Silk

by Heidi McLaughlin

  To say I’m stunned is an understatement and how I can understand anything she’s saying is a miracle. “How does Quinn expect to make this happen?”

  Peyton shrugs, causing Elle to roll her eyes.

  “Quinn said it’s call badoption and since he doesn’t have a mommy and wants our mommy she can badopt him and he’ll get to call her mommy like us.”

  “And you do the same,” Peyton adds.

  I lean back against the bench and pull my lip into my mouth. The wheels in my head are turning, but I’d have to talk to Katelyn first. I told her from day one I that I didn’t want to replace Mason and I’d never pressure her to do anything, but I’m committed to this family. I’m not going anywhere and I’ll be damned if I’ll let her live with the fear that I’ll leave her one day in the back of her mind.

  “You want me to be your dad?” I ask, barely able to get the words out.

  They both nod. “We want a really real family, like Noah,” Peyton says.

  “That means your last name will be James.”

  “And we’d all match,” Elle adds.

  “I want to match,” says Peyton.

  “Do you want another brother or sister?” Katelyn and I haven’t talked about having our own, but we also haven’t ruled it out.

  “Let’s not go there just yet,” Elle says, rolling her eyes.

  I can’t help but laugh. I see how it is; as long as it’s just the three of them, they’ll be happy. I thought my life was perfect up until now, but knowing that these little girls love me enough to take my name pretty much defines perfection in my eyes.

  ***

  Chapter 44

  Katelyn

  When Quinn and I get in, the house is quiet. This only means one thing: Harrison took them to the mall. It only took a few backward days for me to realize how much he wore the girls out. The mall is Harrison’s friend and mine too right now, because I’m tired and just want to curl up in his arms.

  After our heavy lunch conversation, we didn’t discuss adoption the rest of the day. Instead, we raced Go Karts, bungee jumped and sat at the lake watching all the boaters. Quinn asked if we could get a boat and I said it’s something we could probably talk to his dad about.

  Quinn gives me a hug when we get to his door. This hug is different. He lingers longer than usual, holding me tighter. I kiss the top of his head and press my cheek there, squeezing him.

  “Goodnight, mom, thank you for today.”

  I fight the emotions building and give him a soft smile. “I had the best day, Quinn.”

  He smiles before turning into his room. I know that in about an hour Harrison will get up and check on him, find out what he’s reading, or if he needs to talk about anything. Their bond is beyond amazing.

  I turn the handle to our room and am instantly mesmerized by the sight in front of me. Harrison is sitting up on our bed with a book in his hand. His eyes are closed, his features relaxed. He’s shirtless, and the closer I get I can see that the girls had some fun with him tonight. I sneak into the bathroom, change my clothes, and take care of my nightly routine. He startles, but stays asleep when I shut off the bathroom light. I really want to watch him sleep like this, but the urge to be next to him is too great.

  “I know you’re watching me.”

  I laugh as I sit down and slide up next him to him, pressing my leg against his. “I see you have new ink.”

  Harrison shifts, setting his book on the nightstand. He holds his arms out, moving them back and forth showing off the artwork. “I have a new one,” he says.

  “Oh yeah, where?”

  Harrison moves so I can see his side. I gasp when I see Peyton James and Elle James written in their handwriting. “Is that real?”

  He shakes his head as he pulls his hand into mine. “How was your day with Quinn?”

  I look at him questioningly. “How do you know?”

  “The girls; they told me and I figured he asked you by your reaction of seeing their names like that.”

  I nod. “He did. He asked me to adopt him and I want to Harrison. I want to be his mom. I want that title. If you want me to, that is.”

  Harrison cups my face, bringing my mouth to his. The kiss is slow, but filled with desire. He’s going to make love to me tonight, capping off my already perfect day.

  “The girls asked me to badopt them.”

  “What?” I ask, pulling away slightly.

  “Badopt – that’s what they called it. I didn’t have the heart to correct them.”

  “Do you want to?”

  Harrison grabs my hips and pulls me onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. “I called my lawyer today to find out more information and he said we can do this within a week if it’s want we want. We don’t have to be married, unless you want to be. We can be just like Brangelina. We can be our very own Karrison.”

  I lean forward and kiss him quickly. “You’re a dork, but you’re gorgeous and sexy, so I forgive you.”

  “I see, using me for my looks?” he asks as he shifts, pushing into me. He’s such a dirty little flirt. “Or are you using me for my son?”

  “Definitely your son.”

  “Hmm, that’s what I thought.”

  “I have a proposal, Mr. James.”

  “Okay, let me hear it.”

  “One thing Quinn said to me is that he wants me to have his last name. It was more like him adopting me, but I didn’t tell him that. He knows what he wants and I want it too, but I’m not ready to get married. I’m very happy with our life right now, and I’m not saying marriage ruins that, but you’re right, who needs a piece of paper to show me that we’re in this for life, right?”

  Harrison nods.

  “Right, so my proposal is this: I adopt Quinn, you adopt Peyton and Elle.”

  “Baby that solves the last name thing except for you,” he says with a smile.

  “I want to change my last name to James.”

  “I love you Katelyn, but I can’t let you be the only one to change your name. So my counter-proposal to you is that Quinn and I change our names too, and you and the girls hyphenate your name. I don’t mind being called Harrison Powell-James, and that way we’ll have a really real family with matching names, and they get to keep a piece of Mason with them.”

  “A really real family?”

  He nods. “It’s what Peyton and Elle want, but as I’ve said, I’m not here to replace Mason. I’m here to love you and the girls and make sure that you’re happy and taken care of. I’m not looking to have the girls forget him or ask that he never existed. All the decisions we make regarding the girls, I hope we’re doing with his beliefs in mind. I’d want that for Quinn if I wasn’t around.”

  I wipe a lone tear that falls. “You’re seriously the most amazing man I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. How I ever doubted your intentions last year, I’ll never understand.”

  “It’s simple,” he says as he adjusts. “You didn’t know what to think when you first met me. I blew you away with my wit and charm.” Harrison raises his eyebrows, suggestively.

  “Yeah I’m not so sure if that was it.”

  “No?” he asks.

  I shake my head. “No, it was how you treated the girls even after I told you I didn’t want to see you. You never wavered, even though I was being an epic bitch to you. You never gave up and never pushed, even when I was hot and cold. I should’ve never been that way with you, but I was afraid. I didn’t want to fall in love, only to lose you like I lost Mason. You’ve shown me that living with fear in your heart is no way to live and because of you, my girls are loved and we’re happy. I’ll never be able to thank you for what you’ve done for us. I love you, Harrison, and this life we’ve created is more than I could’ve ever imagined after I buried my husband. I want to take your name, but the fact that you’re willing to take ours as well means more to me than words can explain.

  Harrison moves so fast I almost fall off his lap as his lips crash down on mine. He pulls me to him, removi
ng my shirt quickly. He holds me against his bare chest as his hands roam over my body. His hands cup my rear, grinding me into him. His fingers move under my shorts, pulling them away from my body.

  I sit up and finagle my shorts off while he watches. “Do you need me to undress you?”

  “No baby, I’m just watching you unwrap my present.”

  “Were you a good boy today?”

  “I’m about to be.”

  I look at him, waiting for him to continue, but he doesn’t. He moves his hands behind his head and nods for me to continue. I crawl over his body, pulling his lounge pants down and throwing them off the bed. My hands rub up and down his legs, my nails digging into this skin. He flinches slightly, encouraging my movements.

  “You’re killing me, woman.”

  “Hmm, well now you know how I feel each time you touch me. You have no idea what you do me. How I feel when I know you’re behind me,” I say, moving up his body. I places kisses on his hips, feeling his cock twitch against my cheek.

  “Fucking hell, Katelyn, sit on me so I can fuck you senseless.”

  I sit up and look him. His hands come out from behind his head. One cups my breast while his index finger and thumb pinch my nipple. His other hand hits the volume on the remote sending music throughout our room.

  “Are we going to discuss what Santa’s bringing the kids?” I ask as I center myself over his waiting erection. This has been our code word for adult time, since the incident in the bathroom.

  Harrison hisses as I slide down his shaft. His hands find my hips, pulling me to his chest. Our mouths meet as he lifts his hips, slamming into me. His mouth muffles my cries as I cry out.

  I push up from him, enough so I can bring his nipple ring into my mouth. It’s one of my favorite parts of him. I love watching him come undone with a simple tug from my teeth. He pounds into me harder. His breathing increases as he reaches down and flicks my clit, causing me to cry out. My body shakes as I clench around him. My head falls to his shoulder as he finishes, bringing us down from the euphoric high we’re on.

  Harrison doesn’t let me leave his arms, but rolls us onto our sides. Our legs entangle as he kisses me. “I can’t imagine my life without you and the girls, Katelyn,” he whispers into my hair, holding me to him. His heart beats wildly, even though he’s calmed down.

  If anyone ever says you can’t feel love coming off of someone, they’re wrong.

  ***

  Chapter 45

  Harrison

  I told Katelyn the badoption would take a week; it’s taken a month. I’m not complaining, I’m just eager to have everything settled. What my lawyer didn’t count on was a judge asking for witnesses. He wanted one from me testifying that I’m a good parent to the girls and one from Katelyn testifying the same with Quinn. We asked my mom and Mr. Powell who were both eager to help us out.

  Now, here we are. Today’s the day. I’m nervous, but I think it’s a good set of nerves. We’re going to be a family recognized by law and that is something that’s important to us. Our wills change today as well. If something happens to me, Katelyn inherits most of my estate, with trusts being set up for Quinn, Peyton and Elle. If something were to happen to Katelyn, I’ll get the girls. But we’re going to live until we’re one hundred, so we don’t have to worry about any of this. It’s nothing but a formality in my eyes.

  I dress in my black suit with a white button down. I’m forgoing a tie today. I want to look presentable, but not overdone. I add some gel to my hair, giving it a teased look. I slip my black suit jacket on and fix my collar before leaving my bathroom. When I step into our bedroom, Quinn is sitting on my bed, dressed similarly to me.

  “What’s up, bud?” I ask, as I sit down next to him to put my shoes on.

  “Are you scared?” I cock my head and look at him. He’s fidgeting, twisting his hands together.

  “No, are you?”

  Quinn shrugs. “I don’t know. What if Katelyn changes her mind?”

  I sit up, leaning my elbows on my knees so he can see me. “She’s not going to change her mind, Quinn. Katelyn wants this. She wants to be your mom.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “About what? You know you can tell me.”

  Quinn looks at the photo that sits beside Katelyn’s side of the bed. It’s of the five of us at my apartment in California. It was our first family photo and you can see how much Katelyn already loves Quinn.

  “What if my real mom comes back?”

  This wasn’t exactly why I thought he was scared, not that I had an idea. I sit back and exhale while rubbing my hands down my legs. We’ve never really spoken about his mom and there’s not much I can tell him. But I can show him. I get up and head into my closet and to the box that holds pictures of her the night that we met. I’ve only saved them for Quinn because he has a right to know.

  I come back in the room and hand him the photo. He takes it from my hand and stares at the two people who created him.

  “I know we’ve never discussed your mother, but I’ll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.”

  Quinn sighs before looking at me with tears in his eyes. “Can she take me away?”

  I shake my head. “She can’t. You’re mine, and you’ll soon be Katelyn’s too. When you were born, your birth mother left you at my house. I didn’t even know her name. We weren’t dating. We weren’t even friends. She just showed up, set you on the floor, and said that you were mine before walking out. All I got from her was her name, so when you were a few months old we had a blood test done to make sure that you were mine. I didn’t want some other dad out there missing their son, just in case. But when the results came back, I was informed she signed away her rights, which means she has no claim on you.”

  “She didn’t want me?”

  “I don’t know about that, bud, she was young and not able to take care of you. Not like I could. And that doesn’t matter because I wanted you. Grandma and aunt Yvie wanted you. The second that grandma saw you, she was in love. And those three women downstairs, they love you, so I don’t want you thinking for a minute that you’re not wanted.”

  Quinn falls into my arms, hugging me tightly. “I love you, dad.”

  “I love you too, Quinn. Now, what do you say we go find those Powell women and make them James’?”

  “I think that’s a good idea.”

  “Me too, bud.” I ruffle his hair as soon as he pulls away. I finish tying my shoes before following him out the door. I stop and put my hand in my pocket, feeling for the three presents I have in there. I don’t know if there’s a protocol for this, but I couldn’t let today happen without some gifts.

  I walk into the kitchen as soon as I’m downstairs. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Katelyn staring out the kitchen window dressed in a vibrant red dress. This lady in red is going to be the death of me. She turns, as if in slow motion, her mouth dropping open.

  “What?” I ask as I watch her jaw move up and down.

  “You’re so f’ing hot.”

  I turn my head down slightly and laugh. I step forward, placing my hands on her hips. I lean down so that I’m almost kissing her. “Say fuck, Katelyn.”

  She shakes her head.

  I rub my nose along her jaw, nipping along the way. “Say fuck, Katelyn. I want to hear you tell me I’m fucking hot,” I say as I bite her ear, pulling it gently.

  “You don’t play fair.”

  “I’m not playing, baby. I want to hear your dirty little mouth tell me I’m fucking hot.”

  “You’re so fucking hot, Harrison.”

  I cup her face and reward her with a searing kiss. “Are you ready to become Katelyn Powell-James without getting hitched?”

  “You know it!”

  “Good afternoon Mr. James and Ms. Powell. I see you’re here to petition the court for adoption of Quinn James, Peyton Powell and Elle Powell. I see that the minor children are present for this hearing?”

  “Yes, sir,” I say, squeezing Ka
telyn’s hand.

  “And your attorney?”

  “He’s not present, sir. He believes everything is in order and isn’t needed.”

  The Judge shuffles the papers around before looking at us. “I’ll start with you Mr. James. Are you prepared to offer financial stability to the Powell children in the event you and Ms. Powell part ways?”

  “Yes, sir, I am. In your paperwork you’ll find that trusts have been set up for both of the girls.”

  He looks down at his paperwork and nods.

  “Ms. Powell, are you prepared to offer financial stability to Quinn James as well as your children in the event you and Mr. James part?”

  “Yes, sir,” she says confidently.

  “Very well. It also states that you’ll each be taking each other’s names. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir. It’s a family decision that we combine our names.”

  He nods and writes something down. “I see nothing further. Congratulations Mr. and Ms. Powell-James, you have three children who,” he leans slightly to look at the kids behind us, “are eagerly waiting for their parents.” With a slam of the gavel, we’re done and now a really real family.

  Katelyn and I turn and hug the kids. Of course, she pulls Quinn into her arms and the twins jump into mine.

  “Can we call you dad now?” Elle asks.

  “Only if you want to.”

  “We want to,” they say in unison causing us all to laugh.

  “Come on family, we have a lunch date.” We walk out of the courthouse as a family and walk down the street to one of Beaumont’s finest dining establishments. We usually take the kids to the crazy pizza palace, but today calls for something a little more upscale.

  I open the door of Whimsicality to cheers and a lot of clapping. A banner saying Welcome Powell-James Family hangs on the wall, making this feel almost complete. Everyone is with us today, including my mom and Mr. Powell, but it’s Josie that’s there to meet us as she hugs the kids with tears in her eyes.

  We make our rounds before sitting down to a catered meal. This is how we wanted to spend our first day as a really real family – with the family that brought us all together. I stand, clinking my fork against my glass.