by BJ Harvey
I shake my head at the smartass, wishing I could call him an asshole, but we have company, so that’s out of the question. “Ha ha.”
“You guys are hilarious,” Jacqui says. “Well, I’ve got to go, but leave a key in the lockbox on the front porch, and I’ll be in touch whenever I need to bring someone through,” she says before turning to me. “Jamie, are you still going to be living here until the house sells?”
“I was planning to. I’m hoping it won’t be long before we close on the next house, so I shouldn’t need to crash on my brothers’ couches too much.”
Jax looks past us to the hallway where April, Betty, and Axel emerge, the three of them smiling.
“I’ll go. See you all next time,” Jacqui says, waving goodbye to the room and walking out the front door.
As if there’s a magnet between us, April and I meet in the middle of the room. “You know you can stay with us. I know you would never ask, but you’re welcome to if you find yourself between houses.”
I dip my head and place a gentle kiss against her lips. “Oh, I’ll be having a lot of sleepovers, but we’re not ready for living together. Not right now, because when I move in it won’t be temporary, and it may not even be next door.”
Her eyes go wide, her breathing slightly erratic.
“Especially since your place isn’t big enough for ten kids,” I say.
Her giggles fill the room and Axel looks up at his mom with a frown. “Ten?” he whispers.
“Now, I don’t know about you, Ax,” Jax says, “but I’m craving a deep dish from Giordano’s. How about you?”
The boy’s eyes go wide as saucers, and I swear, he looks ready to cry with happiness. “I think you’re my new best friend.”
“What about Adrian?” April says, hooking her thumb in the belt loop of my jeans and holding me close. “I thought he was your ‘bestest friend in the whole wide world.’”
“Hey,” I say, mock glaring at Axel. “I thought I was your best friend. We bonded over hot dogs, LEGO, and books about planes.” I add in a fake pout for good measure.
Axel moves his head between Jax and me, and back to Jax, then back to me. Then he throws his hands in the air and growls. “Ugh, I can’t choose, so you’ll just have to share me,” he declares before storming out of the house in all his moody six-year-old glory.
“God, I love that boy,” Jax says with a laugh. “He’s like the coolest kid I’ve ever met.”
I look to April, then back to my brother. “Join the club, brother. Join the club.”
24
April
The past five weeks have flown by, and Jamie has stayed true to his word to not shut me out. He’s been present in every way, staying over a few nights a week and taking us out on the weekends to do family-like things. We even took Axel with us to the driving range last Saturday.
Jamie has been going out of his way to prove to Ax and me that we’re now his priority. I already knew I had nothing to worry about, but when I see him interact with my son and treat him like he’s his own flesh and blood every day, I fall more in love. I’ve never been happier.
The house next door sold a few days ago with an all-cash offer and a ten-day close. Soon we’ll have a nice young couple and their eight-year-old son as new neighbors, and Jamie has already secured a new house to flip a few neighborhoods away. Proving how small the world is, the new owner, Mark, used to be in the Coast Guard with Jamie, and Mark’s wife, Audrey, and I have already bonded over having sons determined to turn us prematurely gray.
Today, though, is the first time Jamie’s taking us to his parents’ house to experience what he calls “survival of the fittest,” also known as a full family dinner with all the brothers, Ezra, Jamie’s sister, Abi, her husband, Cade, and their adorable son, Harry.
I thought I’d be nervous. I’ve met everyone already, but somehow, this seems like the last frontier. Jamie even said if I can survive tonight, then there will be nothing I can’t handle. Instead, it’s Axel who is uncharacteristically quiet in the back of Jamie’s truck as we find a parking spot outside Jamie’s parents’ house.
Axel sticks to Jamie like glue as we knock on the door and let ourselves in.
“Hello, hello,” Jamie’s mom, Marcy, says, rushing down the hallway to greet us. She squats down in front of Axel. “There’s my favorite six-year-old. How is Nana Marcy’s big boy?”
Axel beams, his body relaxing in front of my very eyes. Marcy looks back to Betty and I. “Hey, April. Hey, Betty. Mind if I steal your little man here?”
Jamie chuckles, Betty snorts, and I shake my head, smiling down at Axel. Typically, he just can’t help but charm everyone he comes in contact with, especially the ladies. I hate to think what any son of Jamie’s would be like. We’d probably need to start stockpiling condoms for their teenage years when they were born.
“Shoo, everyone else is in the backyard. Go relax,” Marcy says, ushering us in that direction.
“I’ll come help you in the kitchen,” Betty says. “Let’s leave the young folk to talk about whatever they talk about.”
“Young folk,” Marcy says with a snort. “Rick is out there with them, and the last time he was classed as ‘young folk,’ he was charming me out of my pants at Lollapalooza.”
“So last year then?” Jamie muses.
“My boys, always disrespectful.”
“Love ya, Mom,” he says, taking my hand and stopping to kiss his mom’s cheek before ruffling Axel’s hair and leading me down the hall and out into the backyard.
As soon as we walk outside, everyone stands and applauds, including Marcy, Betty, and Axel at the back door behind us.
“What on earth?” I whisper as I spot a “congratulations” banner on the fence.
Jamie’s dad, Rick, is the first to come up to us. I step away just as he holds out his hand to his son, shaking it, then pulling him in for a huge bear hug.
“Proud of you, son,” he says in his ear before letting him go and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Now you come sit by me.”
“Hey, old man,” Jamie says, jokingly. “She’s mine, remember?”
God, I’ll never get sick of that.
Rick looks back at Jamie to shoot him a wink. “Enough with calling me old. You’re only as old as the woman you’re feeling. So right now, I’m feeling twenty years younger,” he says, making me giggle.
Jamie shakes his head, making sure to brush his hand around my hip and over my ass as I walk past. He doesn’t even need to claim me, but knowing he likes to do it, and the ways he likes to do it, makes me giddy every single time.
As promised, Rick guides me to a chair next to his at the table, as the twins and Jamie partake in a little roughhousing and Cohen moves towards me. “What would you like to drink?”
“A wine would be fantastic. Thank you.”
“I thought I’d offer because it might be a while before the twins let Jamie go,” Cohen says.
I look over to see Jax trying to put Jamie in a headlock and Bryant standing beside them, laughing his ass off.
“Jesus,” I say in disbelief. “If this is what boys are like, I hope we only have girls. Ax is enough of a handful.”
Abi holds her glass in the air. “Amen to that. Harry had me up half the night wanting to play. That kid is almost as demanding as his father.”
Cade leans over the back of her chair and whispers something in her ear that makes her cheeks turn bright red. It must be something absolutely filthy to make her blush.
“She never complains when I keep her up at night,” he says.
Abi rolls her eyes, but from the stories I’ve heard from Jamie about Cade and Abi’s relationship, I don’t doubt it for a second.
“Hey, April. Nice to see each other out of scrubs for once,” Cade says.
“Who needs normal clothes when you work as much as we do, right?”
“Too true,” he says, just as Cohen places my glass of wine on the table in front of me.
I glance o
ver to Jamie to see Ezra has saved him from double trouble. Axel has now joined them, standing by Jamie’s side, his new favorite place.
Sitting here surrounded by everyone who loves Jamie, it brings home just how much he has given us. It’s always been the three of us and Ronnie since Patrick left, my parents living down in Florida and Betty’s husband having passed away before I’d even met her. Axel has never been short of love, but now he has an abundance of it. We’ve been welcomed into this family with open arms, and I can’t imagine things could get any better than right now.
I don’t even realize a tear has fallen onto my cheek when Jamie and Axel corner me in. Jamie bends down and around, Axel doing the same on the other side.
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asks, his brows bunched together.
“Nothing,” I say with a trembling smile. “I’m just being an emotional woman.”
“In a good way, or a ‘you’re gonna have to bail me out once I deal with the person who upset you’ kind of way?”
Axel holds up his hand, flexing his fingers before tightening them into a fist. “Yeah, who do we need to beat up?”
My head jerks back and I look at him like he’s grown another head. “Who are you and where has my son gone?” I ask, my lips twitching.
I look back to Jamie who is totally struggling to keep a straight face.
“Calm down, Hulk and Ant-Man. I’m fine. They’re happy tears…”
“I thought I was more Thor myself. What about you, buddy?” Jamie asks.
“Definitely Iron Man. I’m not an ant.”
Jamie nods approvingly. “Good call.”
“Hello? Crying mom here.”
“Mommy, you’re not supposed to cry when you’re happy, silly.”
Jamie quirks a brow at me, his eyes roaming my face as if to make sure I’m okay before he turns to Axel and imparts some apparent male wisdom. “Buddy, girls cry when they’re happy; they cry when they’re sad. They also cry when they’re angry.”
“Chicks, man. Sheesh.” Axel rolls his eyes, then runs across the lawn to where Bryant, Jax, and Ezra are playing with baby Harry.
“What made you so happy?” Jamie asks.
“You do.”
“I’m glad, lovely. But you’ve gotta give me more than that.”
“Being here with everyone. It just hit me that you’ve given us more than you realize, and I’m so grateful for it. I got a little overwhelmed. Us chicks do that sometimes,” I say with a wry smile. His eyes drop to my lips.
“Even when you cry, you’re goddamn beautiful,” he murmurs. He leans in to kiss me, a soft, slow touch of his lips to mine.
“Get a room,” one of the guys calls out.
Jamie snorts, kissing me again before lifting his head and shouting, “Get a life, Ez.” I giggle, loving the constant back and forth between the guys. “I’ve been hearing his voice for years. I’d know his bullshit anywhere,” Jamie says, his eyes crinkled.
“You owe a dollar,” I say with a smirk. Axel’s swear jar now lives on my kitchen counter, but out of all of us, Jamie is definitely the highest donor.
“I shoved a hundred-dollar bill in there this morning. I’m in credit.” His grin is huge.
“Are you gonna keep sucking face or actually sit down and say hi to your favorite sister?” Abi asks. When Jamie takes the spare seat beside me, there’s no missing Abi’s approving grin. ”Hey, James.”
“Not you too,” Jamie groans.
Abi shrugs. “Co says it’s your favorite name so who am I to argue.”
“Co is full of shit,” I mutter.”
“Yes, yes I am,” Cohen says, snickering from his perch at the end of the table.
“Dinner time!” Marcy announces, Betty and Rick by her side, the three of them carrying multiple dishes. All the Cook boys jump up out of their seats to help.
“Now I know why it’s called survival of the fittest,” I mutter, watching with avid fascination as the bodies clamber to fill their plates first.
“Buddy, you better get over here before you miss out,” Jamie calls out to Axel. He shoots me a wink, something so simple reminding me how happy I am. Then he proves he’s perfect by preparing my plate as well.
After everyone has finished eating, Cade appears at my side with a squirming baby Harry in his arms. “Hey, April. Would you be able to hold this wriggle monster for me?”
I look up at him and grin, holding my hands out to grab the little menace-in-training.
“Spitfire,” Cade says, beckoning Abi with a crooked finger. “I need to discuss something with you inside.”
One look at Abi’s face and I know exactly what they need to do. So does everyone else, if the rolled eyes and grimaces are anything to go by.
“Dude! That’s our sister,” Jamie groans.
“Yep,” Cade replies, his smirk huge.
“Take all the time you like. We’ll just play pass the baby while you play hide the—”
Jamie’s hand covers my mouth, muffling my words while everyone within earshot laughs. Even baby Harry giggles and claps his hands.
“Aww look, Mommy. He likes you,” Axel says, running to my side and laughing when Harry reaches out and grabs hold of my son’s hair.
“Babies like everyone,” I say with a shrug just as Harry is stolen from my lap by Cohen, and Axel moves down the table to sit in Betty’s lap. Then it’s just Jamie and me.
“He’s got Cook blood in him. He knows a good woman when he sees one,” Jamie muses.
I look his way, quirking a brow. “Like you did?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” he says, placing his hand behind my head and gently pulling me in for a toe-curling kiss that is borderline inappropriate. His eyes bore into mine, and in that one look, I can feel just how much he loves me.
“What was that for?” I ask, my breathless voice giving away how affected I am.
“For being everything I needed when I didn’t know I needed it, and for giving me shit. For being the kind of woman who’ll barge into her new neighbor’s house and scold him for being drunk and dumb, and for giving me one of my dreams while supporting the other.”
“Damn, I love you,” I mutter, my tears falling freely now.
“Love you too, lovely. Love you forever,” he says, sealing it with a brush of his lips over my temple.
“Hey Jamie, are they happy tears again?” Axel asks from Betty’s lap at the other end of the table.
“Yeah, buddy. It’s our job to make sure they’re always happy tears. You up for it?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.”
“Axel!” we say in unison.
Marcy gasps, Betty frowns, Rick grins, the boys burst out laughing, and Ezra chuckles. Great. The one time my son swears, and it’s in front of everyone. Murphy’s fucking law.
If ever there was a perfect way to sum up our journey during the past four months, my son saying his first curse word in front of Jamie’s entire family would definitely be it.
And I would not change a single thing.
But with Jamie as his role model, and Jax, Bryant, Cohen, and Ezra as his cohorts and partners-in-crime, should I have expected anything less?
Epilogue - Jamie
FIVE MONTHS AND TWO HOUSE FLIPS LATER
As per tradition, I’m standing on a step ladder, screwing in the last light bulb on our third completed house flip. Also, compulsory now is champagne for the ladies—Mom, Betty, April, and Abi—and beer for the men. Axel gets soda or juice; his choice changes with every house. For this particular project’s celebration, he’s chosen apple juice.
With three flips under our belts, we’re now carrying a much healthier bank balance, and with each new project we embark on, we’re continuing to learn new ways to do things. We’ve also managed to shorten the flips to close to seventy to seventy-five days with the aim of reaching a sixty-day turnaround by next year.
Not once have I let the stress and pressure I put on myself get overwhelming, and April has played a major role in that. Her support
for what I do, and my desire to do it has never wavered. She has been my rock, a very welcome distraction when I need it. Even with her long shifts and my demanding project deadlines, we continue to make spending time together and spending time with Axel our priority.
My brothers have also been helping me out more. Jaxon is all set to work alongside me on our next project because that house will be a little different. It’s also the reason why I’m ushering April out the door and into my truck, leaving Axel behind with Betty.
“Where are we going?” she asks, her fingers laced with mine, her mood happy and curious.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Do I get clues?”
“Nope.”
“Is it a sex club?” she asks like that’s an everyday, normal question to ask your partner. As always, she’s keeping me on my toes.
“No. But I reserve the right to further investigate your interest in visiting such an establishment.”
“What?” she gasps.
“You heard me.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see her tilt her head as if trying to get a read on me.
I sigh. “Let’s just say I know someone who knows someone.”
“Well, shit. That kind of backfired on me, didn’t it?” she says with a laugh.
I grin at her, dragging my eyes down her body and back up again. “Definitely revisiting that topic again.”
“No!” she gasps.
“Totally.”
“You’re joking,” she says, her breath catching. “You’d never let anyone else see me naked.”
I grin. “They have private rooms. I know the owner.”
“Jamie! No!” Now her laughing is more nervous.
I decide to put her out of her misery. “You’re right. But your reaction was so worth running with it.”
She lets go of my hand and whacks my arm. “You’ll pay for that.”
“I’m betting on it. In fact, as soon as we’re done with your surprise, I’m more than willing to take my punishment, wherever and whatever you deem fit. As long as you’re naked while you’re dishing it out.”