath. “I’ll be walking in at exactly seven. The kids are with me.”
“I got it, no worries,” he assured me, and I believed him.
I had been planning this night for weeks. When I went home on that night two months ago to find Callie had gotten the kids a dog, I knew I wanted to make things more permanent between us. I was ready even then to ask Callie to marry me.
So after a very long conversation with both of her parents, Mallory went with me to help pick out her daughter’s ring. I recruited Quinn, Harper, and Avery to get the scene planned, and tonight was the night. The kids and I were dressed in our best, and in less than ten minutes, I would be walking through the doors of Jett’s restaurant to ask Callie to marry me. In front of our family and friends, I would confess that she was the glue the held me together when everything around me was falling apart.
“I have to pee,” Matthew said from the backseat, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Can it wait just a few minutes, bud? I want you and your sister to be with me when I talk to Callie.” I had explained what
tonight was about before we left the house. Both kids were excited at the idea of Callie being my wife and one day having a baby we could all love.
When the clock on the car changed to 6:59, I turned the key and pulled it from the ignition. By the time I got the kids gathered and to the back entrance of the restaurant, I knew it would be time to go inside.
My heart was racing, and I couldn’t remember ever feeling this nervous.
Holding Matthew and Zoey’s tiny hands in mine, we entered the back entrance of Jett’s. I had told them just how important it was that they both remain as quiet as possible. I didn’t want Callie to know we were there yet. This was all supposed to be a surprise.
As we rounded the corner and the dining area came in to view, I immediately located Callie, who Jett was occupying near the bar. Knowing everyone was in Jett’s office and could see us through the glass wall, I wasted no further time.
I released both children’s hands and took a few steps closer, lowering myself to one knee and holding my hand out in front of me. A few of the guests gasped as they noticed me.
Taking in a deep breath, I went for it.
“Callie.” My voice was shaky with the nervous energy flowing through me.
She spun around quickly, and the moment she saw me, her hand covered her mouth. As I watched her look over my shoulder, I knew she saw Zoey and Matthew too. And I assumed by the way her eyes scanned from the left to the right in a wide arc that everyone from Jett’s office had now joined us to witness the next step in our lives.
“Hey, beautiful,” I said, and her eyes settled back on me.
“Hi,” she whispered as she lowered her hand to her chest. “What are you doing?”
“Well, the kids and I have decided that we want to keep you forever,” I replied, and she smiled brightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. “You make everything brighter, Cal, and our lives wouldn’t be as wonderful as they are if you weren’t a part of them. We love you, baby.”
“And I love you too, all of you, so much,” she confessed as she took a step toward me.
I looked to my left and then to my right, motioning for Zoey and Matthew to step up closer. Once they were at my sides, they looked back to Callie.
“I’m here in front of all our friends and family, along with a lot of strangers, to let everyone know just how much you mean to us. How much you have made our lives better. Without your strength, I’m not sure how we would have made it through the last few months.” I took in a deep, steadying breath.
“I’ve learned that when I want something, I need to go for it. And, Callie, I want you. We want you, for always.” I lifted my hand out toward her, bringing focus to the ring I held between my fingers. “Callie Raine, will you do me the honor of becoming my forever? Will you marry us?”
***
Callie
I had never suspected a thing. I had no warning, no sign that Jude had planned this. But the feelings flowing through me were nothing short of extreme, endless love.
“Yes,” I said through the tears that had formed and were now clouding my vision. “Yes, I will marry you all.” I laughed through my tears as both Zoey and Matthew jumped up and down with excitement.
Jude took my hand, a huge smile on his lips. My hand shook uncontrollably as he lifted it and slid the most gorgeous ring I had ever seen over my finger. Once it was in place, he stood and stepped closer to me, then pulled my body against his. As he slipped his hand around the back of my neck, I looked up at him adoringly. “And just when I thought I couldn’t get any happier, you go and make me feel all kinds of emotions,” he whispered. “You give me so much hope, sweetheart, and with you by my side, I know everything Katelynn ever wanted for me and for the kids is attainable. You make it all possible, baby, without even realizing just how perfect you are. I love you, Callie.”
Before I could respond, he lowered his lips to mine and sealed our future. Hoots of excitement and clapping erupted around us, and I smiled against his lips.
For so many years, I’d chased a dream and hoped that one day Jude would realize he too deserved happiness. A sob shook through my chest.
Jude pulled back from our kiss and looked at me in concern. “What’s wrong, baby?”
I took in a deep breath and smiled up at him. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is so right. I wished for this, for you. Thank you for making my dreams a reality.”
“And I plan on spending the rest of our lives making all your dreams come true,” he said before kissing me once again.
Quinn & Jett
Quinn
“Oh my God,” I screamed from the passenger seat. Breathing in and out deeply, I gripped the dash, leaning forward.
“You’re doing good, babe. We’re almost there,” Jett said, but that didn’t help.
“Almost isn’t good enough, Jett, please hurry,” I begged. I didn’t care if I sounded like a baby. I needed something to help with this pain.
It was three in the morning, and I had been woken up by a shooting pain across my abdomen.
When I went to bed, I’d noticed that my back ached, but lately that was common. I was thirty-seven weeks pregnant and had expanded beyond my wildest dreams. I swear I was twice my original size. Okay, maybe not, but I sure felt like I was as big as a house.
Tires screeched as the car came to an abrupt stop. I looked over at Jett and narrowed my eyes.
“Sorry,” he offered before he pushed open the door and ran around the front, motioning to an EMT that was standing just outside the emergency entrance.
My door came open, and I tried to crawl out just as another contraction hit. “Argh,” I groaned as I gripped my stomach and hunched over.
“Breathe,” Jett directed, and I wanted to yell back at him. Men had no idea how hard this shit was. Seriously, they should have to go through all this pain and let us stand at their side telling them to breathe.
As the contraction began to slow, I suddenly felt bad for being irritated with Jett. Offering him a reassuring smile, I held my hand out to him, and he helped me from the car. “Thank you,” I whispered as he guided me toward the awaiting wheelchair.
“We’re about to meet our son. I can’t believe it’s time.” The joy written all over his face warmed my soul and made tears well in my eyes. This big, strong, cocky, and hardheaded man was about to be brought to his knees by the birth of his son.
“Let’s do this,” I whispered.
He leaned over and gave me a sweet kiss. “I love you, baby.”
“And I love you.”
***
Jett
I stood outside the birthing room, just taking a breather. I had called Quinn’s father and my parents earlier, and they had all arrived. Quinn was resting now that she had been given an epidural, which in turn gave me a moment to just sit back myself. She was dilated to seven centimeters, and the only thing to do now was wait. But knowing I would meet my son soon fucking made me feel like I was on top of the world.
“Don’t touch me.”
I closed my eyes tightly because I knew that voice.
“This is your fault. You did this to me.”
Lifting my head, I watched as a wheelchair, being pushed by a smiling nurse, approached, carrying my very irritated sister. Harper looked like she would explode at any moment, in more ways than one. Quinn had thought she’d gained a lot of weight, but she had nothing on Harper. I guess the fact she was carrying not one but two babies had a lot to do with that too.
Trailing a few feet behind her was a defeated-looking Easton. He seriously looked like he had been beaten and left for dead.
Harper narrowed her eyes, and I swear I heard her growl as they pushed her past me. I offered a smile, and she flipped me off. The gasp from the nurse made me chuckle.
Easton stopped right in front of me, taking in a deep breath. “How’s Quinn?” he asked.
“Sleeping,” I replied, and his eyes crinkled in confusion. From the state Harper was in, I could see how he would find this an impossible t
ask during childbirth.
“They gave her the epidural, and she fell asleep. She’s still got a little ways to go before she gets there,” I explained.
He nodded and looked back toward the doorway just three doors down that they had led Harper through. “She-devil,” he whispered, and I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. “Fuck, man, I’m not joking. She woke me up with a fist to the gut.” There truly was no hope for me holding it together. I could imagine Harp doing just that. “I just hope she gets some of that juice they gave Quinn. I don’t think I’m gonna get through the night otherwise.” He shook his head. “We would have called to let you know we were on our way here, but when I called your mom, she said she was on her way here already for Quinn.” He shrugged.
“Not a problem. She was gonna call you guys anyway once Quinn got closer. We just didn’t see the reasoning behind waking you if we still had time.” Harper is mean and stubborn on a normal day. But add being pregnant with twins to the mix, and her irritability and stubbornness went up times ten. Sleep was the only time Easton was free from the torture she gave him, so the last thing I wanted to do was mess up his solace.
“Easton.” We both turned our heads in the direction of Harper’s angry snarl. “Get your ass in here. You are gonna suffer right along with me.”
He looked back at me, his eyes wide with horror. I chuckled once more, and he narrowed them at me. “You’re the one that fell for her, married her, and knocked her up. This is all your fault.”
He finally smiled and nodded in agreement. “That’s right,” he said. “And the shit I’ve had to go through is all worth it.”
“If you say so, man,” I said as I turned and walked back into the room that held my wife and child. It was much more peaceful than where Easton was heading.
As I sat down at the side of Quinn’s bed, her eyes fluttered open. “Hey, you,” she whispered.
Rising back up, I leaned over and kissed her gently. “How you feeling?” I asked as I looked up toward the monitor that tracked her contractions.
