OverTime (The Dartmouth Cobras Book 9)

by Bianca Sommerland

  “I hate when shit happens that I can’t control. Including my own feelings being messed up by a scene I wanted to be part of.” He tipped his head back. “I don’t keep things from you, Ian. And I won’t this time. I just…I need to be here with you. Away from everything, not letting it touch me. Not be fucking scared that we’ll lose the team and our lives will change, no matter how far some are willing to go to stop that from happening. Tomorrow, the day after, we’ll have to face what might happen to the team. Tomorrow, I gotta deal with the fact that I’m not fucking okay.”

  “But tonight, you’re here.” Justina pressed against his side, exchanging a look with Ian, a silent agreement passing between them as she laced her fingers with Shawn’s. “We’re here. And we’ll figure this out together.”

  “Tomorrow.” The edge of Ian’s lips curved. He pulled Shawn down to lie with him, stretching out his arm to pull Justina close as well as she wrapped her arm around Shawn’s waist. “And hey, you kept me from getting into any more trouble.”

  Shawn pressed his eyes shut and shook his head. “I could’ve done that before everything went so bad if I’d been focused on you instead of—”

  “Tomorrow, Easy.” Ian kissed him, clearing all thoughts and regrets and self-doubt from his mind with the firm press of his lips, the nickname reminding Shawn who he was. Who they were. They’d gotten through worse. They’d get through this too. Ian smiled as Shawn opened his eyes, then glanced over at Justina. “There he is.”

  “I was starting to wonder if we’d lost him.” Justina brushed her lips over the side of Shawn’s neck. “Same rules for you as you have for us. Talk when you’re ready, but don’t wait too long or we’ll get creative.”

  “You know, ganging up on your Dom isn’t wise.” He tried to sound serious, but he couldn’t keep the laughter from his tone. He might be ‘Easy’, but when it came to them, he was a goner. He needed reinforcements, only, being greedy would make that difficult. “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow will be fucked up.”

  “Yeah, it might be.” Justina sighed, relaxing against his shoulder as he rolled onto his back. “But tonight is perfect.”

  For a man who’d always lived in the rush of every experience, never looking too far ahead, it was strange that he needed the reminder to stay where he was. But Justina was right. Remove all the fear of the future, stick with right now, and he had it all.

  “I love you.” He pressed a kiss to her hair, inhaling slowly as Ian brushed his lips over his chest. “We’re good. That’s all that matters.”

  Could he promise they would continue to be? No. But if he couldn’t stop tomorrow from haunting him, he could promise himself one thing.

  He’d fight for them. Whatever it took. If he couldn’t control anything else, he could control what he was willing to do to make sure they came through this. Together.

  And this wouldn’t be their last perfect night.

  Chapter 12

  Akira stopped at the front door of the house she shared with Cort and Ford and closed her eyes. Setting the heavy bags full of everything she’d bought to show her commitment to this family at her feet, she rubbed the painful lines across her palms from the bags and took a moment to simply stare at the door, then at the yard. All perfectly maintained because well-tended landscaping was part of the rules for living here.

  Somewhere Cort felt was safe enough. Somewhere they could live their lives and not worry about the past showing up at their front door and ruining everything they’d started to build together.

  Not without warning anyway.

  She’d gotten plenty of warning. Not that what Ford had told her ruined anything…

  I am a horrible person.

  She couldn’t deny she’d panicked when he’d told her he had a son. That he wanted to raise him. That all their plans, all their being careful and waiting, didn’t matter. She’d had moments when Cort talked about having a room for their baby, or just seeing Ford holding his nephew, made her want to toss all the plans aside, but then she spent days at her new rink, or with Jami—who was terrified that she couldn’t be a good mother—and that longing to have her own child with the men she loved was easy to push away.

  They had time. Until they didn’t. And with the season starting, her Ice Girls to take care of, her friends needing her…she was so overwhelmed she didn’t know what to do next. And didn’t want to say the wrong thing to Ford, but she’d still managed to. He was talking like he was ready to let her go, but she wasn’t going anywhere.

  When Cort had texted that they needed to talk, she’d decided she had to do something to prove to both her men that she was in this with them. Only…she wasn’t sure what was expected of her. She’d just turned twenty-two. How was she supposed to be a mom to a ten-year-old? And that was how it was going to be. She’d be a mom, and moms were expected to make the most sacrifices. Her mother had when her family had taken in so many foster kids. She’d given up her own job as an IT specialist to take care of children who needed a stable environment, a loving home. Something both her parents had wanted to do, but since her father became the sole provider, he wasn’t expected to contribute at home.

  Sure, it was easy to say he should have. To say his 9-5 hours shouldn’t be the end of his day when her mother was sometimes up all night with a new baby who’d been placed until their parents could prove themselves, while caring for the children who’d been with them for years, but he still came home to dinner waiting for him every night and got to relax and watch his favorite shows while Mom continued her work with the kids. They’d both come from big families. He was doing things the same way his father had.

  From what Akira knew, neither Cort or Ford had been raised by men who were involved with their offspring. Sure, Sutter was protective of Cort, was always there for him, but had he ever sat down with Cort to do homework? Helped around the house with chores? Taken part in discipline and all the parenting stuff that wasn’t easy or fun?

  She didn’t know because they hadn’t reached that point in their discussions about having kids. But now…now all she saw was her dreams becoming secondary because she was the woman and that was how it was supposed to be.

  The front door opened. Cort folded his arms over his wide chest, brow raised. “Is there a reason you didn’t let me know you needed help with all this?”

  “I didn’t. It was…supposed to be a surprise.” She ducked her head as Cort shook his. “I fucked up.”

  “Akira—”

  “Don’t you dare get on my case about swearing. I’m not playing, Cort. I feel horrible. Ford needs our support. And I’m going to show him he has it.” She reached down to grab her supplies, grinding her teeth when Cort swiped them out from under her hands. “What about my last words didn’t you understand?”

  “I thought the ‘our support’ was quite clear.” Cort lowered his voice as she followed him in, nudging the door shut behind him. “We finished a scene not too long ago and I think he’s out for the night. If you’re doing what I think you are, it’s fucking awesome and I want to help. You want to do this on your own? Fine. But at least let me keep you company.”

  “And carry everything?” She rolled her eyes when his lips quirked. “I can manage at least one of the buckets.”

  “Really?” He stopped, halfway up the stairs, and glanced back at her. “Show me your hands.”

  Without thinking, she hid her hands behind her. “Why?”

  “Exactly what I thought. You forget I met you while you were shopping for three people on your own, carrying a bunch of bags and refusing to ask for help. You’re tough, Akira. I get it. But I love you and I wish you’d fucking let me be useful sometimes.” He shook his head and continued up the stairs. “I can cook. I’m capable of doing my own laundry. I love that you want to do things for me, but why don’t I get to do things for you too?”

  Frowning at his back, she hurried to keep up with his long strides. “You do things for me all the time. You put the winter, then summer tires on my car.”


  “It’s September.”

  “So you’ll have to do it again in two months.”

  “And you folded all my work clothes yesterday.” Stepping into the spare bedroom, Cort set the buckets and other supplies on the floor. “We’re gonna have a kid here. Hopefully soon, so Ford’s dad can’t keep using the boy as a goddamn pawn. The three of us are gonna have to work together so we can be a family. So Ford doesn’t feel like he’s in this alone.”

  “He’s not alone, but I know how it’s going to be. You work crazy hours. He’s at the forum all day.” She sighed and hugged herself, hoping he wouldn’t hate her for voicing her worst fears. “My actual paying job doesn’t take up as much time.”

  His brow furrowed. “Maybe not, but setting up your school takes more.”

  “That won’t matter. One of us has to be here for the kid.”

  “All of us have to. Why would it be you more than me or Ford?” Cort shook his head before she could answer and stepped forward, curving his hand under her jaw. “Look at me. Your dreams still matter. Do you think we’d lay all the responsibilities on you because you’re a woman? Come on, Tiny. You know us better than that.”

  She did, and she wanted to believe him, but she wasn’t sure he really understood how much having a child in the house would change things. “I don’t think you’d mean to, but with the customizing jobs you’ve been getting, you bring in more money than either me or Ford. And Ford won’t have a job at all if the team is moved, so he’s putting in extra time to make sure it isn’t. What does it matter if opening the school is put off another year or two?”

  “It matters because you’ve been busting your ass to make it happen. You already have plenty of interest and you’re going to be a huge success. I own my own business. I can make my own hours whenever I want. I’ve got amazing people working for me who can take on any project.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “And if the team is moved, Ford will find another job. Or maybe he’ll decide to be a full-time dad. Would you be cool with that?”

  Ford staying home all day, cooking and cleaning and going to PTA meetings, sounded about as likely as Cort trading in his welding gun and permanently donning a three-piece suit. But if he wanted to? “Of course I would. I don’t see it happening, but… I guess having had two shitty fathers himself, he probably wants to prove he can do better?”

  “He does. And none of us are sure how it will go down, but we gotta let him take the lead. Just be there for him. Together.” He jerked his chin at one of the paint buckets. “Knowing you, this isn’t all you got.”

  Her cheeks heated and she tucked her thumbs into the pockets of her light blue jeans. “I should have checked with Ford first, but I wanted to surprise him. Do something big to make up for not telling him right away that I’ll be there for him. I just…I just couldn’t. I was scared.”

  “I don’t blame you. I’m fucking terrified.” Cort brushed a soft kiss over her lips. “You forget, I was the one looking out for Ford when he was with his son’s mother. Obviously, I did an awesome job.”

  “He’s still alive. I call that a win.” She looked around the room, empty except for a couple of boxes of odds and ends they’d stuffed in here after moving. “I got a bedroom set with a desk that will be here tomorrow morning. I figured if I painted tonight, it would be dry in time to set everything up.”

  Cort inclined his head. “It will be, but the job will go twice as fast if we work together.”

  “True… But you don’t have to make up for being gone and distant and uncertain.”

  “Neither do you.” Cort held her close and pressed his lips to her hair. “Akira, Ford doesn’t blame you for needing time to think about this. And neither do I. The only difference is, he was willing to let you go and I’m too selfish. I’d tear myself in two if that’s what it took to be with both of you. Which sounds fucking stupid, but I don’t give a shit. You didn’t sign up for being a mom. And if you’re not ready, that’s okay.”

  “I’m not…but I want to be here. Ford’s son is…he’s family. And he needs all of us.” She inhaled roughly, face pressed against Cort’s chest. “Jaxon didn’t ask for this either. And the three of us can make sure he has a better childhood than Ford did.” She eased away from Cort and looked around the room. “Starting with giving him a place of his own. I spent forever just looking at different colors, and I know blue is cliché for a boy, but…we can change it if he hates it.”

  “I don’t think he’ll hate it. I think he’ll be happy to finally get a chance to settle down. To have his own space.” Cort ran his hand over his close-shaved hair. “He’s spent most of his life in foster homes. He’s not gonna trust this is where he’s gonna be for good for a while. He hardly knows Ford. He doesn’t know us at all. But everything we do will help make him feel more secure.”

  “That’s all I want. And my parents had foster kids most of my life, so I’m prepared for this not to be easy. I just…” One thing that made her relationship with Cort and Ford work was how honest they were with one another. She’d been holding back lately, which was why things had gone bad. But she wouldn’t anymore. “My mother gave up her career to raise so many kids and my father…I love him, but I used to get so angry when I’d see him come home from work and do nothing. Mom said that was how it was. A man loved his kids, but his job was to provide for the family. And her job was to take care of him. And all of us.”

  “But you don’t want to live like that.” Cort smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you told me. Explains a lot. And not something you’re gonna see happening with us. You do more than your share around the house out of habit, and I might tell you not to, but I haven’t really stepped up to make sure you don’t have to. I keep figuring it’ll piss you off.”

  Akira wrinkled her nose. “Wouldn’t piss me off if you taught Ford to put his towels in the hamper.”

  “Good. Because I will. And we’re all gonna sit down and figure out how to manage shit here together. Split things evenly because we all work and this ain’t the fucking 50s.” Cort bent down and grabbed the paint can opener, prying the top off one of the buckets. “How about we start now? We paint together, both get a good night’s sleep, then make sure everything’s set up nice in the morning. Keep Ford out of here so it’s a nice surprise when we’re done.”

  For a rough ex-enforcer who’d once been everything she’d feared, Cort couldn’t be any more perfect. Talking to him sooner would have saved her a lot of stress, but she knew he understood how crazy life had been. And she had a feeling Ford did too. They always found their way to a place where love and trust and devotion was all that mattered.

  They didn’t have to be perfect. They only had to be here for the long run.

  And she was willing to do whatever it took to prove she was. One-hundred-fucking-percent.

  Only…she wouldn’t say the last out loud. Cort tried to keep her from swearing because he was worried the habit would seep into her role as captain of the Ice Girls. Or as instructor at her new figure skating school. She’d never cursed much before she met him and Ford. Her parents would have grounded her for weeks.

  Punishments from Cort were much more fun. Usually. Unless he was really disappointed, but she did her best to make sure that didn’t happen. Submitting to him was a much-needed release from the demands of her crazy life. A break that was too rare to ruin with being disciplined.

  Not that they had time for that now. But…hopefully, soon.

  “Please tell me you have a day off tomorrow.” Cort tipped her chin up with a finger, his lips curving. “I need to explore whatever put that look in your eyes. I haven’t seen it in far too long.”

  “Our next practice isn’t until Monday, but you can’t take Friday off, Cort. You—”

  “Are the boss. And choosing what days I get off is one of the perks.” He pulled her against him, kissing her until her head was spinning before letting her go. “First, we’ve got to finish your project.�
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  “That’s a good idea.” She cleared her throat and picked up the bag that held the rollers and paint brushes. “I—”

  “—have been away too long. And forgot who’s in control.” He stepped up behind her, lips brushing her ear as he spoke softly. “When this is done, I’ll remind you.”

  She shivered, leaning back and pressing her eyes shut.

  Which is exactly what I need.

  Ford was pretty sure he hadn’t slept this long since he was a teen, crashing after a long night of partying. Only, unlike back then, he wasn’t waking up with a hangover. But he was still sore pretty much everywhere. Except where he would be if he’d finally convinced Cort to fuck him.

  Considering the scene he’d done with Cort and Pisch yesterday, he was still disappointed it hadn’t happened, but he got it. He’d been mind-fucked instead. And thankfully hadn’t said too much…

  He didn’t think he had, anyway.

  Damn it, why couldn’t he remember what he had said? Cort hadn’t been mad, so he couldn’t have revealed everything. Just enough to make him feel like he’d mentally gotten his ass kicked. To feel way too exposed. If he let himself look back, he could feel Kyle’s hands on him. That fucking helplessness when he’d realized he couldn’t stop the other man from taking anything he wanted.

  Only…he could. Cort’s idea of making sure someone was with him might work. Anthony Delgado wanted one thing. Something Ford was giving him. If Ford went to him with Cort, or Akira, Kyle wouldn’t be able to fuck around. Not if he wanted to keep living in Anthony’s fancy condo, getting money for everything he and his sister wanted.

  Ford didn’t want to drag either of them into this fucked up mess though. Akira had enough going on and Cort could only be pushed so far, no matter what he said. Maybe bringing a friend would work. Ford would have to explain why, but Cort was smart. He’d get it.