The Barnes Family Romances: (Books 1-3)

by Normandie Alleman

  “That sucks. Let me try.”

  I bounced the ball to her. She threw up a perfect shot. It swished through, nothing but net.

  “Lucky,” I accused.

  She laughed. “Better lucky than good.”

  “Only in Vegas.”

  “Hey,” she said, changing the subject. “I think I figured out what happened with Eden.”

  “Really? How?”

  “Well, I’ve been calling Eden, but she’s not returning my calls, right?”

  “Mine either.”

  “I thought you lost your phone.”

  “I did. I’ve been calling her from the house phone.”

  “You have a house phone?”

  “It’s good to have one for 9-1-1. Get back to Eden.” “Okay, sorry. So I kept calling, but couldn’t reach her, so I tried her mom.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “Her mom says that you left your phone at the hospital and Eden saw a text on it from your neighbor Pepper that was pretty incriminating.”

  “That’s insane! There’s nothing going on between me and Pepper. I haven’t even spoken to the woman in about a month. If anything, she and Eden were becoming friends. Pepper was planning to throw a baby shower for her!”

  “Right, so it did sound kinda fishy so I asked some more about it. Come to find out—Eden left the room for a physical therapy thing, and when she came back she saw the text.”

  “So?”

  “So, our mother was in the room when Eden left. She knew your phone was there. I think she programmed her number into your phone as Pepper and then sent a sext when she knew Eden was back in the room and would see it.”

  “A sext?”

  “Whatever you want to call it! A text making it look like you two were having sex.”

  “Seriously?” This seemed farfetched, even for Lucinda.

  “Nick, I smell a rat of the Lucinda species. Eden thinks you’re cheating with Pepper because of a text on your phone. Our mother was at the hospital before, during, and after that text came through. You know what Freud says?”

  “Not even remotely.”

  “There are no consequences.”

  “Really? Still dating that psychotherapist?”

  “No. But he would have a field day with this situation.”

  “I’ll bet. I can’t believe she would do that to her own son. What kind of sick person does something like that?”

  “I’m sorry, Nick. Our mother is a real piece of work.”

  Dynassy’s phone started vibrating in her pocket. She pulled it out and studied it. “Mom says she has your phone. For you to come to her hotel room and get it.”

  “With pleasure,” I said through gritted teeth.

  ***

  She opened the door like nothing was wrong. I knew she didn’t really believe that because if she did the cameras would be rolling, and those vampires were nowhere to be seen.

  “Why’d you do it?” I seethed.

  Lucinda took a step back. “Do what?”

  “Try to trick Eden into thinking I cheated on her. Why would you do something like that? I fucking love her, Mother. I want to be with her. We have children together. Why the hell would you want to destroy that?”

  Cornered, she dropped all pretense, and suddenly the false defense tactics fell away. “Okay, fine. I did it. But only because she’s not right for you, son.”

  My laughter came out more of a bark. “And how the hell would you know who is right for me? You don’t even know me, Mother. You only see me as a projection of yourself, and maybe Ziggy. I’ve tried to make you see me. Tried to show you who I was, let you see the real me. But you’re too narcissistic to see that. I am not Ziggy. Ziggy died twelve years ago, and it’s time for you to stop comparing me to him. Stop trying to make me and Leo into some crazy idea of a legacy you’ve created, and let us live our own lives.”

  “That’s not true. I don’t do that, and I know you—better than you know yourself. Well enough to know that girl is not right for you.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. What you really mean is that she’s not right for you. And now you’ve alienated your own grandchildren. She’s not going to let you see them, and I don’t blame her.”

  “You don’t? How can you say that?”

  “Because you’re a destructive woman who poisons everything she touches, and I honestly don’t want you anywhere near our children either. I just came here to tell you that.”

  “Nick, you’re upset, but you need to look at this rationally. You may not have cheated on her yet, but you will. And you need a woman who won’t go all crazy when it happens. You need someone who will stay by your side.”

  “You mean the way Ziggy did when you screwed all his friends?”

  Her eyes flashed and she came at me. “How dare you talk to your mother like that!” she screamed, pulling her hand back to slap me, but I caught her wrist mid-air.

  “I’m only telling the truth. It was you who couldn’t keep your pants on, not Dad.”

  “That is not true. Your father was a rock star, he was always screwing around with other women.”

  “Probably because he was trying to keep up with you.”

  “You’re disgusting.”

  “I feel the same way about you.” I searched the room. “You said you had my phone. Is that true or just another one of your melodramatic deceptions?”

  “It’s over on the bar.”

  I walked back to wet bar and found my phone on the counter. I grabbed it, put it in my pocket, then headed for the door. As I passed my mother, she stood uncharacteristically quiet, shoulders slumped, and said softly, “I’m sorry, Nick. Maybe I was wrong to send that text.”

  “Maybe? Maybe you were wrong to destroy an entire family? Your own family? You know what, Mother—I’m done.” I stormed out, and as pissed as I was I needed to expend some energy so I took the stairs. And as I ran down, with each flight I repeated the word “done” like a mantra.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Nick

  After I left Lucinda, I called Mary Lou and explained to her what had happened.

  “Mary Lou, I swear, I did not cheat on your daughter. I love her with all my heart, and I wouldn’t do that to her. I know how worried she is about having that kind of man, and I would never hurt her like that.”

  “That does sound like something Lucinda would do…” Mary Lou hesitated.

  “I swear! All I want is to marry Eden and raise our babies with her. I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. Please tell me where she is.”

  “She will be so mad at me if I do. She made me promise…”

  “Mary Lou, think of it this way, those babies need their father and their mother. Unfortunately, for them they have one grandmother who is determined to see that doesn’t happen. You can either join her in that goal or you can help me bring my family together.”

  Silence on the other end of the line.

  “Mary Lou—are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here. We’re at a hotel a couple of hours east of Fresno. I’ll text you the address. Eden wants to drive back to Texas, but we didn’t get very far because the babies have to be fed and changed every two hours. At this rate, we’ll never get back to Texas.”

  “Good, because I want to bring you all back here. Don’t tell her you told me, and try to keep her there. Fake a stomachache or something if you have to.”

  “Okay. Nick, I hope you know what you’re doing. Having a family is a big commitment. It’s not for everyone, you know.”

  “I know. But it’s what I want, and I’m sure as hell not going to let Lucinda’s lies keep me from the people I love most. Stay put and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I hung up the phone, gassed up the car, and set out to reclaim my family.

  ***

  “I’m done with my mother. You will never have to worry about her for the rest of your life.”

  “Nick, that’s not true. She’s your mother.” />
  At first, she didn’t want to let me in, but Mary Lou urged her to hear me out. After I held Albert and Annabelle for a minute, Mary Lou put them in their double stroller and offered to take them on a walk so we could talk.

  “Mom!” Eden had protested.

  “Thank you, Mary Lou,” I said, shuffling her and the babies out the door. Then I explained to her what my mother had done.

  “So you’re saying there’s nothing going on with you and Pepper? That she tricked me?”

  “Yes. She added Pepper to my phone under her phone number so when she sent a text to my phone it looked like it was coming from Pepper. I don’t even know Pepper’s number.”

  “I do.” Eden pulled out her phone and opened it to Pepper.

  I pulled out mine and went to the listing for Pepper.

  We compared what was in each phone. The numbers didn’t match.

  “Oh my god, she did do it!” Eden stomped her foot.

  “I told you. Listen, Pepper is a nice next-door neighbor. She’ll get my mail for me, doesn’t complain if I keep her husband out too late, but I’m not having an affair with her. Or any other woman.”

  Eden’s anger was slowly draining. “You’re not?” she asked, uncertain.

  “No! And I’m not going to, because I’m in love with you, and you and our babies are the most important things in my life. There’s no way I’d screw that up.”

  “Really? Even if one hundred naked women jumped on you after a game one night and you knew I would never find out?”

  I laughed. “Even then.”

  She giggled. “You must love me a lot.”

  I pulled her to me.

  She winced, because of her incision.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. But what are you going to do about Lucinda? She may be a terrible person, but she’s still your mother.”

  “Regardless, I am done with her. Eden, she tried to destroy us. Ruin our family. What kind of a mother does that?”

  “The monster kind?”

  “Exactly. Which is why I’m done with her.”

  “But what about the rest of your family? I love your sisters and brother. I don’t want to not have them in our lives. In Anabelle’s and Albert’s lives.”

  “Me too. We’ll work it out. Have separate holiday parties or whatever. Whatever we have to make it work, we will. As long as I’ve got you by my side, we’ll be all right. But I need you. I need you to have my back, and baby, I promise I’ll have yours. And you don’t need to worry. I will protect you from Lucinda, I swear.”

  A grin slowly spread across Eden’s face.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “I was just thinking that I know who is going to get called ‘Lulu’ by our kids.”

  I laughed. “You got that right. But first your mom’s got to stop whisking you away from me without giving me a chance to explain.”

  “Oh, don’t be mad at her. She was just doing what she needed to do to protect her baby.”

  “I wouldn’t know what it’s like to have a mother who put her child’s needs above her own.” But I could already tell that my kids would. Eden was a protective momma bear, and I loved how zealously she cared for our babies.

  She reached out and stroked my hair. “I’m sorry, Nick. I’m so sorry.”

  “You know what? Don’t worry about it. It’s no good dwelling in the past. What matters now is our family. I have a second chance at having a family with you and the twins, and contrary to what a certain witch believes, I am not going to fuck it up.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Eden

  “Would you care for some wine with dinner?” the waiter asked.

  I stared at Nick, mouthing the word “nursing.”

  Nick shrugged. “One glass?”

  “I’ll have a sip,” I compromised, and he ordered two glasses. He looked amazing in his suit. The purple tie was a nice choice, and I wondered if he’d intentionally worn the team color of the Fever or if it was a coincidence.

  “I’ll finish what you don’t,” Nick said.

  “It would be wrong to check the baby monitor with my phone, wouldn’t it?”

  I hated leaving the babies behind. They were such a huge part of my life that it was strange being out without them—like leaving home without your arm.

  My mom was still in town, and she offered to watch the twins so Nick and I could go out to dinner. We wanted to take her up on it, but we were afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle them by herself.

  Dynassy to the rescue. When she heard Mary Lou was trying to give us a night out, she canceled her plans to come down and help. I really appreciated Dynassy, and I hoped one day she would find someone who made her as happy as her brother made me.

  It made it much easier for me to think of leaving twins, even if it were only for a few hours, if there was one caretaker per baby. Nick and I often found that even two grown-ups were not a match for two squalling infants.

  I’d recently had my post-baby checkup where my doctor told me it would be okay for Nick and I to resume sexual activity if we wanted to. Lately, we’d both been so tired I hadn’t even thought about sex.

  “You want to go home, don’t you?” Nick asked.

  I made a you-caught-me face. “A little.”

  “Hey, if I’m going to get some time alone with you, I’d rather it be naked in our bedroom.”

  I loved that, as tired as we both were, he still desired me and made sure I knew it. “Okay.”

  “Should we ask them to get our food to go?”

  I nodded. I had been looking forward to the dover sole, but Nick looked so handsome in the candlelight. He was right. It would be better to spend our short break at home, alone. We’d have to pray that Dynassy and my mom could keep the babies quiet long enough for us to have some time, because if they were screaming, my milk would come in and I’d have to feed them.

  Nick suggested we sneak into the house. “They don’t need to know we’re home, or you will have those babies strapped to you in five minutes flat.”

  “Sneaking in the house. I’ve never done that before.” I giggled. “It feels naughty,” I said taking off my shoes before we slipped quietly in the side door.

  “Naughty, huh? That’s what I want you to feel. So forget it’s our house. Pretend we’re sneaking into someone else’s house so that I can do terribly dirty things to you while they’re away.”

  “Shhh! You’re going to make me laugh.”

  He took me by the hand, whirled me around to face him, and grabbed my ass. “Damn, that sucks, because what I want to make you do is come,” he growled into my ear.

  I shuddered. Entwining my fingers in his hair, I drew him in for a kiss. His lips were hot on mine. Still sucking on my bottom lip, he picked me up and carried me up the stairs in Scarlett and Rhett fashion, making my head spin, even though I’d only had a sip of champagne at the restaurant.

  He whisked me into one of the guest rooms.

  “Why are you taking me in here?”

  “I dunno. Thought it might be different.”

  “Okay.” He set me down.

  “I may have screwed this up, but I was going to do this at the restaurant. But you seemed really uncomfortable, and I just want to do it because it’s something I should have done a long time ago.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  And just like that, he dropped to one knee.

  My heart thumped hard in my chest. So hard that I covered it with my hand because I was afraid it was so loud it would let everyone else know we were home.

  “Eden Evans, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  I could feel myself blushing. “Nick…” I didn’t know what to say. I’d dreamed of this moment for a long time, but more than once I’d given up on hoping for it to actually happen.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box.

  Then he opened it, and inside rested a blinding cushion cut diamond that was bigger
than most of my fingernails.

  “Oh my God, Nick! That’s gorgeous.”

  He stood up and slipped the ring on my finger. It was huge, but I couldn’t stop staring at it.

  “Please say yes.” His eyes were filled with so much love.

  “Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

  I fell into his arms and he crushed him mouth to mine. His hands caressed my body, running over the curves of my hips, up to my breasts, where his thumb flicked over my nipple until it hardened under his touch. My breathing grew heavier and I felt the familiar bulge of his cock against my side.

  “Damn, I want you so much,” he groaned.

  “Maybe we’ll have time if we don’t take long.” I was so used to being responsible for two little lives 24/7 that I was finding it hard to let loose and give in to what I really wanted. “And what about birth control?”

  Nick pulled a condom out of his pocket. “I’ve got it covered.” He tossed his suit jacket over a chair and started removing his tie.

  I laughed. “I remember the last time you ‘had it covered’.”

  He chuckled. “I know. Aren’t they great? I love the result.”

  “Me too,” I sighed. “But do you think we need any more kids right now?”

  “No. Don’t worry, babe. Rubbers are 99% effective. That was just a crazy miracle thing to bring us together.”

  I liked his logic, and I really liked his body, which was now completely nude. I’d almost forgotten how sexy he was. No dad body for him. Not yet any way.

  Unfortunately, I was still sporting my “new mom” body, complete with my thick midsection and stretch marks on pretty much everything from shoulders to knees. I wasn’t feeling too great about him seeing all that.

  “Nick, do you think we could turn the lights off?”

  “Why? We might fall asleep.”

  I laughed. “True. It’s just that I haven’t gotten my body back yet. I feel kinda self-conscious.”

  “Oh Eden, you don’t need to feel that way.” He unzipped my dress, pushed it off my shoulders, and it fell to the floor. Then he unhooked my nursing bra, which was more like a suit of armor than anything else. I was just thinking that at least I’d worn nice panties when he tugged them off me, and I stood buck naked in front of him.