“Right?”
“She’s always been awesome with Penny, but seeing her with her own kid is pretty awesome to watch,” I add.
“And the fact that she actually shows emotions other than pissed off is pretty awesome too,” Ollie says like a true brother.
* * *
As fate would have it, a week after Ollie told me about Bex, there was a baby abandoned at the hospital where they both work. Blessings from snow, babies dropped at hospitals. It all feels like Josie’s hand is still in our lives, guiding her kids along the way.
Maxwell came home with Ollie and Bex, and all of us immediately fell in love with him. He is simply the cuddliest baby I’ve ever encountered.
Tatum also gave birth to Harrison a few weeks after, and just like that, we went from having girls running our lives to it being the boys ruling the family.
Max and Harry have been the perfect addition to the Duncan/King/Gellar clan. Penny is smitten with her new baby cousins, and Poppy, although an adjustment to not being the baby anymore, is beginning to love her baby brother and cousin too. I think.
It seems to be the year for babies and weddings. Today we’re all at the courthouse to celebrate both. Ollie and Bex are getting married in one room and then stepping to the judge’s chambers to officially adopt Max.
The two of them can’t seem to keep their hands off each other as the poor judge shakes his head with a smile when they stand there not holding hands like normal people. No, Ollie and Bex get married with their hands on each other’s asses, all while wearing shirts that say “I Became His/Her Mrs./Mr. & Together We Became His Mommy/Daddy.”
We all celebrate back at my place. It’s a day filled with laughter, loud noise, crying babies and lots of kissing.
After everyone leaves, I feel exhausted. As great of a day as it was, I’m spent, just drained. I love and hate days like these. They make me miss Josie so much and wish she was here with all of us, where she should be.
I pull a letter from my box that I’ve been dying to read. “Ollie Finally Found Someone to Marry Him?!”
Travis, are you for real right now?
Ollie, bless his heart, I was nervous he’d never be able to find someone to put up with him and his antics. She has to be incredible though. Not to mention, if they tied the knot, that means she sees him for all that he is and has to offer. I’m so happy for him. For them! Ohmygosh! My baby boy got married!
Does she wear my ring? Someone special needs to wear it and show it off. It means everything to me. I’m looking at it on my finger right now, but soon I’m tucking it in a letter for Ollie. But for a little bit longer, it’s mine.
There is so much love in this little piece of jewelry. I will never forget the love you gave me each and every day.
I love you.
Always,
Josie
* * *
“Happy birthday, dear Penny! Happy birthday to you!” We all sing to Penny as she sits in front of a cake with ten candles that Tilly made, making her freckle face glow.
“Make a wish, Pen!” Ollie yells at her as she closes her eyes before blowing out the candles. We all clap and yell excitedly, celebrating her ten years. “Double digits are serious, Pen. Life only goes up from here.”
When Tilly takes the cake to the kitchen to cut into perfect slices, I follow her to help. “I got it,” she says over her shoulder as she begins plating the cake.
“You aren’t an octopus. I can help carry in plates of cake,” I tell her, taking a couple of slices in to Penny and Jesse to start. She follows me, setting down four more plates, throwing me a challenging look. Oh, it’s on.
We finish the celebration of Penny, which mainly entailed cake and copious games played. We’ve moved on from Uno through the years, but it’s still the standard.
Once all the babies start to whine, everyone packs up and says their goodbyes. Penny seems to have had a good day, and I’m glad that she likes simple and small. That, I can do.
She and Jesse take off to her room to hang out. Tilly heads to the kitchen and begins cleaning up.
“Stop. You don’t have to do that,” I tell her, but she tosses a look over her shoulder at me for the second time today. “You made the cake and didn’t let me pay for it. I can clean up the few forks we used and wipe down the counter,” I press.
She keeps ignoring me, and when she picks up the coffee pot and starts to clean that too, I don’t think; I just react.
“Damn it, Cookie!” I yell, picking up a piece of uneaten cake and throwing it at her. “Oh, shit! I’m sorry!” I laugh as it lands in her curly brown hair.
She freezes. “Did you just throw cake at me?”
“No?”
“Liar!” she yells, turning and throwing a piece of cake right back, nailing me in the chest, giggling at herself.
I pick up another piece and slowly walk toward her. “No, Travis, please no,” she pleads between giggles.
I stop right in front of her once she’s pinned with her back up against the sliding door. I smile at her, lifting the cake, and she closes her eyes in anticipation, but I take a bite of it instead. “Mmmm… that’s good cake.” She opens one eye and sees me chewing and begins to relax. “Here, try some,” I say as I smash the cake in her face.
She doesn’t hesitate as she leans forward and wipes her face all over my shirt. “Thanks,” she says, patting my arm and ducking away from me, heading toward the sink. She washes her hands and I think she’s done, but then she turns with the sprayer in her hand pointed directly at me, drenching my shirt. “You looked like you needed help cleaning off,” she says with a satisfied smile on her face. I stare at her slack-jawed as she soaks me and floods my kitchen.
“You are gonna regret that,” I tell her when she turns off the water. I remove my cake-stained and water-logged shirt and throw it at her face. While she’s trying to catch her bearings, I reach for her and pick her up, throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her outside.
I carry her all the way to her house, where I walk in like it’s my place and set her in the shower. Turning it on, I let the cold water rain down on her. She’s yelling after me as I turn and walk out and back home with a smug smile on my face. I win.
Chapter Nine
Travis
Eight Years After Josie
“Damnit, Penny!” I yell when I trip over Bear’s pile of toys he made in front of the door.
Penny and Jesse found him with a broken leg in the field out back a while ago. What was supposed to be temporary has become permanent. He’s a good dog but sheds enough to make a whole other dog each week. Add that to his obsession with piling up his toys in front of the door, and the dog’s got some annoying habits.
“Dollar!” she yells back from the table where she’s sitting doing her homework.
“I'm not giving you shit. You are supposed to be cleaning up after him,” I tell her, pointing to the fluff of dog. He’s a chow and really is a big ball of fluff.
“Fine, you get a discount and only owe one dollar even though you just swore twice.”
I bend and give her a kiss on the head. “Thanks,” I say, stealing one of the pretzels from her bowl. She turns her head a little to glare at me, but she can’t hold back her smile when I start to moan like it’s the best pretzel I’ve ever had.
Reaching for another one, she smacks my hand this time, making me laugh. “Where’s Jesse? He’s usually here doing homework with you.” She shrugs her shoulder, and I know something is up. “LP?”
“He had a girl walk home with us.”
I understand now. Jesse started high school this year while Penny started sixth grade. I was wondering when time would catch up to them, but I was hoping we had a little longer. Jesse has never been anything but good and respectful to Penny. He treats her like his hidden treasure and protects her, and I could not be happier about that.
But he’s also a teenage boy and in high school now no less. I remember those days. He’s done so much better since he start
ed coming with me to Pretty Girl. He stayed on and regularly helps me clean up the garage. Though he started small, he’s working his way up to learning more and more. He’s turning into a damn fine mechanic.
I sit next to Penny and put my hand over hers to pause her writing. Her eyes meet mine, and the tears swimming in them tear at my heart. I don’t know what to say to her. I feel like no matter what I say, it’s going to be wrong and only cause more tears.
“Do you want to talk to Tilly?” I finally ask, not feeling fit for this conversation.
She shakes her head no, but when that first tear streaks down her cheek, I pull her up to my chest and hug her tight. “Come on.” I pull her behind me to walk next door. Jesse is out back, raining hit after hit into the punching bag I helped hang there last Christmas for him. He pauses, holding the bag with ragged breath, as his eyes take in Penny. I can see the pain on his face knowing he caused it.
Gritting my teeth, I walk past him and enter his and Tilly’s house after a knock on the glass door. “Tilly?” I yell into the house.
She comes down from upstairs with her phone in her hand. “I was just about to call you,” she says, her eyes assessing Penny and me. “Swap?” I nod my head, as this is something we’ve done a few times before. She talks to and calms Penny when I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing, and I do the same with Jesse.
Tilly is barely down the last step when Penny falls into her arms, and watching that breaks my heart. She needs a mother. Her mother. But all she has is me. Poor girl.
I’m equally thankful for Tilly and pissed off at her at the same time. I know Penny and I both need her, but I don’t want to need her. I want—need—Josie.
Shaking that thought from my head, I walk back outside and I’m met with an even angrier Jesse than the one we just walked past.
“Stop,” I command, but he steels his jaw and hits the bag again and again. “Stop!” I say again, with more force this time. He pummels the bag with fast hit after hit until he’s breathless and falls into the bag, his forehead leaning against it. “Talk to me.” He shakes his head in response. “Jesse, stop and talk to me.”
“You won’t understand.”
“Try me.” Finally, he stands up and walks to where I’m sitting at the small round table out here on their patio.
“I fucked up,” he croaks out.
“OK... what happened?”
“This girl from school keeps wanting to come over after school. She’s a pain in the ass, but she’s hot as hell. I kept pushing her off, but today she just… I couldn’t say no,” he sighs. “But when Penny saw her, there was this look on her face.” He stops, scrubbing his hands down his face. “I don’t want to see that look on her face again.”
“Then don’t put it there again,” I tell him simply. He shoots me an annoyed glare. “Look, kid, she’s eleven. She’s in middle school. Things are… changing. For both of you. It was bound to catch up sooner or later.”
“It’s not even that.” He shakes his head. “Penny is my best friend.”
“Then you need to keep the two separate.” His head snaps to mine, and his eyes go wide. “Trust me. If you care about Penny like I think you do, then you need to keep the girls you date or hang with away from her. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I haven’t—” I raise my hand to stop him.
“I don’t want to know that. Unless you get crotch itch and can’t tell Tilly, you keep all that to yourself.”
That makes him huff a laugh. “Do you think things are going to change between us more now?” he asks, his laughter stopping now. I know he’s asking about him and Pen.
“That’s up to the two of you. It doesn’t have to. But you don’t bring my little girl into things she’s not ready for, or I’ll kick your ass harder than you just did that bag.”
He nods before adding a muffled, “Thank you.”
* * *
It’s the Fourth of July, and all of my family is here. It doesn’t happen as often now, all of us being together at once. Even Benton happened to be between race weeks and made it out to join us. These are the days and times I love the most. Call me a sentimental sap, but I relish in these moments. It makes me feel like I’m doing alright and making Josie proud too.
Ollie is manning the grill with burgers, hot dogs, and chicken legs with Benton. Tatum and Bex are inside cutting up fruit and vegetables for us to snack on all day. LP and Jesse are playing with the kids in the yard, blowing bubbles and chasing them. Tilly joins us outside, setting down a basket of homemade buns for the burgers. I teased her relentlessly when she told me she was bringing them, but she assured me I haven’t had a proper burger without a homemade bun.
Soon, our bellies are full and I have to concede, telling Tilly she was right. She gives me a knowing smile as she goes back inside and comes out with a plateful of cookies. The sun is just beginning its decent when she sits next to me, handing me one.
“Thanks for letting Jesse and me join you all today.”
“Anytime,” I say before sinking my teeth into the cookie she gave me, letting out a moan. “Damn, Cookie. You never disappoint.”
“You talking to the actual cookie or me?” she quips.
“Both,” I answer and see her cheeks pink, giving me a satisfied grin.
“Daddy, do you want some dirt?” Penny asks, pulling me from staring at Tilly, which is probably a good thing.
“Yeah, LP, give me a big bowlful,” I say to my little girl, who isn’t looking as little anymore. “Don’t steal my worms this time either,” I add.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She feigns innocence, backing away to return to the house.
A few minutes later, I’m ready to dig into my bowl of dirt pudding. I have a spoonful almost to my mouth when Tilly shrieks, making me jump and throw the bowl, which then lands in my lap.
“There was a moving worm!” she yells.
“No there wasn’t,” I laugh “They’re gummy worms.”
She shakes her head. “No, Travis, it was moving.” Her eyes are wide as she points to my crotch, making me shift in my seat.
“Tilly, they’re gum—” but my words stop when I look down and in fact see moving live worms.
“Ollie!” I yell, knowing exactly who did this. Standing, I walk to where the dickhead is standing inside the kitchen, holding back his laughter. “You better run,” I tell him with a smirk.
“I’m holding a baby!” he yells in defense because he’s got Max strapped to his front.
“Bex!” I yell, keeping my eyes on him. “I need you to take Max so I can beat your husband’s ass.”
“Sure thing, Trav,” she says sweetly, walking over and unstrapping her son from Ollie.
“Sweetness…” Ollie starts, trying to convince his wife to side with him, but it doesn’t work.
“Payback,” she sing-songs with a big smile on her face, and I love this girl right now.
“Run,” I say the single word to my friend, and he knows I’m serious as he takes off outside, screaming like a little girl. Once he’s gone, everyone in the kitchen starts laughing hysterically. I hurry to the garage and get my BB gun, filling it with pellets. I hear Bex let out a muffled, “Oh, shit,” as I walk past with a purpose.
Thing is, I’ve known Ollie since I was a kid, and I know exactly how his mind works. He thinks he’s sneaky and will have a hand up on me circling back around the house, but I crouch, waiting for him. He barely makes me out around the corner and runs out into the open field. Idiot.
I stay where I am and pop off shot after shot until I hear him yelp. Everyone is laughing around the yard as I hit him again and he falls flat to the ground. Right where Bear usually shits. I can hardly get the words out as I yell, “You done?”
“I hate you, Dad!” he yells as he stands up, and I die laughing when I see the shit covering his pants. “That fucking hurt! You got me in the ass, dipshit,” he says, rubbing at his ass and walking back to the house.
“Yo
u started it,” I laugh.
“You two do realize that you both look like you shit your pants, right?” Tatum says in a bored tone from behind me. Looking down, I see the dirt pudding I’d forgotten about still dripping down my front.
“At least mine tastes good.” I shrug, swiping a finger through the pudding on my pants and licking it.
Bex gives me a high five, handing me a towel before giving one to Ollie too. “Dude, you smell like shit,” I say when he gets close. He flips me the bird, making me laugh. I grab my dick with the towel in my hand in an obscene gesture, but I don’t even care right now. It’s been a while since I’ve had this much fun with my best friend and acted like a kid.
Ollie and I call a truce and get cleaned up. By the time we’re changed and the food is put away, it’s dark out. Benton helps Poppy hold sparklers as she dances around, lighting one after the other, until Penny and Jess show her how to catch lightning bugs.
Soon fireworks begin to shoot in the distance, and everyone stops. We all sit back and watch the show. Penny, no matter how big she gets, curls up with me on the lounger and watches the fireworks with me.
It’s after ten when the fireworks end and everyone takes off for home. I send Penny in to get washed up for bed, knowing that Jesse will be climbing in her window tonight by the look they give each other, like they know a secret none of us do.
I’m picking up the last of the trash in the backyard when I hear Tilly come outside. She quietly picked up a few things, making her way to me. “Thanks,” I say, holding open the trash bag as she deposits the trash she collected.
She looks up at me, and our eyes stay locked for a while before she speaks. “I forgot what it was like to have a family. What you have, that’s really special.” I nod, agreeing with her but not understanding what she’s getting at. “I don’t want to ever ruin another family.”
My brows pull together in confusion. “You’re not ruining anything.”
Always Series Box Set Page 66