by Mj Fields
“So I’m gonna have another sister?” Bella is finally catching on.
“Or brother.” Bekah smiles.
“Hell, maybe twins,” Cyrus interjects.
“No, no, one. Just one,” Jase says, leaning back in his chair and running his hands through his hair. “Fuck me.”
“That’s what got you into—”
“Zandor Steel, one more time and you are—”
“Momma Joe,” Zandor says, sticking out his bottom lip, pouting like he did when he was a boy. “Who loves you most?”
I roll my eyes and reach for the bottle of wine. I look up to see Thomas is smiling at me, and I laugh as I pour myself a glass.
Taelyn walks in, carrying Patrick. “How did it go?”
Jase’s head snaps up, and he looks at Carly then back at Taelyn. “Baby, she knew before me?”
Carly laughs. “She knew before me.”
He looks at her crossly. “Care to explain?”
“We cycle together,” Tara answers. “All four of us and Momma Joe. Bella probably will when she—”
“Okay, all right.” Jase drops his napkin on his plate and stands. He points at Carly. “You, come with me.”
She laughs as she stands.
He is walking to the doorway when she catches his hand, and he stops and turns around.
“Blessing three,” she tells him. “No need to fight about it. Just love me.”
He sighs and shakes his head then takes her face in his hands and kisses her hard on the lips.
“Here we go.” Bella rolls her eyes. “Smoochy, smoochy.”
“Make it a boy this time,” Jase says quietly.
“I’ll try,” she answers.
I look at Zandor and then Bekah. There is no way I could be wrong. I can feel it in the air. Pregnancy is in the water.
Bella and Kiki are tucked in bed; the boys are doing dishes; Carly, Tara, Taelyn, Bekah, and I are sitting around, talking about what else? Babies.
“We were being very careful.” Carly shakes her head from side to side. “This is a shock. Jase isn’t the only one who feels like the wind got knocked out of him.”
“But you’re happy?” Taelyn asks.
“I am. It’s just … We hadn’t planned to do this again,” she says, drinking from her glass water bottle. “Gotta be strong for him.”
“And he has to be strong for you,” I remind her.
All the girls giggle.
“They may have come from me, but you are just as much family, and if they act like asses, I will let them know. A man takes care of his woman and family.”
“You did well, Momma Joe.” Tara smiles. “You raised four amazing men.”
I look up as they all walk in: Cyrus, Jase, Zandor, Xavier, and Thomas.
“Bekah,” Zandor says, holding out a glass of red wine. “Drink up. I want you relaxed.”
I look at him and then her.
She slams the entire glass down. “More?”
“Of course, anything for my kitten.” He leaves the room.
The rest of them sit next to their wives while Thomas sits in the recliner.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Thomas
Today has been amazing, just like most every Sunday over the past few years. The exception is that I no longer feel like I am a guest.
I loved Katherine deeply and truly. I will always love her. She was intelligent, sexy, and truly my equal. When she died, I thought I would, too.
The first time I met Josephina Steel, she was like no other woman I had ever encountered. She was one of those women you look at from afar and admire. She was quick witted, raw, real, and authentic. She held nothing back. Her love was given and didn’t need to be earned. She treated everyone like they were family unless they crossed one of hers. She was full of life, even after loss.
It didn’t matter who you were; if you needed something, she gave it freely. If you needed a shoulder, hers was there to cry on. If you needed a kick in the ass, she was there, her leg already swinging.
Josephina gave hope to the hopeless, love to the loveless, and jobs to the jobless. She was the glue that kept her family together until they no longer needed her to do so.
She was a fantasy, a desire, and she was untouchable until I saw her break. I wouldn’t let that happen, couldn’t let that happen. Not to her.
She would never ask for someone to help her, but if anyone deserved it, she did.
I sit, watching her now, and she is troubled. Her eyes shift back and forth from her son Zandor to her daughter-in-law Bekah.
“Zandor,” her word rushes out.
“Momma.” He smiles as he slowly pours his wife glass number four or five of wine.
“Which one of you is driving home?”
As he takes the bottle and drinks from it, she gives him a disgusted look, but he merely shrugs.
“I suppose whichever one of us can still walk, right, kitten?”
She rolls her eyes, and he fills her cup again. “Drink up.”
“I think we’ve all had enough,” Joe gets up and tries to take the bottle from him.
He holds it in the air. “This is ours, Momma Joe.” He laughs. “Get your own bottle. While you’re in there, grab us another one.”
“I certainly will not,” she snaps at him.
“You can drive us home.” He laughs. “Bekah is shit-faced, and I plan on getting there, too.”
She reaches up, grabs his ear, and twists it, pulling him toward the doorway, “You and I need to talk.”
“About what?” He laughs.
“Drinking is not a good idea right now,” she snaps.
“Shit, Momma,” he groans, “I am a grown man.”
“You’re a stupid man is what you are,” she snaps at him.
“Why’s that?” He finally pulls her hand free and grabs hers, holding them so she can’t get to him.
I look around at her sons who are all laughing. Then I look at Carly, who closes her eyes and blushes.
“This is not okay with me,” Carly whispers.
“Shh, baby,” Jase says, patting her knee. “Sit back and enjoy.”
Carly gives me an endearing look and sighs.
“Do you have something to tell us?” Joe shouts at him, and I look back at them.
“Like what?” Zandor is enjoying getting her riled up, but this time, she doesn’t seem to be appreciating it one bit.
“I am your mother, Zandor Steel. I know.”
“So do I,” he says, inciting her.
“Then tell me why you are encouraging this … this … drinking.”
“Tell me how long you and Thomas have been hooking up.”
She gasps and covers her mouth.
“Fucking told ya.” Zandor laughs, turning to his brothers. “Pay up, bitches.” He holds his hand out and collects cash from each of his brothers.
Joe looks around at them and then at me. She looks hurt before she very calmly walks out of the room.
I stand up and look at them. “Was that necessary?” I don’t wait for an answer, leaving the room and following her to the bathroom.
“Josephina.” I stop the door with my hand, push it open, and walk in, closing it behind me.
She is looking in the mirror, expressionless.
I stand behind her, wrap my arms around her, and pull her against my chest. “You okay?”
She nods and looks at me in the mirror.
“You are okay. You’ll be fine. They will—”
“They knew,” she says and leans her head against me. “They knew and said nothing.”
“Is that a problem?” I ask.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Not a problem. I’m just angry that …” She pauses, and then laughs. “It isn’t just you and I doing … well, us anymore.”
I smile at her and lift her chin. “I can assure you that no one else will be doing us but us.” Then I kiss her.
“How did they seem? I bet Jase freaked out and Cyrus—oh, God—I bet he—”
&nb
sp; “Joe, they knew. No one is freaking out here but you.”
“How can I face them?” she groans, covering her face.
“Head up, without fear. The same way you face every challenge in your life.”
“This is different. They’re my boys.”
“Which makes it easier, believe it or not. Joe, they love and adore you.” I turn her around to face me, take a deep breath, and decide now is the time to tell her how I feel. “I love and adore you.”
She smiles before her forehead falls to my chest. “Thomas—”
“I love you,” I whisper against her hair. “I’m here, and I love you.”
Her arms wrap around my waist firmly, and she stays just like that until there is a knock at the door.
“You two better come out.” I hear Zandor laugh, and Joe looks up and rolls her eyes yet manages a smile as Zandor says, “I’ll huff, and I’ll puff—”
She steps back and opens the door. “Go away.”
“Oh, come on, Momma.” He laughs as he pulls her out of the bathroom.
She stops and looks back, reaching out her hand to me, and I take it.
That was all I needed. I feel my chest expand, and although I try very hard not to smile, I fail wretchedly when she looks back and smiles at me.
Before anyone can say anything, she does. “This is none of your business. Thomas and I are adults, and we are doing our own thing. It doesn’t—”
“Are you doing it naked?” Zandor laughs.
Cyrus interrupts. “Bro, shut the fuck up. I’m cool as hell with Thomas. He’s a good dude, but Momma Joe does not have sex.”
“How the hell do you think you got here, Cyrus?” Xavier throws a pillow at him. “Did she sit on an egg until it hatched?”
“I’m good with it being none of my business as long as you’re happy,” Jase says and looks at us. “Both of you. I’m good. We will have a man to man, though.”
“You will not have a man to man”—Joe scowls at him—“or I will have a foot to ass with you.”
I laugh, and she looks at me. “I understand them wanting to protect their mother, Joe,” I tell her before turning to the boys. “I will gladly have a man to man with any of you. You love her. I love her.”
“Definitely doing it naked.” Zandor chuckles.
“Zandor! You—”
“Momma, Bekah’s pregnant. She was drinking sparkling cider. I’m gonna be a dad.”
She sighs and drops my hand before she holds out hers. He walks up, hugs her, and she returns it.
“Congratulations. I could not be happier for both of you.”
“So you forgive me for messing with you?”
“Zandor …” she sighs. “Yes, of course.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later…
I look at my watch; it’s eight thirty at night. Thomas is late. He’s never late.
“Hello?” Carly answers her phone.
“Hello, how are you?”
“I’m good. Better. Not getting sick as much, but still more than I was with Kiki.”
“You sound exhausted.”
“I am.” She laughs. “But I love it.”
I smile, remembering how I felt with each of my sons.
“What can I do to help?” I ask.
“You already help more than enough. Jase should be home soon. Hopefully, he can tire Katherine out.”
“Oh, where is he?”
“Still having their man to man,” she says with a laugh. “I thought they’d be home by—”
“They have Thomas!” I immediately realize why he is late. “Those boys …”
“It wasn’t them; it was Thomas.” She giggles. “He asked that they meet him after work.”
“Meet him where, exactly?” I say as I shove my feet in my boots and grab my coat.
“I think Forever Steel.” She yawns. “Everything is fine, Joe. We all love that you and he are happy.”
I grab my keys off of the entry table. “You sound tired. We’ll talk tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
Twenty minutes later, I am pulling up in front of Forever Steel. I jump out of my vehicle, push lock on my key fob, flip off the bitch from across the street who runs the knock off of my shop, and walk inside.
“Where are they?” I ask Kat, who is just about ready to turn out the front light.
“Rico’s room,” she says with a shit-eating grin. “Give ’em hell, Joe.”
“Oh, I intend to.”
I push open the door and my boys, Thomas, and Rico all look at me.
“You are alive and well?” I ask Thomas.
He looks at his wristwatch. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”
“Uh-oh. Thomas is in trouble,” Xavier chuckles.
I scowl at them all, turn, walk out the door, and shut it behind me. When I hear my name when I reach the front door, I hold up my middle finger and keep on walking.
I am about to get in my vehicle when Thomas grabs my wrist. “I really lost track of time. Sorry about that. Why didn’t you call?”
I feel a lump in my throat as I shake his hand free. “We will talk in the morning.”
“Absolutely not,” he says.
I whip around and look at him. “You …” I stop when I feel the first tear fall. “You scared me.”
“Josephina,” he whispers, “that was not my intention.”
“We will talk tomorrow.” I get in my vehicle and start it up, pulling away from the curb as I begin to cry.
I knew I cared about Thomas, like family for a couple years now. I have always found him to be attractive, but until he pushed me a little, I would never had acted on it. It was more than friends and different than family. At this moment as I wipe away the tears, fear consumes me. I once believed I would never be without my husband. Then I lost him, and I believed I would never love again. However, in this moment with this feeling, this fear, I know I love Thomas differently than I do Jonathon, but it is love, nonetheless.
I pull into my driveway and get out, hearing a vehicle’s tires screeching, and look back as I walk toward my door.
Thomas.
He pulls in and slams on the breaks, jumps out of his vehicle, and he starts coming at me like a storm.
“Don’t do that again,” he snaps at me. “Don’t leave without saying good-bye, and don’t leave angry.”
I am stunned.
He grabs my face and kisses me hard. Then his lips lay against mine as he says, “I’m sorry for that, but don’t leave angry or without saying good-bye.” There is an urgency in his voice, pain in his tone, and need in his kiss.
I whisper, “Okay.”
He steps back and kneels down on one knee. “I have your sons’ blessing and so do you. I love you and want to make you happy and whole again.”
Oh. My. God.
“I need you to listen to me, Josephina Steel. I need you to really listen.”
I nod as I look down at him.
“Some men were put on this earth to raise a family. Some men were put here to keep that family’s support stronger than ever after a devastating blow while selfishly taking advantage of them on days like Wine Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, Frisky Friday, and let’s not forget Sexy Saturday.
“I will never take his place in your heart. I will never say I wish I met you before, because the woman before me now is the one I am in love with. You will always be Forever Steel, Josephina. It has made you the woman you are, and you are a fine, fine woman. Let me be forever yours.” He opens the box hidden in his hand, and I see a ring that is bigger than life.
“I don’t need to hear the words ‘I love you.’ I know you do. Until you say them, I will show you that you do. Marry me. I want to start our lives together under the same roof now. Say yes, and you will never regret it.”
I have tears pouring down my face, and he has them in his eyes.
“I love you, Thomas.”
“Say yes.”
Without further hesitation, I say, “Yes.”
After he puts the ring on my finger, he stands up and pulls me against him. When I squeeze him he grimaces.
“Are you okay?”
“Better than okay.” He smiles.
I push up on my toes, seeking a kiss, and run my hands up his sides, stopping when I feel gauze.
“What did they do to you?”
“Do you think I’d let them do something to me?” He laughs. “Do you think they would?”
I sigh. “With them, you never know.”
He laughs again. “They tried to get me to tattoo Forever Steel on my side like they have.
“You didn’t?” I gasp.
He lifts his shirt and peels back the tape. ‘Forever Joe’s’ is tattooed on his side.
“I asked them if they would give us their blessing.”
I smile and laugh, and then I kiss him.
Of course he did.
“I did it for you.”
“I love you.” I smile and kiss him again.
“I know you do.”
*.*.*.*
Forever Steel
You want more STEEL? Of course you do. Ties of Steel, the complete series is available now. Check out Abe
Spring break in Fort Lauderdale was calling my name. I had been there a handful of times when I was attending college at NYU, earning my Master’s in finance and business. But I hadn’t been back in a few years. I needed a break. I hadn’t had time for a vacation since my job at Steel Inc. as CFO kept me busy, and the owners, my brothers by choice, kept me even busier.
Jase, my best friend and CEO of Steel, was back to being the man I knew he would someday be. He was married with one kid and another on the way. He was still a pain in the ass, but his wife, my cousin, had his ass in check—well as much as anyone could have him in check. The others were attached too. Thank God!
Normally I had a bro in tow, but not this time. I was going to lay my ass in the sand, check out the scenery, get drunk, and bring back whoever I wanted to take out this pent up sexual frustration on.
Drunken, mindless, no-holding-back sex. It had been awhile since I had been able to hook up with someone just because. Just because I liked her ass, or the way she smiled, or the little twitch my dick did when I saw something I wanted to be inside of.
