by Ciara Shayee
She’d filled out and finally looked less like the skeleton she’d been back at the safe house in Montana. Her cheeks were infused with a soft, rosy hue, and her cheekbones were far less visible.
Laker wanted to kiss her cheeks, to feel the warmth of the blood turning them pink against his lips, and to show her how much he cherished the changes pregnancy and happiness had wrought on her body. Remembering how skinny she’d been, how frail and timid, it was difficult to reconcile that girl with the woman now in front of him.
Cradling Bodhi, with the beatific smile on her face that she reserved exclusively for Laker, she’d never looked so radiant.
And Laker had never wanted to declare his love for her more.
“Lake—errrr!”
All sweet thoughts flew from Laker’s mind the second Marley launched herself into his lap. Her knees hit him right where no man ever wants to be hit, and he clenched every muscle in his body in response to the agony. Bowing over her, he was oblivious to Indie handing Bodhi to a snickering Ryan and darting across the room until she was cupping his face and carefully removing Marley from his lap.
“Oh, God, I’m sorry, Laker,” Indie murmured softly.
He was stunned to see mirth swimming in her eyes when he looked up at her face with a whimper. “Are you…are you laughing?”
She bit her lip and shook her head, but it was obvious she was desperately struggling.
“I can’t even…” Groaning, Laker sucked in a deep breath through his teeth and blinked back the moisture in his eyes. “You’re mean!”
Indie’s eyes twinkled with amusement, her body shaking slightly. “I’m sorry, it was just…the look on your face was hilarious!”
“Hilar—I can’t believe you, Pie!”
“I’m sorry, Laker,” Marley whispered, looking thoroughly abashed as she crawled onto the window seat beside him. He turned his attention to the upset five-year-old, sighing with relief when the pain finally began to abate. “Did I hit you in your misters? Uncle Archie says that hurts a whole lot.”
Chuckling despite his discomfort, Laker tugged Marley back onto his lap, careful to shove a cushion there first, and snuggled her close to his chest. “It did hurt, but it’s okay, Little Sweet. It was an accident, right?”
“Yes!” She nodded quickly, peering up at him with the stunning blue-green eyes Laker adored. She looked so apologetic, so sad; he couldn’t stand it.
“Then it’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose, and you said ‘sorry’.”
Marley’s face instantly transformed into a big, beaming grin, warming Laker’s heart. “’Kay.”
“Indie, wait! Wait a sec, please…” Grace appeared then, brandishing her camera. Ryan trailed a few steps behind carrying Bodhi and Chase, seemingly quite happy with both boys. “Actually…Ry, please can you give Bodhi to Indie? And Indie, please can you sit?”
Doing as she was told, Indie took a seat beside Laker and accepted her son when Ryan handed him over.
“All right, perfect. Big smiles, guys!”
Grace aimed her camera at the group, grinning behind the lens when Laker automatically moved to wrap one arm around Marley, the other looping around Indie’s waist while she shifted a little into his side, Bodhi propped on her knee with his back to her chest.
Ryan peered over Grace’s shoulder at the screen as she snapped off a few photos of the smiling group, his own grin widening when she held it up for him to get a better look. “Oh, yeah. I see what you were talking about, now.”
Grace smiled to herself with glee, zooming in on the last photo she’d taken. Laker had tipped his head toward Indie, still smiling with soft eyes and his guard firmly lowered. It was easy to see how he felt about Indie at that moment, and Grace resolved, there and then, to help him realise that he didn’t need to keep his mouth shut any longer.
She knew he loved Indie. Truthfully, everybody knew. Well, perhaps Reagan was in a spot of denial—Archie, too—but nobody could miss the fact that their relationship had far surpassed friendship. At least for Laker, anyway.
And though Indie hadn’t spoken to her about it, Grace was pretty certain at this point that she was in the same place as Laker, emotionally.
It was just a matter of getting the pair of stubborn fools to admit it to each other.
~ oOo ~
“Come on, baby girl. It’s time to say ‘goodnight.’”
Marley whined. “But Mummy, I’m not even sl—yawn—eepy.”
Indie smothered a smile and tucked a wayward curl behind Marley’s ear. “I don’t believe you, Marley. Go on, go say ‘goodnight.’”
“C’mon, Little Sweet. I’ll come with you.”
Laker extended a hand to Marley, and she climbed gingerly from the sofa with a quiet grumble. Indie stood, leaving Bodhi safe and sound in his nest, and followed them into the kitchen. The majority of people had gone home at this point, leaving just Reagan, Andy, Sarah, and Ryan in the kitchen. The latter three would soon be heading down the street to their beds, but had stayed to allow Reagan and Andy to finish their brandies together.
When Marley appeared in the doorway, Reagan grinned and crooked a finger. “C’mere, Mars, give Pawpaw a hug.”
She smiled sleepily and clambered into his lap, locking her little arms around his neck for a ‘squeezy cuddle’, as he’d dubbed it. “Mummy says it’s bedtime.”
“I think you’re right, Mars. It is very late.”
She scowled, but her yawn interrupted what was likely going to be a tired argument for being allowed to stay up longer, and she sighed in defeat once it was over. “All right. ‘Night, Pawpaw. Love you.”
Reagan’s eyes watered as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against his granddaughter’s for a moment, greedily inhaling her sweet scent. She smelled like the gingerbread cookies she’d been scoffing all day and like her mummy’s perfume. She was wiping sticky icing on his t-shirt from her hands and her hair tickled his nose, and though earlier she had made him dance to more than one One Direction song, he’d never been happier. He’d kissed Carl-Roman and Chase goodbye a little under an hour ago and had hugged his son and wished him a Merry Christmas. He knew Bodhi was fast asleep in the next room, and the rest of his family was healthy and happy.
Indie was standing nearby, still dressed in the red and white striped jumper traditional for a Ashby Christmas. She’d baked gingerbread in their kitchen for the first time since 2004, and strung paper chains all around the house with Grace and Marley—they’d decorated Peter’s house, too, even though they wouldn’t be spending as much time there. Reagan had forced Indie, Marley, and Bodhi in front of the Christmas tree with Archie, Kristen, Carl-Roman, and Chase, where they’d had their first family photo with the children.
At the dinner table, there had been smiles and cheeriness for the first time in over a decade. Crackers had been pulled, and silly songs had been sung. He’d watched his daughter interact with their family members and fuss over her son and daughter in a way that proved she was always meant to be a mother.
Reagan’s eyes had been full of tears for almost the entire day. Happy tears, he’d promised Marley when she spotted them early in the day. He’d been watching Indie unwrap her presents and couldn’t hold them back. Marley had seen and climbed his legs to be able to ‘hug his sad away.’ Touched, he explained how happy he was; with some prodding, she’d been distracted easily enough by the unopened gifts bearing her name.
Now, almost into Boxing Day, Reagan found himself wanting to cling onto Marley and tell Indie to let her stay up longer.
“Come on, baby girl. Bedtime. Look, even Uncle Ry is going to bed. Aren’t you, Ryan?” Indie beseeched Ryan with her eyes and smiled gratefully when he caught on and nodded, faking a yawn.
“Sure am. I’ll see you in the morning, little missy.”
“Give kisses, Little Sweet,” Laker prompted gently, smiling when she planted a loud one right on Reagan’s cheek before moving from person to person, Andy to Sarah to Ryan, stopping in front of L
aker with outstretched arms. “So I’m taking you up, huh?”
“Yes please, Laker.” She yawned, tucking her face into his neck as he trailed after Indie towards the stairs. She ducked into the living room to get Bodhi, then they headed up together, Laker frowning as he battled back and forth with himself in his mind.
By the time he’d tucked Marley into her bed, and Indie had settled Bodhi in his crib, Laker had made up his mind.
“Okay, so I’ll see you—”
“I’ve got something for you!” he blurted quietly, before he could chicken out again.
Indie smiled, cocking her head. She looked like Marley. “You already gave me my gift, Laker.”
He shrugged, pulling an envelope from his back pocket and holding it out to her. It had been there all day. He’d promised himself that he’d save it for the right time, but it hadn’t ever seemed to be ‘the right time,’ so he was forced to do it now or not at all. Because he knew full well he’d chicken out if he left it until the following day. “I got you something else.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything, you know? You already spent far too much on the bracelet.”
Laker couldn’t help but grin, despite his nerves, and glance down at the sparkly silver bracelet on her left wrist. He’d seen the Pandora bracelets many times before and had thoroughly enjoyed picking out the charms to go on Indie’s once he’d decided to get one for her. He’d eventually settled for five.
An ‘I,’ for obvious reasons. Also, a sparkly ‘M’ and a ‘B’ in an old-style font—for Marley and Bodhi, respectively. The fourth and fifth charms had taken more thought. Laker had hemmed and hawed over them endlessly, finally purchasing them both on a whim. When he’d watched her unwrap them that morning he’d known how right he’d been to do so. Though she’d loved the letters representing herself and her babies, it had been the silver pie and sea-blue crystal heart charms which had brought her to tears.
Laker was pulled, quite literally, from his memories of the morning when Indie grabbed his arm to drag him out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind her.
“Laker!” She hissed, waving the open envelope and its contents at him. “You can't…what the…? This is too much! I mean, what have you done?”
“I've booked tickets for you to come to Rome with me,” he admitted, trying to sound casual about it. Indie could likely see through his front, but Laker gave nonchalance a shot, regardless.
She made a high-pitched squeaking noise and stared at him, dumbstruck.
“Look, Pie,” he sighed. “You don't have to come now, or at all. I just thought…well, I figured you'd enjoy a break, and the kids would love it. Your dad, Pete, Arch...they’re all coming. Grace and the twins, and probably Ryan, too.”
“But...this is too much!”
Smiling softly and reaching out to caress her cheek, Laker chuckled. “Don't you know by now, bella ragazza? Nothing is ‘too much’, for you.”
“I—Laker, you—I can't even—”
Interrupting, Laker murmured pleadingly, desperate for three little letters. “Just say ‘yes,’ Indie. I promise you won't regret it. Riley is taking care of all the paperwork and logistics, and I've had the villa stocked for weeks. Everything is ready, and everyone is just waiting on your decision. A month in Rome, to sightsee or relax or do whatever-the-hell you want.”
“Oh, God, nothing like heaping on the pressure, then.” Indie huffed, sagging against the closed door at her back. She gazed at Laker for a never-ending minute, searching, but for what, he wasn't sure. Whatever she was looking for, he hoped she'd see it.
He wasn’t hurting for money, by any means, but he also didn’t have unlimited funds to draw from. Of course, he wasn’t paying for the villa as he owned it, but the flights were booked and paid for, and he’d pre-emptively purchased personalised luggage for Indie, Marley, and Bodhi in the hopes of gaining her agreement. It was all money he’d lose if she said ‘no,’ which he knew she’d realise and eventually feel guilty over.
He was counting on her guilt to make her agree to the trip.
Everyone was in agreement—she needed this. They all did. They’d all had an incredibly difficult year and had more than earned the chance to kick back and relax in the sun. They were due to leave on the first of March, which meant they’d spend Grace’s, Indie’s, and Marley’s shared birthday—the twenty-third of March—in sunny Rome. He’d discussed the idea of the trip with everyone during clandestine moments of time when Indie was distracted with the children, or out grocery shopping with Sarah. It had been an exercise in sneaking around, for sure, but he’d wanted to get their opinions before springing it on Indie. Laker knew his own desire to see Indie, Marley, and Bodhi relaxing with him in Italy was clouding his judgment.
All they needed now was her agreement.
She sighed, blinking back tears as she wound her arms around Laker and rested her face against his chest. She could feel the racing of his heart as he hugged her, his cheek to the crown of her head. Warmth filled her, his presence always calming her nerves when they became frayed.
“Why do you do it? Why do you do so much for us?” she whispered.
Laker heaved in a lungful of her subtle perfume and sweet shampoo and tightened his grip on her, knowing he couldn’t say the words hanging over the tip of his tongue.
Because I love you. I love you more today than I did yesterday, and I’m damn sure I’ll love you even more tomorrow.
“Because I want to see you happy. You all deserve happiness more than anyone I’ve ever met, and if I can help with that, well…I want to.” Laker grinned against Indie’s hair, inhaling softly and feeling his stomach clench at the feminine, apples-and-strawberries scent clinging to her chocolate locks. “Plus, I want to be there when Little Sweet learns to swim. Sue me, but I’ll be jealous if anyone else gets to teach her.”
Indie snorted in amusement, but it didn’t surprise her. Marley and Laker had bonded beyond expectation, and she’d heard them discussing swimming more than once. Marley was so desperate to learn, but Indie couldn’t stomach the thought of her being lost in the chaos of a swimming centre. Letting her learn in a swimming pool at Laker’s private villa, with only her closest family members and friends around, sounded a lot more appealing.
And the thought of being able to completely relax under the Italian sun, with no paparazzi lingering around every corner, or work commitments to keep Reagan and Peter out all day, made a pretty picture in Indie’s mind.
Sighing again, all the fight draining from her body as the reasons to refuse Laker’s generous gift evaporated from her mind, Indie allowed a frisson of excitement to take root in her heart.
“You’re not going to take ‘no’ for an answer, are you?” she asked quietly, knowing he’d hear the defeat in her tone.
He grinned into her hair and couldn’t stop himself from pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “No, I won’t. Is that a ‘yes,’ Pie?”
She pulled back, peering up at him with wide eyes framed by endless lashes as she nodded slowly. “If you’re sure, yes; it’s a ‘yes.’”
Mindful of the sleeping children, Laker scooped Indie from her feet with his hands at her waist to swing her in three quick circles with a soft ‘whoop’ of delight. She squealed and clung tight to his shoulders, giddy and surprised by his bold display of emotion.
“Thank you, Indie,” he eventually said, once he’d set her back on her feet. His hands remained on her waist, gripping lightly.
She gaped at him, her cheeks flushed and eyes wide. “Why are you thanking me?”
The grin that stole over his face was wide and crooked; the exact expression she so adored. His grassy green eyes sparkled with joy, and Indie could feel the fast thrum of his pulse in his wrist against her hip.
“For saying ‘yes.’ For not being too mad with me for booking it all without telling you.” His eyes softened then, and Indie reflexively squeezed his shoulders. “For giving me the chance to spend more time with Little Sweet and
Bodhi. I know I hog them, at times. I can’t wait to see her face when she sees the pool.”
Warmth spread through Indie’s veins as she pictured her daughter splashing in a pool she could only imagine, having never seen it herself, with Laker hovering nearby, always watching, always protecting. Bodhi would be big enough to go in, too, either in somebody’s arms or in some kind of floating device. That said, the thought of wearing a swimming costume and exposing her numerous scars frightened Indie; she hoped she’d find the courage to go for a swim with them.
The image in Indie’s head, of her with her precious babies, and Laker, a man who’d come to mean more to her than she could ever have expected, made tears prickle the backs of her eyes as she stared up at his precious face.
“Hey, what’s the matter? Cazzo, I didn’t mean to upset you, bella ragazza.”
“No, you haven’t upset me. Honestly, you haven’t.”
Laker frowned.
“I promise, you haven’t upset me. I’m just…I’m just happy. And tired, excited, overwhelmed…you name it, I’m feeling it,” she laughed tearfully, a pleasant shudder rippling through her when Laker sighed and reached up to cup her cheek.
“I’ll leave you to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I can show you all the proper details for Rome, okay? When you’ve had a chance to rest. It’s been a long, busy day.”
Indie nodded, suddenly really feeling the weight of the day upon her slender shoulders. She yawned loudly, blushing at the chuckle it pulled from Laker. He gave her one last, soft squeeze before letting go and stepping back, leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs with one ankle crossed over the other, crooked smile firmly in place.
“’Night, Pie. Sweet dreams.”