by L. P. Maxa
Brody deserved a night that was all about him, about us. I worked long hours at the hospital and he’d stepped up in the biggest way. It was hard to believe that a little over three years ago, I wasn’t even sure who the father of my child was. Looking back on that time, I’m so proud of how far we’ve come together. Brody was the best man I have ever known. He was honest, light, kind, and loving. He was the most amazing father to our three boys, and an outstanding husband. He cherishes his family, all of us, and it’s evident in his every action. I won the lottery the night I let him fuck me in a janitor’s closet. How many people can say that?
***
Brody
I never thought I’d be this guy, the doting husband, and the dad. I always had kids climbing all over me, and I counted down the hours to bedtime so I could get their mother alone. Landry was everything I never knew I always wanted, and I was the luckiest fucker on the damn planet.
I sat Walker on the floor in his brothers’ room they shared. They were so close in age, and honestly we sort of used Wyatt to keep an eye on Weston. Our middle child was a bit of a wild card. You never really knew what he was up to, and silence was always something to be concerned about. I grabbed pajamas and clothes for tomorrow, silently thanking the heavens above that the boys were staying with Jacks and B. I couldn’t remember the last time I had Landry all to myself for a whole night.
Walker crawled over and started unpacking the bag. “Bro.” I shoved the clothes back in, taking the diaper from his chubby hands. “Look, I know you’re obsessed with your mom, but I am too. You’re staying at Pop and BB’s, it’s happening whether you like it or not.” He made another play for the diapers so I picked the bag up off the ground, zipping it closed. He squealed, balling his hands into tiny fists.
I scooped him up, shrugging. “You get her all the time. I’m asking for one night.” I smacked a kiss on his cheek. “No hard feelings.”
He grabbed a handful of my hair, drool dripping down onto my dress shirt. I gasped playfully, lifting him so I could blow on his tummy. “Why you so aggro? We both know she’ll come get you first thing in the morning.”
Landry was as obsessed with our boys as they were with her. She would act all elated when they were with her mom or a sitter, and then two seconds later we’d both start to miss them like crazy. I loved the life Landry and I had created here on the compound, and I loved our boys. And to think, it all started one crazy night after a show. I’d asked Landry if she wanted to have some fun, she said yes, and we hadn’t stopped since that moment.
***
Cash
Katie and I took turns getting ready and feeding our boys. We’d learned to multitask like pros since having our twins. Bingham Luke and Hayes Paxton were still in their high chairs, cracker crumbs all over the place. They were wearing dress pants, but we’d opted to keep their tiny button-downs off until it was time to go.
When we’d found out Katie was carrying twins, we cried. At first it was tears of joy, and then it was tears of utter terror. My parents came over for dinner, laughing affectionately at our fear. My mom assured me that we’d be fine, simply because we didn’t know any better. We didn’t know what having one infant was like, so we would be too tired and blissed out to realize we were working doubly as hard.
It hadn’t made a lot of sense when she said it, but once we brought the boys home, I understood. We didn’t have anything else to compare it to, so to us, having two infants was normal. Twins being our normal didn’t diminish the fact that my wife was a straight-up rock star though.
I helped a lot right after they were born, but by the time they were three months old, I was back out on the road. Major league ball waited for no one, breastfeeding wife at home or not. Luckily, Katie and I lived on the compound and there were always plenty of people around to help her out.
I glanced at my watch. “Katie, baby, we need to head out.”
“Almost ready, the boys’ shirts are on the counter.”
I took one baby out at a time, cleaning them off and getting them the rest of the way dressed. We had maybe thirty minutes tops before one, or both of them, ruined their new clean shirts. They were close to crawling, and I knew that once they became mobile everything would change.
I’d tried to talk Katie into hiring a nanny but my mom had started bawling when she overheard. She wanted to be there for her grandsons. She said that was what retirement was all about. Well. She’d semi-retired. She was vetting replacements, tossing each application into the proverbial trashcan. When Katie needed help with the boys, my mom simply took them to the office with her. It was her company. She could damn well do what she pleased. Those were her exact words.
“They ready?” Katie came into the living room, looking like a daydream. Her dress was short, showing off her long legs. Her hair was down and wild, the way I liked it. She held her arms out, taking one of them from me.
I cupped her cheek in my hand, drawing her in for a kiss. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She smiled against my lips. “You look pretty good yourself.”
I picked up the diaper bag, and we headed outside onto the front porch. The sun was shining and the compound was buzzing with activity. Today was going to be a really good day.
***
Katie
Our boys resembled their dad. They were blond with light-colored eyes. One was kind and mellow, and the other was bossy and wild. Cash’s mom said that was the way with twins. They were polar opposites because they had to balance each other out. Bingham used soft hands and always let Hayes get his way. But no one could make Bingham giggle like his brother. It was so fun to watch the way they interacted with each other. It made me wonder what Cash and Crue looked like when they were tiny. Did they seem to have a secret language like my boys? Did they fall asleep looking at each other from across their nursery? Something told me they did. Cash loved his brother something fierce, and he’d gone through hell to give his twin the life he wanted.
I asked him once if he could go back and do things differently, would he? And he said no. He said that he’d have done it all over again if it meant that Crue and Avory got to fall in love. But that was Cash, so loyal, and so damn kind.
“Come here, boys, your daddy has an important job to do today.” I was carrying Bingham, but I scooped Hayes out of Cash’s arms.
He leaned forward, kissing them both on the head. “Hand one of them off, you don’t need to try to keep them both calm through the ceremony.” He straightened, kissing me before heading toward the ceremony site.
“I know Uncle Crue is your favorite daddy substitute, but he’s getting married today so you’re going to have to settle for Uncle Kase when he gets here.” Our boys adored Crue. They would always smile and wiggle, raising their tiny fists when they saw him. I thought it was because they assumed it was Cash, but Cash and Crue swore it was because they had twin vibes and the babies recognized it.
Either way, Crue was a big help, and so was my baby brother.
“Hand me one of my grandsons.” Luke stepped up beside me, taking Bingham and smacking kisses on his cheeks. “Hey, handsome, you boys clean up nice.” He reached over and tickled Hayes’s tummy. “And so do you, momma.”
I laughed. “Thanks, it feels nice to wear something not covered in snot, slobber, or spit-up.” My long flowing dress and freshly washed hair were going a long way to making me feel like a human again. “Your last one is getting married, how do you feel?”
Luke grinned, his eyes crinkling on the sides. “Peaceful and excited at the same time.” He nodded, his gaze taking in the fields surrounding us. “The best is yet to come for all of you guys. Raising your kids here, together, watching them grow older and grow closer… It’s special, and I’m lucky I get to stay a part of it.”
I rested my head briefly on his shoulder, overcome with emotion. This place was special, and I was glad my boys would get to experience it.
When my father had banished me to the compound I now called
home, I couldn’t in my wildest dreams have predicted what was going to come of it. Cash did more than teach me how to live, he taught me how to love. And I would be eternally grateful for that short summer I spent within these gates, and the family it gave me.
***
Evie
“You ready to go little bird?” Nicky came up behind me, and put his palm on my still-flat stomach, smiling at me in the reflection of the mirror. “We’re carpooling with Em and Kase, they’ll be here in a few minutes.”
I nodded, putting my hand over his. “Let’s hope I don’t throw up on the way to the compound.”
I was ten weeks pregnant, we’d only found out a couple weeks ago. We’d been trying for a while, and we were beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen for us, at least not the way we thought it would. And then, I’d started feeling sick in the mornings and getting up in the middle of the night to eat popcorn in the dark.
It took a solid week for Nicky to convince me to take a pregnancy test. I thought maybe I wasn’t ovulating or maybe there was some other reason for my late period. When you’ve been trying for as long as we have, negative pregnancy tests are a bit of an emotional trigger and the thought of another disappointment was almost crippling. But it wasn’t negative, not this time.
“We should tell your parents tonight, they’ll be so happy.” Nicky kissed the side of my neck. “I know you wanted to wait ’til you were twelve weeks, but I think it’s time.”
Nicky wasn’t as cautious as I was. He wanted to shout our good news from the rooftops. I loved how excited he was, and I was trying really hard to let go of my fears and join him. “Okay, let’s tell them.”
Nicky and I lived in town, close to Emmie, Kase, and Luca. Nicky drove into work every day, running the Austin location of Revival Ink. Maykin and Bleu were handling the one in Dallas. Not only were they married, they worked together all day without killing each other, if you can believe that. I was sure that was a sight to see. The two of them arguing and then making up in between clients. Maykin was an artist, and she did custom work for Bleu’s higher-end clients. She drew it and he tatted it.
I’d been working with RiffRaff for a few years, helping with their social media. And eventually I took over doing the same for Revival Ink and MJ Botanicals. I worked from home a lot, which would be perfect when our baby was born.
I put my hand on my stomach one more time, already so in love.
***
Nicky
I watched Evie as the smile on her face and the hope in her eyes bloomed. I knew she was scared that something would happen to the baby, that this joy was too good to be true. Her doctor assured me that was normal for new mothers, and that all I could do was be there for her.
That part was easy. I’d be there for her until the end of time.
Evie had walked into my life and knocked me on my ass, and then she’d walked away. Then back in again, crashing into walls and destroying everything I thought I knew. She’d gone through so much to get to this good place we’d settled into. And I was lucky to be by her side.
My Uncle Waylon had retired and left Revival Ink to me. He’d built me a legacy and I hoped that one day I’d be able to pass it down to my kids. I didn’t have a father growing up, but I knew what that love looked like thanks to my uncle.
When Evie and I decided to move to Austin, I was nervous. I was used to having her all to myself, living in this safe little bubble we’d created together. I always blamed her parents for the lengths she’d taken to hide who she was. I thought moving closer to the compound would be a trigger. But I was wrong. Being with her family again, having dinner and walking the caliche roads…it helped heal her even more.
Sure, it was chaotic and her parents were still pretty clueless, but the love that flowed here was unlike anything I’d ever witnessed before. There was a strength this place instilled in the kids who grew up here. And now, my child would get it experience it too.
***
Jett
Devin and I got married at the Austin courthouse. We didn’t really invite anyone. Neither one of us cared about having a big wedding as much as we did about being husband and wife. Her parents were pissed off, and my mom cried. But eventually, everyone got over it. I knew Devin was the girl for me the first time she blew me off, and she’d kept me on my toes every day since then.
Watching the rest of the Spawn breed, she’d told me she wanted kids, so we’d have them because I lived for her happiness.
I’d been thinking a lot about it actually, and I came to the conclusion that I was going to be a fucking fantastic father. I’d spent the last twenty-odd years learning from everyone else’s mistakes. My kid would NOT be able to pull the shit I did. I mean I built a tunnel under my father’s feet. I grew marijuana on his land. I was going to keep a closer eye on my little spawn. And if I had a daughter? Forget about it. She wasn’t going to be allowed to spend any time alone with Brody’s boys. Cash’s maybe because Cash would make sure they grew up kind and respectful. Brody and Landry’s three blond tornadoes were trouble. Like recognized like.
I stepped onto the back porch, watching as Devin arranged a giant bouquet of fresh-cut flowers. You could take the girl off the working ranch, but you couldn’t take working the ranch out of the girl. She wanted cows. We compromised with a giant garden.
“You ready, turtle? This thing can’t really start without us.” I pointed to the peonies in her hand. She looked so beautiful, her long dress blowing around her ankles with the breeze.
“Don’t rush me. If this falls apart halfway down the aisle, I’ll never forgive myself.”
Crue and Avory were getting married. And all I could say was thank fuck. I couldn’t watch another failed relationship attempt from that girl. We knew Crue was the only one for her, and so did she. But did that stop her from constantly bringing around all those Mr. Wrongs? Nope. We had tons of family photos with random strange dudes in them. Luckily Aunt Lex was a genius with editing. She always went back and erased their existence as soon as Avory dumped them.
And don’t even get me started on my brother. I was pretty sure that guy hadn’t laughed for five fucking years.
But now all that was behind them, and us. They forgave each other, and they moved on. It was admirable, and it was about time. I didn’t love big weddings, but I was actually pretty excited about this one. Seeing my family happy made me happy.
I made my way over to Devin, my eyes drinking in the blue dress she was wearing. It was tight in all the right places and I was afraid I’d start drooling any second. “Let’s dump the flowers with my mom and skip the ceremony.” I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist while placing open-mouth kisses against her neck. “They won’t miss us, and I want to make you come.” I was excited for the wedding, but still perpetually horny for my wife.
She laughed, wiggling out of my arms. “We aren’t missing that ceremony.” Her smile turned wicked. “But we can skip that cocktail hour after.”
I was so utterly in love with my girl.
***
Devin
I finished wrapping the bouquet with the pretty white ribbon I’d bought for the occasion. Jett was standing beside me, his shades in place. He was the epitome of cool, and he was all mine. When I fell for the cocky player in my sociology class, I got so much more than I bargained for. Jett gave me Marley, who was hands down my best friend. MJ Botanicals provided me with a career that challenged me every day. We built a gorgeous home, with a wall of windows in our bedroom and a gorgeous garden in the backyard.
But the best thing Jett had ever given me was the tiny baby growing inside me. We weren’t planning on having kids for another few years, but it seemed like the universe had other plans. I’d only found out a couple days ago, and I hadn’t told Jett yet.
I would though, tonight when we got home.
Or maybe when we snuck home during that cocktail hour. I wasn’t worried about his reaction. I knew he’d be thrilled.
“Okay, done.” I
wrapped one hand around his arm, and we walked together around to the front of the house to the car that was waiting.
“Good. I’m already counting down the minutes until I can get you back here and out of that dress.” Jett smacked my ass, making me squeal. “Fuck, I’m horny.”
“You’re always horny.” We were riding over with Talon, Marley and Co. And when they came into view, I gasped. “Oh my goodness, is he wearing a tie?” I handed the flowers off to Jett and ran over to the toddler Talon was holding. “He’s wearing a tie with a vintage baby Nirvana shirt, are you freaking kidding? I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so adorable.” I took him from his father, snuggling him close. Tears were pricking the back of my eyes over how cute Co looked. Clearly, pregnancy hormones were kicking in quick.
“Are you crying?” Marley quirked one dark eyebrow. “Why are you crying?”
Ugh. Leave it to Marley to see everything and then not let you hide from it. “He’s so tiny and perfect.”
“He is perfect.” Talon ruffled his son’s hair.
“But not like cry-worthy.” Jett put his hand on my shoulder, spinning his nephew and me to face him. “Turtle, what’s wrong?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Nothing is wrong, I swear. Everything is wonderful.”
“Oh. You’re pregnant.” I whirled on Marley, a what-the-fuck look on my face. She simply shrugged. “Your boobs look massive and you’re crying over my baby’s t-shirt.”
“Devin?” Jett sounded confused, and slightly hopeful.
Of course this was the way Jett would find out he was going to be a father, with both his girls here. I wasn’t angry. In fact, it felt exactly right. I handed Co back to Talon, and then wrapped my arms around Jett’s neck. I smiled up at him, more tears filling my eyes. “I’m pregnant.”
He gave me that sexy smirk of his, palming my ass and pulling me tighter against him. “Good.”
“Good?”