by Ryan, Kaylee
She laughs. “Oh my God! That’s perfect. Which one?” she says, her eyes lighting up.
I shrug. “Who do you think?”
“I’m thinking Kent.”
“You think he’d do it?”
“I know he would. You should totally do it.”
“The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. No outsiders, you know? Just those we are closest to.”
“I think your wedding should be what you want it to be. If you don’t want all the fanfare, then don’t do it. If you want it to be Kent, or whoever, then that’s what you should do. Just explain it to him.”
“I admit when he asked me, I was still reeling from the proposal. I was still trying to process that we were actually getting married. That he wanted this crazy life with me.”
Kendall reaches over and runs her index finger over the top of Daisy’s foot where she’s sleeping in my arms. “He’s so good with her.”
“They all are. I can still remember that first day when we saw Ridge with Knox at the office. It was like an ovary explosion to see this big strong guy covered in ink doting on his little baby boy, but damn. When I found out there were four more just like him, and that all of them treated the women and kids in their life as if they were a precious gift, I’m surprised my ovaries are still there,” I say, and she laughs, nodding her agreement.
“Yeah, they’re a great group of guys. Speaking of, has Mark mentioned anything about Seth?”
“Not really, just that he thinks he’s interested in someone but won’t dish the details.”
“Damn.” She chuckles. “That’s all Ridge will give me too.”
“He’ll tell us when he’s ready.” I say the words, but I can’t help but wonder who it is. He’s with our group all the time. Sure, it’s not twenty-four hours a day, but there’s not even been a mention of this woman. I’m intrigued for sure.
“What are you two doing in here?” Reagan asks, taking a seat on the couch next to Kendall. Amelia follows her and takes the chair.
“Just chatting. I fed this one and she zonked out on us.”
“You feeling okay?” I ask Amelia. She looks a little pale.
She waves me off with a smile. “It’s hot as hell out there. I just need to cool off.”
I don’t really buy her excuse, but I won’t force her to talk. If there is anything that I’ve learned about Amelia is that she’s a vault and she only opens the doors when she’s ready.
“We were just talking about the wedding,” Kendall chimes in. “Dawn is thinking about having it at their place.” She looks over at me and grins. “What do you ladies think of them having one of the guys marry them?” she asks.
“Love it,” Reagan says with a smile.
“Which one?” Amelia asks, already starting to get some color back in her cheeks. Maybe it was the heat, but I wouldn’t think that would make her pale, the opposite in fact, but her coloring is coming back all the same.
“Guess,” I tell her.
She looks over at Reagan. “Let’s say our pick at the same time.” Reagan nods.
“On the count of three.” Kendall wiggles in her seat. “One. Two. Three.”
“Kent,” Reagan and Amelia say at the same time.
Kendall throws her head back in laughter and Daisy jumps in my arms. Her little eyes pop open and she looks around, surveying what might have woken her up. She starts to fuss, so I stand and rock her in my arms.
“I’m sorry,” Kendall says softly.
“Wasn’t the first time and won’t be the last,” I tell her. “Weren’t you the one who said don’t keep the house quiet, let them learn to sleep through everyday noises?” I ask her.
“That was my mom, but I passed it on to you and Reagan.”
“Best advice ever.” Reagan nods. “Why the laughter? You don’t think Kent will do a good job?” she asks us.
“That’s who we said too. All four of us are on the same page.”
Daisy is still fussing and it’s getting louder. “Hey,” a deep voice says from behind me. “What’s going on?” Mark asks. His hands rest on my hips as he offers Daisy his hand. She whimpers, sticking out her bottom lip. I can already see where this is heading. “Come here, sweetie. Daddy will make it better.” He releases his hold on me and steps around me to take her from my arms. She shudders and then rests against his chest. Her cries long forgotten.
“Baby whisperer,” I mumble.
“Nice.” Seth holds his fist out to Mark. “Daddy’s got skills.”
I swear Mark puffs his chest out with pride. “You know it.”
Knox climbs up on Kendall’s lap. Everly is asleep in Ridge’s arms. Tyler has Ben, and he looks like he’s losing the battle with fighting his nap. Beck, who is in Kent’s arms, is ahead of his twin. His eyes flutter as he rubs them.
“Nap time,” Tyler says.
“We put an air mattress in the spare bedroom. Knox and Everly can sleep there. That way if they roll off, they don’t have far to fall. I wouldn’t risk them rolling out of our bed,” Tyler says.
“Ready, Momma?” Tyler asks Reagan. She nods and stands. Kent hands Beck off to her, and they disappear down the hall.
“I’m going to take Everly on back,” Ridge says, following along behind Tyler and Reagan.
“And this guy, he fights n-a-p-s.” Kendall spells out the word.
“Hey, Knox.” Kent bends down to his level. “The little kids are having a hard time going to sleep. You think you can pretend and show them how it’s done?”
“No naps,” Knox grumbles.
Kent laughs. “No, not for you. We just need to do this.” He closes his eyes and tilts his head and pretends to be sleeping. “You’re the older one, so you have to show them how it’s done.”
“Okay,” he says reluctantly, but holds his arms open for Kent and lets him carry him back to the bedroom.
“Sometimes the men in our lives make me feel inadequate,” Amelia says, and we laugh with her.
“Don’t hate, A,” Mark says. “It’s not our fault we have the touch.”
A few minutes later, Reagan and the guys join us. “They’re all out,” she says, taking her spot next to Kendall.
“So, we going to start poker night back up or what?” Seth asks.
“Yeah, we can have the first one here,” Mark says. “You okay with that?” he asks me.
“Sure, I can pack Daisy up and—” I can’t exactly invite myself to anyone’s home, not even his parents. Now mine, on the other hand…. A pang of sadness hits me.
“No, you don’t have to leave,” Kent says adamantly. “That’s not what poker night is about. It’s just us hanging. This is your home,” he reminds me.
“Or,” Kendall says, “we can hang out at our place. The kids can have a movie night, and we can catch up.” She looks at Reagan and Amelia. “You ladies in?”
“Yes,” they quickly agree.
“Perfect. Then we’ll plan a girls’ night where the guys get to keep the kids.”
Oh, my best friend is a smart one. “Brilliant.” Reagan laughs.
The guys just nod, and some of the wind in our sails deflates. It’s not a hardship for them to be around the kids. That’s a great thing. In fact, I find it rare in a lot of instances, at least in my line of work. Ninety percent of the kids seen in our office are brought in by their mom. If a dad brings them, they usually end up on the phone with mom to get answers to the questions. I’m confident that wouldn’t happen with our group. These guys, even the uncles, are involved in the kids’ lives.
The guys settle on next weekend for poker night, and we’re doing a girls’ night the following weekend. We spend a few more hours just catching up. Daisy soaks up all the attention being the only kid awake. Seth passes her to Kent, who passes her to Tyler who passes her to Ridge. Mark steps in when Ridge is about to pass her to Kendall, grumbling about getting cuddle time with his own daughter.
* * *
“Today was fun,” I tell Mark. We’re back home,
and just got Daisy to sleep.
“Yeah, this is nice too,” he says, pulling me next to him.
“You’ll get no complaints from me.” He grins at my words and kisses my forehead. “So, I’ve been thinking.”
“Uh-oh, should I be worried?” He laughs.
“Possibly. I was thinking about the wedding.”
“Okay.”
“Well, the more I think about it, I really do think we should do something small here, and before you say no,” I rush to get out when I see him opening his mouth to speak. “I’ve thought about it. I don’t want something big or elaborate. I never did. I just want a forever love like my parents had. I can’t think of a better place than the home we’re making together for that to happen.”
“When?”
“Well, we have to get a marriage license, and then just make sure our friends and your parents are available. Maybe order some food, and….” I bite my lip, not sure how he’s going to take this next part.
“And what?” he prompts.
“Well, Kendall and I were talking and we had this crazy idea, but it’s really not that crazy and I kind of like it. I’m just not sure how you’re going to feel about it.”
“Lay it on me, Pixie.”
“Okay, but just keep an open mind.”
He cups my face. We’re lying in bed facing one another, bodies aligned, and I’m pretty sure I could convince him with sex, but I want him to agree on his own free will. “You can tell me or ask me anything.”
“Right. Well, Kendall and I were talking,” I start.
“So you’ve said.” He grins.
“Shush, let me get this out. So, Kendall and I were talking and how would you feel ifKentmarriedus?” I rush to get it all out.
“Come on, baby, you can do better than that. Say it so I can understand you.” He’s grinning, which means he heard me. He’s just torturing me.
“How would you feel if Kent married us? He’s perfect. All laidback and chill. I think it would be fun.”
He smiles. “You know, out of all of us, I can see him doing that. Well, I can see Seth as well, but I can’t see him taking it serious.”
“Exactly. Kent is perfect. I’m pretty sure he can get ordained online. You think he’d do it?”
“Yeah, I do. Is that what you want?”
“It is. I want those we love around us. Just something small and simple.”
“I’ll make it happen.” He rolls over and grabs his phone. I watch as he taps away on the screen and holds it between us.
“What’s up?” Kent’s deep voice answers.
“Need a favor,” Mark says. “Oh, and you’re on speaker. Dawn is here with me.”
“Hey, gorgeous,” Kent says sweetly.
Mark grunts.
I laugh. “Hey, Kent.”
“What’s the favor? Need a sitter?” he asks.
“No, but Dawn and I were wondering if you’d be willing to become ordained and marry us?” Mark just throws it out there.
“Sure, I can just do that online or something, right? I love you both, but I am not going back to school.”
We both laugh. “Yeah, online. I’ll look into what you need exactly,” I tell him. “We’ll cover the cost.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. So, when’s the big day?”
I glance over at Mark.
“Soon, the next month or so maybe?” he tells him.
“I’m in. I’m honored. Where is this shindig taking place?”
“Here, at our house,” I say.
“Seth is gonna be so jealous,” he jokes.
“Nah, he knows he can’t be trusted.” Mark laughs.
“Just let me know what I need to do.”
“Thank you, Kenton,” I say sweetly, using his full name.
“You’re welcome, doll,” he says, and Mark hits End.
“Hey, you hung up on him.”
“He deserved it.”
“He’s going to marry us.”
“More talking about that, less talking about him,” he says, pretending to be put off. “Come here.” Hand on my hip, he tugs me closer. He slides his leg between mine and kisses me. It’s slow and teasing. His tongue lazily duels with mine.
“Are you teasing me on purpose?” I ask against his lips.
“Yes.”
“How much longer until the good stuff?” I manage to ask without laughing.
“Woman.” He rolls on top of me and settles between my thighs. He presses his hard length into my center and I moan. “This what you want?”
“More,” I say, gripping the sheets.
“I’ll give you more.” He trails kisses down my neck just as Daisy lets out a scream.
We both freeze waiting to see what’s next, and it’s full-on crying. He sighs and rests his forehead against mine. “Daisy girl has impeccable timing.” He moves off me and climbs out of bed. “I’ll go get her,” he says.
With a huff, I wait for him to come back to me with an unhappy baby. Instead, he calls for me through the monitor.
“Uh, babe, can you come in here?” he asks.
I try to see what’s going on, but Mark is just standing by the crib and Daisy is still crying. He’s trying to console her but not making a move to pick her up. Jumping out of bed, I make my way to her room. As soon as I enter, the smell hits me.
“Oh, girlie, what do we have going on in here?”
“It’s everywhere, Dawn. Ev-er-y-where,” he says dramatically. “What do we do?”
“We clean her up.”
“She’s covered in shit,” he exclaims. His eyes go wide. “Don’t talk like Daddy,” he tells her.
“Move, you big baby.” I hip check him and lift our soiled daughter from her crib. “Phew-ee, let’s get you to the tub.” Grabbing a blanket, I wrap it around her and then head to the bathroom. I admit I gag a few times during the process. As soon as she’s cleaned up, I hand her off to Mark while I take care of the crib.
“I should have done that,” he says apologetically. “That would have been more useful than standing there watching you.”
“You handed me a towel and the three extra wash cloths,” I remind him.
“Right, huge help,” he says sarcastically. “Is she sick? Should we take her to the doctor?”
“I don’t think so. No fever. She seems to be feeling fine. It’s time for her to eat, so feed her and see if she takes it. Babies just sometimes have explosive diapers.”
“You’re such a sweet little thing to have all that,” he tells her as they walk toward the kitchen to get a bottle.
I watch them go with a smile on my face. This isn’t how I thought my life would go, raising my infant niece as my own. I don’t regret that decision. As far as Mark, I love him with everything I am. He’s accepted Daisy as his with no hesitation. Late-night exploding diapers and all, I’m a lucky woman.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Mark
It’s poker night for the first time at my new place. When I volunteered, it was more because I assumed my girls would be here, close to me, than it being at my place. I didn’t think that through because they’re packing up and headed over to Ridge’s place for a girls’/kids’ night.
“Babe, you can stay,” I tell Dawn. I feel like I’m begging her.
“No way. Reagan is making that buffalo dip I love. I’m not missing out on that.”
“You sure? I have wings and pizza being delivered.”
“Hmm.” She taps her finger to her chin, pretending to think it over. “Nope.”
“So, what time will you be home?”
“I don’t know, later. How late do you play?”
“Don’t worry about that. You come back when you’re ready. We want to keep Daisy on a schedule, right? So, nine or so?”
“Mark.” She throws her head back and laughs. “It’s seven thirty now. We’re just going to be at Ridge and Kendall’s. It’s a ten-minute drive from here.”
“I know. I just feel like I’m kicking you out of your
own house, and well, if I’m here, I want my girls here too.”
“As soon as the guys get here, you’ll forget all about missing us and be immersed in losing money.”
“Who says I’m going to lose?” I ask, taking Daisy from her and kissing her cheek.
“I mean, maybe you’ll win. We do have a wedding to pay for,” she teases.
“Our wedding is going to be the cheapest in history. No venue, my mom and Kendall’s are doing all the food. I can afford to lose a hand or two.”
“Diapers. We have to buy lots and lots of diapers.”
“And stinky formula,” I say in a high-pitched voice, and Daisy smiles. There is nothing in the world better than knowing that smile is because of me.
“Be careful and if you need me to come and get you later, let me know.”
“Mark.” She stops to look at me. “It’s poker night. Have a few beers. Relax. Enjoy a night with no fiancée and kid hanging around.”
“I want you here. Always,” I say adamantly.
“I know that, but you can still kick back and relax. We’re not drinking because we’ll have the kids. I’ll be home in a few hours. Relax.”
“Mommy says to relax,” I tell Daisy. “You would think she would know by now I’m always going to worry about both of you.”
“I love you.” She smiles up at me. “I’m all packed. You want to walk us out to the car?”
“You need her Pack ’n Play?”
“No, Kendall has one I can use.”
“All right, little lady, let’s get you loaded up in the car.” I carry her out to the garage and strap her into her seat, which we usually leave in the car unless we’re going into the store or something like that. We try not to take her out much. She’s still young and people have zero boundaries. They touch babies they don’t know and we don’t know where their hands have been. I shudder at the thought. “Be a good girl,” I say, kissing her cheek.
“Come here.” I pull Dawn to me and kiss the hell out of her. Desire washes over me and I’m close to canceling poker night to ravish her instead. I sleep next to her every single night, but we’re usually exhausted from taking care of Daisy, a long day at work, and the ten million other things that life seems to send our way. It’s been almost a week since I’ve been inside her, and that’s too damn long. “You’re mine tonight,” I tell her, grabbing her ass. Have I mentioned that I love her ass? Round and tight. It’s an ass that looks incredible in yoga pants, jeans, hell, even her scrubs.
