“There is someone, but she isn’t ready for me yet. She knows where I am, and when she is that’s fine, I’m not in a rush to go anywhere,” he answered me simply, giving me nothing more than that. I didn’t push though; if he wanted to talk, I trusted he would come to me when the time is right for him. We had that special friendship and always had.
Lowering his head, Fenixx brushed a kiss to the top of my head.
“I’m happy to be back in your life, Makena, I have missed my partner in crime.”
Cuddling closer to him, I tightened my hold on his arm.
“Me too, Fenny, me too.”
LENOXX
“Are you sure you don’t want a sandwich, little man?”
Please, please have a sandwich, I willed my son eyeing the can of spaghetti with more than a little trepidation. Not that I was afraid of feeding Daxx what I knew now was his favourite food, nope. What had me freaking out was the wood-burning stove, the only appliance available to me to heat the stuff. So far, I hadn’t been able to find a microwave in the old country style kitchen, just the old Rayburn combustion stove that looked like it dated back to the seventies or older.
Looking around, I spotted a small tattered basket with small one foot logs piled haphazardly in it.
“I guess I better get the fire stoked up if you want some spaghetti, hey Daxx?” I said, glancing at my son, who was busy playing with his cars on the table, happily entertaining himself while I stood there like an idiot with a can of cheesy gooey pretend spaghetti in one hand and a saucepan in the other.
“Unless you tell me there is a microwave stashed somewhere in here?” I asked him, hopefully. I swear the kitchen had not changed since the first time I saw it six years ago. Hell in six years, my mother must have redecorated the kitchen at the Triple H three times or more by now.
“Noxx, s’ghetti!” Daxx demanded, his cute voice saying my name tore at my heart. Already he was calling us by our shortened names, and that was fine for my brothers, but I didn’t want my son calling me anything other than Dad. Hell, to be honest, what I really yearned for was to hear the word Daddy come from his adorable toothless grinning mouth.
The three hours since I left with Daxx and Hendrixx to come back to the house, leaving Makena with Nixx, my anxiety levels shot to epic levels. Playing with him and getting to know him was nothing short of brilliant, but having the talk Makena and I planned to have with him when she got back from her chores was burning a hole in my brain.
How was he going to take it? Being three, would he really understand I am his father? Was I going to be a good dad? Shit, I wanted to be better than good, better than my dad, and definitely better than Makena’s father. What kind of grandfather had old man Rogers been to my son? I already knew that he punished Makena for coming home with a baby in her arms, with no explanation of who, how or why from her. Did he take his aggravation with his daughter out on my son too?
I hated that Makena suffered through years of torment and indifference from her dad. I could have prevented that if only she been honest with me, but if he treated Daxx with the same kind of loathing he had for me and my dad, then the old bastard was lucky he was already dead.
“Stop silently raging and hurry up and feed the kid before he throws one of his cars at you,” Hendrixx muttered, coming into the kitchen, catching a small replica of a tractor just as it left Daxx’s tiny hand.
Grimacing, I banged the pot and can down on the tiled bench, ignoring the chipped and stained grout, then leaned over to grab a handful of logs.
“Righto, keep ya pants on Daxx. You’re lucky your old ma—old Noxx knows how to work these things, or else you will be getting an introduction to how tasty cold canned spaghetti can be,” I grumbled, opening the small access door and went about stoking the firebox with fresh logs. Thankfully there were still enough red glowing coals in the bottom, so there would be no need to go searching for firelighters. Unless Makena used the old fashioned way of rubbing two sticks together to start a fire. It wouldn’t surprise me with all the outdated appliances and furniture around here. The place was clean and tidy; in fact, the whole house was spotless. Even with chipped grout holding the tiles together, nothing was dirty or unhygienic. Makena and Mallory were women used to going without, dealing with what they had at hand. Neither of them ever complained when they were younger that they couldn’t afford the latest fashionable clothes or cars. Nor did they get jealous or envious when other kids did get those things.
Again, pride bubbled inside me for my wife. Here she was living in less than favourable circumstances, yet our kid had clean and decent clothes, more toys in his room you could poke a stick at, and the cupboards were stocked. Mostly canned food, but the point was Daxx wasn’t going without.
“Hang on, here is a note, mate,” Hendrixx said suddenly, pointing at a post-it note stuck to the fridge door.
“Noxx, we don’t have a microwave, so you need to keep the woodstove burning if you want a cuppa or cook the kid his lunch. Don’t let it go out because it also heats the hot water for the kitchen. Mal.” Hendrixx read out, “Welcome to the dark ages brother-in-law.”
“Is that part from Mal or from you?”
Hendrixx let out a booming laugh. “Her. Mal always did have a spunky attitude.”
“This is fuc—friggin unbelievable,” I growled, quickly dropping the curse word for a more acceptable one. That was going to be the biggest adjustment for my brothers and I. Watching our language around the boardroom was one thing, dropping the occasional F-bomb wasn’t a big faux-pas, in front of Daxx though? I might not have had more than a handful of hours as a dad, but I did know I didn’t want my kid sounding like a sailor at the tender age of three.
“I reckon it might be a good idea to start improvements in the house first, Noxx. You know, bring the place out of the nineteen sixties. A new hot water system and stove first on the list?”
“Already taking over and in charge, I see Hendrixx,” Makena’s surly voice startled me from the back door. Whipping around, I stood and watched as she glared at Hendrixx with the same knee-cutting stare her sister used on me earlier.
“Now, Mack, don’t get your thong stuck in your crack, I’m just saying—”
“Why is Mumma’s thong not on her foot?” my son asked me, giving me a puzzled and seriously cute and innocent squint. Choked laughter came from both Hendrixx and Fenixx, who came up behind Makena looking dirty and in need of a shower, much like my wife did. Her shirt had a long rip at the hem, her boots muddy, and I could see a one-inch burn mark on her forearm where the skin was exposed just below her elbow.
What the hell! Something needed to be done about her workload and divesting her of the harder and more dangerous tasks like fucking welding. Even as I thought about how many men from the Triple H I needed to bring over here, I knew my biggest problem was going to be the chestnut-haired beauty in front of me. With all my grand plans of making her suffer for keeping my son from me, for believing the evidence she was handed and not me, my feelings for Makena had not diminished even an ounce. Every hair on my body stood on end every time she was near, my heart squeezed inside my chest when she spoke, and my fucking dick twitched with life whenever she flashed those gorgeous dimples at me.
Nodding at Makena, I then glared at Hendrixx. “We are going to watch what we say in front of little ears from now on. We have been here less than two days, and already he is repeating some of what we say,” I warned both my brothers.
Makena walked into the kitchen and went directly to the stove, taking the can and saucepan off the bench beside me, then reached into a draw to pull out a can opener.
“Exactly. What you need to know is a three year old is like a parrot. They repeat everything new, and if you react to it like laugh, then they keep on doing it.”
I stood still totally transfixed while Makena deftly opened the can, the movements making her arm brush against mine, sending shocks of pleasure through me. The hunger to reach out and take her in my arms had me moving
away from her. This was not the time for my dick or my heart to take control, we had something more important to get on with, and I wanted my brothers here when we did it.
Taking a seat next to my son, I motioned to Hendrixx with a subtle jerk of my head to go take over from Makena.
“Makena, you ready?” I asked, purely out of politeness only. This was a non-negotiable requirement and there was no better time than right now.
Her tired sigh reached my ears, but I hardened my reaction to her apparent fear of what we were about to do. Enough was enough, I had waited long enough time and her stalling tactics were over. No matter that my natural instinct to protect her was rearing its ugly head, my mother wanted to meet her grandson, and that couldn’t happen until he was okay with me being his dad and in his life for good.
Waiting with the patience I learned from dealing with CEOs and hundreds of staff under me, I sat and waited for her to sit down. Which she did, all be it dramatically.
“Yesssss,” she hissed tiredly, “ how would you like to do this?”
I thought for a minute, but not surprisingly, I came up with nothing. This wasn’t something I ever contemplated doing in my life, how did someone tell a three year old you were his father?
“Um, just like a band-aid? Quickly.”
“Oh Lord, give me strength,” Makena muttered, giving me an eye roll of those sparkling greens before giving her attention to Daxx.
“Daxx, I have something to tell you. Well, Noxx, and I have something to tell you.”
“Hmmm, Mumma?” he asked, his interest back on his cars once he heard the sizzling coming from the saucepan Hendrixx was currently looking after.
“Remember who gave you all the cars?” she asked him picking one of them up and showing him.
“Yep, my daddy.”
“Good boy, and do you remember I also told you when it was the right time your daddy would come home to you?”
My little boy nodded his head vigorously, his eyes still not on his mother, but his head was now tilted her way.
“Well, it is that time. Daxx look at Mumma, please,” Makena said firmly but still keeping her voice gentle. Daxx did as asked and looked up his mum, his blue eyes now wide with curiosity.
“Daxx, Lenoxx— Noxx is your daddy, and he would like it very much if he could stay here and spend lots of time with you playing with your cars. How does that sound?”
I swear at that moment, my heart stopped beating as I watched the play of emotions dance across my son’s face. His eyes widened, then to my utter horror, they filled with tears. Oh shit, was this too much for him, did we go too quick?
All my worries melted away a second later when Daxx launched himself from his seat over the table and into my hastily opened arms, his little body shaking with sobs.
Instantly, I closed him in against my chest, scooting my chair back and pulling him fully on my lap, my eyes closing as I attempted to gain control over my own tears and emotions at his show of affection and the easiness with which he had accepted what Makena just told him.
I didn’t know what to expect, but this reaction was my best dream come true. Placing a kiss on his soft head, I murmured the word son into his light downy hair.
“Daddy,” Daxx hiccupped, his little arms tightening around my neck, making my heart speed up rapidly.
“Hey, little man, I love you so much,” I whispered, rocking him and me, eating up the overwhelming sensations racing through me.
A small feminine sob from beside me had me turning my cheek to the side, not losing contact with my son to look over at Makena. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her hand over her mouth, smothering the sounds of her soft cries.
Moving one hand from Daxx’s back, I offered it to Makena. She sat and looked at it for five seconds; I knew that because I counted silently, before she placed her hand in mine, lacing her fingers through mine. Taking our joined hands, I moved them back to my previous place on our little boy’s back; the move meant Makena had to scoot closer, so her arm wasn’t stretched out over the table, bringing her leg to rest against my denim-covered thigh.
Warmth flooded me, and I couldn’t help one word coming to mind.
Family.
I have my family.
***
“Fuck me that was some emotional shit,” Fenixx breathed out the minute Makena and Daxx left the kitchen to go wash Daxx up after his meal of spaghetti. Who knew the tinned ready meal could get so messy?
By the time he’d emptied his bowl, he had orange and yellow goop spread over him and the table from arsehole to breakfast. Not one millimetre of the Formica tabletop was left unscathed from the sauce, even some of his cars hadn’t escaped. Halfway through eating, Daxx thought it would be a good idea to track the wheels through the bowl, pretending he was out in the muddy paddock chasing after cows. Thankfully, Makena stepped in and refused to let Daxx go grab some plastic farmyard animal figurines from his room to complete the scene. Now he was finished, Makena decided that the boy needed some time with his uncles and me, while she went back out to finish the day’s work. No matter how much my brothers or I protested, she declared she could do it on her own while we spent some time alone with my son.
He had so many questions at lunch about being triplets and looking alike; we didn’t get through them all because Daxx had us in fits of laughter most of the time.
At the age of three, my kid had a wicked sense of humour. He reminded me of growing up with Hendrixx and Fenixx, our childhood for the most part filled with laughter and fun, that was when our dad wasn’t getting on our backs about being a Hott and how different we were from everyone else. Actually, he used the term riff-raff if I was being honest. Dad hadn’t been one for mixing with the locals; he considered them beneath him. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind, what would he have thought about Daxx? I wondered had he known about Daxx would he have let Makena raise him here, or would he have insisted on him living at the Triple H taking him from his mother? Dad had a reputation for being ruthless, which extended to his own sons and sometimes his wife. Although, Mum knew when he went too far, always yanking him back into line when needed.
I didn’t want that for Daxx though; Makena treated him like he was the most precious possession in her world, which of course, he was, and now he was mine too. And by the looks of it, his uncles had the same thought.
“Unreal, hey?” Fenixx added, taking the seat Makena just vacated.
“Can you believe how amazing he is? Damn, it is just … wow!” I finished lamely, gushing about my kid fast becoming my favourite thing to talk about. When Makena said they were going to get Daxx cleaned up, my first instinct was to go with them, keep an eye on Daxx. It was stupid. I knew that, but I didn’t want him out of my sight just in case he did something funny or cute. Now I had him, and he knew who I was and so far was very accepting of me being his dad, I found just the mere notion of him not being with me hurt like hell.
“He is certainly one of us, that is for sure,” Hendrixx said, laughing, “just wait until Mum gets her hands on him. The poor little bloke doesn’t stand a chance.”
Groaning, a vision of Mum’s face flashed in front of me. I completely forgot to send her a photo of Daxx like I promised her I would. Lifting my hip, I slipped a hand into my pocket and retrieved my smartphone.
“Shit, I forgot to text her some pictures of Daxx, the last thing Makena needs is Mum storming over here with a million questions I am sure she isn’t ready to answer yet.”
“What about your questions? When is she going to get around to answering those?” Fenixx asked, his question shattering my joyous mood. Not that I blamed him, I practically had to bite my tongue to stop demanding she tell me why she decided to deprive not only me of moments we just shared but Daxx as well.
A boy needed a father around full time, and that was exactly what was going to be happening from here on in. Makena was in for a hard lesson that her husband isn’t the pushover he used to be when dealing with her. She knew of my intention
to stay here, but I don’t think she really understood just how far I intended to take my plans, it was time she found out. Daxx was getting a family, a real family.
Pushing myself out of the kitchen chair, I headed to the doorway Makena and Daxx had disappeared through moments ago.
“Where are you going?” Fenixx called out, stopping me.
Spinning around to face my brothers, I told them the only thing they needed to know for now. If they knew what else was going through my mind, I reckon both of them might just jump to Makena’s aid.
“I’m not going to miss out on another second of my son’s life, that’s what.”
MAKENA
I took in three deep shuddering breaths then did it twice more before I felt my hands finally stop shaking and my tummy stop quivering.
For one hour, I sat at the kitchen table with Daxx in his father’s lap and listened to him ask Noxx question after question. Some of the questions even I had to laugh at despite the enormity of the situation. Just seeing Noxx with his arms around our son, and his face so happy and in awe hanging off every word coming out of Daxx’s mouth humbled and shamed me. Noxx was born to be a father, that much was evident seeing the way he let Daxx pepper him with silly questions about having two look-a-likes, using his dad’s arms as a race track as he pushed his cars all over him. And the best thing was the way Noxx kissed Daxx every few minutes, whether it be on his head, or cheek, Noxx couldn’t stop lavishing affection on our child.
Poor Fenixx and Hendrixx weren’t allowed to take their turns showering their nephew with affection of their own, other than a few high fives. Noxx growling at them every time they tried to reach out and touch Daxx.
The only problem I had with this whole thing was where I was going to put Noxx once night came. I saw his bags in the hall on my way to the bathroom with Daxx, but I had to admit I didn’t really take him all that seriously last night when he informed me of his intentions of moving over here to stay. Why I don’t know, because Noxx never said anything he didn’t mean, and he never shied away from any responsibility that came his way.
Hott and Taken (The Hott Brothers Book 1) Page 13