“Good luck with that,” I said.
I turned back the way I was before, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.
“Quit your job,” he said.
“I can hear you,” James snapped.
“Don't give a shit,” Parker said. “I want my wife home with the kids. I never wanted her to put them in daycare in the first place, but she'd insisted that she had to.”
“I need to contribute, Parker,” I said, cutting into what they were about to say to each other. “I want you to be able to count on me. I'm sure you don't want me counting on you either.”
“Of course I do,” he said.
“What?” I asked, totally shocked at his reply.
“You're not her,” he said. “You're it for me, Cassie. You're my princess, and we're going to live happily ever after.”
“I'll think about,” I said.
“Okay,” he said.
A few seconds later, he spoke again. I was sure he was going to fuck with me, but he didn't.
“I want to go back to court,” he said. “I need to know how you feel about that.”
“What?” I asked, wondering why he'd said that.
“I want more time with the kids,” he said. “It's driving me crazy that they're not here with us.”
“Will you get it?” I asked.
“I think I might,” he answered, with hope in his voice.
“I'll be right there with you,” I said. “Can we take the kids on a trip?”
“Yes, but under one condition,” he answered.
“What's that?” I asked.
“I pay the whole bill, and we spend what I want,” he replied.
“Parker,” I said. “I can help too.”
“I know you can,” he said, “but you won't. I will take my family on a trip.”
“Do you think the twins could go?” I asked.
“Maybe,” he answered. “I can try.”
“We'll wait for them,” I said.
“I have the perfect place,” he said, as his voice filled with excitement.
“Where?” I asked.
“California,” he answered. “I want you and the kids to meet my parents.”
“That sounds awesome,” I said.
Then I let my body relax against his and closed my eyes. I could feel the beat of his heart against my back, and I knew in that moment that I was going to give him his way. I was going to quit my job. He wasn't like Jeff. In fact, he was the furthest away from Jeff that any man could be. He would always do everything in his power to keep me and the kids safe, even if they weren't blood to him. Parker was a great man, and he was right, we were going to live happily ever after, and it wouldn't be from trying hard or giving in. It would be from working together and showing the other, every single day, just how much we love them.
Epilogue
Cassie
I heard the click of the lock on the front door and opened my eyes, and I felt Parker's hold on me tighten. His hand was on my belly, and the warmest feeling moved through me. I turned and tapped my grandma, who was asleep on the couch we were leaning against. She opened her eyes and began sitting up. Before they'd made it to the living room, James, Sammie, and my parents were all up as well.
Lauren walked through the room without a word, and she plopped down on the couch next to grandma.
“You okay?” grandma whispered.
“I'm not sure,” Lauren replied.
My eyes traveled from an exhausted looking Lauren over to her husband. He looked worried, which only made me worry too. Then my eyes moved to Lucy and Lance. She had a huge smile on her face, while his wore a look of horror. With the way the other three looked, I couldn't believe Lucy was smiling the way she was. Had they gotten bad news or good, I wondered?
“What's going on?” grandma asked, with worry in her words, as she put her arm around Lauren. “Is everything okay?”
Lance grumbled. Lance Jr. stood looking exactly the same as before. Lucy's smile widened even bigger than it already was.
“More than okay,” she said. “Lauren is pregnant.”
“Are you serious?” Sammie blurted out. “You already have a one month old.”
Lauren looked over at Sammie and narrowed her eyes, but before she could speak, Lucy spoke again.
“It gets better,” Lucy said.
“Woman,” Lance growled.
“It's twins,” Lucy squealed. “I'm so excited.”
My mouth dropped open, as my eyes moved between the four of them.
“I'm ready,” grandma said.
“For what, Mom?” my mom asked her.
“I'm ready to move here,” grandma said.
“I think you might be right,” my mom agreed. “It's time.”
I looked over at my dad, who was looking back at me.
“Yes it is,” he said. “I want to be with my kids.”
“If someone would have told me ten years ago that one day I would have fourteen great-grandchildren, I would have told them they were crazy. You kids have made me happier than I could have ever imagined I'd be.”
“Fourteen,” I said, as I counted through them in my mind.
“Yes,” she said. “Who would have thought that you'd end up being the one with the most. It's still close though. With three babies on the way, that will make six for you two and five for Lance and Lauren.”
I felt Parker's arms tighten around me when she said six for us. That meant she was counting his kids as hers, and I knew that was so damn important to him. It was just important to me too.
“You're not about to run, are you?” I whispered back at him.
“Not a chance,” he whispered in my ear. “I'm happier than I've ever been in my life. You'll never get rid of me.”
I snuggled back against him with a smile on my face.
“You know,” grandma said. “I think we need to either even it up or have a bigger gap in that number.”
“We won't be doing anything to even it up,” Lauren said. “These two are our last. I don't care what Lance says.”
“I think I agree,” Lance Jr. said, still standing there with a lost look on his face.
“After I have them, I'm not sure I'll ever let him touch me again,” she said.
“Hey,” he said, snapping right out of whatever it was he'd been lost in. “Don't say something you don't mean, baby. You won't be able to go a week without my.”
“No,” Lance snapped out. “Do not let that next word come out of your mouth, Son. It's taking all I have to hold my shit together right now. I will not think about anyone's anything being anywhere. Do you hear me?”
“I'm thinking grandma might be right,” Parker said, from behind me. “I'm thinking we need to widen that gap.”
“What gap?” I asked, as I tried to pull away to sit up, but he wouldn't let me. “You must mean the one between my legs. How many babies are you thinking I should push out of there?”
“One more after this one,” he said. “That's a fair compromise.”
“How is that a compromise?” I asked.
“Believe me,” he began, “it is. The thought of you always having one of my babies growing inside of you sounds good to me, but I'm willing to compromise. See how that works.”
“How about you wait and see what nine months with me while I'm pregnant is like before you go spouting off about having another baby.”
“Doesn't matter,” he said. “I know what I want, and I will get it.”
“Shit!” I whispered.
He pulled me back against him tightly, and my body relaxed instantly.
“This is perfect,” he whispered.
“What is?” I whispered back toward him.
“Having my woman melt into my arms, letting me take care of things, without her mouth opening to argue about it. We should do it more often,” he said, with a low laugh that sent a shiver through me.
I moved fast to pull away, but he wouldn't let me, and before I knew it, I'd relaxed right back against him again.
He really was my perfect man.
“I love you, princess,” he whispered into my ear.
“I love you too, wannabe,” I whispered back, as I closed my eyes and soaked up the perfectness of my life.
The End.
This is not the last you'll read of the Reid/Smith family.
Watch for my next novel “Code of Love, Bachelor Billionaire Kids #2”. Coming in May.
Please continue on for the Prologue and Chapter 1 of “In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 1”.
Other Stories by Sharon Cummin
Romance Series
Romance and a... Series: The Complete Collection
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Bachelor Billionaire: Complete Box Set (6 Novels)
All six novels together in one set. Sea of Love, Hot for Love, Battle for Love, Rescue of Love, Built for Love, and The Future of Love.
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Saved by Love (Bachelor Billionaire Kids #1)
The Game of Love Series
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His Assistant Serials
His Assistant Serials: Complete Box Set
His Assistant: The Final Story
His Assistant Ultimate Box Set (including The Final Story)
Unexpected Love Serials
Unexpected Love Box Set (It Happened in Vegas and What Happened After Vegas?)
In Love with My Brother's Best Friend
In Love with My Brother's Best Friend: Complete Box Set
A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)
A Blast from the Past (A Second Chance Romance)
The Dark Night
The Dark Night: Complete Box Set
A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother
A Crush on Her Best Friend's Brother: Complete Box Set
Showing Him Who's Boss
Showing Him Who's Boss: Complete Box Set
Playing Hardball
Playing Hardball: Complete Box Set
Falling for My Best Friend
Falling for My Best Friend: Complete Box Set
Hacked by Love
Hacked by Love: Complete Box Set
Out of My League
Out of My League, Part 1
Out of My League, Part 2
Working on My Brother's Best Friend
Working on My Brother's Best Friend
Hunter PI & Security
Derek (Hunter PI & Security #1)
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In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 1
Prologue
Tina
I was finally a teenager and so excited. It was my thirteenth birthday, and I was having a sleepover with a few of my friends in the basement. My brother and his friends were upstairs. That was one of things that sucked about having a twin, I had to share my birthday with him. It felt like I had to share everything with him. I guess I should have been glad that he was a boy. That way I didn't have to share clothes, a bedroom, or my friends with him. At least our parents didn't make us combine our parties completely. There was no way I wanted to be around him and his friends. They weren't bad to look at, but they could sure be a pain in my rear.
We were sitting in the basement, with the lights off, watching a movie. I didn't like the scary ones, but my friends did. They put on one of their favorites. I didn't mind I guess. It was nice to have them over celebrating with me. I held a pillow tightly to my chest the entire time. There was a loud noise, and I screamed. Just when it I thought that part was over, I felt something on my shoulder and moved to brush it away. It was gone. A few seconds later I felt it again. I heard a loud scream come from the television, and something squeezed my shoulder at the same time. I threw my pillow into the air, screamed, jumped back, and flipped over the back of the couch onto something shaking beneath me. One of my friends flipped the light on. I looked down to see Jackson under me laughing hysterically.
Jackson was my brother's best friend. They'd been inseparable since my brother was nine. Jackson was two years older than we were. I glared down at him ready to burst into tears. Hold it back, I thought to myself. He picked on me any chance he could, and there was no way I was going to give him any more ammunition than he already had.
“You're such a jerk,” I yelled, as I clutched his shirt in my hands.
“I just wanted to come down and make sure you girls were okay,” he said innocently.
“You were not,” I snapped. “You came down here to mess with us.”
“You?” he asked. “You're the birthday girl.”
“Why aren't you up there with my brother?” I asked.
He smiled, and I could tell he was holding back a laugh. It took all I had not to punch him in the stomach.
“I didn't mean to scare you. I was just trying to get your attention,” he said.
“Sure you were,” I said, as I narrowed my eyes and puffed my lips out.
He reached up and wrapped his arms around me.
“Do you want me to make it up to you?” he asked.
All of my friends were standing there watching us. I was so embarrassed.
“Really?” I asked. “How would you do that?”
He puckered his lips up with a smirk on his face and made a kissing sound.
“I could give you a birthday kiss,” he said.
“What?” I asked.
“Come on,” he said with a laugh, as he continued to make kissing noises.
“Would it be your first kiss, Tiny?” he asked.
“Don't call me that, Jackie,” I yelled, as I pushed off of him and got to my feet.
“You could see how a man kisses,” he said with a wink.
“You're no man. You're only fifteen. Don't be gross,” I said.
“You know you want to kiss me,” he teased.
I could feel the tears stinging the backs of my eyes. Why did he have to be so mean, I wondered? It was my birthday, and he was making fun of me in front of my friends. That boy was such a punk.
“I don't,” I said. “I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last boy in the world. I wouldn't kiss you if you had a million dollars. I will never kiss you, Jackson.”
Just as I finished my statement my brother came down the steps.
“What are you doing?” Tim asked.
My parents named us Tim and Tina since we were twins. I guess it could have been much worse.
“I thought I heard a scream and just came down to check on the girls,” Jackson replied.
“Get back upstairs,” Tim said, as he pointed up the stairs. “My parents will make you guys leave if they find out you're down here bothering Tina and her friends. We were just getting ready to start a new game and need you up there.”
Jackson looked right at me and puckered his lips, as he got to his feet and turned to walk away.
“In case you change your mind,” he said. “One day you're going to want these lips.”
“Get away from my sister, Jackson,” Tim said.
“I'll never want those lips,” I said.
He rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, as he started up the stairs.
“Bye, Tiny,” he yelled back from over his shoulder.
“Bye, Jackie,” I said sarcastically.
Chapter 1
Tina
I'd just gotten off the plane from Vegas and was exhausted. My body felt like it wasn't going to last one more second. I could feel my feet throb and my arms felt like noodles. There was no way I was complaining though. I'd gone with my friends Rachel and Jen. Rachel's divor
ced was finally over and she needed a day of freedom. Her ex was a total asshole, and I was so happy she was finally done dealing with his shit. The day she walked in early and found him doing his secretary was it for her. I was happy that she never looked back. We couldn't believe it when she met a man at the pool in Vegas and spent the night with him. I was proud of her. He was the first man she'd been with since the asshole. Her sexy, Vegas hottie was named Cliff. We were shocked when we got to the airport to find that our seats had been upgraded to first class by Mr. Hottie himself. Did I mention that Mr. Hottie ended up being the asshole's boss and the woman he was doing was the boss' sister? I couldn't believe it myself. What a small world, right?
That was honestly the best flight I would ever have in my life. I wasn't rich and knew I never would be. I enjoyed every single bit of that flight home and took advantage of all of the extras that came along with it. Rachel laughed at me the entire time. There was no way I was passing up my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
By the time I found my way into my apartment, I couldn't wait to sit down. My bags landed just inside my door. I grabbed my phone and fell onto my couch. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed out so late at the clubs with Jen, I thought. It could have been the drinks on the plane too. Whatever it was, I was so damn tired. My eyes were fighting to stay open, and they were definitely winning the war. Just as I drifted off, my phone rang and flew out of my hand when I jumped. I reached my hand out and caught it just before it hit the wood floor. When I looked at the screen and saw my brother's goofy face, I knew I had to answer it.
Out of My League, Part 3 Page 25
