Bearded Dessert (One of the Boys Book 3)

by Teresa Crumpton

  Two policemen nod as we pass, moving toward the steps. Before I know it, Dad is kneeling down and picking me up. “I want you to stay close. Plus, this way you can send off the text for me. Deal?”

  I nod then start typing out the message.

  Ella: Dad wants to know if y’all are up for making the pizzas from scratch, or if we just want to order from the usual place?

  Calla: Good question.

  Wes: While I’d love to make it from scratch, we don't have time for the dough to do its thing. So how about either this Sunday or next, we do pizzas from scratch at Belladonna? We can make a few different styles.

  Calla: Love that idea. Ella, you need to think of some ingredients, and not just pepperoni and cheese.

  Ella: Okay, I’ll have them for you tonight.

  “Calla and Wes want to do the pizzas from scratch at Belladonna either this Sunday or next. Wes said the dough wouldn't be ready in time for tonight.”

  “So they want you to help create some pizzas.” Dad chuckles leaning his head on mine as we walk up another set of steps.

  We come to a stop next to a broken door and more police standing guard.

  “Dad...what happened here?” I whisper.

  Chapter 8

  Jax

  The worry in Ella’s voice makes me rethink bringing her here with us. Hell, it’s my apartment, and I don’t even want to be here. I knock on the door, hoping one of my dad’s officers is waiting inside. Even if someone is in there, I’m not sure I’ll ever feel safe in this place again. It’s like the night my Mom died when I was little all over again. I’ve always wondered it if was the cancer that took her, or the intruder. Not that I’ll ever know the truth. I doubt Dad even wanted the answer. He blamed himself for everything that year. It’s not like he gave Mom cancer, but I get that he felt powerless. So did I.

  Forest slides his hand into mine as the door opens, revealing my dad. Even with it's bent hinges, cracks, and broken handle and lock, somehow the damn door is still slightly functional. Dad steps back, allowing us to enter. To my surprise, the apartment is being boxed up.

  “Dad?” I question, glancing around the room.

  “Daddy, is Jax moving in with us, or just staying over for a night or two?” Ella asks.

  “Well, she was just going to stay for a few days, but now I’m not so sure,” Forest answers her, letting go of my hand to put Ella down.

  “Joclyn, I wasn’t going to let you stay here,” Dad informs me. “Not after what happened. I hired movers and rented you a storage unit. They haven’t packed everything yet, because I knew you’d need a few things no matter where you decided to stay.”

  Fighting back the urge to cry, I croak out, “Dad,” as I move closer to him, wrapping my arms around him. “This means so much. I hadn't even figured out what I was going to do.”

  “Sweetheart, my job is what caused all this trouble. And even if it hadn't, I’d do whatever I could to help you.” He kisses the side of my head. “I’m sorry I haven’t shown you that in the past,” Dad whispers in my ear.

  I squeeze him one last time before I let go and take a step back, wiping the tears that are forming from my eyes. I’m not going to let Forest or Ella see me cry...not yet.

  “What can Ella and I do to help?” Forest asks, breaking the awkwardness in the emotionally charged room.

  Glancing in Forest’s direction, I notice Ella is standing slightly behind him, as if she’s hiding. She never hides from anything, normally. When she’s comfortable, she’s front and center, chatting everyone up.

  So what’s different? She met my dad this morning...sorta. Could it be the packing?

  Ella’s eyebrows furrow as she looks around. “Jax, are you moving away?” she asks, reaching for Forest’s hand.

  “Is everything okay?” my dad asks tentatively, and I glance between him and Ella.

  Concern fills my dad's features when Ella’s eyes get a little glassy as she’s taking in the room, glancing between Forest and me. Shit. This is a little too much for her. It hasn’t been that long since she had to move. Seeing all this can’t be easy on her. Sinking to my knees, I hold my arms open for her, but she hesitates.

  “Ella, I’m not moving far, and until last night, I wasn’t moving at all. But someone broke in, and I don’t feel safe here anymore. It’s why I’m staying with you and your dad for a few days,” I explain, wrapping my arms around her. “I would never leave you like this. If I needed to move away, I’d tell you.”

  “You promise?” Ella asks, her voice soft and cautious as a tear slides down her cheek. Her bottom lip is trembling.

  “Shit,” Forest murmurs, stepping closer. He moves as if he’s going to embrace us both, but stops a few inches from us. “Baby girl, I’m not going to let Jax out of our lives. She’s family,” he bends down kneeling to our level. “You know, yesterday was supposed to be my first date with Jax, but it was interrupted because of the break-in.”

  At his words, a lump forms in my throat, and my heart races. Did he just say we’re family? Forest kisses Ella’s head before grabbing my hand and squeezing it. He has to know what his words do to me. Doesn’t he? For months, all I’ve wanted was to be a part of his family, and now I’m so close. I never thought I’d find someone who could potentially be my best friend and my lover at the same time. Forest could be too good to be true, but he’s the one man I’m willing to take a chance on.

  The thought barely has time to take hold in my mind when a couple of men come through the door carrying boxes and bubble wrap, catching my attention. They make their way to the kitchen and get to work. Right. My place isn’t safe. I need to pack a few things and get Ella out of here. Plus, we have people coming over for pizza. Maybe I should invite my Dad over? Forest and Ella could get to know him better. It couldn’t hurt.

  “Dad, I know this is short notice, and I hope Ella and Forest don’t mind me asking, but would you like to have dinner with us and two of their friends?”

  There’s a chuckle from Forest. “Calla and Wes are going to be pissed that you don’t think of them as your friends too. You know that, right?”

  I wave off his words. Calla and Wes are his friends, although I do consider them my friends as well. But if anything happened to my friendship with Forest, I would lose them. And rightly so. However, for this man––I’m willing to risk losing everything.

  More chuckling resonates in the room, this time from my dad. “As long as Forest and Ella approve.”

  “Commander Sark,” Forest begins, but my dad stops him.

  “Forest, please call me, Jack,” Dad requests.

  “Jack, you’re more than welcome to join us. Two of my partners, Calla and Wes, will be joining us tonight. Unfortunately, the rest have other plans,” Forest responds, smiling. “Let’s grab what we need and get out of here.”

  “I’ll go get what I need from my room,” I announce and head for my bedroom to pack what I’ll want for the foreseeable future.

  In my room, I pack up all the clothes I can, along with a few odds and ends that might be needed. Bags full, I pull everything out to the living room then pick up a few more things and stow them in an empty bag.

  “Everything else can get boxed up. I won’t need it...I don’t think.” I mumble the last few words as I face my dad and Forest.

  Footsteps sound in the hallway outside my front door. Hearing them so clearly is an eerie feeling, and I fear for Ella’s and Forest’s safety, even though I know it’s irrational. That is, until Lieutenant Sawyer strolls through the open door.

  “Jax, how are you?” he greets me with a smile before taking in the room. His expression becomes serious when his eyes fall on Forest and Ella. “Sir. Miss.” He nods to them.

  Sawyer’s never this formal, and it puts me back on edge.

  “Lieutenant, is everything in place?” my dad asks, pulling all attention back on him, as it should be considering my situation.

  “Yes, sir. I also got someone to come fix this door for Jax.”
<
br />   “Thanks, Lieutenant Sawyer,” I speak up. “I’m sure the super will be happy about that, but I don't think I’ll be back here again.” I cross my arms over my chest. Hell, I kind of wish I could hold Ella right now.

  “That's probably a better plan. I’m sure the commander here will be happy to have you home.”

  A throat clears. “Sawyer, she won't be at my place. Jax is going to be with Forest and Ella,” Dad says, smiling as he gestures to them. “We’ll put a protection detail on Forest’s building just to be safe, and someone will be at Voodoo when you go back to work,” he address me before adding, “Forest, if you’d like, I’ll put someone on you and Ella.”

  “Jack, why don't we talk about it tonight?” Forest responds, stepping forward to shake my dad's hand. “We’ll see you in an hour or so?” Forest asks, though it's more like he's giving my dad information than asking a question.

  “You will.” Dad nods then kneels down and holds out his hand to Ella. “Young lady, I can't wait to get to know you better.”

  Ella eyes him before taking his hand and shaking it. “That will work.” She grins.

  Laughter fills the room.

  Forest shakes his head as he runs his hand down Ella's head.

  “All right, baby girl. Let's grab Jax’s things and take them to the car so we can get your homework done and get the pizzas,” Forest says as Ella looks up at him.

  “Okay, Dad.” She waves at my dad and marches over to my bags. Her little hand wraps around one handle, and she starts to wheel it away.

  “Damn she's cute,” my dad comments, chuckling. He moves toward me, wrapping his arms around me again. “He seems like a great guy, and while I had concerns before about you dating a man that has a kiddo, I no longer do,” he whispers before letting me go. “Let's get y’all loaded up.”

  The four of us grab my remaining bags and follow Ella out.

  Chapter 9

  Forest

  The last few days have been the most frustrating of my life. Having Jax living with us and not being able to touch her is killing me. Every night, I want to sneak down the hall to Jax’s room and have my way with her...but I don’t. I keep our boundaries in place. However, I’ve decided that tonight I’m going to change that.

  “Ella, come get breakfast! We don’t want to be late!” I call for her as I plate the food.

  Yawning, Jax enters the living room from her end of the apartment. “Morning. Have you made coffee yet?” she asks, entering the kitchen.

  She’s wearing a cami with matching blue and tan short shorts that make my blood boil, and my dick harden. When Jax gets close enough for me to touch her, I pull her body in line with mine. My hands cup her jaw as I start to kiss her. She deepens the kiss, and I want to moan into her mouth.

  “Dad, can I have….” Ella’s voice trails off as she gets closer to us.

  Pulling back from Jax’s luscious lips, I turn to face my little girl. “Good morning, young lady. What would you like for breakfast?” I ask.

  “I uhhh…” Ella stammers. “Dad...are you and Jax dating?” Excitement is beaming in her eyes.

  Ella glances at Jax, and she nods as an answer to Ella’s question. “We are dating, but we haven’t wanted to say or do anything in front of you, in case things don’t work out.”

  “Dad, why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been wanting Jax to be a your girlfriend for months!” Her little hands rest on her hips, and she gives me a pouty face.

  Jax moves toward Ella and bends down. “Ella, we just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

  “Jax, can you move in permanently?” Ella throws out, and all I can do is blink.

  Jax’s jaw goes slack, and I’m sure mine does too. Leave it to my girl to ask the outrageous questions. Granted, Ella has a good point. Jax needs a place to live, and we have the room. Why not be roommates? It’s simply an added bonus that we are dating. And really...dating is just preliminary. I know Jax is the one. I just need her to agree.

  “I’m not…I don’t think…” Jax stammers.

  “Honestly, I think Ella’s right. We have the room, and you’re family now. We want you here. I know, considering we just started dating, you moving in is fast, but if we weren’t dating, I’d be making this offer too,” I tell her, coming to stand next to my girls.

  “I’m not sure what to say.” There’s a spark of interest in her eyes, but it’s mixed with concern...and possibly fear. “Let me think about it.”

  “That’s all we ask. No pressure.” I glare down at Ella. “Right, young lady?”

  “No pressure…but pleeeassse move in with us!” Ella draws out the please, and I shake my head. So much for no pressure.

  “What did I just say about pressure?” I reprimand her.

  “Not to…. But I had to get it out,” Ella explains, straight-faced and unapologetic.

  Good grief! My little girl is going to be the death of me as she gets older. She’s such a pistol.

  “I’m not sure I can say no after that request, but I still need to think it over.” Jax studies me then Ella. “Okay?” she specifically asks Ella.

  “Okay.” Ella’s voice drops into a pouty sound at the end of the word.

  “Breakfast. What do you want to eat?” I redirect her before she can guilt-trip Jax anymore.

  Making her food choice, Ella quickly finishes her breakfast and gathers her backpack. Before walking out, she hugs Jax good-bye. It’s the first day she hasn’t dilly-dallied around since Jax moved in with us, which makes me wonder what she’s up to. Pouring myself some coffee, I follow Ella’s lead out the door. We don’t speak until we’re both buckled in, and I’m pulling out of the parking garage.

  “All right, young lady, spill whatever it is you’re cooking up in that head of yours.” I study her in the rearview mirror before pulling out into traffic.

  “I don’t know what you mean, Dad.” She has a deer-in-the-headlights expression, and it’s so cute I want to laugh, but I know that’s just going to egg her on. She is so much like Nessa, it’s not even funny.

  “Uh-huh, you want to try that again? I know you're cooking up something. The look on your face is one I’ve seen many times...normally right before Nessa did something I would get in trouble for later. Spill it so we can bypass me getting a call from the school, or Nonna telling me you did something you shouldn’t have.” My attention shifts between the mirror and the road as I wait.

  Now I’m going to need to text everyone to find out who she’s in cahoots with.

  “Daad.” She lingers on the ‘a’, as if that’s going to make me think she’s not up to something.

  “That’s not helping your case. You know that, right?” We come to a stop at the light two blocks from her school. “I’ll find out one way or another.”

  “You can try, but I don’t think you’ll get the answers you want.” She giggles. “Everyone is with me on this, Dad.” She stares right at me through the mirror, and I have to admit, she’s one smart cookie.

  Yep, just like my twin. What the hell is she going to be like when she’s a teenager? I ask myself.

  This conversation is going nowhere. She wants to be a little shit, but two can play that game. I have a feeling I know who’s helping her, and I know one of them will slip up. And more likely than not, it will either be my father, or Wes.

  As we pull into the drop-off area, I see Ella pull out her phone, and I’m sure she’s powering it off before stepping on school grounds.

  “Remember, you have gymnastics tonight. I’ll leave you a message about who’s going to take you and pick you up. I may have Nonna and Gramps keep you so you can get a good night's sleep since you have math and science tests tomorrow,” I tell her as the truck door starts to open for her to get out.

  “Okay. Bye, Dad! Love you!” she yells, jumping out of the vehicle. As soon as her tiny feet hit the pavement, she’s off.

  Grabbing my phone out of the cup holder, I send off two text messages. One to my father, the other to Wes.

  F
orest: What mischief is my daughter up to?

  Placing my phone back in the holder, I shift the truck into gear and start to pull away from the curb. Messages buzz in, but I don’t answer right away. As I come to a stop at the stop sign, I glance at my phone and notice that both my dad and Wes have left messages, which reminds me that I need to ask my dad if Ella can stay with them tonight, though Jax may want to have her at the apartment. Those two have such a strong connection, some days it makes me a little jealous since Ella hasn’t been in my life any longer than Jax has been. Kindred spirits is what they are.

  Once I’m out of the school zone, it doesn’t take long to get home. I check my messages before getting out of the truck.

  Dad: 1.When isn’t Ella getting into mischief? She takes after you and Nessa. It’s a good thing you don’t have any other children...they would be hell-raisers. 2.Now that Jax is living with you, she’s super excited. As if you didn’t know that would happen.

  Forest: She asked Jax to move in permanently today, I respond to my Dad.

  Wes: I have no knowledge of Ella being mischievous, and even if I did, I can’t tell you about it. Calla is right next to me.

  Forest: Chicken shit. Thanks for letting me know who’s in on her plot.

  Opening the car door, I slide out of the truck, sticking my phone in my back pocket. It buzzes again, but I ignore it. I want to get upstairs and talk to Jax about tonight. Bypassing the lobby, I make my way up the four flights of steps instead of taking the elevator to my floor. As I exit the stairwell, I stop when I notice someone standing at my front door.

  I’m not expecting anyone today.

  Picking up my pace, I jog down the hall to my apartment. “Can I help you?” I ask when I get close enough to the door. When the man turns, I realize it's Lieutenant Sawyer.