“That does, a little bit at least,” she admitted. “But you better have a beer or something waiting for me at the finish line.”
I looked at Codie. “You’re not even a big fan of beer. How about I have a chocolate shake waiting for you at the finish line?”
She pointed at me. “That’s why we’re best friends. Because you know everything there is to know about me.”
“Everything?” Ace asked as he arrived in the living room. “Why are y’all yelling? It’s too early in the morning for that.”
“We’re not yelling,” Codie told him. “We’re discussing the merits of dropping out.”
Ace’s amused eyes turned to his woman. “You’re not dropping out. You’ve trained hard for this. You’re going to rock it.”
Codie rolled her eyes. “So everyone keeps saying.”
I felt familiar hands wrap around my belly, and I looked up and over my shoulder to see Callum’s sleep-filled eyes taking me in. “You ready to go?”
I nodded once.
“Y’all get something to eat?” Ace asked over a yawn.
“Yes,” Codie said. “Desi made us protein drinks and made me eat a banana, which then reminded me that I don’t like having thick things in my mouth before dawn.”
Everyone seemed to digest the words that’d just come out of my best friend’s mouth, and then we all burst out laughing in unison.
“What’s everyone laughing at?” Darby came out, grumbling.
I turned in Callum’s arms to find Darby at the foot of the stairs shoving his feet into old tennis shoes.
My brows furrowed. “What are you doing?”
Darby looked up and his gaze caught mine.
“Do you honestly think that I’m going to let my future sister-in-law run this with her ex-husband out there running the same race? The same ex-husband that likes to give her shit around every turn? The more family you can have surrounding you, the better.”
Darby’s words made a sense of calming slide through me that I hadn’t been aware I’d needed.
“Thanks, Darby,” I whispered. “That’s really sweet.”
He grunted something unintelligible. “I just hope he tries. I’m in a really bad mood because I couldn’t sleep last night—I swear to God I ate too much cake—and that motherfucker trying something would be the highlight of my day.”
A pleased little smile lit my face. “I’m sure that he’ll try.”
He finished putting his shoes on and clapped his hands. “Good. Because I’m willing to introduce him to my fist.”
Snickering, I turned when I heard the front door open and the rest of the Valentine family stroll in, even if they weren’t actually Valentines.
I smiled at Remy and Colt in particular, who were looking rather ragged. Remy also had a hickey on his neck that wasn’t the least bit conspicuous.
“Late night?” I asked the two of them.
Remy shot me an amused smile. Colt rolled his eyes.
“I’m ready when y’all are,” Remy muttered darkly. “I can’t believe y’all are making me do this. I feel like we’re in the military all over again. Getting up this early, with something that actually has to be done, is giving me hives.”
Callum squeezed my hips, dropped a kiss to the top of my head, then walked away. “I’m getting coffee and then I’m ready.”
“Coffee makes you shit,” Darby said. “And we have a half hour drive to the facility, and there are supposed to be upwards of three thousand people there. You won’t get to use the porta-potties without a ten-minute wait at least.”
Callum ignored him and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“I can’t wait to say I told you so,” Darby muttered, a smile kicking up the corner of his lips.
We all piled into our respective cars ten minutes after that. After each man—and yes, Darby being one of them, ironically—suddenly having to go to the bathroom, it put us off our schedule.
But we arrived in time, and we were standing amongst the hoard of people as the man with the microphone explained what would happen.
“We’re releasing three hundred people every thirty minutes. That should give the majority of you time to move at least two to three obstacles ahead before the next wave is released,” the man was saying. “If there are any elite runners, we’ll start those first. That first wave will be released in forty minutes…”
I would’ve continued to listen, but Callum suddenly caught my hand. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be back.”
Darby started laughing.
Georgia, who arrived to spectate, slapped him across the back of the head. “Shut up.”
Darby tossed her a glare. “You don’t even know what I’m laughing about.”
“I know that it’s probably about something you shouldn’t be commenting on in front of his woman,” Georgia countered.
I rolled my eyes.
Callum’s bodily functions weren’t a secret to me. Nor was I squeamish on the subject. Everyone did it.
So, the fact that my man did didn’t bother me.
What did bother me was that I could see the big countdown clock that showed me that the race would begin in thirty-nine minutes.
“You got this,” Bourne said from my side. “Booth and I’ll be there.”
I grinned down at Bourne.
“What about me?” Codie asked. “And why does everyone always like Desi more than me? I’m loveable, too.”
Ace caught her up by wrapping his bicep around her neck and pulling her in tight to his chest.
“It’s because they’re hormonal teenage boys and think that they’re going to see a fight if they stay with Desi,” Ace explained.
“Oh,” Codie said. “Well, that makes sense.”
“I’m not going to get into a fight,” I countered.
“You may not,” Booth agreed. “But Callum might.”
That was… true.
“But he promised me he would be on his best behavior,” I said.
Booth laughed then. “He will be. But, just sayin’, all it’ll take is Mal saying something to you that Callum doesn’t like. He told us that this’s been brewing for weeks.”
I sighed.
He was right.
It had.
“Whatever.” I looked at the twins’ father. “You better make sure that you’re close… just in case.” I looked at the two twins. “And if Callum does start something, make sure you stay back. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Famous last words.
***
It was when we were on the rope climb in the fourth obstacle that it happened.
I was trying with all my might, but I just couldn’t make it over the wall.
It was a twelve-foot wall with no footholds whatsoever, and I’d just traipsed half a mile through waist-deep muddy water.
Every time I would get three to four feet off the ground, my feet would slip and I’d fall right back down.
Callum would catch me, and he would help hoist me up all over again.
Sadly, I’d watched Nico, Booth, Bourne, and Mal sail over it with little to no slipping whatsoever.
Then there was poor Callum, Codie, Ace, and Colt that were waiting to get me over.
I knew they could make it without me. But they’d stayed behind with me.
And I was almost in tears.
My shirt was clinging to me, I was tired because I’d already run two miles, half of which being in some sort of mud or sludge, and Mal had laughed at me when he’d sailed over the wall. So had Marjorie.
Though Marjorie had been hefted up the wall by a large man with a long red beard that looked like he was so ripped he could compete in bodybuilding competitions.
“I can’t do it,” I whispered brokenly. “Y’all should go on without me.”
Callum snorted and turned his back on me. “Hop on.”
I was saying no, and backing away, when Remy came out of nowhere and p
icked me up.
All of a sudden, I was off the ground, my legs were wrapped around Callum’s back, and he was scaling the wall with zero effort.
Before I could process what had just happened, we were almost eight feet off the ground, and there was no way in hell that I was leaving him now.
I clung tight to his shoulders and cried against his back.
“Give me your hand, babe,” Nico called out moments later.
I looked up to find that we were near the top, and Nico was holding out his hand for me.
I let go of the death grip I had around Callum’s throat and offered my hand.
Nico pulled me off Callum’s back, and all of a sudden, I was straddling the large beam of wood just like Nico was doing.
“Next time, you should look into hiking boots,” he suggested, holding his foot up. “They make the difference here.”
I would make a mental note of that for later.
If I ever did this again. And, seeing as I was already struggling with the one I was currently working on, I could see it as being something I never did again.
“Eeeeeeeeee!”
I looked over the side to see Codie riding up on Ace’s back much the same way I’d just done with Callum. Callum who’d jumped down off the other side and was now climbing down the spider web of ropes that were crisscrossing down the backside.
“Ready when you are.” Nico offered me his hand.
I took it and slowly started to make my way down.
And, four minutes later, I was down.
Which was about the time that Callum kissed the shit out of me.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
“But Nico…”
Nico was suddenly by my side and ruffling my hair.
“Where are the twins?” I wondered, seeing Ace, Codie, Remy, and Colt but no twins and no Darby.
No twins and no Darby.
“Oh, no.” I looked around. “Darby’s missing, too.”
Codie started to snicker.
“Umm, I found them.” Codie jerked her chin in the direction of the next obstacle. A twenty-five-foot log that spanned even more mud.
Darby was in front of Mal, slowing him down. The twins were directly behind him.
And all of them were giving him shit.
Well, then.
Shaking my head, I hurried in the direction, knowing that it was likely a very bad idea to have those three anywhere near my ex.
I was right.
By the time I arrived at the other side of the obstacle five minutes later, Mal was fuming mad and he was getting into Booth’s face.
Which only served to piss me off.
And since the rest of my merry band of misfits were helping other people across, I took it upon myself to march straight up to Mal and push him.
Surprised by the move, he went back at least three feet.
“Don’t push my fiancé!” a screech came from my right.
I put my hand out, and if Marjorie hadn’t had quick reflexes, she would’ve walked straight into the hand that I’d put in front of her face.
“He gave up the right to have his personal space respected when he got into my soon-to-be nephews’ faces,” I snapped, not taking my eyes off of Mal. “Now, back away before I kick your ass myself.”
Mal’s sneer went in my direction. “You and what army? Sorry, honey, but your man’s over there helping out all the other ladies… the ladies that don’t look like wet, fat cows.”
I growled, grinding my teeth as I did.
“You don’t think that I can take you down?” I asked. “I was with you for far too long not to learn your weaknesses.”
Mal rolled his eyes. “You don’t know anything about me.”
I snorted. “I know that you hurt your knee when we were married, and now you favor it when you have to do a lot of physical exertion. For instance, right now, it’s aching, and you’re shifting foot to foot to relieve the pain.”
“Bitch, you don’t know me!” Mal screamed then.
That was when Marjorie rushed up to him and placed her hand on his chest. “Honey, calm down. You’re drawing attention to her.”
Mal rolled his eyes and shook Marjorie off. “Go away.”
That surprised me.
Obviously, it’d surprised Marjorie, too.
“Baby, what…”
“I said, go away!” He yanked his arm away from her, causing her to wobble at the suddenness of his move. “Stop touching me all the time. It disgusts me.”
I blinked, long and hard.
“Oh, fuck you!” Marjorie snapped. “You did not just embarrass me in front of all of these people, Mal.”
Mal ignored her and kept his eyes on me. “What did you do to make my dad leave everything to you?”
I frowned. “Mal, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do,” Marjorie said. “And we’re contesting the will. When Malloy kicks the bucket, we’re taking your ass to the cleaners.”
They’d lost it. Well and truly lost it.
Which was about the time when I grabbed Booth and Bourne by the hands and said, “Time to go. Callum and Ace are coming.”
And they were.
Callum had finally spotted me and was heading in our direction, a confused looking woman left behind with a grateful expression on her face. The man that came up behind her grabbed her around the waist and planted a kiss on her forehead, holding out his hand for a high five which she returned.
And then Callum’s face took up my entire vision as he got closer and closer and closer.
“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what the hell you did to my father.” Mal stepped in front of us. “He was fine before you started to make him buy you stuff.”
My mouth opened in affront.
And that was when the baby of the Valentine clan finally let it rip.
“You wouldn’t notice if something was wrong, obviously, if it came up and bit you on the tip of your dick,” Darby said eloquently. “You had this girl under your nose for years.” He hooked his thumb back at me. “But you let her go all because of some misconstrued reality that nobody but you understands. This woman is the most perfect specimen you’ll ever find. Beautiful, loyal, hardworking, loving and caring. She’s going to make my brother a wonderful wife someday. You gave up the gold, buddy. And what did you get in return? Second place? Hell, I’m thinking this one wouldn’t even qualify you to get a medal.”
Marjorie gasped in affront, but Darby wasn’t finished.
“Your father’s been dying of cancer for months. I saw him during the day months ago,” Darby said. “He was coming out of the ice cream place looking confused and sad. I talked to him for an hour before he told me he had cancer. That was way before Desi even came into my life. Well before your father decided to buy the house that she was living in, as well as help her open her business. But, let me tell you this very clearly, Desi didn’t ask for him to do that. He told me straight out that he was going to.” Darby paused. “But he also told me that his children were lost to him, and he wasn’t sure that he was going to leave them anything anyway. He asked me if I had any charities that I liked.”
Darby’s lips tipped up in the corner. “I suggested he give all the money to his beloved daughter-in-law. When he told me his other son was married—you know that wedding you refused to go to last fall? I suggested he leave some money to her, too.”
Mal’s mouth dropped open.
“You didn’t…”
“I did.” Darby grinned. “I met him five other times, skipped class to do it, all so he could have someone to talk to that wasn’t you. What does that say about you that he would rather spend time with some punk young adult than his own son?”
Mal’s mouth thinned. “He didn’t tell me he was sick.”
“But he did. Multiple times. He told you he was going to the doctor,” Darby said. “He told you he wasn’t feeling well. Wh
en he told you he was too tired to deal with your shit, and you made him deal with it anyway, he told you no more. And, Mal, he meant it. So, when your father passes away, and the house is sold, and the proceeds are split between your ex-wife and your brother’s new wife that you refused to meet, maybe then you’ll understand that it was your fault.”
With that, Darby shoulder-checked Mal.
Too stunned at the events that’d just unfolded, I wasn’t prepared to be hauled along in the twins’ wake.
Nor was I prepared for the hug that Callum smothered me in moments later.
The entire thing had to have taken all of two or three minutes, but I felt… at peace.
Hearing Darby’s words, as well as knowing that I’d done nothing wrong when it came to Mal?
“You okay?” Callum asked, pushing Bourne away.
Booth didn’t let go of my hand, and that was when I realized just what, exactly, Callum had given me.
Another family.
I’d been blessed with Malloy. Now I was infinitely blessed with Callum’s family.
His brothers. His sister. His friends. His nieces and nephews. There wasn’t a single thing I could ask for anymore that I didn’t have now.
Callum had given it all to me.
I stared into his eyes for a few long seconds when I said, “I love you, Callum Valentine.”
Callum’s eyes went soft. “I love you, too, baby.”
I felt tears forming in my eyes, and it took me a few minutes to compose myself before I said, “What are we still standing here for? Let’s finish this race.”
And you remember how I thought I had everything that I wanted just a few seconds ago? How I was happy with my life?
Well, I was wrong.
And Callum was about to show me just how much.
Chapter 19
I swear I was normal two brothers ago.
-Callum to Ace
Callum
Desi jogged at my side, tired, hot and sweaty, and sexy beyond belief.
Even after running as far and as long as she had, after trudging through muddy water, after lying face first in mud that was as thick as could be, she was still extraordinarily beautiful.
Even dirt-streaked, red-faced and panting.
“You’re beautiful,” I said as we jogged the last hundred and fifty yards to the finish line.
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