She’s All Mine

by Goode, Ella

  I’m so thankful to Patty, the woman who gave him a home. I’ll forever love her for that. I haven't even gotten to meet her yet, but I know I will. Tank promised her we would meet up today or she said she’d be showing up here on her own.

  Tank reaches down, grabbing his own shirt and pulling it over my head. “We’ll get you all moved in later.” He turns, finding some boxers and sliding them up his thick thighs. My eyes follow the path. Who knew thighs could be so hot? Then again, everything about Tank is hot.

  “I don’t have much,” I admit. He grabs my hand and pulls me from the bedroom. I pretty much brought what was salvageable, I think, back to our dorm room. Clothes and books are the bulk of my belongings here at school. Even at home I don’t keep a lot besides my childhood bedroom set. I didn’t take much with me when I went off to college. I hated my bedroom. Everything was so perfect and almost staged in our home, even my bedroom. I didn't want anything from it and I sure wasn't going to go knocking on my parents’ door right now for it. None of it even felt like it was me. I’ve haven’t been living here for a day and I’m already more at home than I’ve felt in my whole life. It only goes to show you it’s not things that make a home beautiful.

  He stops walking to turn and look down at me. “You know I got you.” This is the tenth time he’s brought this up. He hates the idea that I’m beholden to my parents in any way.

  “Yes, Tank.” I roll my eyes. “I know you got me,” I laugh. It doesn't matter either way. I’ll get a job, do whatever. All I care about is being with him.

  “What do you want for breakfast?” he asks as he picks me up and places me on the counter.

  “What is your specialty?” My stomach makes a loud grumble. Before he can answer me, the doorbell rings. My eyes flick to the door. His mom must have gotten impatient. Though it might be later than I think it is.

  I’m barely dressed, my mind rushes to remind me. I clearly look like I’ve been up all night having sex. My anxiety is elevated beyond reason. I can’t possibly meet her looking like this.

  My eyes search the room for the clothes that Tank pulled from me when we got into the house last night. I run my fingers through my hair to try and fix it. I don’t notice that Tank has already walked over to the door and is currently opening it. As soon as the door cracks, I hear a scream.

  “Brownies!” I jerk my head up at my roommate’s code word for danger and see Liv trying to get past Tank. When she realizes this is an unattainable feat, she drops to the floor and crawls straight through his legs.

  I burst into laughter. “What are you doing?” I ask through the giggles that have overtaken my body. I’m not even sure my words are decipherable at this point.

  “Gave my men the slip.” She pops up from the floor. Tank looks at her like he doesn’t know what to do with her.

  “Clothes, big man. Put some on you. The A-Team can get jealous.”

  Tank shakes his head before letting the door fall closed and heading to our room. He’s mumbling something about women climbing buildings.

  “The A-Team?” I ask. I know she’s talking about the Audley twins, but I’ve never heard her call them that before. Her smirk tells me I’m not so sure I want to know.

  “Yeah. ‘Cause they tag-teamed me last night.” My mouth falls open. “Get it? A-Team.” Even as she says it, her cheeks turn pink. She puts her elbow on the counter. Tuesday jumps up and gives her the side eye.

  “Looks like I’m not the only one.” She reaches out and tugs on my hair. I bite my lip. I did have a wild night, but it wasn’t a team. One Tank is all I want or need. “We talked on the phone for almost an hour yesterday and not one peep about being in the same building as me. I have to learn it from Levi and Zeke.” She shakes her head. “I mean, the A-Team,” she corrects herself.

  “It’s not going to stick. Let it go.”

  Her face scrunches. “Yeah, they don’t like it either. Something about the A-Team is bigger and no more dicks being allowed around me. I guess it’s a movie or something.” She bats her hand as if annoyed that someone went back in time and stole the name she came up with.

  Tank comes strolling back into the room a few moments later with sweatpants and a shirt on. He walks over toward me. Liv steps back out of his way as he lifts me from the kitchen counter, putting me on my feet, then handing me a pair of yoga pants I shoved in my bag yesterday. “A-Team will be here in a moment.”

  “You snitch!” Liv acts shocked, placing her hand on her chest.

  “Pants, Treasure,” Tank tells me again, not even glancing Liv’s way. I smile and pull them up my legs. Tank didn’t have to tell them where she is. I’m sure they know or will put it together themselves when they see she’s MIA.

  “He called them A-Team,” Liv says smugly, reaching out to pet Tuesday, who has moved closer to her now.

  “What do you want to eat?” Tank asks, lifting me back up to sit me on the counter.

  “Pancakes,” pops from my mouth. Living in a dorm so long you forget what it’s like to have a kitchen.

  “With bacon,” Liv chimes in. Tank shakes his head before giving me a quick kiss.

  “Coming up.” He moves into the kitchen as Liv starts chirping away about how she’s happy we’ll still be living close to each other. I am, too. I had no idea the whole new world Liv was going to send tumbling into my life that first day I walked into my dorm room and she sent a box flying at my head.

  Her eyes widen and a moment later the front door flies open. “Don’t let Tuesday get out,” Tank orders from his station.

  “I want a cat.” Liv points to Tuesday, ignoring her boyfriends, who look a mix of amused and annoyed. As always, I can’t tell which is which.

  “You have enough to pet,” one of them tosses back at her.

  “Do I smell bacon?” the other one asks as he lifts Liv up, throwing her over his shoulder and giving her ass a smack.

  “I was petting the cat,” she pouts. He puts her back on her feet. “Are you hungry? I just fed you both.”

  The two of them look back and forth at each other.

  “Don’t do that.” She motions her hand between them. “They are talking about me like I’m not here.”

  “They didn't say anything.” My eyes dart between them. I have no idea what is happening, but I’m still amused.

  “They do this twin thing.” She raises an eyebrow at them. “You didn’t like my breakfast?”

  “We ate all of it,” one of them says defensively.

  “And you,” the other mumbles.

  “I’m making enough for everyone. Get the plates, A-Team,” Tank tells them, motioning to a cabinet. “Silverware.” He points to another. His gaze comes to me as the twins actually do as he tells them.

  “Maybe we should move.” He smirks at me. He’s as amused as I am. These are, after all, the people that brought us together. I have a feeling we’re all going to stay that way.

  I glance around the kitchen as Liv sits down in one of the high-top kitchen stools. Tuesday climbs into my lap.

  “I’m good.” I smile over at him. He mouths “I love you” and I do it back.

  No, I’m better than good because I’m all his.

  Epilogue

  Tank

  “Mr. Tanksley! Mr. Tanksley! Over here,” a high-pitched voice calls out.

  I swing to my right and see my angel, Aurora, standing in front of her kindergarten teacher, who is waving furiously in my direction. I dodge a couple of other parents walking toward the front of the elementary school. When I reach my girl, I dip down to her level and gather her in my arms.

  “How was your day, angel?”

  “Good. I’m hungry.”

  “I got you a yogurt smoothie.” I pluck the small plastic bottle from my back pocket, uncap the thing and hand it to her.

  She gives me a toothy smile and takes a sip. “Bye, Ms. Bingham.” Aurora waves. I straighten and grab my girl’s hand. She doesn’t like to be carried at school because she is not, and I quote, “a baby
.”

  She is, and always will be, my baby, but I gotta respect her wishes, especially since I’ve been teaching her that she needs to demand that from guys from day one. Her tiny hand is lost in mine.

  “Is Ethan home yet?”

  Aurora loves her brother more than her parents, but I’m not salty about that. He needs her devotion. The kid had a tough life before he found his way to our house. “Not yet, angel. He’s got practice.”

  Her cute mouth turns down in a pout. “I wanted to play with him.”

  “He’ll be home in an hour or so. You can play after dinner.”

  The cloud clears and she’s happy again. “I think Ms. B likes you. What do you think?”

  “I don’t,” I answer honestly, as I unlock the door to my Benz and lift Aurora into the booster seat in the back.

  “Paris’s teacher started liking Mr. Hunnicut and then Mr. Hunnicut left his family to be with Paris’s teacher.”

  “Sounds like Mr. Hunnicut is an asshole,” I mutter under my breath, but angel ears catches it.

  “What’s an asshole?”

  I scratch my chin and debate what to tell her. I’ve been a dad to angel for five years and fostered kids for more than that, but I still trip up. It’s because I’m in the gym all day. I opt for truthfulness because knowing a few bad words isn’t going to kill my angel.

  “Basically means his head is so far up his ass that he can’t see anything anymore, but it’s a bad word so don’t say it.” I bop her on the head.

  “Like ‘bullshit’?”

  I cover my mouth and cough to muffle my laugh. The word “bullshit” coming out of this tiny human’s mouth while her long tresses are done up in two ponytails decorated with pink polka-dot bows is funny as shit.

  “Yeah. Like ‘bullshit,’” I say when I’ve got myself under control. I give her a quick kiss on her silk-soft cheek before closing her door.

  Once behind the driver’s seat, I check to see how she’s doing before I pull out. “You ready for your recital?”

  “Yeah!” She kicks out her feet. “Mommy said I did real good at practice last night.”

  “I bet you did. Mommy’s a good teacher, isn’t she?”

  “Yup. The best.” A bright smile lights up my angel’s face as we pull into the stream of traffic. She hums her recital song at least twenty times by the time we arrive at the gym. I’m never going to get that tune out of my head.

  The parking lot at the gym is full despite the recital not starting for a couple of hours. Aurora lets me carry her in the side door. Morry is there to steal my angel away.

  “Ohh, look at you,” Morry coos into Aurora’s neck. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I missed you, too,” sings my girl. She wriggles, wanting to get down. Morry squeezes her again before reluctantly lowering Aurora to the floor. My daughter speeds off immediately, likely to go climb into the makeshift stands that surround the practice ring. She loves watching people box.

  “Don’t feel bad, Morry, she doesn’t let me hug her at the school. She says that everyone will think she’s a baby.”

  “She is a baby,” Morry insists. “We should be allowed to baby her forever.”

  I peek out the door of the backroom into the gym. Aurora is surrounded by a group of trainees who are offering her everything from candy to comic books. “I don’t think we need to be concerned on that account,” I drawl. I push away from the door and give Morry a peck on the side of the head. “Aurora has everyone eating out of her hand, even if she doesn’t mean to.”

  “I hope we don’t ruin the girl,” Morry says and rushes out to shoo the boys away, but it’s only a temporary fix. Aurora has that aura about her that makes you want to coddle and protect her. It’s a good thing she has a strong will so that she can tell people to stop. I’m not worried about Aurora being ruined. She’s full of love and that’s why everyone wants to be around her.

  I take one last look at my daughter and then go in search of my wife. I find her in the studio office, brushing out her hair. Her muscular dancer legs are encased in nude tights and she’s wearing a tight leotard that shows off her still slender figure and her delicious rack. I bend down and place a kiss on the bare patch of skin showing above the scooped neckline.

  “Hey, babe.”

  She curls an arm around my neck and pulls me in for a deep, welcoming kiss. “Mmm. I needed that,” she says as she releases me.

  I drag a chair behind her and start to massage her shoulders. “Tough day?”

  “I love the kids we have here. I hate the parents. One mother wanted to know why her six-year-old wasn’t in pointe shoes yet. Apparently, some other studio is allowing them.”

  I stop. “Isn’t that, like, abuse?”

  “I called the studio and they deny it. And they added that they kicked the mom out two months ago for being problematic.”

  “We always inherit the difficult ones, don’t we?”

  “Because I can’t say no,” Erika admits.

  I lean over and grab her brush. “Want it in braids and a bun or just a bun?”

  “Braids and then the bun since you’re asking.”

  I get to work, dividing the hair and then sectioning it off. Not too long after saying so long to Erika’s parents, I did good on my promise to watch videos on how to braid Erika’s heavy mane. Her mom had done it for her when she was a girl and since we basically kicked her mom out of Erika’s life, I took over the duty.

  It’s kind of sensual, running my hands through Erika’s long tresses, having those silky strands spill over my arm and onto my lap. It took me a while to figure out the process because I’d always get so horny that I’d tip her onto her knees, pull down her pants and fuck her like a rutting stallion. It’s been years since then, so I’ve gained some control. Some.

  “Don’t even think about it,” she warns as if she can read my mind. “Our son will be here any minute and we have a recital to put on in an hour and a half.”

  Sigh. “Okay, but later, I’m using this as I take you.” I tug on a finished braid.

  “Be my guest,” she purrs.

  My cock instantly springs to attention. “Don’t or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  A knock on the door sounds before I can properly show Erika exactly what I mean. With another heavy exhale, I release Erika and roll my chair over to the door. “Who is it?”

  “Me,” comes the muffled response.

  I pop open the door to see our son, Ethan, standing outside. At thirteen, the boy stands taller than everyone in his class. His shoulders are wide enough to fit a man’s large, but he’s still a kid. So many people look at him and think he’s an adult and treat him like one.

  “How was practice, son?”

  “Good.” He holds up a bloody hand. “Had a little problem at the gas station across the street though.”

  Erika jumps to her feet. “Oh no, sweetheart, what happened?”

  “Nothing much.” Over her head, his eyes meet mine.

  I give him a nod of acknowledgment. He wants to run the situation by me first before we worry Erika. “Why don’t you go wash up and when I’m done with your mom, I’ll come find you.”

  He nods and disappears.

  “I can do my own hair,” Erika bats my hands away. “Go see to our son.”

  “You sure?” I always want to finish things that I start.

  “I’m sure.” She gets up on her tiptoes and kisses my chin. “I know he wants to tell you something. You should hear him out.”

  I give her a wry smile and cuddle her for a hug. “Can’t get anything by you, can we?”

  “I’m glad you know that.” She pats me on the ass and shoves me out into the hall.

  I find Ethan in quick order. He’s got the first-aid kit out and is awkwardly dabbing alcohol on his knuckles.

  I take the medical supplies from him and straddle the bench.

  “What’s the story?”

  “There’s this kid, Steven, who has had the hots for this one
girl, Tina. Tina’s been telling him to leave her alone, but he won’t listen. She was filling her tank when he came up behind her and started grinding on her, pretending to dance to the music. I pulled him off and he took a swing at me. I didn’t mean to hit him back, but…” He raises his hand.

  “Reflexes,” I fill in. “You’ve got killer reflexes.” I pull his hand back into my lap and administer iodine before wrapping him up.

  “You gonna send me back to the home?”

  The home is the halfway house he was stuck in for a few months before the social worker asked us to take him in.

  “Nope. You’re stuck with us.”

  “Even if that guy sues you? He says he’s going to take your gym and Erik—I mean, Mom’s dance studio.”

  “First, he can’t take that from us because you didn’t do anything wrong. Second, even if we were going to lose the gym and dance studio, we would keep you. People over things, Ethan. It’s always people over things.”

  “But this is our home.”

  “Nah.” I finish my taping and lift his hand to his heart. “Home’s in there. We live in your heart just as you live in ours and as long as we have each other that’s all that matters. The gym, the dance studio—those are all nice, but we can survive without them. We can be happy without trophies or awards or even money. All we need is each other.”

  I let his hand go, but he doesn’t drop it from his chest. Instead his fingers spread as far as the bandage allows, as if he’s trying to clutch that truth in his hand. My eyes get hot. I see so much of myself in this boy. Love made me find my way to Erika and together we created that home I’m talking about. Someday, love’s going to lead this boy to a woman and he’ll make a home with her, too.