“Congratulations, friend!” She raises on her tip-toes and wraps her arms around me to hug me tight. “Where is your man?”
“Right here,” Caleb murmurs and grins at us as we pull apart. “The cake is beautiful, thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Nic beams.
“You make the best cake in the whole world,” Sam gushes, but Nic’s gaze is stuck on Matt. She’s gone pale and takes a step back.
“Holy shit,” she whispers.
“Do you know each other?” Caleb asks.
Nic recovers with a shake of the head and forces a fake smile. “I’m so happy that you like the cake. It’s ready to go for you. Congratulations again.” She turns to go but Matt interrupts her.
“Stop,” Matt commands, his voice deceptively soft. Everyone watches in awe as Nic immediately stops talking and folds her hands in front of her, watching Matt warily.
I glance at the men and all of their eyebrows are high on their foreheads as they watch the exchange.
Matt walks forward and gently takes Nic by the elbow and leads her a few feet away where he leans in and whispers something in her ear. She blushes furiously, but her eyes flash in anger as she pulls her arm out of his grasp. She says nothing as she turns her back on him and stomps away.
“Spank her ass,” he whispers angrily and marches after her.
“I guess they know each other,” Will observes while stuffing a dinner roll in his mouth.
“Do you know anything about this?” Isaac asks Caleb, who shakes his head in bewilderment.
“Not a clue.”
“You know, I know it’s hard for you all to believe this, but you don’t know everything there is to know about each other,” Meg reminds them with a smug grin.
The brothers frown at Meg as Nate smirks.
“Don’t know why you’re smirking,” Will elbows Nate. “We know you have your cock…”
“Daddy dance with us again!” Josie interrupts as she skips up to Caleb.
“I will in a little while, sugar.” Caleb smiles at her as she skips away and then scowls at Will. “Dude, watch your language.”
“It’s true,” Will shrugs.
Dom scowls at all of us. “What am I missing?”
“Nothing,” Nate hurries to assure him and glares at Jules. “You’re getting a spanking of your own later.”
“Don’t tease me now, ace,” Jules purrs.
I laugh as I lean my head on Caleb’s arm and gaze lovingly at the people surrounding me.
“I love this family,” I chuckle.
“I love you,” Caleb whispers in my ear and kisses my temple. “Mrs. Montgomery.”
Epilogue
~Caleb~
I pour some cream in Bryn’s coffee and carry it out onto the patio. She’s lounging in one of the many plush lounge chairs that sit on the massive space just outside my brother, Dominic’s home in Tuscany.
This is the last day of our honeymoon, and I’m determined that she relaxes and I make love to her at least a hundred times today before we head back to real life tomorrow.
Although, I admit, I’m excited to see our girls. Two weeks away from them has been too much.
“Thank you, babe,” she mutters and sips her coffee as I sit in the chair beside her. It’s very early morning. There are rows and rows of grape vines, for as far as the eye can see, covering green and brown hills that are just waking up under the soft light of the morning sun.
“It’s beautiful here,” I murmur.
“Mmm,” she agrees and concentrates on her phone.
“It was nice of the family to pitch in and charter the plane for us to come here. I had no idea when Dom said he has a house in Italy that it’s this huge mansion with a few thousand acres of vines.”
“Mmm,” she agrees again, not looking up from her phone.
“What are you doing?” I ask with a laugh.
She lowers her phone to her lap, tucks her hair behind her ear and takes a sip of coffee, then looks over at me. “I’m late.”
“We’re on vacation, Legs. We’re not late for anything.”
“No,” she shakes her head and giggles and then gives me a pointed look with those big brown eyes. “I’m late.”
I stare at her for a long moment and then it hits me.
She’s late!
“You mean…?”
“I think so,” she smirks and nods. “I went off the pill a month ago, and here we are.” She shakes her head and shrugs. “Crazy.”
“We need a test!” I jump up out of the chair and pat my body down. “Where’s my wallet?”
“In your pocket,” she replies dryly.
“I’ll be back!” I race out of the house and drive the short distance between Dom’s estate and the nearest village. After I find a drug store and buy one of each kind of pregnancy test they have, I race back to my hopefully pregnant wife.
“That was fast,” she murmurs with a grin. She’s still sitting in the lounge chair, sipping her coffee.
“Should you be drinking coffee?” I ask.
“Let’s not get crazy,” she responds. “I need coffee.”
“I got one of each kind,” I announce and upend the bag, sending small white and blue boxes scattering.
“Uh, Caleb, we only need one.”
“What if we can’t figure them out?” I ask and pick one up to examine it. “All of the instructions are in Italian.”
She laughs hysterically and then stands, wiping her eyes.
“It’s not funny.”
“Yes, it is. Pregnancy tests are pretty universal, Caleb. You pee on it and a line either appears or it doesn’t.” She rubs my arm sweetly and kisses my shoulder before plucking the box out of my fingers. “I’ll be back.”
“I’m coming with you.” I begin to follow her but she turns quickly with her hand out to stop me.
“Oh no, you aren’t. You are not going to watch me pee on this stick.”
I scowl down at her and cross my arms over my chest. “I’ve helped you bathe and dress and every other damn thing when you were hurt. I can handle watching you pee.”
“Absolutely not.” She shakes her head but then leans in and kisses my chin. “But thank you for helping me when I was hurt.”
She turns and runs for the bathroom and it feels like an eternity before she comes back out, white stick in hand.
“Well?” I ask.
“It takes about three minutes, babe.” She sits in the lounge chair and stares out over the vineyard. “Are you sure about this whole having another baby thing?”
I lean down and pick her up, sit in her chair and settle her on my lap.
“I want more babies,” I whisper and kiss her cheek.
“Okay,” she whispers back and smiles shyly. God, she can destroy me with just a look. I’ve faced horrors that no man or woman should have to see and faced them without qualms, but this woman and her two daughters bring me to my knees.
“I love you, Legs.”
“I love you, too, sailor.” She grins and kisses me, wraps her arms around my neck and turns her body until she’s straddling my lap.
“Hold up. Check the stick,” I interrupt before we’re both naked and sweaty and the stick is a distant memory.
She glances down. “It’s not ready yet.”
“Go pee on another one,” I instruct her. “This one is taking too long.”
“I don’t have to pee anymore!” She laughs. “You pee on one! They say we’re pregnant, so it should work just fine.”
“Smart ass,” I mutter and pull her face to mine so I can kiss the fuck out of her. God, she’s so amazing.
Finally, she pulls back and offers me a lazy smile.
“Look again,” I whisper and lean my forehead against hers.
“Its positive, babe.”
My heart stops as I gaze into her deep chocolate eyes.
We’re having a baby.
“Really?” I ask.
She nods as tears gather in her eyes.
“Oh, baby,” I sigh and gather her to me, rocking us back and forth and clinging to her. “Thank you.”
“You’re such a good daddy,” she murmurs.
I grin and tip her chin back so I can see her face.
“I’m so honored to be your husband, my love. To be the father of our kids. When I left the Navy, I thought I was losing everything that mattered to me, but now I know that it was leading me to you. I wouldn’t change anything. I love you.”
She grins and pulls my face down to hers, presses her body closer to mine and nuzzles my nose. “I love you too.”
The End
The With Me In Seattle series continues with book six, TIED WITH ME, Matt and Nic’s story, in the spring of 2014.
A note from the author:
Every book I write is personal to me on some level, but Caleb and Brynna’s story is one that I hold dear to my heart. My own husband is a soldier in the Army National Guard, and has deployed to Iraq twice, each for one-year deployments. I know what it is to live with a war veteran who lives with and fights the inner battles he brings home with him. Many, many brave men and women return home from war with internal scars that we can’t see. PTSD is a wound these proud men and women may struggle with for many years to come, often to a debilitating degree.
According to statistics, more soldiers lost their lives by suicide (averaging one every day) than on the battlefield in 2012. This statistic is heartbreaking.
Our men and women in uniform fight battles we can’t or won’t to keep us safe in our homes. They know what they sign up for when they take their oath to protect our country, and they do so willingly and bravely.
There are many programs out there to help men and women who have been injured, including those who suffer from PTSD. If you would like to learn more about how you can help, please consider looking into the Wounded Warrior Project. www.woundedwarriorproject.org You can start there.
Like Brynna, I am proud to be married to a soldier who has bravely served his country, and I am proud of every person who wears a uniform and courageously serves our country so that we may live free.
I never take that for granted.
Acknowledgements:
A huge thanks goes out to my husband and kids for being so patient with me when I’m “in the cave.” Thank you for your love and support. I love you guys!
To my Naughty Mafia sisters, Emily Snow, Michelle Valentine and Kelli Maine. You girls have become more to me than friends. Thank you for your unending support, loyalty and love. You rock my world.
To my agent, Kevan Lyon, for believing in me and working your rear off for me. I appreciate you more than you know!
To KP Simmon of InkSlinger PR, my publicist. You’re not only my publicist, but also my friend, and I love you.
Thank you to my assistant, Taryn, for keeping me in line and on task! And for being a great friend. Love you, girl.
To my beta readers. You know who you are, and how much I value every single word of feedback you give me. This book would not be possible without you. Thank you.
To the many authors who I am blessed to call my friends, and proud to call colleagues; I’m humbled and honored to be a part of this community!
To Pamela Carrion and all of the members of my street team, thank you so much for keeping me laughing and the “inspirational photos” on hand! You guys are awesome.
To the scores of bloggers who support me every single day, THANK YOU!! I know that I would not be where I am in this industry without you, and I am beyond thankful for you!
And as always, to you, the reader. Thank you for loving this family as much as I do.
Happy Reading,
Kristen
Safe With Me Page 23