by Sarah Curtis
“She’s fussy,” Gigi replied from the backseat.
“She’s fussy because we’ve been in the car for over three hours not because she’s hungry.”
“Da-da.” Beth waved her arms and kicked her legs.
At thirteen months, Beth said three words and none of them were mama.
Dean peered at her through the rearview mirror. “I’m here, baby girl.”
“Da-da.” She gurgled and smiled and kicked her feet again.
Beth was a daddy’s girl through and through. Sometimes to the point Sadie felt a little left out, which she knew was a crazy thought, but—she internally shrugged—it was the truth. From the moment Beth had been born, she’d had a special connection with her daddy. When she was fussy, he was the only one who could rock her to sleep. When she was sick, she wanted him. Oh, she loved her mommy and wanted special Mommy and Beth time, but it was Dean she turned to for comfort. Not that Sadie could blame her. When she was upset or didn’t feel well, she wanted Dean, too.
As Dean took the exit for the prison, Sadie’s excitement grew. It was starting to feel real. They weren’t just visiting her brother, they were taking him home. To Murfreesboro. Dean had even gotten Ray a job at his dad’s mechanic shop. Sadie just hoped he didn’t screw it up.
They pulled into the facility, and Dean drove around to a side gate and parked the car. “We still have fifteen minutes until he comes out. Let’s stretch our legs.” Dean opened his door.
“Beth could use a diaper change, too.”
“I’ll get the munchkin. You get the bag.”
They found a shady spot of grass and laid out a baby blanket. Sadie was in the process of snapping up Beth’s onesie after changing her when she noticed her mom pacing. “Everything okay?” She raised a hand to shade her eyes, looking up at her.
Gigi stopped pacing and turned to Sadie. “Just nervous, I guess.”
“We just visited Ray last month. You weren’t nervous then.”
“I know, but we’re taking him home.” Hunching her shoulders, she wrung her hands. “What if he’s changed?”
Sadie glanced at Dean and gave him a small nod. He stood and went to Gigi, prying her hands apart and clasping them with his own. “Sometimes it can be hard to adjust from prison life. But he’ll have us, his family, to help. Everything will be okay.”
Gigi stepped into Dean and hugged him before releasing him to place her hands on his upper arms. “I remember the first time I met you. Ray brought you home for dinner.”
Sadie remembered, too. In the two years Gigi had been away from California and the memories there, she’d changed so much. She had friends and a part-time job to keep herself busy and had gained some weight—still slim but not gaunt. She would always be heartbroken from the loss of her husband but not to an unhealthy degree, and Sadie had never once regretted she’d pushed her mom to make the move.
Dean’s eyes landed on Sadie. “Best meal I ever ate.”
“And now look where we are. Thank you for helping my boy. I won’t ever forget it.”
Dean leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.
A gate off to their right started to slide open, and Sadie stood, picking up Beth and placing her on her hip. Her brother, accompanied by a guard, came into view.
They all stood there, waiting, watching as Ray drew closer. And it wasn’t until he took his first step onto free land that Sadie released the breath she’d been holding. He stopped, turned, and shook the guard’s hand before making his way to them.
Gigi took a few steps forward and started wringing her hands again.
Ray walked straight for her and took her in his arms. He whispered something to her, and she started crying. When he stepped back, he had tears in his eyes but a smile on his face.
Dean was next with a handshake and a man hug and slaps on the back.
And after that, it was Sadie’s turn. Dean took Beth from her, and Ray wrapped her up. “Good to see you, Sis.”
Sadie squeezed him tighter.
“Told Mom, I’m a changed man, and I meant it. Don’t want to miss another second of my niece growing up.”
Sadie stepped back, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Another Four Years Later
Dean
Dean pulled into the garage and pressed the remote to close the door. It was late, past midnight, and after being gone for five days, taking a four-hour flight home, and the thirty-minute car ride from the airport, he was beat.
All he wanted was to crawl into bed with his wife and sleep for ten hours straight.
The house was dark as he walked in through the connecting garage door, but a flicker of light could be seen coming from around the corner. Sadie was in the living room watching TV—either still up waiting for him or she’d fallen asleep on the couch trying to wait up for him.
He smiled and made his way that direction.
Correction, his whole family was asleep in front of the television—the sound turned low.
He took in the scene. His wife, her eyes closed, neck tilted at an angle, was sitting up on the couch with three-month-old Maddie on her chest. Beth and Liam had their heads in her lap and were sprawled out to either side.
He worried she’d get a kink and lightly touched her cheek, careful not to startle her.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing their emerald depths and the smile he loved so much twisted her lips. “You’re home.”
“Missed you, darlin’.”
“Missed you, too. How’d the case go? You catch the bad guys?”
“I’ll tell you all about it after we get the munchkins to bed.”
Sadie glanced down at the two heads lying in her lap. “We fell asleep watching Mary Poppins. I think Feed the Birds did us in.”
Dean rubbed a finger down the downy-soft skin of Maddie’s chubby cheek. “Was she good while I was gone?”
“A perfect angel.”
Dean chuckled quietly. “Liar.”
He scooped up Liam first because his three-year-old would sleep through anything and took him upstairs to his room and tucked him in. He brushed his bangs off his forehead. “Sleep tight, little man.”
Back downstairs, he picked up Beth.
She stirred. “Daddy?”
“Hey, munchkin.”
“Mommy said we can go to the petting zoo when you came home.”
“She did, did she?”
“Yep.”
“Then I guess we’re going to the petting zoo.”
“Yay.”
Dean placed Beth in her bed and pulled the covers over her. “But you’ve got to go back to sleep, or we can’t go.”
She immediately closed her eyes, and Dean smiled. Two seconds later, they snapped back open. “Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re home.”
“I’m glad I’m home, too.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, go to sleep.”
He was at the door when Beth said, “I love you, Daddy.”
His heart melted every time he heard that. “Love you, too, munchkin.”
He went to the nursery next. Maddie was asleep in her crib. He ran a hand over her silky hair, traced a finger down her tiny ear.
His kids. The best part of him.
He went in search of his wife. Water was running in the bathroom. Yanking his tee shirt over his head, he tugged off his boots and socks before padding across the carpeting to the dresser. He pulled open the top drawer. Heat hit his back as arms wrapped around his middle. Sadie’s hands went exploring, and he caught one and brought it to his lips.
“You must be exhausted.” She kissed his back between his shoulder blades.
He turned and picked her up, her hands landing on his shoulders and legs wrapping around his waist. His hands gripped her ass. She’d taken off her leggings in the bathroom and was left in only a pair of lace panties and one of his tees. “I’m never that tired.”
She chuckled. “So, you like the smell of baby barf now?”
He raised his head, and she lost her smile at his intense expression. “You smell like home.” He brushed a finger down her cheek. “Like Maddie and Liam and Beth… and you.”
Her hand came up to cup his jaw, her thumb rubbing the stubble she found there. A line appeared between her brow as she read him without him having to say a word. “Tough case?” Concern had her eyes scanning what little of him that she could see. “You weren’t hurt?”
“No.”
“But it was bad.”
“Yeah.” The sound of gunfire filled his ears. Hammond yelling that he’d been shot. Crawling. Blood. Screams. “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, I just want to get lost in you.”
She opened her legs wider in invitation, and he blocked out everything but the feel of his wife. He captured her lips. Ran his tongue along the bottom one before sucking it into his mouth.
She moaned, her legs hugging his waist, pressing him into her. His lips found her neck again, sucking at the tender flesh before scooting down, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it over her head. He made his way down farther, feathering kisses over her stomach, dipping his tongue into her navel as he pulled her patties down her legs.
She stopped him with a hand to his head. “I have a better idea.” She sat up, inching away from him. “Take your pants off and come lie down.”
He made a grab for her leg, but she evaded him. “No. Tonight is all about you.” His jaw hardened, and she laughed. “God, you’re such a control freak.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Take off your pants and come lie down.” She used her stern tone, and after almost seven years of marriage, he knew when to listen.
He stood, shucked his jeans and underwear, and got back on the bed. It was then she set out to torture him. Honestly, that was the only word he could think of as she used her hands and mouth over every part of his body except where he wanted her most.
He lasted about ten minutes before he growled, “Sadie.”
She hovered over him on her hands and knees with a mischievous smile twisting her lips. Crawling backwards, she took his cock in one hand and planted her mouth to it. He sucked in a breath and held it as her head lowered, and she took him to the back of her throat. She raised her head, releasing him, got comfortable, sitting on her haunches between his legs, and thew him a cheeky smile.
“You’re killing me.”
“But what a way to go, right?”
He chuckled but lost all humor when she got busy. Squeezing his dick in her fist, she pumped him in unison with her mouth gliding up and down.
Fuck.
Her other hand skimmed up his inner thigh and found his balls. He groaned, bending his knees and surging into her mouth.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He wouldn’t last much longer, but he didn’t want to come in her mouth.
“Enough!”
She stopped. Mouth still around his dick, she rolled her eyes to his. He did a mini sit up, grasping her under the arms and pulling her up to straddle him.
“Ride me, baby.”
Still holding his cock, she guided him into her, and sank down.
Fucking heaven. Right there. That’s what he wanted.
He cupped her tits. They were bigger—heavy and full. He swiped a nipple with his thumb, smearing a drop of milk. She started moving. Slow at first but picking up speed. He placed his hands on her hips, helping her set the pace.
The fingers of one of her hands found her clit while her other hand reached back to find his balls again. He surged his hips as she bounced up and down.
“You’re gonna have to find it, baby, soon.”
“Almost there,” she panted.
Flinging herself forward, she planted her hands on either side of his head and ground down on him. He grabbed her ass, squeezing as she slammed herself down and rose back up. Again. And again.
Until he felt it—her pussy clamping down, pulsing around his dick. He let himself go, the force of his orgasm draining every last ounce of his energy.
Sadie collapsed on his chest, her breaths as heavy as his.
He trailed a hand up her back from her ass to her nape then back down again. A soothing stroke.
“Love you, baby.”
Without lifting her head, she kissed his peck. “Love you more than ice cream.”
Yeah, he couldn’t ask for a greater love than that.
And Another Twenty-Seven Years After That
Dean
Dean pushed his foot against the wood planking of the porch deck, making the swing sway. He had Sadie on his lap, one arm wrapped around her hips with his hand on her thigh. His other hand held a beer. The sun was shining, a soft breeze blew, and he watched the grandkids playing in the front yard.
It was his first week of retirement.
Life didn’t get much better than that.
The front screen door opened, and Liam stepped out, holding a squirming eighteen-month-old Austin. “Beth says she can’t find the colander.”
Sadie made to get up, but he squeezed his arm, holding her in place. “Tell her it’s in the same spot it’s always been.”
“Bottom cupboard next to the refrigerator,” Sadie supplied.
Liam nodded and went back into the house.
“I feel guilty sitting out here while the kids do all the cooking.”
Dean tipped his head back to get a better view of Sadie’s face. “I don’t.”
She rolled her eyes—a habit he’d been trying to break for over thirty years with little success. “I guess I can pretend I’m on babysitting duty, though this is the easiest babysitting gig I’ve ever had.”
Dean looked out into the yard. Katie, Beth’s oldest at eight, had the two little ones—her five-year-old brother, Sam, and Maddie’s four-year-old, Jake—well in hand.
He took a sip of his beer and pushed with his foot to set the swing moving again.
“What time are Cobi and Hadley supposed to be here?”
Dean grunted. “Knowing Cobi, probably not until the food’s ready to be set on the table.”
Her chuckle cut off when she stopped to listen. From where they were sitting, with the front door open, they could hear the melody of the cuckoo clock coming from the living room.
She gave him the smile he loved so much. “It’s noon.”
“Then it’s time to give you your present.”
She raised her brows. “A present? It’s not my birthday or our anniversary.”
“Call it a retirement present.”
She laughed. “But you’re the one who retired.”
“Well, technically, it is a present for both of us.”
“Now, I’m dying to know what it is.”
Dean leaned them a bit so he could reach his back pocket and pulled out an envelope. He handed it over.
She inspected it before opening the back flap and peeking inside. That cute as fuck little line appeared between her brows as she pulled out what was inside.
She gasped. “Tickets to Denmark?”
Someplace he knew she’d always wanted to go, but they’d never found the time. They had time now.
“I’ve been craving some authentic Medisterpølse and Frikadeller.”
Sadie grinned. “I’m not touching that with a ten-foot pole.”
“And that’s just the first place we’ll go.” Dean tapped the envelope. “I plan to take you everywhere you’ve ever mentioned wanting to see over the years.”
Her eyes were shiny, but she wore a smile. “Thank you.”
“I hope those are happy tears.”
She nodded, throat working.
He leaned forward, capturing her lips for a kiss. When he pulled back, he looked into the prettiest green eyes he’d ever seen and knew he was one lucky man.
But he hadn’t always been.
Not…
Until Sadie.
Did you enjoy meeting Alec Throne, The Prince of Poker, and his wife, River? To discover how the exciting world of poker and the mob help the couple beat the odds, pick up a copy of All-In today!
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Author’s Note
I’d like to give a very special thank you to Aurora Rose Reynolds for giving me the opportunity to write in the Happily Ever Alpha world. Until Nico has been a long-time favorite book of mine and that he makes an appearance in Until Sadie, makes me feel a little giddy. I had so much fun writing this book, and I truly hope it showed and that everyone had as much fun reading it. Also, a big thank you to Jessica Marin for all her help and advice.