“Care to make it official, Cal?” asked his brother, walking down the steps in front of his wife. “Do you really need that room?”
He swallowed the emotion. “I don’t need the room. I know where I want to spend the rest of my life,” he answered.
Elizabeth linked fingers with him and they walked down behind Ethan. At the bottom off the stairs Wyler stood waiting for them.
“I have some last minute things to wrap. Can I see you three in the morning? I’m old and I need my beauty sleep.”
Ethan laughed. “Night Dad. Dinner was amazing, and granddad would be proud.”
Wyler hugged his son. “Thanks, Ethan.”
Elizabeth hugged the man next. “Best fry bread I’ve ever eaten,” she said smiling. “I may start demanding it for breakfast daily.”
Wyler was sure that for his daughter-in-law, he’d make it on demand anytime. If she was giving him another grandchild, he’d make it at every meal if that’s what it took.
“Night sweetheart,” he answered, kissing her on the forehead. Just holding her against him, there was a subtle change in her energy. He again had more proof that the dream was correct. Now he was getting excited.
Callen hugged his father tight. He’d lost Timothy, and now he knew his dad was desperately trying to fill the void. The meals, the planning of holidays and the comforting words even when he was hurting himself.
“I love you, Callen,” he said, patting his son on the back. “See you three tomorrow. Behave,” he said laughing.
“Love you too, Dad, and I’m always well behaved.”
Now Elizabeth snorted. “Yeah, right. Even on Christmas there’s a slim to zero chance that’s going to happen.”
“No comment,” stated Blackhawk. “I know better than to comment on your behavior.”
Wyler waved from the top of the stairs.
Callen was getting excited. “Is it present time?” he asked. “I think we should give Elizabeth hers first.”
She dropped onto the couch and shrugged. “Again, I’m not going to complain if two sexy men want to buy me presents. I’ll definitely go first.”
Callen and Ethan both grabbed their boxes and sat on the floor in front of her.
They did rock, paper, scissors to see who went first. This time Ethan won and he grinned. “Start with this one,” he said, handing it to Elizabeth. It was a flat envelope. “It was too big to put under the tree, and it’s for you and Callen. I hope you both like it.”
Elizabeth leaned over and opened the envelope so Callen could see what was inside it. Inside was a note and she read it out loud.
“I love you both more than my own life.
Callen, you were my brother, and now you're so
much more. Elizabeth, you’re my heart and will
always live inside me.
This is to always remember.”
~Ethan.
She slid the picture out and tears filled her eyes and also his brother’s. It was a large totem hand made by Wyler.
“He’s been working on it for three months. It’s for our front yard. I want to announce to the world that there’s a new name for the fort.”
Callen examined the photo. It was only three totem animals. There was a fox standing on his back legs, and on each one of his outstretched arms sat a raven. It was only their three animal spirit guides, and above the ravens sat an arch with their names.
Fort
Blackhawk -Whitefox
Elizabeth sniffled, but when she saw Callen’s tears start to fall, she broke down and started too. “I love you both so much.” Immediately, she hopped off the couch and went into both of their laps. First she kissed Ethan for the amazing, thoughtful gift. “You’re so damn smooth,” she whispered, running the pad of her thumb over his bottom lip.
Ethan grinned. “I do try.”
She moved to Callen next, wiping his tears away. “Are you okay, Cal?” she inquired, kissing his cheeks.
“Yeah, Ethan that’s amazing.”
Elizabeth kissed him slowly and offered him comfort. Breaking away, she stared into his eyes. “Looks like we’re out of the closet now for sure.”
“I don’t mind,” he answered, placing his hand on his brother’s arm. “Thank you for everything, Ethan.”
The man nodded. He’d promised his grandfather that he’d keep his brother safe and from becoming lost. Honestly, he loved having this bond with him. They shared a woman who owned both of their hearts. Never once had it made him feel weird or unusual. It just always felt right.
“I’m okay, Lyzee. Let’s get back to the presents,” insisted Callen.
Elizabeth hopped out of his lap and back onto her spot on the couch. “Okay, Ethan. I’m ready,” she said laughing. “I can’t imagine what you have next. That was a pretty great gift.”
“Next are just pretty things for my gorgeous wife.” Now he wiggled his eyebrows lecherously.
She laughed, taking the next box. “I can’t wait to see what you have in here.” Ripping into the paper, she popped the top off the box and pulled back the tissue paper and started laughing. “I’m pretty sure this is a gift more for you two than me.”
“You get to model it,” he answered.
Whitefox looked down into the box. “Holy shit Ethan! Where did you find that?” he asked, running his fingers over the very erotic lace. It was black with hints of hot pink accents. The most seductive part was that it was completely see through and looked incredibly naughty.
“I found a little shop on a back street in Georgetown. There’s a website. I’ll show you later.”
Elizabeth snickered. “Uh, again. This is all about you two, and very little about me.”
“Will you wear it later?” asked Blackhawk. “I really haven’t stopped thinking about seeing you in it, since I bought it.”
Callen looked up at her. “Now I’m thinking about it too.”
“Anything for you two,” she said smiling. “I really think it’s beautiful, Ethan.”
Blackhawk forced himself to focus. “Okay, this is about all of us,” he said, handing her the last box that he’d previously snuck in from the jewelers. “It’s my big present to you.”
“The totem was pretty damn big. Literally.”
He grinned. “Go ahead, baby.”
Elizabeth tore into the paper and opened the box. When a black velvet box fell into her hand, she looked up. “Jewelry?”
He nodded. “I hope you like it.
She snapped the box open, and stared at the locket inside. On the front there was engraving.
Our Heart.
When she opened it up, there was a picture of Callen and Ethan on each side.
“Read the back,” he suggested, grinning.
Elizabeth delicately flipped it over in her hand. Reading the back she saw only a date and then she understood. The tears started and Elizabeth didn’t even try to hold them back. “Ethan, it’s amazing.”
“You understand the significance?”
She nodded, handing the locket to Callen so he could see it. When he flipped it over he looked confused.
Ethan let him in on it. “That’s the date we all came together as a couple, and it’s our new anniversary. I’m willing to forget the day we got married, and make that our permanent one.”
Callen ran his thumb over the numbers, memorizing them. The day was forever in his mind, but he never acknowledged the actual date. “You’re giving up your anniversary for me?” he asked, overwhelmed with emotion once again.
“Yeah, that’s the date we all became whole, and that’s the only date we ever need to celebrate.”
Elizabeth couldn’t love him more.
“I’m willing to forget the other date and only celebrate that one. It doesn’t seem fair that I have a date with Elizabeth and you can’t Cal. You’re an equal part of this, and we all deserve one date.”
Callen hugged them. “I love you both.”
She was a very lucky woman to have found love not only once but twic
e with two amazing men.
Whitefox recovered. “Okay, my turn,” he said, pulling out a box. “This one’s for you and Ethan and I hope you like it.”
Elizabeth pulled off the pretty ribbons and opened the box as it sat on her lap. Already her bottom lip quivered, as she pulled out a beautifully made baby book. On the cover was a black and white photo of CJ, minutes after he was born, as he slept in her arms.
“Oh Cal,” she whispered.
Ethan was swamped with emotion too. His son was everything to him next to Elizabeth and Callen. “It’s beautiful.” On the blue leather binding was the baby’s name. Across the bottom it said ‘our son’.
“Open it, there’s more.”
As Elizabeth opened it, a disc fell out onto her lap. “What’s this?” she asked, holding it in her hand.
“Remember when you called Wyler, and he told you that CJ sat up alone for a few seconds?”
“Yes?”
Callen grinned. “Ethan said that he’d get dad to record him, and you could watch him all day long. Well, I had him do it. On that disc is CJ sitting up, and him playing with toys, and his first O’s. There will be more discs. That’s just the first one. You both never have to worry about missing another first again.”
Elizabeth glanced at her husband, and she started sniffling, and Ethan wasn’t far behind.
“Wait, there’s still more. Keep flipping.”
Elizabeth had never seen the pictures before, and the poems beside the pictures were beautiful. “Where did you get all the photos? They’re gorgeous.”
“I had dad take CJ to a photographer when you were out shopping, or he was watching him. You have a book of CJ.”
Elizabeth ran her fingers over the photographs. “This is amazing,” and then she read the words. “You wrote these poems,” she said softly. “These are your words.”
Ethan read what Elizabeth pointed at, and read the poignant words besides the pictures of his son. Some were in English, and some were in their native language.
“Oh, Callen,” she whispered. “They’re beautiful.”
“You once gave me a book of poetry, Elizabeth. Inside you wrote ‘Words should be shared when love has found a place to bloom’, and I’ve cherished that one sentence since I’ve read it.”
Ethan finally spoke. “Callen, this is staggering. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
He warned them. “Don’t turn to the last page unless you want to cry. It just felt fitting to end the book with it.”
She braced herself. “Now I have to look,” she said, turning to the last pages. It did indeed make her cry, and she handed the book to her husband and went into Callen’s arms. “I love you.”
He held onto her and kissed Elizabeth gently.
Blackhawk flipped to the back of the book, and his heart flipped in his chest. There sat a picture of their granddad holding his first great grandson. It was the last time they were together. It was the only color photo in the entire book. Beside it was a poem. Ethan wiped his eyes. “Thank you, Callen. This is an amazing present and I’m blessed to have you as my brother.”
“I’m the lucky one, Ethan. You and Elizabeth gave me so much that I can never repay you.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Don’t you see Callen, before you we weren’t complete. We’re the lucky ones. You made us whole.”
Blackhawk wrapped his arms around his brother and wife. “I love you both.”
After a while, Callen laughed. “Okay, more presents or this is going to take three months.”
Elizabeth stayed in his lap as she opened the last box.
“So you know, angel, I too shopped for really trashy, slutty and vile lingerie,” he said laughing. “But I put it in the drawer. I know better than to call it a present.”
Ethan snorted and punched his brother. “You’re a traitor!”
She giggled. “You both get to see me in all of it,” she promised, opening the box. Another jeweler’s box fell out. Opening it, she gasped. “Callen, it’s amazing.”
“I hope you love it.”
Elizabeth ran her fingers over the bracelet. It had three charms on it.
“The raven is Ethan, I’m the fox, and the infinity symbol is us together.
“It’s gorgeous. I love it. I promise to wear both the locket and the bracelet every day.”
She kissed both men and then stood. “Okay, you both on the couch. I have two gifts for each of you.” The men obeyed and sat where she was sitting previously.
“Callen, you get to go first,” she said, handing him the first box. “I hope you like them.” She watched as he ripped into the paper, grinning like a fool.
Whitefox pulled the lid off the box, and inside were a new pair of cowboy boots. He ran his fingers over the trimming and stitching. “Custom boots?”
She nodded. “Look at the detail,” Elizabeth stated, pointing at the picture stitched into the boot.
“It’s a fox.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Because you’re my fox.”
“I love them, they’re absolutely gorgeous.”
She grabbed the next box. “This is part two of the gift.” Elizabeth placed it in his hands, and watched the happiness on his face.
Opening the box, the belt buckle sat in red tissue paper. He and Elizabeth had an affinity for them but this was, like the boots, a custom made one. On the front was a gold fox on a silver background. The eyes were little tiny red stones. “Angel, this is amazing.”
“Flip it over.”
He did what she asked, and found it was engraved.
For my love.
Callen’s heart skipped a beat at the words. At first, he always wondered if he would fit into their lives, and from day one he had. They made him part of them, and he was finally alive.
“I love it.”
Elizabeth grinned. “Ethan’s turn are you ready?” she held two boxes in her hands for him. “The bigger one first.”
Blackhawk opened the box delicately, savoring the moment and enjoying the surprise coming. When he pulled back the tissue paper, he ran his hand over a blue silk tie with ravens on it. “How did you find this?” he asked, grinning.
“I had it custom made. Callen got foxes and you got ravens. There’s also a suit pocket square so you match.”
“It’s beautiful baby, and I’ll wear it and think about you.”
Elizabeth smiled handing him the small box. “One more for you.”
Again, Ethan slowly opened it. When he found the black velvet box he snapped it open, and the corners of his mouth curled up. “I love them.” He delicately pulled out the white gold cuff links with the black onyx ravens on them. “They match my tie.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, it does. As does Callen’s boots and buckle. Now you two can be matching, but in your own way.”
Ethan kissed his wife and stood. “How about we sit on the couch and cuddle,” he said, winking at his brother.
Callen kissed her too. “I could use some cuddling.”
She giggled as he pulled her into his lap.
Blackhawk went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine and three glasses. He carried it into the living room. “Drunken cuddling is on the agenda,” he stated. Pouring three glasses, he handed them each one. “To our family. May we grow bigger and happier in the new year,” he toasted, and clinked his glasses with Elizabeth and Callen’s and then sat beside her.
Well, it looked like now it was time to give them her last present. “Oh wait! I forgot a present for each of you,” she said, extricating herself from between them. “I have to admit, I didn’t buy this gift. I made it.”
Both men snickered. “That’s frightening.” Blackhawk winked at her.
“Funny, smart asses. You have to open them at the same time, since it’s the same gift.”
Both men put their wine down.
Elizabeth watched them open the boxes at the same time, and then pull back the tissue paper.
Ethan stared down at the words, printed on
the shirt. It simply said ‘Daddy?’. It didn’t take long for him to get it, and then stared over at his brother, mouth open.
Callen read his shirt, that said the same thing, laughing at first, then getting it.
“Wait, are you saying…”
Whitefox couldn’t put a sentence together. “A baby?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Congrats boys, we’re kicking off the new year right and making Ethan’s toast come true. I’m pregnant.”
Neither man spoke.
In that second nerves took over, as did shock.
This couldn’t be good.
~ Chapter Twelve ~
All in all, it was a relatively fun evening. Tori sat beside Julian, his arm around her shoulders, and occasionally he’d whisper something reassuring in her ear. Everyone had been very welcoming, and even little Maryann stopped trying to hide behind Julian, and was talking directly to her.
So this is what a big family was like. No wonder Julian always seemed so damn happy. He had an amazing set of relatives that obviously loved him. She found herself looking at him the entire night, lost in the man beside her and it made her nervous as hell. Something about him just sucked her in and made her want to forget.
“So Tori,” stated Justin, leaning back in his chair. “Why the Army?” he asked, grinning at his brother, as he gave him a dirty look.
Tori found herself relaxed enough to discuss it. “Well, my dad was Army and my grandfather too. Then there’s the real reason,” she said, smiling at the man that looked exactly like Julian.
“Oh? What’s that?”
“It’s just the best,” she answered.
Julian started laughing, proud that she was relaxed enough to tease his brother back.
“Here we go,” stated Clarissa, laughing. “I thought it was bad with the Navy and Marines, but now we have the Army in the fray.
Justin laughed. “Hardly. I bet you had to have the men in your unit clean your weapons for you.”
Julian tensed; he was so going to kick his brother’s ass later if he didn’t tread lightly. “Justin, knock it off.”
Fire Burns Hot ((An FBI/ Romance Thriller~ (Book 5))) Page 31