At the table, Dylan and I are sitting thigh to thigh, and he’s reaching over and pulling chips off my plate. Finally, Luke lets the cat out of the bag when Dylan leans into me and kisses my shoulder. “Oh, my God, please tell me you two aren’t going to be like this all the time.”
Four curious sets of eyes pop up and look around. Jax and Alex laugh around their mouth full of food at the guilty look on mine and Dylan’s faces.
Dylan lays his burger down and picks up my hand. “So, I’m…uh…I’m guessing you guys wanna know what big mouth is talking about?”
Is he really nervous?
Luke just shakes his head and laughs at his brother for acting all flustered, “Oh hell, just tell them.”
Michael asks, "Tell us what?"
Dylan squares his shoulder and looks over at me and winks. "Brooke and I are dating."
Well, that's good, just rip off the band-aid. Very Dylan. Cassie looks cautiously over at me and then Dylan, "Dating?"
He nods, "Yes, we've been dating for a few months."
Cassie’s face goes from excited to upset all at the same time, "Why didn't you tell us?"
I interject, "We wanted to, believe me, it was awful keeping it from you, but it could have affected your case if anyone at my office found out."
"And Brooke could have lost her job," Alex adds.
Cassie looks more hurt by this, "You think we would have told someone about you guys?"
I shake my head, "No, of course not. But it was hard enough for us to keep the secret, we couldn’t have asked you guys to do that for us. It wouldn't have been fair."
She thinks about that then nods like she understands. After that, her pretty young face gets all hopeful and dreamy with a side of excitement. "So you’ll be here like all the time now.”
I laugh, "I still have a job, and you know that it keeps me busy, but yes, I’ll be here a lot. Well, if it’s okay with all of you.” I figure I better not be too presumptuous.
Cassie nods excitedly and Gabby exclaims, "Yay, we can play a lot more because I never get enough time like Luke and Cassie when they do something bad."
Dylan and I laugh at that oh, so, very true statement.
Jax taps my leg with his foot from where he’s sitting across the table, “I told ya they would be happy."
Dylan leans in, and we give into our first show of PDA in front of the kids.
“Oh, no, Luke. You’re right, this is going to get gross fast.” Michael groans followed by fake gagging.
Cassie shuts him up, “I think it's sweet.” she says dreamily.
“Of course, you do,” Michael returns sarcastically.
After some more teasing banter back and forth we begin talking about summer plans. Dylan goes in the house to take a call leaving Jax and me at the table watching Alex learn all of Toby’s tricks with the kids out on the lawn. “You know I always knew he would find someone.”
I look at him stunned, “What?”
“Dylan and I are different because he, at least, knows a little bit about the love of a good woman from living with his stepmother, and I always knew he missed that closeness he had with her and the kids, no matter what his relationship was like with his father. I never knew anything like that because my gramps raised me. I only know how to be a bachelor. All this shit here is a novelty for me. But I think Dylan missed this but was too hurt by what went down a few years ago. He was in a bad place for a long time after that. All the women through the years were insulation around his heart, so he wasn’t ever that vulnerable again. Then you blew in and somehow made him feel safe enough to take a chance, one that he deserves.”
This deep, insightful side of Jackson is a revelation in more ways than one.
“He means everything to me, Jax. And I love the kids too.”
He grins like I really didn’t need to say that to him. “I’ve seen how much you’ve done for them, and it’s pretty damn amazing. You’re good for all of them, but especially Dylan.”
I know Jackson well enough now to know that this isn’t a comfortable conversation for him, but it was obviously important for him to get off his chest, and I think it was his way of giving us his blessing. “Thank you, Jackson,”
He grunts, “And I want to tell you right now, Ms. Social Worker, you owe me big time for stealing my wingman.”
An idea for a new mission comes to mind. “I’ve got your back, Jax.”
With that he joins the group and then after helping clean up, Luke disappears to get ready for prom. When he comes out, he stops in front of me and points toward the bow tie of his tux. I reach up, undo the knot, and drape the ends on each side of his neck. After I pop the first two buttons on his shirt, I smooth down his lapel and smile. “There, stand out and make a statement.”
Alex walks up beside me and reaches her hands to Luke’s hair and gives it several well-placed swipes and brushes finally achieving a perfectly sexy tousled look. “And there you go. Perfect look for the hot high school male going to the prom.” She turns to me and says excitedly, “We should totally have him pose right now and get some pictures.”
Slumping back on a lounger, Cassie’s rolls her eyes, “Fantastic, Monday I’m gonna get to hear, “Cassie, your brother is so hot.” “Did you see Luke Monroe at the prom, oh, my God?” Please.”
I smile, just one big ole happy family.
Chapter 39
Dylan
Unfortunately, I can’t talk Brooke into staying the night and turning this celebration into a more intimate one. She doesn’t think the kids are quite ready for that step, and I think she’s fucking crazy, and the kids would be thrilled to wake up and have her here in the morning. Since the papers were signed on Thursday releasing us from all the professional lines bullshit all I can think of is full steam ahead with our relationship. I don’t want slow and easy and let’s give everyone time to adjust. Fuck that, I've adjusted dammit. I know what I want, and it’s time for everyone else to get on board. My first time in a relationship, and I’ve spent it all in hidden in secrecy. And don’t think I’ve been above begging to make her see things my way, but damn the woman is stubborn.
So now at 11 o’clock we’re lounging around the living room with my three youngest siblings. Brooke thought it would be fun to let them stay up and wait for Luke to come in from prom. I may have given in on that, but he’s still grounded, so I gave him a one o’clock curfew, which surprisingly he seemed fine with. Michael and Gabby I don’t think are going to make it. It’s been a long day, and as much as they’re fighting sleep I can tell it’s not going to take them long to fall.
Now if Cassie would show signs of going under, I can finally get Brooke alone. Of course, Cassie is probably the most excited about Brooke and I being a couple. So it’s the three of us that end up waiting up for my brother to come home. Fifteen minutes before he’s supposed to be in, we’ve already placed bets on if he gets home on time. Cassie is the one thinking he’s going to blow it.
When he saunters in minutes early Brooke and I celebrate our win with a kiss. And don’t think Luke is one to let that slide. “Oh, Jesus you two. Don’t make me come home to this every night. You’ve got a perfectly good bedroom that way.” He shakes his head at laughing his way to the stairs.
“I want to hear all about tonight, Luke,” Brooke calls after him.
“Oh, no you don’t, Brooke,” he teases back.
She ends up staying late, just not late enough to wake up with me in the morning. And that is my next goal.
I automatically look for Brooke’s car when I pull in my drive. In the month since school has been out, she schedules her appointments so she can be here when I get home. I don’t know how it all started. She says it’s so she can see me, but I think it has something to do with me officially opening the pool. More often than not I’ll catch her and the kids in the pool, on the way to the pool, or coming out of the pool. It never gets old, because Brooke in a bikini is a sight to behold, especially with that little peek of ink at the waist of
her bikini bottom.
Luke’s been spending all day at the shop, and I have to say, my little brother’s natural business acumen is something impressive. He’s really building up his own clientele building custom racing bikes. Adam Shriller was impressed enough with his that he sent more business our way. I was surprised that Luke was so willing to spend his summer at the shop, but he actually loves it. His eye for design, building, and detail are something you don’t find on men who’ve been in the business for years. Things have been a hell of a lot better between us since all the shit that went down last month. Not to say that we won’t have some major disagreements in the future. We’re Monroe males, and stubborn is our strongest character trait.
Luke’s truck pulls in right behind me. He gets out and starts hurrying toward the door, “What’s the rush, bro?”
“It’s fucking hot; I’m hitting the pool for a while.” He isn’t wrong about that, and I decide to step up the pace too, and, of course, I’ll get to see my girlfriend in her teeny weeny bikini. My mouth starts watering at the thought, and I swear the afternoon temperature went up another 10 degrees. We begin shoving our way against each other to get in first and find her watching cartoons with Gabby.
I pause long enough to drop a quick kiss on Brooke’s lips on the way to my bedroom and call out the order, “Everyone get changed. Pool party!”
After that, it’s a mad scramble for bathing suits. In my room, I grab my suit and Brooke’s bikini, my favorite one, with little NASCAR logos all over it.
Fucking hot.
Brooke is right behind me and catches her suit when I toss it her way and gives me a knowing smile. The woman can read my mind every time. It's amazing how easily she’s taken a place in our life since letting everyone in on our secret. I think it's because Brooke has been a part of the family from the beginning.
My room has the French doors that lead right out to the pool, and I’m not at all surprised to see Jax on the diving board ready to jump. Another new everyday fixture around our house these days. I’ve threatened to start charging him rent. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that Jax is around because of Brooke. The two of them have come into their own kind of friendship. They’ve found some kind of mutual respect with each other, and it makes me happy. I notice he’s not nearly as much of an asshole as usual, and I get a serious kick out of listening to some of their bickerings. Broke never misses a chance to call him out on his bullshit.
After a rowdy game of water volleyball, we emerge hungry since no one thought of eating before we got in. After a long battle back and forth on what to eat it looks like Chinese delivery for Cassie and Brooke and pizza for the rest of us. After eating the sun is starting to set and everyone relaxes in loungers. I lean back and hold out my arm to Brooke, who accepts and settle between my legs to lie back against me.
I kiss her shoulder then breathe in the damp skin of her neck savoring the smell of chlorine and the faint scent of flowers that is always on her skin. Something lilac according to the body wash and shampoo bottles that now take up residence in my shower. "How was your day?"
“Good,” she sighs. I know the last month she’s been able to slow down a little since more cases like ours have been settled by the courts. That doesn’t mean more won’t come in, but according to her, even the orders that are coming through family court are not as long term as the year that we were originally under. “Everything okay at the shop?”
"Busy, but Luke being there is a huge help. He’s killing it with the customers.”
She grins, "He loves working there. I think all the responsibility you and Jax have given him with the bikes is good for him, and he seems happy.”
“Cannonball.” And just like that, our moment of peace and quiet is smashed to shit. I have no doubt the splashing water aimed our way is meant to cool down our makeout session.
Payback’s a bitch.
“Let’s get them,” Brooke says, and we’re out of our lounge chair doing cannonballs. The Monroe aquatic playground is rarely a peaceful place.
Soon enough everyone’s arms are jelly, and the pool is full of bodies floating in the water taking it easy. I swim over to Brooke and wrap my arm around her waist to swim us to the ledge that’s built into the deep end. After lifting her, I make a place for myself between her silky thighs. With my mouth, I take a moment to trace trails of water that trail down her long neck and the silky skin over her collarbone. Putting my lips anywhere on her body is something I sit around and think about all day.
"Have you asked for a week off yet?"
Our plan is to take the kids to the lake house for a summer vacation. Getting the time off for me and the kids is not a problem. When we get to go all depends on Brooke’s schedule right now. “Yes, the first week in July. The offices are closed on the 4th anyway, so I took the entire week off. Janice was fine with it."
"Sounds good to me. I promised you we’d get to go back, and I can’t wait for you to see the firework show they put on out in the middle of the lake.”
"That sounds like so much fun! You know, I loved to think all firework shows were just for me since the fourth is my birthday.” She says giggling.
I have to laugh because that’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. "How old were you when you discovered the truth about that?”
“She grabs my shoulders and asks in surprised indignation, “You mean they’re really not?”
I pinch the skin at her waist before soothing it beneath my fingertips. “Funny, girl. I promise you a lot of fireworks on your birthday.” And so much more, I think mischievously. This is one birthday surprise I can’t wait to pull off.
I reach over to shut down the annoying alarm before rolling over and kissing Brooke away. Last night was the first night she spent the night. Fucking momentous. Unfortunately, there’s no time to wake up her up like I would like to because we need to get the trucks loaded for our trip to the Ozarks. “Wake up, baby.”
She answers with a groan, I laugh, then lean in and nip the top of her tit. My girl is not a morning person, but I know from other times waking her in the morning, this is one that perks her right up. If I were to suck her rosy nipple as my mouth was watering to do, we wouldn’t be leaving until tomorrow. “Dylan,” she screeches. Every fucking time.
“Get dressed and wake up the kids. I’ll start loading bags.” She lays there rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning, but I’m in a hurry, and I am a morning person. So I swat her ass to get her moving. “Hurry, I wanna get on the road so we can be there before noon.”
She grumbles and throws off the sheet covering her body, and my eyes don’t miss a thing. Another rule I have is no clothes in bed because really why would I want anything between us. There’s a perfectly good lock that ensures our privacy while behind that door. This is from now on our zone. I had no doubt that her staying the night wouldn’t be a big deal like she’s been so worried about. No one batted an eye last night when I announced it was bedtime because we have an early morning.
“You gonna be able to get the kids up?”
She dresses and fixes her hair on top of her head in that sloppy looking mess she and Cassie are so often wearing. “Yeah, I got this.”
I pull on my t-shirt and follow her out with our bags to set down by the front door. And just like every time I jump when a shrill whistle literally rips through the house, Damn, I hate when she does that. So far that is my least favorite talents my girl possesses. That shit can wake the dead. But then she follows it by yelling, “Everybody up. Buses roll in one hour.”
As soon as doors start opening, and voices start yelling, “I’m awake,” she heads to the kitchen to pull out two boxes of Jimmy Dean Sausage and Biscuits. She insisted we have a “super-quick” breakfast because there’s “no way I’m letting them travel hungry, and stopping for breakfast with this many would take way too long” And this is from the woman I nearly have to drag out of bed.
After the kitchen is cleaned, Luke and I start grabbing bags to take a load
in his SUV and my truck. We drop the luggage at the back of mine and turn to the refrigerator I keep out in the garage to start loading the shit ton of groceries we bought last night. Brooke practically panted while picking out menu items she gets to cook in the “sexy kitchen.”
“What time are we picking up the boat you rented?” Luke asks.
“I told them we’d be there no later than three. I also got us two sets of skis and a two-man tube.”
“And a wakeboard?”
“You know it.” I close the back of the truck after the last of the sacks are loaded. “Let’s get this shit loaded. Can you tell me why in the hell there this much crap for a trip to the lake? All we need is a few pairs of shorts, t-shirts, and swim suits.” I grumble.
“Hey, don’t look at me.” He holds up his football gym bag, “This is all I’m bringing.”
“Good man.”
I lean down for another bag when Brooke’s voice once again fills the airwaves, “Cassie has a bag in here guys. Need some help ASAP.”
“Dude, your girlfriend is fucking loud. I hoped you remembered a gag for this trip.”
I pop him upside the back of his head, “See what Cassie wants, I’ll finish this.”
A couple of minutes later Luke brings out a big ass bag from the house dropping it behind my truck, “Who the hell’s bag is that?"
"Cassie’s. I don't know what the fuck she has in there, but it's heavy as hell."
I shake my head and laugh, “Why didn’t I just rent a semi?”
He laughs and helps me lug it into the bed of my truck, and I hope to hell that’s the last of them. He and I pick up the massive bag and toss it into the back. "You call Jax and remind him to be there Monday morning?”
"He’ll be there, or I’ll kick his ass. He knows how important the surprise is.”
He nods, "I’m hoping there are some hotties on the water.”
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