“Yes,” Max replied without delay.
“Are you happy living with them?” the judge continued.
“Yes,” Max replied again in his trademark serious tone. “They take care of us. They read to us. I like my room and all my books. I like Jilly’s muffins. She makes a lot of good food,” he rambled, something he tended to do a lot when he was serious about something. “And they pick me up from school. They never forget us. I have friends at school,” he informed the judge. “And I know how to swim now. I can go underwater and everything.”
The judge smiled. “Sounds like you’re having fun, Max. How about you Miss Emmie? Do you want to live with Mr. Jackson?”
“Mr. Jackson?” Emmie looked up at me, confused.
“Cal,” I murmured with a smile.
“Ohhhhh,” she replied. “Yes!” She beamed, jumping up and down. “Today is adopton day. Look at my pretty dress!”
“Very nice.” He chuckled, looking down at his paperwork. “Everything is in order,” he continued as my heart began to pound in my chest. “Max, would you like to bang my gavel?” he asked.
Max grinned and nodded shyly. Cal scooped him up and carried him over. “Do the honors, bud,” he coaxed with a grin.
Max lifted up the gavel and knocked it down, the sound quiet and yet, for me at least, resonating with a life-altering boom.
The room erupted in cheers as the entire club rose to their feet. Max looked at the room, the biggest smile I’d ever seen lighting up his face.
I held Mason close, Emmie holding on to my leg as I watched Cal stride toward me, Max in his arms. The five of us embraced for the first time as an official family.
Every day with Cal and the kids, I thought it couldn’t get better. And yet, every day it did.
“It feels like you’ve been pregnant forever,” I mused most unhelpfully to Sophie as we sat outside the club celebrating that evening. Scarlet seemed to muffle a snort in reply.
“Gee, thanks. Feels like it’s going by in a heartbeat for me,” Sophie replied dryly.
I laughed. “Any day now,” I soothed with a grin. Her due date was just days away and I knew she was more than ready. Though no one was more ready than Axel.
“He’s already talking about a third!” she exclaimed as though she’d read my mind. “Can you believe him?”
“One baby at a time.” I smiled distractedly as I caught sight of Cal across the patio. I loved watching him move, and I loved observing his eyes scan a crowd knowing he was searching for me. That moment when his gaze caught mine, it was a thrill, every time.
“He’s so much happier,” Scarlet murmured. “Cal, I mean.”
“How do you mean?” I asked curiously.
“Since he met you,” she replied. “He’s happier, everyone is. Cole’s getting to know his pop in a whole new way. The whole club is,” she shared, effectively flooring me.
“What?” I asked, the surprise clear in my tone.
She looked toward the sky, her beautiful profile thoughtful. “He’s built a hell of a club. He did the best with Cole that he could on his own. All these years, Cal threw himself into the club but he held himself back at the same time. He needed you to pull him out.” She tilted her head toward my man as he chuckled at something Ryker was saying. “Look at him. A year ago he wouldn’t even be out here. He’d be at home or in his office. He’s an amazing leader—always has been. They love him, we all do. I think he’s embracing that in a whole new way.” She turned to me, her green eyes shining. “Behind every strong man, there’s a stronger woman.” She winked.
“You would know,” I replied sincerely, clinking my beer with hers.
I looked around then as her words sank in. My eyes slid from Sophie to Connie as she stood with Wes’s arms wrapped around her shoulders, to Kat as her blue eyes lit up at something Sal was saying, to Piper, Ry’s arms wrapped around her from behind as she listened to Ettie, whose curls were bouncing with her exuberance. Mack looked down at her with clear adoration shining in his eyes. I smiled at Laurie as she stood wrapped in Tag’s arms.
These alpha men of ours had chosen to spend their lives with the strongest women I’d ever known. Women strong enough to manage the challenges the club brought with it, to prop our men up while standing alongside them as equals. Women who could kick ass and be the most loving mothers I’d ever seen at the same time.
One thing was for sure, I was in damn good company.
“Thank you for saying that,” I replied. “This club, all of you—you’ve been the family I never had.” I nodded toward my kids playing beyond the patio. “It will be the family they’ll know for their entire lives.”
She reached over and squeezed my hand. “They’ll be the next generation.” She nodded.
“Max already wants a bike,” I muttered with a sigh.
She laughed, her gaze dropping to Tate as he lay nestled against her chest. “Something tells me this one won’t be too far behind.”
“Oh Lord,” Sophie groaned with a smile. “We’ll have our work cut out for us.”
“Luckily we’re up for it.” I winked as Cal strode my direction.
“How are you doin’, baby?” he wondered, looking down at me.
“Good, honey.” I grinned up at him. “I think the Jackson brood is about ready to head home,” I added, knowing Mason would be moving toward meltdown any minute.
His blue eyes shone at my words. “All right, baby.” He reached down to help me up, the gold glinting on his left ring finger. I loved seeing it there.
I took his hand in mine as he pulled me close, kissing me soundly. “You ready to take our kids home?” He grinned, his lips hovering above mine, a smile tipping the corners of his gorgeous mouth.
“Our kids.” I beamed. “I’m ready,” I agreed meaning so much more than the short drive ahead and we both knew it. “You gave me the world, you know,” I murmured.
He pressed his forehead to mine. “You are my world. You and our kids.”
I smiled, already planning all the ways I could show him just how much I loved those words after the kids were in bed. “Let’s get going. We’ve got quite a journey ahead,” I added with a grin.
One thing was for sure, it was going to be a hell of a ride.
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
Cole
“Babe, we gotta get a move on!” I hollered up the stairs. After over a decade together, my woman still couldn’t get her ass in gear to be on time.
For anything.
When she came into view a second later, her gorgeous mane of red hair flowing around her, green eyes sparkling, I couldn’t say I cared. The woman still made me swallow my tongue every damn day.
“Babe, we’re not late yet,” she replied with a smile, crossing the room to wrap her arms around my shoulders.
My hands slid down her back, drawn to her luscious ass.
We could stand to be a few minutes late.
“Ew gross, do you guys always have to do that?” Tatum groaned, walking into the room with a half-eaten sandwich in one hand and a chocolate milk in the other.
I grumbled my protest at having to stop exploring my wife’s curves and turned my gaze to my son. “You about ready?”
He shrugged. “I’m ready. It’s Gracie that takes forever.”
This was true. My girl took after my wife in more ways than one.
“Gracie! We gotta roll!” I hollered up the stairs.
“Coming!” she called a second before I heard her feet on the stairs, followed by the much more uncoordinated clatter of our bullmastiff, Chase. Losing Chief a few years back had been hard for the whole family, especially Scarlet. It was only recently she’d felt ready to get another dog.
Still in his awkward puppy phase and frequently having trouble putting one foot in front of the other, Chase provided a lot of entertainment. He was a good dog.
My gaze narrowed the second I saw Gracie dressed in jean shorts that were way too short, cowgirl boots, and a tank top. I co
uld feel my blood pressure go up several notches. At thirteen, with my wife’s red hair and green eyes my daughter was a knockout. “Go upstairs and change,” I ordered immediately.
She looked down at her outfit and then up at me. “Daddy.” She stomped her foot. “There is nothing wrong with my outfit!”
“There’s not enough of it!” I bit back.
“Babe,” Scarlet’s soft voice cut in, her hand on my chest. “Let’s get going. She’s dressed fine,” she added in a response I heard all too often.
“She’s showing way too much skin,” I growled before growing suspicious. “Who’re you dressing up for anyway?” I demanded.
She rolled her eyes with a huff. “Nobody, Daddy. This is a perfectly normal outfit.”
“One of these days your eyes are gonna roll right outta your head,” I grumbled.
Her eyes widened with that damn pleading look that got me every fucking time. “Please. I don’t really have time to change,” she implored.
I stared at the ceiling, searching for patience, knowing that I was a fucking pushover when it came to her. I always had been. Decision made, my head cocked toward the stairs. “Tell you what. Throw on one of those sweater things and we’ll be square, all right?”
Her brow wrinkled. “Sweater things?”
“He means a cardigan, honey,” Scarlet replied with a smothered grin.
What the fuck did I know about women’s clothes?
Gracie stomped back up the stairs as Tatum took Chase out back. I turned to Scarlet, all too eager for even a moment alone with my wife.
“You look hot,” I rumbled, stooping to rub my nose along her collarbone.
“So do you,” she replied breathlessly as her fingers dug into my shoulders. I wanted nothing more than to have those fingers digging into my ass as I powered deep inside her.
But I’d just have to wait.
I pulled back with a sigh. “We still picking up Amelia and Mia?” I asked after Wes and Connie’s girls.
She nodded. “Con just texted. They’ll be right behind us but I think it would help them out if we picked the kids up.”
I nodded in agreement. Connie and Wes had been shocked to learn they were pregnant with a third just recently. They were at the doctor for a checkup this morning. I thought Wes would keel over if he was having another girl.
“Wheels up in five,” I called to the house at large, grabbing my keys, and with a swift smack to Scarlet’s ass that I’d be expanding on as soon as we had time alone, headed toward the truck.
Sal
“Tighten it right here,” I coaxed Wren as we lay side by side under the hood of my Charger. Car still purred like a cat after all these years.
“Got it,” she replied triumphantly as Kat’s sandal-covered feet came into view. “All right, you two, we gotta get going or we’re gonna be late.”
I slid us out from under the car, making Wren squeal with delight. It had surprised me the first time she’d expressed interest in working on the cars with me. At first I’d thought it would be a phase, but over time I’d realized it was something she was genuinely passionate about, just like her old man.
“Hi, Birdie.” I grinned up at my wife as she looked down at our grease-covered outfits in clear dismay. “We’ll go get cleaned up. Won’t take long,” I assured her as I stood up before reaching down to pull Wren up as well. “We made some great progress.”
Wren grinned, her beautiful blue eyes she’d gotten from her mama shining in delight.
“I’m sure you were a great help.” Kat smiled at our daughter. “Go get cleaned up. We gotta be on the road soon,” she added.
Wren nodded, running off to do as her mother asked. She was a good girl, always had been. After we’d had Wren, we’d tried for one more but it didn’t happen for us. It had been hard on Kat at first and on me too, but we were more than content with the gift that was Wren.
“You look sexy,” I murmured, pulling Kat in for a kiss. My fingers trailed over her collarbone down over her breast before resting on her trim hip and squeezing gently.
Her intake of breath at my touch had my cock standing at attention. “Wish we had more time. I’d reintroduce you to the hood of my car.” I grinned against her mouth.
“We were well acquainted just last week,” she reminded me, her gaze sliding to the Charger.
“Last week was last week.” I shrugged. I couldn’t get enough of my wife. It had been that way from the first time I’d had my hands on her and I knew time would never change it.
“Later,” she murmured, her eyes half-mast. Christ, I loved that look.
“Later,” I agreed, taking her mouth once more before heading in to change.
Axel
Her soft whimper had my cock straining to reach her as my fingers continued the twirl I’d like to think I’d perfected over the years.
She pressed her delicious ass into me, her movements telling me she was close. I needed to get her off, craved it, then I could slide into her before….
“Mommy!” our youngest, Holden, hollered. “Livie keeps stealing the remote!”
“I want to watch Cinderella!” I heard Olivia reply indignantly as all the boys groaned in protest.
I’d let Sophie sleep in, hoping I could get the kids to watch something for a few minutes so I could slip back into bed with her, so I could slip inside her.
Shit. I loved my kids, but fuck if they weren’t the worst cockblockers in the world.
Sophie sighed, resigned. She rolled in my arms to face me, draping her leg over my hip, a smile playing at the corners of her gorgeous mouth. “You wanted four,” she reminded me with a teasing grin.
“I did,” I agreed with a halfhearted grumble. Cockblockers or not, I fucking loved my kids. I loved filling our big house with noise and chaos that was only sometimes controlled. I loved watching my wife somehow master it all, time and time again.
“My mom will be here soon anyway. We should get up,” she added.
I nodded. “I’ll go get the kids sorted while you get ready.”
“Thanks, babe.” She grinned, kissing me soundly.
Soph’s mom was a staple in our lives. With Sophie starting her teaching career a few years back with four kids to wrangle, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without her.
I wandered out to the living room, watching as four heads turned at the same time to watch my approach. “Hi, Daddy.” Livie grinned. At ten and as our only girl, Olivia knew I was putty in her hands.
“What happened to watching something without bothering Mom and me for a while?” I asked them with a raised brow.
“Cinderella happened,” Maddox chimed in, his eyes on the game in his lap. “She’s too old for that movie anyway.” He complained. As the oldest, Mad often did his own thing while the younger kids argued over what to watch. He helped out and was good to his siblings. They were all good kids.
“Livie, you need to find something that Holden and Caleb want to watch too,” I reminded her. “But it’s time to get ready anyway. Grandma’s coming to help. We all need to be at the club in an hour.”
“Is Grandpa Mike coming too?” Caleb asked. Sophie’s mom and Piper’s dad had gotten together a few years ago.
“I think he’s helpin’ Uncle Ry with your cousins,” I answered. With three kids of their own, Pipe and Ry had their hands just as full as we did. Anytime the Black families got together, it was utter chaos.
I fucking loved it.
Sophie wandered out, her hair still mussed from my hands, a flush still lighting her face. Now in her midthirties, age had only made her more beautiful. I still thought we could handle one more kid but the look I got every time I suggested it told me pretty squarely that we were done.
Didn’t mean we couldn’t still practice.
Holden immediately scrambled off the couch, eager to be held. She scooped him up, kissing his neck. “You want some breakfast, baby?” she crooned.
“Cereal?” he asked hopefully.
I bit back
a laugh. After ten plus years, my girl still couldn’t cook for shit and all the kids knew it.
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Yeah, honey. Cereal.”
Ryker
“This the last of it, Tink?” I asked, carrying a box of merchandise out from the storeroom and placing it on the counter.
“Yeah,” she replied, looking up from the computer at the front. “Thanks, babe.”
I moved behind her, pulling her into my body, kissing her neck. She was engrossed in what looked like an inventory review but I was determined to get her attention for a few minutes.
She’d turned Dixie’s, the boutique her mother had opened when she was young, into a huge success. Not only was it one of the most popular stores in Hawthorne, we’d expanded to Vegas and had opened an online shop as well.
We were doing well.
My girl could afford to pull back a little, not that she would. She worked just as hard today as she had from the beginning. She loved it and she was fucking great at it.
Her dad was with the kids and we’d run over to get a few things done before one of our managers opened. We’d be at the club most of the day.
“Your mom said sales are up,” she commented as I stayed focused on my distraction technique.
My mom had moved to Vegas to open our store there. Sober for over a decade and Pipe’s business partner, she was a huge part of our lives.
“I don’t want to talk about my ma right now,” I rumbled, my lips against her neck.
She turned in my arms, her brow raised. “No?”
I dipped low, taking her mouth in a scorching kiss before replying. “No.” I took her hand and led her back to the storeroom. We had a bit of time before we had to be home. Not as much as I’d like, but enough to work with.
Definitely.
Cal
The burn in my muscles intensified with every rep as I pressed the bar up and over my chest in an unrelenting rhythm.
I’d been up since dawn, unable to fall back asleep.
I knew Jill had trouble sleeping last night, probably thinking about today. I didn’t dare wake her. This was the second-best thing to burn off some steam.
Cal (The Ride Series Book 5) Page 23
