by Sean Michael
Zack laughed. “I should probably get my girls and head home.”
“Why don’t you all stay as well—I’ve heard someone is making waffles for breakfast, and we’ve got more than enough rooms with beds.” Dirk met Logan’s eyes, smiling.
“Please. The girls are happy, and they’ve already had showers and are in their pjs.” Logan loved how everyone had planned for tired, dirty kids who needed baths.
“Well, okay, then. I might need to borrow someone’s sweats to sleep in….”
“Actually, I was going to make a quick run back to our place to grab pajamas for Aiden and me—you could join and pick up anything else you or the girls need,” Dev suggested.
“You two okay with everyone?” Zack asked.
“Us and—” He did a quick calculation. “—fourteen kids? No problem.”
“Hey, I’m staying here too,” Aiden protested. “So us three and fourteen kids—the odds are suddenly much, much better.”
Dirk cackled. “Hurry. We’ve got another forty-five minutes before that movie ends and they start moving again.”
“You guys holler if you want us to grab anything on the way,” Dev said, and Logan cracked up.
“Because we don’t have enough food.”
“Possibly we don’t,” Dirk noted. “I think the girls snagged the last bag of chips. We’re getting pizza in a while, though, so I think we’re fine. Thanks, though.”
“Okay. We’re out of here.” Dev headed out with Zack.
Dirk sat with Logan and Aiden, his face wreathed in a smile. “We’re never ever going to be bored again.”
“No, I imagine not.” Logan didn’t think that was a bad thing.
Aiden snorted. “Nope. Because you know once the youngest are ready to head out into the world on their own, the older ones will be bringing your grandbabies home.”
“I will hurt you, man.” No talking about grandbabies. None.
“Hey, it’s not my fault you wound up with five kids. Even if some of them don’t have kids, odds are you’ll wind up with several grandkids. Hell, if they all have kids, that’s five at the very least. And if they follow your guys’ example, it’ll be closer to twenty-five grandkids.”
Dirk flipped Aiden off. “Hush now.”
Twenty-five grandbabies….
God. He was going to pass out.
Aiden nearly choked on his own laughter.
Dirk touched Logan’s shoulder. “Hey. We have five kids, three of whom are babies, and the house is currently full of God knows how many girls under thirteen. We need to worry about the next twelve hours. Trust me, the next twelve years will take care of themselves. So will the twelve after that.”
“Yeah, yeah. You know how many billable hours I’ll need, love?”
“Sh. Right now all you have to worry about is how you’re going to get the glitter out of your hair and the rest of that gloss off your lips.” Dirk kissed him. “I’m serious. Don’t miss out on today because you’re worrying about tomorrow. I’m pretty sure there’s all sorts of smart-sounding proverbs about that, but of course none of them are coming to mind at the moment.”
“Uh-huh. Good thing you’ll be raising our babies so you can proverbize them.”
“Proverbize?” Dirk snorted. “I love it.”
“You’re no fun, Dirk.” Aiden pouted in Dirk’s direction. “I had him going with that twenty-five grandkids thing.”
“I think that will be magical,” Dirk said. “When it happens.”
Logan stared at Dirk. “Really?”
“Like I said, babe, it’s forever from now. Focus on our little girls and babies.”
Right on cue, Logan’s godson turned his head and reached for him. “Unca.”
“Oh. Hey, baby.” He slid down on the floor and wrapped Dylan in his arms. “Did you guys hear that?”
“Oh my God, did we?” Dirk was bouncing. “He said your name!”
“Damn.” Aiden shook his head. “Dev is going to be so sad he missed this.”
“Get your phone. What if he does it again?” Logan couldn’t believe it. “Hey, baby boy. Say my name. Say Uncle Logan.”
“Has he said Dada yet?” Dirk asked.
“No! His first word was you, Logan.” Aiden grabbed his phone and trained it on him and Dylan. “Say it again, baby D. Say Unca.”
Dirk laughed. “Shouldn’t you be encouraging him to say ‘Dada’?”
“Not without Dev here. Not a chance.”
“Heh, you’ve got a point,” Dirk conceded. “Okay, then. Hey, Dylan. Can you say it again? Can you say un-ca?”
“Come on, baby.” He rubbed noses with Dylan, and the baby squealed, grabbing his ears.
“Un-ca!”
“Whoo! Did you get it?” Dirk asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” Aiden laughed. “Do it again, Dylan.”
“Un-ca! Un-ca! Un-ca!”
Logan hugged his godson tight. “Dy-lan! Dy-lan! Dy-lan!”
“Un-ca!”
Dirk and Aiden were both laughing, cheering.
All the babies began to wake, Sebastian beginning to cry as Suzy popped him in the nose.
Still laughing, Dirk leaned over the boys and undid them from their blanket cocoons. He started to pull faces at them and touch them. God, his almost husband was good with the babies.
Bee went right to her father. “Dada!”
Aiden picked her up and bounced her on his leg, chattering away at her.
“Un-ca!” Dylan pronounced, slapping his cheeks again.
Logan laughed and grabbed one hand, blowing a raspberry against Dylan’s fat little palm, making his godson squeal with delight.
God, they were lucky bastards.
Chapter Twenty
HE was getting married today. Dirk repeated the words in his head a few times. Not only was he getting married today, he was marrying the man he loved. The man he’d been in love with for a while now. He had his friends and his kids around him to witness and celebrate.
Grinning, he took the flowers Melly had picked from the garden and held them like a bouquet. He was wearing a pair of good slacks and a light blue dress shirt. He knew he looked good. But not as good as Logan.
Logan was in a dove-gray shirt, one that showed his physique. It was the smile, though. That was what made his lover, his soon-to-be husband, so beautiful.
He took Logan’s hand, and they walked together to where Zack was standing.
Aiden and Dev had the triplets, while Melly and Sarah stood with Zack, waiting to stand with their daddies.
Logan smiled at him. “You ready for this, honey?”
He didn’t even need to think about it. “Yeah, I really am.”
“Me too.” Logan beamed, bright and happy. “Let’s go get married.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
They made their way to where Zack and the girls stood. Zack had a warm smile for them, and Melly bounced and squealed. She grabbed Dirk’s hand, squeezed it.
“Da. You’re getting married!”
“I am. Are you going to say yes when Uncle Zack asks you if you want to be a part of this new family?” They’d decided that both older girls deserved to be a part of their ceremony, of the I dos.
“Uh-huh. My sissy and my babies and Da and Daddy Logan.”
“Yeah, that’s right.” He loved Logan, but on top of that, Melly was getting another father, a big sister, and those babies of her as brothers and sister. Their life was so much richer now.
“What about you, Sarah?” he asked.
“We’ll see.” She winked at him, then hugged him tight. “It’ll be okay, Da. I promise.”
“Oh. Yeah, it will.” She’d called him Da. He hugged her back. “It totally will.”
He met Logan’s eyes over her head, and his soon-to-be husband was all misty.
He stood, and they gathered around Zack. “We’re ready.”
“I’d say so. I can’t think of a family that’s more ready.” Zack cleared his throat, offered them all a happy smile.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to celebrate the union of our dear friends, Dirk and Logan.”
Melly bounced. “And Melly and Sarah and the babies!”
“Yes, sweetheart. And Melly and Sarah and the babies.”
Dirk beamed at Zack. Then at Logan and at their girls. They were doing this right.
They were creating their family.
Best-selling author SEAN MICHAEL is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used-book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic BeaverTail.
Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.
Website: www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Blog: seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Twitter: @seanmichael09
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By Sean Michael
DREAMSPUN BEYOND
THE SUPERS
#6 – The Supers
#29 – The Librarian’s Ghost
DREAMSPUN DESIRES
THE TEDDY BEAR CLUB
#39 – The Teddy Bear Club
#83 – The More the Merrier
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Now Available
The Teddy Bear Club
By Sean Michael
The Teddy Bear Club
Two lonely men. One perfect family.
Aiden Lake adopted his institutionalized sister’s two daughters, and he’s a good dad. He works nights on websites and gets in his adult time twice a week at the Roasty Bean, where he meets with other single gay parents.
Devon Smithson wants to be a good dad now that his sixteen-year-old sister asked him to babysit her newborn… three months ago. But he’s overwhelmed with the colicky baby. An invitation to the daddy-and-kid gatherings at the café is a godsend. The pot is sweetened when his friendship with Aiden develops into more—maybe even something that can last.
But the mother who kicked Dev out for being gay wants to get her claws into the baby, and she doesn’t care if she tears Dev, Aiden, and everything they’re building apart in the process.
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Coming in July 2019
Dreamspun Desires #85
Come Back Around by BA Tortuga
Leaning N
Can two divorced dads get a second chance at a redneck wedding?
When Reid Porter agrees to be his best friend’s maid of honor, he never even considers that his ex will be there too. Which is ridiculous, because Jennifer is marrying his ex’s brother. He would never let Jen down, though, so he finds himself at the Leanin’ N ranch with his two daughters and a whole lot of baggage about seeing Mateo again.
Mat loves his baby brother and would do anything for him, including face the love of his life, whom he’s sure has moved on. When he and Reid come face to face after more than two years apart, they realize they’ve never let go. Now they have to find a way to do what they never could before—balance work, home, and children, while finding a way to come back around to each other’s love.
Dreamspun Desires #86
Warm Heart by Amy Lane
Following a family emergency, snowboarder Tevyn Moore and financier Mallory Armstrong leave Donner Pass in a blizzard… and barely survive the helicopter crash that follows. Stranded with few supplies and no shelter, Tevyn and Mallory—and their injured pilot—are forced to rely on each other.
The mountain leaves no room for evasion, and Tevyn and Mal must confront the feelings that have been brewing between them for the past five years. Mallory has seen Tevyn through injury and victory. Can Tevyn see that Mallory's love is real?
Mallory’s job is risk assessment. Tevyn's job is full-on risk. But to stay alive, Mallory needs to take some gambles and Tevyn needs to have faith in someone besides himself. Can the bond they discover on the mountain see them to rescue and beyond?
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Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The More the Merrier
© 2019 Sean Michael
Cover Art
© 2019 Alexandria Corza
http://www.seeingstatic.com/
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-64108-151-1
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64405-195-5
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018963783
Digital published June 2019
v. 1.0
Printed in the United States of America