A beat passed, and then she nodded.
“Hells yeah!” B said, jumping up off the couch. “Better go pack. We leave this afternoon.”
“This afternoon!” Rimmel and Ivy gasped at once.
“Why such short notice?” Ivy went on.
“Did you not hear me yell surprise?” B asked her.
“I don’t even have time to go shopping.” Ivy worried.
“You can go shopping there, Ives,” Drew muttered. “It’s not like you don’t have a whole closet stuffed with clothes.”
“Dude.” Braeden admonished. “Have you seen her closet? She has more shit than the queen of England.”
“I do not!” Ivy rebuked. “How would you even know what the queen has anyway?”
Braeden shrugged.
The sound of a thunderous rumble overhead had us all looking toward the stairs. Seconds later, Blue and Jax came running down, leaping off the last step. A few seconds later, another little boy appeared, one striped pajama leg at a time. He was gripping the railing posts lining the stairs, footsteps more careful as he navigated the steps.
“Hey, guys! Wait for me!” Asher yelled.
“Whoa,” Jax said, skittering around the chair Drew was sitting in. “What’s everyone doing in here?”
“Family meeting,” B replied.
“Another one?” Blue said. “Geez, Dad.”
Everyone laughed. London made a sound, excited to see her brothers. Blue went over and patted her on the head. “Hi, Lo-Lo.”
“Mom, I’m starving,” Jax declared, going to stand beside Ivy on the couch.
“Pancakes?” she asked, reaching out to ruffle his dark hair.
“Mommy!” Asher said, finally making it into the room. His little legs went as fast as they could as he ran.
Trent shoved the coffee table out of his path as he barreled toward Rim, blond strands of hair blowing around his forehead.
Rimmel turned in my lap toward our youngest son and laughed. He leapt at her, and I caught him, lifting him the rest of the way into her lap.
“Good morning, Mommy!” he said and hugged her.
Rimmel hugged him back, putting one hand on the back of his blond head. “Morning, Ash, baby.”
Tightness in my chest made me clear my throat. Guilt sort of filled me as I watched her hugging him. Suddenly, I felt culpable as hell for trying to pull her away for a few days.
Asher pulled back and stared at Rim with wide blue eyes. “Chocolate milk!” he declared.
Rimmel laughed.
“Chocolate milk and pancakes,” she declared. She tried to climb out of my lap while carrying Asher, but she fell back.
I made a sound. “You guys are heavy!”
“Use your muscles, Daddy!” Asher declared.
Rim laughed. “Yeah, Daddy. Use your muscles.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”
I stood, lifting both Rimmel and Asher with me, and held them out over the floor. Asher squealed with delight, and Rimmel demanded I put them down.
“I’ll help you, Mom!” Blue declared and bulldozed my legs. I nearly fell back into the couch but managed to maintain my footing.
“I give up!” I declared, setting Rim and Asher down. Blue crossed his arms like he did a job well done.
“Come on, then,” Ivy said, getting up. “Breakfast.”
All three boys went racing into the kitchen, and as if on cue, the hoard of dogs I’d put out in the backyard started barking.
This place was a damn zoo.
But I fucking loved it.
“Trent and Drew, you’re on baby duty until breakfast is done,” Rimmel declared, glancing over at London playing happily in Trent’s lap.
Trent saluted.
Ivy went and Rimmel followed behind her, but at the last minute, I leapt over the back of the couch, landing in front of her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, smiling.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled her out of the living room and into the entryway near the bottom of the stairs. About a million pairs of small Nikes were flung everywhere, along with some pink Adidas and glitter-covered shoes.
“Uncle Romeo!” Nova said from partway up the stairs.
I spun and held my arms out. “I was just about to come searching the house for you!”
Nova laughed and leapt off the stairs without hesitation. Behind me, Rimmel gasped with worry, but I caught my niece without issue.
“Stop growing!” I told her when I put her down.
She laughed and started to rush away.
“Hey! Where’s my sugar?”
Nova groaned, her dark hair waving when she spun back. “Uncle Romeo…”
I bent down and patted my cheek. She pecked a kiss there and then ran off.
“Save me a pancake!” I yelled after her.
“No!” she called back and laughed.
I shook my head. “That girl is just like her mother.”
When I finally turned back, it was to see Rim standing there with Murphy in her arms. He was purring like a lawn mower and staring at Rim with his single eye as she scratched behind his ear.
My chest caved in a little, and I was transported to the past… back to the day I’d been in the animal shelter and we’d both been wet from the rain. I would never forget the way she looked with that cat in her lap.
It was the day I think I probably fell in love with her.
“I love you so goddamn much,” I whispered, stepping so close our feet bumped.
She smiled. “I love you, too.”
Leaning down, I took her lips, coaxing a long, slow kiss out of her. When I pulled back, the cat jumped out of her arms and sauntered toward the kitchen with a flick of his tail.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Huh?”
“You pulled me over here.” She reminded.
Right. I’d forgotten.
Spreading my legs a little, I lowered my upper body so we were closer to eye level. “I should have talked to you before I announced this trip.” Reaching out, I tugged her hand between both of mine. “If you aren’t ready to leave all three kids with my mom, we don’t have to go.”
“I know. I—”
Tightening my grip on her hand, I interrupted her. “I mean it, Rim. I don’t want to go anywhere you don’t want to be. We can go to BearPaw Resort next year.”
She smiled, her face looking so sweet and innocent despite the wildness of her hair. “I want to go,” she whispered. “Having some time alone with you will be nice.”
I liked the sound of that… like a hella lot.
“Yeah?” I wagged my eyebrows.
She blushed.
Even after all these years, I still had the power to make her blush. It was intoxicating, the power we wielded over each other.
Nodding, she stepped closer, taking a fistful of my shirt. “Definitely.”
Blood began moving away from my brain and into my jeans. “You’re sure?” I asked. Even horny as hell, I wanted to make sure she was happy.
“I’m sure.” Leaning up on tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to my lips.
When I tried to pull her in for more, she evaded me and laughed.
“Pancakes.” She reminded.
I groaned and watched her walked away. I couldn’t admire her little body because it was buried beneath all her baggy clothes, but seeing my name plastered across the back of her hoodie had the exact same effect.
“Rim.” I beckoned.
She stopped and looked back.
“The kids can have you now, but tonight… tonight, you’re all mine.”
Rimmel
“You chartered a plane?” I asked, standing on the windy, cold tarmac.
“What?” Romeo yelled over the million sounds competing around us.
I pointed to the plane.
He smirked and leaned over to speak in my ear. “Wanna join the mile-high club?”
I smacked him, and he laughed.
“The six of us walking thro
ugh the airport together would have caused a damn media frenzy. I didn’t feel like coming up with some elaborate strategy to get us all to the gate without causing a mob.”
I nodded, understanding. On the way here, I’d been wondering how the heck we were going to get through security without making news we were all on the move together. I could see the headlines now:
Family Crisis brings out entire family!
Where are they going?
Spotted! Romeo Anderson’s entire family together!
Over the years, we’d gotten much better at dodging the press, keeping our private lives private and keeping the vultures at bay, but they still came around. They still tried to get any information or pictures of us they could. It only made sense Romeo wanted to fly to Colorado with as much privacy as we could get. If we didn’t, the place would be swarming with press by the time we stepped onto the resort.
“I could get used to this,” Drew said, settling back into one of the seats when we were all on the jet.
Trent made a sound of agreement.
“Maybe the fam should go all in on a plane,” B pondered.
“I’ve been thinking of that myself.” Romeo agreed.
Ivy and I looked at each other then at the four men lounging around. “Are you crazy?” Ivy said. “Do you know how much money that would cost?”
“We can afford it,” B said without any kind of reaction.
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Just because we can afford it doesn’t mean we need it.”
“Just because we have a shit ton of land doesn’t mean we need the seven dogs you dragged home either,” B cracked.
I gasped. “That’s completely different!”
“Can I be your favorite brother now?” Trent asked. “I don’t care how many dogs you bring home.”
“That’s ‘cause they don’t eat your shoes!” B grumped.
“Romeo!” I yelled.
“Now, baby,” he said, pulling me into his lap. B was sitting right beside him, so I took the chance to glare. “Don’t listen to him. You can bring home as many dogs as you want.”
“Ahh, Rome. Don’t tell her that. Knowing tutor girl, she’ll find some homeless beast in Colorado and want to drag it back with us.”
I kicked him.
“Ow!” B wailed.
In my coat pocket, I felt my cell go off. I dug it out and called up the text. “Aww,” I said, leaning into Romeo’s chest. “Look.” I held the phone up so he could see it, too.
Valerie sent a picture of London sitting in Tony’s lap, a smile on her face. “She loves your dad,” I said, staring at her happy face.
Romeo made a sound and curled an arm around my waist. “See, she’s just fine.”
I nodded. I knew London would be more than happy with her grandparents, but it was still hard to leave her there. It was hard to take any kind of time for myself with three kids depending on me. I loved being a mother. I loved it more than anything.
Except for maybe Romeo.
That’s exactly why I was on this plane right now. Because as much as I loved our kids, I wanted to make sure Romeo knew he was still my number one. Even though he didn’t say it, I knew he’d gone to a lot of trouble planning this family trip.
Besides, alone time with my favorite football player sounded heavenly right about now.
After typing out a reply and saving the picture to my camera roll, I tucked the phone away and laid my head on Romeo’s chest.
“I’m starving. We should have grabbed food before we boarded,” Drew grumped.
With a sound, Trent made a show of unzipping his black duffle and pulled out a paper bag. The scent of French fries wafted toward us.
“Way ahead of you, Forrester,” Trent told him, handing over the bag.
Drew’s eyes widened as he snatched the bag and shoved his entire hand inside to pull out a fistful of fries. He groaned the second it hit his tongue. “They’re still warm.”
Trent smirked. “Ketchup’s in the bag.”
“I fucking love you, frat boy.”
Trent’s smirk died, and a fine blush spread over his wide cheekbones. Trent and Drew had been together for years, but I still got butterflies in my stomach when I watched them together. Even more so when one of them said they loved each other in front of us all.
I mean, of course we all knew they loved each other… but they were private guys. They didn’t flaunt their relationship. At first, it really bothered me, and I often worried they thought they couldn’t be themselves around us—their family.
Over the years, I realized that was just Trent’s way of protecting Drew, of protecting the most precious thing he had.
I was still smiling at them when Ivy kicked her foot out and hit it against Trent’s. “Aren’t you going to tell my brother you love him back?”
Drew laughed around the fries he was eating.
Trent flushed a deeper color. Announcing his feelings in front of everyone was not something he often did. It took him forever just to refer to me as his sister. I’d never forget the first time he did.
“Just say it, man. She’ll torture us the entire flight.” B warned.
Trent glanced at me, and I smiled.
His eyes moved to Drew. “I love you, too, Forrester.”
“It makes me so happy to see my brother happy.” Ivy sighed. Then she jabbed her finger at Trent, her eyes narrowed. “But stop putting bags of fries in with your clothes. You’re going to smell like a fast food place the entire trip!”
Braeden grabbed Ivy’s wagging finger and pulled it into his chest. “Woman! Quit your nagging. We’re supposed to be on vacay.”
The pilot came into the cabin to announce it was almost time for takeoff, so Romeo put me in the seat beside him, brushing away my attempts at putting on my own seatbelt and doing it himself. Before pulling back all the way, he gazed into my eyes.
The bright, deep blue of his stare engulfed me, delivering a full moment when there was only him and me. The corner of his mouth tilted up, and he dropped a quick kiss on the end of my nose before retreating to the seat beside me.
The plane began taxiing to the runway, and my stomach dropped. It didn’t matter how many flights and planes I’d been on over the years. I still hated flying. In fact, it might be worse now than before. As I gazed out the nearby window, watching the scenery pass faster and faster, my palms grew clammy.
What if the plane crashes? We have three babies at home who need their parents…
A large, warm hand covered mine and squeezed. Romeo’s lips brushed against my ear as he whispered, “Stop that right now. Everything is fine, baby.”
I turned enough so my eyes could meet his. “How’d you know?” I whispered.
His eyes twinkled with a knowing spark. “I’m insulted you think I wouldn’t.”
Instead of answering, I linked my arm with his and leaned over the armrest against his side as close as I could get.
Once we were in the air and the flight was smooth, I let out a sigh of relief.
Linking our hands, Romeo lifted them to kiss the back of mine. “Colorado, here we come.”
Romeo
The second I stepped out of the plane, a large orange truck parked nearby caught my eye. Right beside it was an equally bright yellow Hummer. Pausing, I gazed at the truck until the driver’s door popped open.
Liam Mattison pushed the door shut and came around the front, lifting a hand in greeting. I waved back, then turned back to Rim who was waiting behind me. “Careful, baby, the stairs are steep.”
Taking her hand, I went down first but angled so I could help her. This woman was so damn clumsy I was afraid she’d trip and tumble to the pavement. At least she wasn’t wearing too-big sweats. Now the only obstacle was her own two feet.
“It’s freezing!” Rim exclaimed, clutching her coat to her throat. A cold, wintry wind blew, pulling at the long strands of her hair and tangling them around her cheeks.
“Maybe we should have flown to the beach,” I remar
ked, pulling her away from the bottom of the stairs so the rest of the fam could come down.
Rimmel didn’t like the cold—actually, the snow. Born and raised in Florida, my girl loved the sunshine.
“Nonsense!” she declared, pushing her tangled hair back. “We haven’t been to a ski resort before. Besides, the whole point in coming was so we could hang out with Liam.”
“I hear my name,” Liam called out as he approached from behind.
I smiled and offered my hand. “Mattison, great to see you again.”
“Romeo, I’m stoked you all could come out,” Liam replied with a grin. The lower half of his face was covered in a dark-blond trimmed beard, and his hair was concealed with a BearPaw Resort beanie pulled down to his eyebrows.
Dude was a snowboarding legend. Even though he was technically retired from the sport now, people still talked about him. The guy went out with a bang, making a stellar career comeback and winning the gold in the winter Olympics (yet again).
“Thanks for the invite.”
“Are you kidding? Football legends Romeo Anderson and Braeden Walker being here at the resort? The pleasure is ours,” said another man, walking up beside Liam.
He had the most piercing light-blue eyes of anyone I’d ever met.
“This is Alex,” Liam introduced. “He’s family.”
B reached around me and offered his fist first. Then all the guys made rounds fist bumping each other.
“Hey!” Rim said when we were done. “What about us?” She motioned to herself and Ivy. “We don’t rate a fist bump?”
All eyes dropped to her. She looked fucking tiny standing in the center of all of us. Yet here she was, glaring like she was the biggest and most fierce.
A slow smile spread over Alex’s face. “Well, aren’t you cute…”
“Back off.” B warned, stepping up to her side.
Alex held up his hands but snickered. “I take it you belong to him.”
Braeden made a sound. “Hells no! That’s my sister. And I’m telling you, family or not, I’ll kick your ass if you hit on her.”
I grabbed B by the back of the neck and towed him back while Drew and Trent stood snickering. “Dude.”
Liam smacked Alex in the chest and grinned. “No worries. He’s taken. He just has a soft spot for feisty brunettes.”
#Vacay: A #Hashtag and BearPaw Resort Crossover Novella Page 2