by Kaylee Ryan
“Yes,” I say, breathless from his kisses.
“I’ll try to be as respectful as possible,” he says as the cab pulls up to his grandparents’ house. “Let’s go see our girl.” He opens the door and climbs out, offering me his hand.
Our girl. He doesn’t even realize he said it. Those two words cause my heart to swell and crack all at the same time. No matter how bad I want her to be, she’s not my girl. I know I will get to see her still when this is over, but I want that claim. I love her.
We find our parents and Lexi sitting around the kitchen table. Evan drops our bag and rushes to take her from his mom. “Hey, baby girl,” he whispers to her. She coos and grins at him, and he visibly relaxes. In two long strides, they’re next to me. “We missed you,” he tells her, including me again.
Reaching out, I offer her my finger. “Hey, Lexi girl,” I say, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She latches onto my hair and shrieks. Silly girl.
“Have you eaten?” Carol asks.
“No, we packed up and left right after I talked to you,” Evan tells her.
“Well, have a seat. We had biscuits and gravy. There’s plenty left over.”
Evan pulls out a chair and motions for me to sit. I take the seat and he hands Lex to me, dropping a kiss on top of my head as he pulls back. I don’t even think he realizes he did it. I see my mom grinning from the corner of my eye.
“Hey, you’re back,” Aaron says, joining us.
“Yeah, Mom said Lex was a little cranky, so we packed up.” Evan brings me a plate and sets it in front of me before going back to make his own. Once he’s done, he takes the seat next to me. “You want me to take her?” he offers.
“I just got her,” I complain. He grins and shakes his head.
Lexi settles in my arms, watching her surroundings, so I pick up my fork and begin to eat. Evan does the same, resting one hand on the back of my chair.
“So our flight leaves at four,” Aaron speaks up. “Before we go, I was thinking you and I could hit that fishing hole you’re always yammering about.”
Evan’s eyes flash to mine, and he winks. “You okay with that?” he asks me.
I’m taken off guard by his question. “Uh . . . yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
He just shrugs and turns to look at Aaron. “Sounds like a plan.”
“You want me to keep Lexington?” his mom asks. Again, Evan turns to look at me.
“I’m sure you want as much snuggle time as possible before we leave tomorrow, but I’ll be here either way,” I tell her.
The rest of breakfast is small talk. Evan, Aaron, and our fathers talk about fishing while Mom and Carol talk about the cute outfits Carol bought for Lexi. When we’re done, Evan takes our plates and adds them to the dishwasher. Lexi is now sound asleep in my arms. He stops beside my chair and kneels at my side. “We won’t be gone long, a couple of hours.” He reaches over and pulls her sock up. I nod and smile, and before I know what’s happening, he leans in and kisses me. It’s a soft chaste kiss, but it’s in front of our families. Pulling back, he winks before standing and turning to Aaron. “Let’s head out, can’t have you missing your flight,” he says, heading toward the door.
Aaron looks between me and Evan like he can’t believe what just happened. Did he forget he left us a little present in the hotel room? He finally shakes his head and follows Evan out the door.
“I was hoping, since Evan’s gone, I could take a few pictures of the two of you and Lexi,” I tell his parents. “I know I’ve taken a ton this week, but I thought maybe a few that were a little more formal might be a good surprise for him.”
“Of course, but I have one condition,” his mom says. I smile and nod. “You have to send me copies.”
I laugh. “You got it. I’m going to go lay her down, and when she wakes up, we’ll take a few. It won’t take long,” I say, looking over at his dad. He looks worn out from all the excitement.
“Sounds like a plan, young lady,” he says, his voice gruff.
“This is it?” Aaron asks.
“Yep, we need to walk through that clearing.” I point through the front window of the Durango.
“Let’s do this. We only have about two hours before I have to get back,” he says, climbing out of the SUV.
I keep waiting for him to call me out. I kissed McKinley in front of all of them, but it just felt right. She had my daughter, who I know she loves, in her arms and she was smiling at me, my smile, damn it. How was I supposed to resist that? I wanted to kiss my wife and I did. No regrets.
We make it through the clearing and I guide us away from the spot where I proposed to McKinley. We set up our chairs, bait our hooks, and kick back for some male bonding. Aaron and I have been fishing more times than I can count over the years.
“What was that this morning?” Aaron breaks the silence.
I play dumb. “What was what?”
“You asking my sister for permission to go fishing.”
Oh that. “She’s my wife.”
“I know that, but this was supposed to be for Lexi,” he counters.
“Plans change.”
“Really?”
“You really want to have this conversation?”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
“Yes, my plans changed, but hers have not. This is still an agreement with amended terms.”
“I see.” I can tell my answer aggravates him, but what can he say? Like McKinley said, we’re both consenting adults—married consenting adults.
“We got your gift,” I say, putting it out there. If he wants to talk about this shit, then we can talk about it. I’d rather do it now than when McKinley is around to hear it.
“I went back to the room three times before I actually left it there. I fought with myself over and over. I knew the two of you weren’t planning to spend the night anywhere else and by the way you kept looking at her . . . I just thought better safe than sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s weird for me, seeing you with her like that. I mean, I’ve watched the two of you grow closer, but since Lex was born, it’s just different between the two of you.”
“It’s been happening for months, man. She’s . . . amazing.”
Aaron turns to look at me. I can feel his stare, but I keep my gaze on the water.
My phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket. It’s a text from Kinley, a picture of Lexi curled up on her chest sleeping.
“That my sister?” Aaron asks.
“My wife,” I reply. The words falling from my lips. I should have just said yes.
“You told her.” It’s not a question. I have to tear my eyes away from my girls to answer him.
“No.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, shame washes over me. I wanted to tell her, almost did.
“I think you’re making a mistake.”
“I just . . . can’t tell her okay.”
Aaron throws his head back and laughs. Probably scaring all the fish, fucker. “It’s easy to see, man. You think I would have left you a box of condoms in a hotel room with my baby sister, marriage license or not, if I didn’t know you loved her? She knows me better than that. I’m sure she can see right through you just like the rest of us.”
“You can’t tell her.”
That sobers him up. “No, you need to tell her.”
“This is different for her. She cares about me, but she loves my daughter. She reminds me daily that we both will be walking away from this. Until then, I want to hold on tight to every moment she’s my wife. Moments like kissing her goodbye and asking if she’s okay with me leaving. I don’t need her permission, but I want to share it all with her. That all comes with it,” I explain.
“I get it, but I think you’re wrong. She loves both of you.”
How I wish that were true. We could drop this agreement bullshit and just be . . . us. “She’s adamant, man. She constantly says that this is just temporary.”
“I call bullshit.”
I shrug. “I won’t pressure her to change her mind. I want her happy. More than anything, that’s what matters to me. If leaving me once this shit is worked out with Misty’s parents is what she wants, then I have to live with that.”
My phone vibrating in my pocket breaks the silence. Digging it out, it’s another text from McKinley. This time it’s her and Lexi both wide awake, lying on the bed, smiling up at the camera. The caption says, “We miss you.”
“Your wife?” Aaron smirks.
“Yes.” I hold the phone up so he can see the picture.
“Like I said, I call bullshit. Let’s pack up and head out. Fish aren’t biting and I really just wanted to get you away from your wife, so we could talk.”
“Yeah,” I say, saving both pictures and then sliding the phone back in my pocket.
We pack up and are back on the road in no time. “Never thought it would be my little sister, man, but I’m happy for you.”
I grin at him. “You do realize we are now officially brothers?” I ask him.
He laughs. “Never thought about it, but I guess we are.” Reaching over, he claps me on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family.”
Family. My foot presses a little harder on the pedal in a hurry to get back to mine.
This week has been a little crazy. In between shoots at the studio, I’ve been packing up my clothes and bringing over a few boxes at a time. I’m not bringing everything, because, well . . . I’m just going to have to move it all back when it’s over.
Luckily, today I have nothing scheduled in the studio, so Lexi and I are hanging around the house. I’m working on getting my clothes unpacked. Thankfully, we have a furniture delivery coming around eleven. We decided to go ahead and buy a bed for one of the extra bedrooms as well as another dresser to match the suite in the master. Evan insisted I have a place for my clothes. “I don’t want you living out of boxes,” he said.
“Honey, I’m home,” I hear Evan yell from downstairs.
“Daddy’s home, Lex,” I say as I finish changing her diaper. “He’s home early.”
“There you are.” He stands in the doorway of her bedroom. “How are my girls?”
I love it when he does that, when he calls us his girls. “Good, doing some laundry and waiting for the furniture delivery. What are you doing home?”
“I missed a call from the attorney, so I thought I would stop here and call him from the landline. Reception has been sketchy the last few days.”
“I haven’t noticed, but then again, I don’t think I’ve done anything other than text or email from my phone.” I lift Lexi from the changing table and she grins at her daddy.
“Hey, baby girl.” He grabs her foot. “I’m going to go make the call. Then I’ll hang out with you two for a bit. I feel like all we’ve done this week is rush around.”
“Me too.”
He leans in and kisses me. “I won’t be long.” I watch as he walks back downstairs and toward the office. My gut clenches. We’ve been waiting to hear from the attorney. Evan faxed him our marriage license from Alabama before we left. Now it’s just a waiting game.
Lexi and I are in the living room playing on the floor when Evan joins us. “Has she done it again?” he asks.
“Not today.” Lexi rolled over two nights ago and we’ve been dying for her to do it again. “What did he say?” I ask.
He sits down on the other side of Lexi and props up on an elbow. “Apparently, her parents are furious. They are still going to try to take this thing to trial. Fields says they have no case. It doesn’t help their case that he has documentation from Misty saying they were to have nothing to do with Lex.”
“They don’t love her,” I blurt out. “I feel bad for them, losing their daughter, I do. However, that does not give them the right to take ou . . . yours.”
“Hey.” He reaches over and cradles my cheek. “They won’t take her. You made sure of that the day you agreed to be my wife.”
“I just hate it! I hate thinking of her living with them. They told her to . . .” I can’t even finish the thought.
“I know, babe. Fields mentioned that as well. Misty brought that up the day we signed the papers. He assures me they don’t have a case. If they want to waste attorney fees dragging this thing through court, let them.”
The doorbell chimes. Evan grins. “That, my wife, is your dresser.” Leaning over, he kisses Lexi on the nose and offers me a quick peck on the lips before jumping to his feet to answer the door. We’re getting a complete bedroom suite and one additional dresser, yet it seems as though that single dresser is what excites him. I stay in the living room with the baby while Evan shows the men where to go.
Twenty minutes later, Evan reappears. “All done.” He grins. “I need to head back out to the stables. We have two new colts being delivered today.”
“Delivered as in the momma is ready to deliver or delivered as in coming on a stock trailer?” I ask him.
“Stock trailer.”
“Awe, maybe I’ll bring Lex out so she can see them.”
“Anytime you want, baby. They should be here in the next hour or so.”
“It’s time for her bottle. Hopefully, she will nap and I can fill up that new dresser. Then,” I tickle Lexi’s belly, “we will go see Daddy at work.”
Evan grins and waves goodbye. It’s not ten minutes before Lex starts to fuss and I know it’s time for her to eat. “Let’s get you fed, baby girl.”
While Lex naps, I take full advantage and unpack the last of my clothes into the dresser. I’m just breaking down the last box when I hear her baby babble from across the hall. I wash my hands and then go get her up. After a quick diaper change, we’re out the door. I load her up in her car seat and we head to the stables.
The sound of the door opening has everyone turning to look at me. Evan is standing there with his flannel shirt hanging open, sleeves ripped off and those abs, the ones I like to trace with my tongue, are on full display. He really is a work of art.
Evan smiles. He ignores the men in front of him and stalks toward me. Snaking his arm around my waist, he kisses me. Lex babbles, causing him to laugh and pull away. “I see you, baby girl.” He taps her nose with his finger. “You ready to see them?” he asks me.
I nod. He takes Lex from me, his arm around my waist, and leads us to the group of men.
“McKinley?” one of the guys says. I turn to look and see Barry Barnes. He and I graduated together.
“Barry, hey.” I step out of Evan’s embrace and hug him.
“How have you been?” he asks, stepping away.
Evan slides his arm around my waist pulling me into his side. I rest my hand on his chest. “Good, I have a photography studio at Mom and Dad’s,” I tell him.
Barry smiles at me. “That doesn’t surprise me. Seems like you always had a camera in your hands, even if it was just a cell phone.”
“I didn’t realize you and my wife knew each other,” Evan chimes in.
“Wife, wow, I didn’t know. Yeah, Kinley and I graduated together.”
“That’s right. I forgot you lived here before,” Evan adds.
“Your daughter’s a cutie,” he says to me.
“She is,” I reply. It’s with those words I feel Evan relax beside me. “You see the horse, Lex?” She couldn’t care less, but I still wanted to bring her out to see them.
Evan laughs. “I don’t think she cares, baby.”
My heart skips a beat at the term. He uses it a lot when it’s just us, but here in front of his employees . . . he just keeps stealing little pieces of my heart.
“I think you’re right. I won’t keep you. I just wanted to stop in and see the new additions.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Evan looks up at the group of guys. “Be right back.”
He loads Lexi in her seat and walks me to my side of the car. Pushing me up against the door, his mouth devours mine. “What was that for?” I ask once he breaks the kiss.
“I just . . .”
&
nbsp; “You’re jealous?” I grin up at him.
“Fuck yes, I’m jealous. He had his hands on you,” he pouts.
“Evan, come on. It was a friendly hug.”
“I know that, and I kept my cool, but . . . I didn’t like it.”
“Poor baby,” I coo, like I would to Lexi.
“Right? I had to watch another man with his hands on my wife.”
“You crazy man. Get back to work. We’ll see you later.” I stand on tiptoes and kiss him one more time.
When I pull away, he’s grinning. “I’ll be home soon.” He kisses me again before opening my door. I drive away with a smile on my face.
Six months. It’s hard to believe my daughter is already six months old. Not only that, but today is my two-month wedding anniversary. Yes, I know this is not usually a milestone that is celebrated, but for me, I don’t know how long I will have her. Each day with McKinley is better than the one before. I’ve almost slipped hundreds of times and said I love you. I do. I love her. She’s just as much a part of me as Lexington.
Today, we’re taking pictures. McKinley has done a special shoot for Lexi each month. Her newborn pictures are still my favorite. She got her elephant ears for a hat and a diaper cover with an “A” on it. My baby girl is sleeping in a ball with the ears on and a matching diaper cover. The day she gave it to me is one of the days I almost let it slip. I almost let the words roll off my tongue. We had only been home from Alabama for about two weeks. I got home one night and there were frames set up all over the kitchen table. The newborn pictures of Lexi along with month one, two, and three, and then there were the pictures of her with my parents. Not gonna lie, I had to choke back tears when I got to those.
“You ready, Daddy?” McKinley asks. She’s standing in the doorway to the living room, camera bag in one arm and my daughter in the other.
“Yes.” I reach for Lexi and she holds out her arms for me. This is something new she’s been doing. I hold her in the air and blow on her tummy, making her giggle and grab my hair.
“Let’s go, you two. Did you get the car seat strapped in on the Mule?” she asks me.
