She was the cutest one out there in her customized Madd CrossFit t-shirt and short shorts.
Short shorts that her father hated but allowed her to wear since she loved them so.
“Your kids are beasts.”
I snickered and looked over at my sister. “And yours isn’t?”
“Mine is about to have his phone thrown out the van window,” she grumbled.
I snorted. Vlad was awesome, but he did have a bit of an attitude thanks to who his mother was.
“Your fault,” I teased.
She sighed. “I know.”
We both turned back to watch our girl compete, and she was climbing the rope at an alarming rate of speed.
Taos was standing underneath her, ready to catch her if she fell.
She wouldn’t.
She was just like her father in that aspect.
She wouldn’t fall.
In fact, she could do it all day long if we let her.
She’d been in the CrossFit gym since she was a month old.
And not even the sound of barbells dropping from head height would bother her. Not even in sleep.
Taos yelled in excitement, and I smiled as our girl threw herself into his arms.
“I saw that he hit the NY Times bestseller list,” she mused.
I snorted. “I told you adding romance would be good.”
Taos had finally taken my advice and added a smidge of romance to his novels, and ever since, they’d taken off like wildfire.
Though he liked to attribute it to him and me being linked to yet another serial killer.
What the fuck ever.
Speaking of Pasqual, I took the time to text Easton, checking in with him as I usually did when I wanted to get an update on the man that almost ruined my life.
Getting a text message back almost instantly, I started to laugh, then shoved the phone into my pocket.
I didn’t think about Pasqual, my grandmother, or any of the other hundred thousand things that I needed to get done. Instead, I focused on my family.
I watched my kids compete in the kid’s competition, then, later, I watched my husband.
“You would’ve kicked ass at this,” Murphy said as he came up to Mavis and I a little bit later.
I patted my belly and smiled. “I actually was going to, but in the end, he asked that I take the time to rest. He was worried I would try too hard.”
Madden looked down at me with a grin. “You? Try too hard? Never.”
I punched him in the arm, causing him to laugh.
Then he threw his arm around me and hugged me close as we all watched Taos compete.
He was on the rope climbs when I decided that it was absolutely imperative that I get a video.
For later.
When Taos and I were able to be alone, and I could really admire the way his muscles bunched and stretched with each tug of his body up the rope.
“Geez.” Mavis shook her head. “He makes that look so easy.”
No joke.
The man hadn’t slowed down a single bit.
“Taos has this one in the bag,” Madden said.
I agreed with him.
Though there wasn’t much Madden and I disagreed about.
Madden and Taos were the best of friends, and though it took me a while to warm up to him because of Mavis, I eventually began to count him as one of my closest friends.
“Done,” Dean yelled loudly. “Go, Daddy!”
Taos, who’d just come down from his last rope climb, looked over to see his family watching him with avid attention.
He held a thumbs up and Italya yelled, “Love you, Daddy!”
There were a bunch of ‘ooohhhs’ and ‘awwws’ from the crowd, but it still had the power to make my heart melt.
He came over once that particular workout was over, leaning over the railing that I was semi-leaning against to place a wet, sweaty kiss onto my lips.
“You okay?” he asked worriedly.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m pregnant, Taos Dean. Not an invalid.”
Taos shrugged.
Like with our previous two, he was very, very concerned about me and the baby.
His worry over the years hadn’t abated.
He was still just as intense and overbearing as he was the day after he’d found me nearly hurt by Pasqual.
I allowed it.
It wasn’t like his overprotectiveness was bothering me. I loved that he cared, and I loved even more that he felt so deeply for me that he wanted to make sure that I was always okay.
So, I allowed him to do his thing, and in the end, made sure to just be very careful about the stuff I did, and if I wanted to do something a little daring, I did it when he couldn’t see, and wouldn’t find out.
It was all about balance.
“You’re sweaty, Daddy,” Italya declared. “Back up. You’re dripping on me.”
Taos shook his head, and we all yelled at him, causing him to laugh.
“One more workout and I’m done.” He winked.
Then I watched his hot as hell body as he walked away, and I was left swooning right along with the rest of the ladies.
“Why are they staring, Mommy?” Italya asked.
I didn’t know what to tell them.
Mavis, sensing this, started to laugh. “How about we go get a funnel cake?”
A chorus of ‘yeahs’ followed, and eventually I was left alone to watch my man on my own.
Glad that I didn’t have to explain, I pulled out my phone and started to video my man, going ahead and doing a live video for the gym’s social media while I was at it.
And together, we watched as my husband made it to regionals.
• • •
I groaned when my back finally hit the bed.
“Oh, God.” I sighed in pleasure.
“Sore?” he asked.
I’d done a lot of standing and doing nothing today.
Sadly, that was harder on my joints than actual CrossFit workouts were.
“Yes,” I sighed. “Oh, by the way…” I showed him my phone. “Pasqual was admitted to the sickbay today.”
Taos’ laughter shook the bed.
I rolled over and turned the lamp on, then rolled back over to stare at my husband. “What did she do this time?”
Pearl Pope made it her life’s mission to always make Pasqual’s life hell.
It was amusing.
And never got old.
Pearl Pope and Taos would come up with the ideas, and then implement them. Then, to make matters worse, Taos would write about them in his books.
It was a game they played, and I never tired of hearing some of the outrageous things they did to Pasqual.
After Taos outlined his latest mastermind plan, he fell silent, his eyes closing.
That’s when I remembered the phone call I’d received from my grandmother earlier in the day.
“So...” I paused. “My grandmother was able to find something. I asked her to do it eight years ago…”
“Okay.” He stopped. “What?”
I sat up in bed, then pulled up the file that she’d sent me. “I found your brother.”
His eyes snapped open. “What?”
“Well, I didn’t. But my grandmother’s PI did.” I paused again. “When you’re ready, we’ll find him.”
Taos fell back onto the bed, then pulled me into his chest. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d probably have a lot more time to write, be a millionaire, and have time to sleep in whenever you wanted,” I teased.
He chuckled. “Who needs sleep?”
Then he kissed me.
“Love you, Taos Dean Brady.”
“Love you more, Francine Pope Brady.”
Together we fell asleep, me in my man’s arms, and not a worry in my mind despite being in complete darkness.
• • •
I hope you enjoyed Fran and Taos’ story. Up Next is Murphy and Mavis in Jerk It.
Vale, Lani Lynn, No Rep
No Rep Page 20