by Cathryn Fox
“Come here,” I say to our son and bend to fix his hair. He fusses and tries to get away. My God, his rambunctiousness reminds me so much of Tyler when he was young. While I’m sure I’m in for a hard time during his teen years, it brings a smile to my face. “We want to look good for Mommy’s big book signing, don’t we?” He crinkles up his face because he couldn’t care less, but my heart swells. With each passing day, he looks more and more like me…like my dad. I fell in love with Alyson even more—impossible, I know—when she suggested we name him Perry after my dad. It was my idea to name Jacklyn after Alyson’s uncle, a way for us to keep his memory alive for all of us.
“Will you two hurry up?” Tyler calls from downstairs.
“We’re coming,” I shout back.
Beck huffs. “Why are we late for everything?”
“Because we have two kids,” I holler out. Tyler mumbles curses. “Hey, no swearing in front of the kids.” I touch Alyson’s arm after she slips in her earrings. “All set?”
“All ready,” she says, sounding a bit breathless.
“Nervous?” I ask.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “A bit.”
“You’re going to do great. You know that, right?”
She nods, her eyes brimming with confidence. “I do.” She goes up on her toes and presses her soft lips to mine. Jacklyn coos and tugs at her hair. We laugh and break apart, heading downstairs to find Mom, Tyler, and Beck waiting for us. Mom beams at Alyson.
“You look beautiful.” They hug, and I usher everyone outside. Cluck circles the SUV. Yeah, I had to buy a new vehicle so I could accommodate my big family.
“He is not coming,” Alyson says, and Cluck crows at her.
“Why not? He plays a major part in the book, doesn’t he?”
“Jay…”
I laugh and shoo Cluck away. “Go find Princess Lay-A,” I say. He takes off, and I buckle Jacklyn into her seat. I try to help Perry into his booster, but he’s not having any of that. Like his mother, he hates to ask for help, but sooner or later, like Alyson, he’ll realize it’s okay to count on those who love you.
“Can we go already?” Tyler says. “I’ve got chicks to—”
“Disappoint,” I say and slide into the driver’s seat.
“Ha-ha. Very funny, old man.” I glance at Tyler in my rearview mirror. I’m so damn proud of the kid. After high school, he enrolled in agricultural college and now works the farm full-time with me—and yeah, he’s still a total pain in my ass, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I turn my attention to Beck, who’s dreamily looking out the window. He’s in his last year of veterinary college, and we plan to put up a building on the property we took back from Charlie Miller, so Beck can also help out with our own cattle. Life couldn’t have turned out any better. Everyone I love lives close, and now with our kids sporting Dad’s and Jack’s names, it’s a way to keep the two men here, in our hearts.
“You okay, Beck?” I ask.
Tyler snorts. “He’s just missing Lily.”
“Who’s Lily?” I ask.
Beck punches Tyler in the shoulder. “Mind your own business.”
“Boys, come on now. It’s Alyson’s day,” Mom says. “Let’s all get along.”
Alyson smiles from the passenger seat, her cheeks a soft shade of pink and glowing. The last time I saw her glowing like that was…
“Push over,” Tyler says, shoving Beck, and I roll my eyes at my wife. Wife. It’s been four years, and I still can’t believe I get to call her that.
Every day she works the farm and parents our children with me, and at night when I don’t have her tucked beneath me, she loses herself in her writing.
I negotiate the road that leads to the town’s main street, and there is already a crowd lined up outside the bookstore. She wanted to have her first signing in our small town instead of the city, and I’m sure all of the residents of Farmington are here to support her tonight. She sure worked her way into a lot of hearts. But she also found herself here and is now taking over Jack’s traditions by setting up the haunted house at Halloween and hosting numerous weddings. She’s run off her feet, but she loves every minute of it.
I reach across the seat and give her thigh a reassuring squeeze. Her book is going to be a big hit. I should know. I read it, and it’s hilarious.
I finally find a parking spot, and my huge family slides from the car. Tyler carries Jacklyn inside, while Beck takes Perry’s hand. I laugh as the girls in the crowd stare with wide eyes. Those babies are like chick magnets, and I have to say, my brothers would both make amazing fathers.
We walk past the crowd, which takes forever as everyone wants to talk to Alyson. We finally get inside, and Alyson stops dead in her tracks, her hands pressed to her face when she sees the big display set up.
“I can’t believe this,” she says, tears filling her eyes. “This is a dream come true.”
“You did it, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of me, too,” she says as the staff come running over to greet her.
I pick up the book and read the title: The Burbs and the Bees. I laugh out loud. The damn title gets me every time.
“Jack would have loved this,” I say to my mom as they seat Alyson behind the table.
“He would have been so proud of her,” Mom says.
“He would have, just like we are, but most importantly, she’s proud of herself.”
As my brothers entertain my children, I step forward before they open the doors to the public. I once promised her I’d be the first to buy her book, and I plan to keep that promise. She grins up at me, scribbles something on the page of one of her books, and hands it over to me. She has a mischievous look on her face, but I’m not sure what she’s up to as I open the book and read what she just wrote.
For my wonderful husband, Jay, our oldest son Perry, and our middle daughter Jacklyn.
I stare at the words for a second and try to comprehend what she’s saying. Sometimes I can be so damn dense.
“Can’t you read?” she says in a playful manner. I laugh, recalling the time I shouted those words at her when we first met—when I yelled at her for being too close to the water’s edge. I lift my head, and as I catch her grin, understanding dawns. She stands, and my gaze drops to her stomach. My heart pounds against my chest as tears press against my eyes. I am seriously the luckiest man in the world.
“We’re…pregnant?”
“Yeah, babe, we’re pregnant.”
I run around the table and pick her up. She wraps her arms around me, and I kiss her deeply. As the crowd grows restless outside, a murmur of curiosity, I rest my forehead against hers.
“I was wrong,” I say, and she inches back, her eyes narrowing in confusion.
“Wrong? As in, you don’t want a flock?”
“Oh, I want a flock.” I touch her face, and her eyes fill with the love she has for me. I lightly brush my lips to hers and murmur, “We made some mistakes and might have learned a few lessons along the way, but being with you, even when we were taking an ice-cold bath in the Atlantic Ocean, has been nothing but a blessing.” She gives a contented sigh. “I love you, Hot Stuff.”
“I love you, too, Mr. Honey Buns.”
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Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to Candace Havens, Tracy Montoya, and the entire team at Entangled who helped me make this books shine.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathryn Fox is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie), pizza, and red wine. Cathryn has two teenagers who keep her busy and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. When not writing, Cathryn can be found la
ughing over lunch with friends, hanging out with her kids, or watching a big action flick with her husband.
Also by Cathryn Fox…
Learning Curves
Hands On
Body Contact
Full Exposure
Slow Ride
Wild Ride
Sweet Ride
Hold Me Down Hard
Tie Me Down Tight
Bonding Games
Engaging the Bachelor
The Penthouse Pact
Betting on the Wrong Brother
House Rules
Private Reserve
Under Pressure
Big Catch
Brazilian Fantasy
Improper Proposal
Hooked on You
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