Final Sharp Turn (Sharp Turn Saga #3)

by Faye Byrd

  “Sounds good,” I say, glancing at the boys, who are in the back part of the basement playing ping pong with Ryder and Weston. “Let me go check on the boys, and I’ll be right up.”

  I kill off my beer and toss the can before making my way over. Of fucking course, as soon as Weston notices me, he’s passing his paddle off to the closest person, who happens to be Cam. Ryder just shakes his head at his retreating back before offering me a smirk.

  “Trystan, I was wondering where you were!” he exclaims as he draws close, arms spread wide. After an over-exuberant hug, he pulls back and grasps my biceps—I’m sure this is by design. “Let me look at you. Yep, still the same beefcake as before, but there’s something more there now. What is it?” He studies me thoughtfully.

  I chuckle uneasily under his gaze. What is it with these Wilder men and their ability to read me like a fucking book? We haven’t even told the boys, something we plan to remedy later today, and we damn sure aren’t telling everyone else first.

  I bat my lashes a couple of extra times as I slip from his hold. “Just loving life, Weston. How have you and Ryder been?”

  He props his hand on his hip and narrows his eyes. “This sounds like a brush off to me, but since you asked …” He goes on a nonstop spiel, his gums flapping a mile a minute as he fills me in on every tiny detail of his life.

  I’m actually thankful when Harold whistles from the foot of the stairs. “Lunch is ready.”

  The boys toss down whatever’s in their hands and race past without even a look, while Ryder walks toward Weston with his usual confident swagger. Once he reaches him, he plants a big slobbery kiss right on his lips. I watch, fascinated, for just a moment before turning to approach my father-in-law.

  Dinner is filled with laughs and love and lots of awesome food. I even try Charlotte’s mashed potatoes, though I’m not expecting to like them. These Southerners put mayo in everything. In this instance, I’m proud to be wrong. They’re actually good—damn good.

  Afterward, we all gather around for gifts to be passed out to the kids. Each adult couple here purchased one gift for each child. My parents missed this shindig, instead choosing to travel to Bali, but they made sure to ship their presents earlier this week. And of course, they sent more than one. The rest will get added to the Santa pile.

  By three, our first new tradition is over, and the boys are so worn out they fall asleep on the way home. With Coop’s family set to descend later this evening, we’ve decided to share our news with Blake and Cam before they arrive. Hopefully, we can talk them into keeping it quiet for a little longer, but we know it’s a gamble.

  You just never know with those two.

  When we arrive, the boys wake as we get them from the car, re-energized after their short nap. After only ten minutes in their room, they come trudging down the stairs with Blue hot on their heels. “We goin’ play outside.”

  I chuckle as I watch them continue their way through the kitchen and out the back door. I hum as I pull my wife close. “What’s a good Christmas Eve Dinner suggestion?”

  “Ugh,” she replies. “I’m still stuffed from lunch.”

  “I’m sort of full, too,” I reply as I rub my stomach. “But I imagine everyone will be hungry for something before bedtime.”

  “Hmm, maybe pizza? It can become our new tradition,” she says, her smile widening as the idea settles in her mind.

  “I can do pizza.” I nod. “Maybe a veggie one and a pepperoni?

  “Perfect.” She turns and plants her soft lips on mine, and I fall into the kiss, fall into her. When we’ve sufficiently lost oxygen, she pulls back. “And I’ll take my usual place at the bar. I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening.” She giggles as she pulls me by the hand into the kitchen.

  Easton and I tease and flirt the whole time I’m cooking, and it feels so fucking good to be back to normal. It’s moments like this that brought us together in the first place, and I don’t want to lose that magic.

  Once the pizzas are done and cooling on the rack, I take my wife’s hand and lead her to the backyard. The boys are at the foot of the slide just giggling away.

  “Hey, dudes, what’s going on out here?” I ask as I lead Easton across the yard.

  “We made Blue slide,” Blake says. “He climed up and went down the slide to the ground.”

  “Cool,” I answer with a smirk. My smart boys. “Mama and I would like to talk to the two of you. Can you come in and wash up?”

  They follow us inside, and while Easton helps them wash, I serve them both a slice of pizza.

  “Mmm,” Cam mumbles around his first bite. “This is good, Daddy.”

  Easton giggles because they’re cute as fuck, and you can’t help it. “Yes, it’s very good, but we don’t talk while our food is still in our mouths, okay?”

  Cam swallows his food and says, “Yes, ma’am.”

  When they’re almost done, I clear my throat. “Mama and I have something we want to tell you.”

  Blake sets his crust on his plate. “What is it?”

  “We were wondering how you’d feel about having a baby brother or sister?” Easton takes my hand, her nerves getting the best of her.

  Cam shrugs. “A baby brother would be okay.” He turns to Blake. “What you think?”

  Blake looks between Easton and me. “When?”

  “It’ll be a little while,” I answer.

  Blake thinks for a minute before nodding. “Yeah, a baby brother would be okay.”

  “Boys,” Easton calls, making both of them turn to her. “You don’t get to pick whether it’s a brother or sister.”

  “Why not?” Blake asks. “Blaine and Carson wanted a baby sister, and that’s what they got.”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, dude, they just got lucky, though. When you have a baby, you have to take whatever comes.”

  “So who’s having the baby?” Cam asks, looking between us.

  Easton gets up from her seat and goes to the boys, squatting between their chairs. “I’m having the baby.”

  “Where he gonna sleep?” Cam asks.

  “Oh, sweetie, the baby will have a room of his or her own,” Easton tells him.

  “You mean Daddy’s old room?” Blake asks.

  “Yeah, dude, the baby will have my old room,” I agree, watching for any signs of acceptance.

  “So where’s it at then?” Cam asks.

  Easton sighs and her eyes meet mine. I get up and move around the table. “Look, guys. I know this is out of the blue, but we just found out and wanted to share it with our boys.” I lay my hand on Easton’s stomach. “You remember how Aunt Kari had Violet in her belly?” They both nod. “That’s where this baby is. In Mama’s belly.”

  Cam looks to Easton’s stomach. “It not very big.”

  Easton giggles. “No, it’s not right now, but it’ll get bigger. And then I’ll have to go to the hospital to have him or her.”

  “The hospital?” Cam asks with two little furrowed brows.

  “Oh, sweetie,” Easton says. “It won’t be the same as when you were there. I promise. I won’t stay but a day or two, and you and Blake will be able to come and see the new baby and me.”

  “My new brother,” Cam says, nodding his head.

  “Whoa, dude,” I interject. “We’re not sure if it’s going to be a brother or sister yet. Remember, we said we don’t know.”

  Cam pouts but nods anyway. “Okay.”

  I look to Blake. “What about you, dude? You okay?”

  He just shrugs. “I guess so,” he says to me before turning to Cam. “We can always dress her in boy clothes if it a girl.”

  “Hey, hey, none of that,” I say, keeping it light. “I think you two will love a baby sister or a brother and be the best big brothers ever.”

  “Oh yeah, we be good big brothers.” Blake nods his head. “Can’t we Cam?”

  “Yep, we sure can. Even if it is a sister,” Cam replies, and my heart swells.

  “Now, one more thing.
Can you keep it a secret for a little while?” I ask, hoping this works as well as the proposal did.

  “Who we gonna tell?” Blake asks.

  I chuckle because they don’t even realize. “I thought we could do it like when I asked Mama to marry me. Remember? You kept it quiet, and when we planned it, you told her?”

  “Yeah, we did good. She said yes!” Blake fist pumps.

  “Uh huh,” Cam agrees, nodding his head.

  “You did great,” Easton says, granting them a soft smile. “And we were hoping you could do it like that again, but for the whole family?”

  “We gonna tell them?” Cam asks.

  “Yep, just like you told Mama I wanted to marry her. But, just like then, don’t say anything until we tell you to. Can you do that?” I ask, holding my breath.

  Blake rolls his eyes. “Of course, Daddy. We the best secret keepers. Ain’t we Cam?”

  “We are,” Cam agrees.

  And all we can do is hope for the best.

  “All right, you two, quiet,” Easton says, admonishing Coop and me for playing with the toys as we set them out.

  “Come on, Easy,” Coop begs. “Don’t be a spoilsport. This shit is fun to play with.”

  She puts her hand on her hip. “And you can play all you want, with the boys, but if you don’t get them set out soon, they’re going to catch you playing Santa.”

  Kari snorts and lifts a brow. “Remember last year, honey?”

  Coop's face pales a little, and he drops the toys. “Come on, bro. Let’s set up this stuff.”

  I chuckle. “Oh yeah, that was a classic Coop moment.”

  “Aw, man, come on. No need to relive that shit,” Coop says, whining like a baby.

  “Kari and I are going to make pancakes and cocoa. One of those boys is bound to wake soon,” Easton says, pausing to give me a kiss before leaving the room.

  Coop and I finish getting the toys ready and kick back on the couch until the women return. It isn’t ten minutes later when we hear the first sounds above our heads. I eye my wife, and she’s smiling from ear to ear.

  A thunder of footsteps sounds on the stairs a moment later, and we all watch anxiously as the four boys rumble into the room. They stop and stare. The toys from Santa have been divided into four sections, and there are also wrapped presents under the tree.

  I stand and move toward the tree, pointing. “Blaine, this is you. Carson, there’s yours. Cam, you and Blake are here.”

  All of them but Blaine moves toward their stack in awe; he just rips into his like a madman. This is the first time Blake and Cam really understand about Santa, so they’re a little hesitant, as is Carson. As they grow, the years are sure to get better and better.

  A cry sounds from the monitor, and Kari is out of her seat and headed to get Violet. Even though she could care less, her pile is waiting for her to explore.

  After presents are exchanged and wrapping paper is strewn everywhere, we gather around to eat pancakes and drink cocoa in our pajamas.

  This is the best Christmas I can remember having … ever.

  “Higher, Daddy,” Blake yells.

  I chuckle and give him an even firmer shove as his swing comes back in my direction. His giggles fill the air as he soars even higher. Easton’s standing in front of them, snapping away with her camera. She starts back to work in the morning, and we wanted to spend the day together as a family.

  I step over behind Cam to give him a push. “You want to go higher, dude?”

  “No, Daddy. I not like it too high,” he says shaking his head.

  “It’s fun to go high, Cam,” Blake calls, soaring by.

  “Nuh, huh,” Cam yells back. “I not like high.”

  Blake drags his feet across the ground a couple times to slow himself down. “Okay, I go slow wif you then.”

  With both of them now slowed, I position myself between them and am able to keep them swinging with an arm pushing each boy. The joy on Easton’s face as she happily snaps pictures makes my smile even brighter.

  Lost in my own gushiness, I almost miss when Blake jumps from his seat and lands on all fours in the sand. Easton gasps and almost drops her camera in her haste to get to him.

  I hurry forward and step into her path. “I got this, baby.” I drop down beside Blake. “You okay, dude?” I ask, pulling him into a sitting position.

  He swipes his hands together and looks at his palms. “I okay. My hands is red though,” he says, holding them up for me to see.

  “Let me see.” I take his hands, look them over, then I check out his knees. “Looks like you’ll be okay, dude. What do you think?”

  He nods in agreement. “I okay.”

  I ruffle his hair and stand, pulling him up with me. “You’re good to go.”

  He takes off for the jungle gym a few yards away, back to his wide-open self. “Stop me, Daddy,” Cam calls. “I gots to go wif Blake.”

  I rush the few feet over and stop his barely moving swing. He slides down carefully and takes off, trying his best to catch up with Blake.

  Easton steps closer as I watch him go. “What was that all about?” she asks, tilting her head in the direction of the boys.

  I throw my arm across her shoulder and point us in the direction they headed. I’m trying to figure out how to explain this so she won’t be offended. “It was nothing really. It’s just … well, they’re boys, you know?”

  She stops and pulls away to look at me. “And that means what exactly?” Her head is angled just right to let me know that if I say the wrong thing her bitch brow will rise into her hairline.

  Trying to make this easier on me, I pretend she isn’t waiting for me to stick my foot in my mouth. So I nudge her back in the direction we were headed. “It’s not important. Let’s just go take more pictures.”

  She stiffens her body, refusing my prodding. “No, Trystan.” Her hand goes to her hip, and there’s no avoiding this now. She means business. “What are you trying not to say?”

  I look over to the jungle gym, making sure the boys are good, before taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but … well”―I swallow the lump in my throat―“you can’t baby them every time something happens.”

  Not one, but both fucking brows rise. “They are my babies, Trystan. I can baby them all I want.”

  My shoulders slump and I step closer, running my palms down her arms and taking her hands. “Look, Easton, I get it. They’re your babies. But they’re little dudes, too, and you need to realize not everything is a swoop them up moment.”

  “Is this one of those ‘they need to learn to suck it up’ moments?” she asks incredulously.

  My eyes focus on our joined hands between us for a minute before looking back to hers. “No, not exactly. It’s just … well, you have to assess a situation before you run in like the mother in shining armor.” I sigh. “We just need to let them be boys sometimes, and that includes toughening out the small stuff.”

  “But they’re not tough, they’re babies,” she argues softly.

  I run my fingers up her cheek and slide them into her hair, cupping the side of her face. “Of course they’re babies, our babies, but sometimes we just have to take a step back and show them they’re okay instead of automatically assuming they’re not.”

  She closes her beautiful fucking eyes for a second, and when she opens them, her acceptance is there. “I can try,” she stresses. “But I make no promises.”

  “I know,” I say and peck her pouty lips. Curving my arm around her shoulder, I lead us toward the jungle gym. “You’ll get there. Small steps.”

  “Yes,” she agrees. “Baby steps.”

  13 Construction Zone

  Easy

  I’ve been back to work part time for two weeks, and things are starting to feel normal again. Sure, I’m always watching, waiting for something to appear wrong with Cam, but so far, he’s doing perfectly. His counts are rising with each visit to see David, and his second nap a
lmost isn’t even needed anymore.

  My baby is going to be okay.

  That alone is enough to overfill my heart, but I have other things to be grateful for, too. My hand slides down to caress my still flat stomach, and I sigh in complete contentment. Trystan and I have created a life. A life from the love we share.

  When I proposed the original agreement, I did want to save my son. Our son. I also wanted another baby. But knowing the life that is growing within me was created purely from love means more than I could’ve ever imagined.

  I consider myself lucky—in so many ways.

  “Easy,” Tasha says into the intercom, breaking me from my thoughts.

  “Yes,” I respond.

  “I have Richard Head on line two,” she says, and I can imagine her lifted brow.

  “Thanks, Tasha.” I laugh lightly.

  I take a minute to remember back to the last time Richard and I spoke. The emotions that flicker through me range from sorrow at the beginning, where my eyes automatically burn, and run the gamut, bringing me to today.

  Where my life is happy and whole.

  Anxious to hear about his adventure, I pick up the receiver. “Richard, so good to hear from you again.”

  “Easy,” he says, sighing in relief. “Thank God I was able to get in touch with you.”

  “What is it? Why do you sound so out of sorts?” I ask, tensing with worry at the strain in his voice.

  “What do you mean me?” he asks, incredulously. “I got back in the country last night to at least ten messages on my machine from Mom. Each one was progressively worse than the last.”

  I lean forward, propping my elbows on my desk. “Mrs. Head? Did something happen? Is she okay?”

  “What? No, no, Easy. They were all about you!” he says, his voice high pitched.

  I rock back in my chair. “Ah, okay. Well, a lot has happened while you were away, but you have excellent timing. Everything is perfectly fine with Cameron and me right now, so calm down and let that sink in.”

  “So, all the stuff she said wasn’t true?” he asks, confused.