Rimmel nodded. “And put a fence around it. With a gate. And a lock. And a safety cover.”
Oh, if we got a pool, that thing would have every safety feature imaginable.
“With five kids running around, it would definitely get some use.” Ivy agreed.
I hesitated, not wanting to do anything that could potentially hurt Rimmel. Her small hand caressed my cheek, and I glanced up.
“I think it would fine.” She encouraged.
Just then, Blue raced into the room, followed closely by Jax. The two boys were inseparable, barely ever apart.
“Mommy!” he yelled and launched at Rimmel. I reached out and caught him just before he dove onto her belly.
“Whoa there, dude. You trying to crush Mommy?”
Blue laughed, and Rimmel tugged him into her lap.
I groaned. “You guys are heavy!” I tossed my head back against the cushions and pretended to pass out.
“You’re silly, Daddy!” Blue laughed.
“What do you think, little Blue-Jay,” Rimmel said, tickling his stomach. “Do you think we should get a pool for you to swim in?”
Jax gasped from his place on Drew’s lap. “I want to ‘wim!” he yelled.
Blue nodded sagely, his blue eyes wide.
“Tell Daddy,” she whispered in his ear.
“Pwease, Daddy?” Blue asked. His blond hair had some curl to it and always looked like he stuck his finger in a light socket.
I leaned forward and glanced at my brothers. A silent conversation passed between the four of us.
“Geez,” Ivy muttered. “There they go again, Rim. Acting like we don’t live here.”
“But we love you, baby,” B told her.
I sighed. “I’ll call a couple places and get some bids.”
Rimmel’s face lit up, and she smiled at Blue.
“Go tell your sister we’re getting a pool,” Drew told Jax.
Jax jumped down and ran around the couch. “Come on, Jay!” he yelled as he disappeared.
Seconds later, Blue was off Rim’s lap and running off calling Nova’s name.
And now here we were, months later, with a pool installed at the compound. It was done earlier than expected, and the kids were already begging B to take them in.
“We can put them off,” I told Rim as I drove slowly over the road that led to our house. “Tell them it’s not ready to swim in yet.”
I was worried the idea of a pool was something a lot easier to swallow for Rim than actually seeing it in the ground. Since they broke ground on it, she’d only been down there once when they were digging.
Rimmel smiled. “Are you kidding? The boys will beg us until their faces turn blue if we don’t let them at least go see it.”
I stopped the Cat right there in the middle of the road and turned to her.
“My main concern is you, baby. Our kids can swim in the pool when you’re ready for it and not a moment sooner.”
A soft smile transformed her face and made my dick go hard in my jeans. “I’m okay. Honestly. I want our kids to have this. I don’t want to hold them back.”
I leaned across the car and claimed her mouth. Her tongue stroked into mine, and I groaned.
“I can’t wait ‘til tonight,” I murmured when I finally pulled away. “I need you.”
“Maybe we can get the kids into bed early tonight.” Her eyes sparkled.
I groaned. “Hells yeah.”
“C’mon, then.” She urged. “Let’s go. I want to see this pool.”
I met her eyes, held them. “If it upsets you at all, brings back memories you don’t want, say the word. I want you to be happy.”
“I am happy, Romeo. So happy. A pool in our backyard isn’t going to change that.”
I took her hand and put it over the stick shift in the center of the car, then wrapped mine over hers to shift gears and begin driving again.
“About the pool…” I said and tossed her my most charming smile.
She groaned. “What did you do Romeo?”
“I just want you to keep in mind that I wanted it to be beautiful as well as safe. You know, maybe to make it a better experience for you.”
Rimmel made another sound and put her free hand on the baby girl inside her. “You hear that, London? That’s your daddy’s way of telling Mommy he spent way, way too much money.”
My heart melted, and I swallowed forcibly past the emotion lumped in my throat.
When I didn’t say anything, she glanced up. “What is it?”
“That was the first time I ever heard you call our daughter by her name.”
Her eyes softened. “A baby girl.”
I picked her hand up off the shifter and kissed the back of it, then cleared my throat. “My girls.”
When I said I was wrapped around this baby’s finger, I wasn’t kidding. The pull I felt to that baby girl was incredible. I loved both my sons… more than myself, and I would never say it out loud, but there was something about a baby girl. London. I felt her already. She was a clone of her mother, and that in itself slayed me.
Rimmel burst out laughing, interrupting the marshmallow moment going on inside me. “Look!” she exclaimed and laughed again.
I glanced up and grinned.
All three boys and Nova were in the driveway, wearing bathing suits. Asher had on a pair of goggles.
“Oh my goodness, look how adorable they are!” she cried.
“You’d think they were excited or something,” I quipped.
They saw the Hellcat and began jumping up and down, waiving their hands at us. Ivy and B were standing there laughing.
I didn’t pull the Cat all the way into the driveway, you know, since there was a parade of monsters in bathing suits. Instead, I parked her where the road opened up in front of the garages.
“Stay,” I told Rim and jogged around to get the door for her.
She listened (for once), and I leaned in around her to undo the seatbelt. On my way back, I caressed her belly.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Blue and Asher were yelling as they ran across the pavement to us.
Rimmel laughed and held out her arms.
It wasn’t her they ran to, though, but me. They launched themselves like human missiles.
“Whoa!” I exclaimed and caught one, then the other. It was a good thing I played football, because if I didn’t, these little rug rats would wear me the hell out.
“You’re home!” Blue yelled in my ear.
“I can see you were waiting.” I chuckled.
“The pool is ready, Mommy!” he told Rim.
Asher held his arms out to her, and she lifted him off me.
“You shouldn’t be lifting that much weight,” I fussed.
Rimmel gave me a look that dared me to tell her not to pick up her son again.
“‘Wim! ‘Wim!” he told her. Rim laughed lightly as her eyes roamed over our youngest son. She wasn’t lying when she said they looked just like me. Both of them were little heartbreakers in the making. Asher was mischievous and curious. It was like he came out knowing his big brothers and sisters would protect him, and that gave him an instant streak of bravery. Blue was more serious, but his charm matched mine. My mother melted every single time he called her grandma.
“You ready to see the pool?” Rim asked Ash, running her hand over the short blond hair still growing in. “You already have your goggles on!” She laughed.
He pointed to the obnoxiously large blue goggles on his face. “Uncle Trent gave ‘em to me.”
“He gave us all some,” Blue said, still climbing up my back.
“We tried to keep them contained!” Ivy said, rushing forward. “But the second they saw the equipment trucks leaving, it’s like they knew they could swim.”
“The water is probably still cold,” Rimmel sang.
“We’re big boys!” Jax told her, his thick, dark hair ruffling in the summer breeze. “We like it!”
B cackled.
“You’re not as big as me!” Nova told them all.
She was standing beside Ivy, holding an umbrella over her head.
She was dressed in a one-piece suit covered in ruffles. It was navy blue with metallic gold polka dots all over it. Her hair was dark, just like Braeden’s, and hung down to her shoulders. Her eyes were blue like Ivy’s.
She was my first experience with a baby. My first niece. And in the fall, she was already starting kindergarten.
“Well, how was the appointment?” Ivy asked, her eyes going down to Rim’s stomach.
“It’s a girl,” she said, like holding in the news was just too hard.
Ivy gasped and ran forward to hug both Rim and Asher. “I’m so excited!” she squealed. “It’s about time we get some more girls around here.”
“Yeah!” Nova celebrated.
“Aww, you’re in for it now, Rome,” B told me.
I resisted the urge to give him the finger. Didn’t want to show our kids a bad example.
When Ivy moved back, B went toward Rim. Before hugging her, though, he lifted Asher out of her arms and held him up the air, making him giggle. “Uncle B!” he yelled.
“Love ya, kid,” he said and set him down. “But it’s my turn to hug your mommy.”
B swooped in and wrapped his arms around Rim, lifting her off her feet and spinning her in a circle.
“Be careful!” I growled. What the hell was he thinking?
B slowed, then set her on her feet but hugged her still. His eyes met mine over her shoulder, and I saw the amused glint in their depths. “You think I’m bad with a baby girl… just wait. Rome’s gonna be ten times worse.”
This time I didn’t hold back. I gave him the finger.
“Rome!” B gasped like he was offended—what the fuck ever—and pulled away from my wife. Finally.
“You were asking for it and you know it,” Ivy said, smacking him in the chest. B grabbed Ivy, dipped her in the driveway, and planted a loud kiss on her.
“Ew!” Nova yelled. Blue and Jax echoed her instantly.
Rim’s eyes found mine, and we shared a moment of solitude in the middle of our chaotic family.
I love you so fucking much, my eyes told her.
So fucking much, she answered.
She held her hand out to Ash and then Blue. He practically jumped off my back to rush to her side. “Come on,” she said, moving in front of me. “Let’s go see the pool Daddy spent too much money on.”
“How much money?” Jax asked.
“Thirty dollars!” Nova told him.
I hung back and watched them go, my wife and my two sons, my entire life.
B sidled up to me and watched Ivy go with their two kids. His fist stretched out between us. “Congrats on the daughter, bro.”
I pounded it out. “Thanks, man.”
“I don’t know how we did it, Rome, but we have more than I ever thought possible.”
I grunted. “I know.”
“It’s a good life,” he said.
I slapped him on the back. “A damn good life.”
# # #
ABOUT CAMBRIA HEBERT
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than forty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of birds (including chickens). You can often find her painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her Chihuahuas (the real rulers of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. She has also written romantic suspense, science fiction, and most recently male/male romance. Her favorite genre to read and write is contemporary romance. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, GearShark Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Recent awards include: Author of the Year, Best contemporary series (The Hashtag Series), Best contemporary book of the year, Best book trailer of the year, Best contemporary lead, Best contemporary book cover of the year. In addition, her most recognized title, #Nerd was listed at Buzzfeed.com as a top fifty summer romance read.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
#HookUp (Hashtag Series Bonus Scenes) Page 7