Chapter 21

21

“You have a huge house.”

I looked up from my bowl of cereal just in time to watch Christian use the back of his hand to wipe milk off his chin. I turned and pulled a paper towel off the roll and set it on the bar next to his juice.

“There you go.”

“Your bed is huge,” he went on.

To a six-year-old who had a twin-sized bed at both his father’s and his grandparents’ house a king would be huge.

Thankfully Christian was more than capable of carrying on a one-sided conversation—first because I wasn’t sure what to say to that, second because we’d rolled up to my house last night after midnight and it was now just after eight in the morning. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t up with Mellie at four when Gracie woke up and Mellie had gone into the guest room and taken her so her parents could sleep in.

Now she was upstairs giving the baby a bath and I was overseeing cereal while Jeremy and Katherine were at the store.

“Cash is King said he was coming over today.”

I knew what to say to that but I didn’t think Mellie would appreciate me telling her nephew that Cash was an idiot, so I refrained and went with a question of my own.

“Did he?”

“Yeah. He said he was bringing over donuts since I was so good in the car last night.”

“Bet you’re happy to be…” Shit, I almost said home.

Was this going to be his home? Would Mellie want custody of Christian and Gracie? Fuck, why hadn’t I thought about that sooner?

“How many donuts do you think Cash is King is gonna bring? I can eat at least ten.”

I was worried that was indeed the truth. Donuts plus a bowl of sugary cereal would mean the kid would be bouncing off the walls.

I was going to punch Cash in the throat if he brought donuts into my house.

“What’s your favorite food?” I asked.

“Tacos.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Brown.”

What else would a good uncle know about his nephew?

“Can you read?”

“I’m six.”

The statement came complete with a head tilt like I was stupid.

“And? Do six-year-olds read?”

“Yes.”

Again like I was dumb.

“What’s your favorite book?”

“Captain Underpants but Grandpa reads that one to me.”

The kid had to be pulling my leg. No way in hell was there a book called Captain Underpants.

“Come again?”

“Come where? I’m right here.”

Great, I was five minutes into this uncle gig and already confusing the kid.

“Is there really a book called Captain Underpants or are you teasing me?”

“Captain Underpants is epic!” Christian shouted.

Well shit, I guess there was a book called Captain Underpants.

I was trying to think up something else to ask when there was a knock on the door.

I pushed away from the counter, remembering at the last second not to vocalize the string of curse words I was ready to hurl at my front door, knowing down to my soul fucking Cash and donuts were on the other side of it.

“Be right back.”

I checked the peephole and could barely contain the new words that were itching to break free.

It wasn’t Cash and donuts.

It was Cash, Easton, Jonas, Smith, Theo, Cooper, and Kira—who was the one holding a big white box.

Motherfucker.

I opened the door. Cash pushed past me, and the rest of my team filed in.

“Cash is King!” Christian shouted and jumped off his stool.

A wave of jealousy hit hard and fast.

“My main man, how’d you sleep?”

Fuck, why didn’t I think to ask that?

“Great! Uncle Garrett’s bed is huge. I got to sleep in it with Auntie Mellie.”

He sure did. Right in the middle. I have bruises on my shins to prove the boy wasn’t human but reptilian—if the alligator death roll he performed all night was anything to go by.

“Hey, what’s all the shouting about?” Melissa asked as she descended the stairs.

Good Christ, I wanted to see that every day. Mellie, freshly showered, hair still damp, walking down the stairs smiling. The baby on her hip was an added bonus I’d gladly take. Whether it was Gracie or a daughter of our own.

“I was telling Cash is King about Uncle Garrett’s huge bed.”

Yep. I was going to throat punch Cash.

“Can we do that without shouting his house down?”

Christian looked like he was considering her request then gave her a noncommittal shoulder shrug.

“May I please have my donuts now?”

No doubt his manners came from Melissa and her family. There was zero chance his dickhead father had taught him anything of value.

“Donuts?” Melissa inquired and Kira held out the box.

“Three dozen courtesy of Cash is King,” Kira explained. “By the way, I’m Kira, nice to meet you.”

“Melissa or Mellie. Though it seems silly to introduce myself since with all the…” she trailed off and glanced at Christian before she finished with, “well, I’m sure you all know who I am.”

That started the introductions. I hung back and watched Melissa charm my team with nothing more than a smile. By the time the rounds were made Gracie was irately squirming in Mellie’s arms.

“What do we need to do so Gracie can roam?” I asked.

“Roam?”

“The poor girl is dying to break free. Why don’t I hold her while you move the sh…stuff that she can hurt herself on.”

“Gracie can walk now.” Christian beamed. “She learned a little while ago. At Daddy’s. She walked to me first.”

Melissa’s body went solid, which meant I went on alert. Yesterday during the drive Melissa told me that she and Katherine had talked, and Christian hadn’t asked about his dad. But neither had they told him that he was dead. They wanted to wait until they had him someplace safe, and in a car or hotel room while on the run was not a safe place to tell a boy he would never see his father again.

Contrary to what Christian thought, my house wasn’t huge; with seven adults and two children packed into my living room it felt extra-small.

Too small.

“Hey?” Easton called from next to me. “You good?”

I took a breath and faced one of the men I needed to apologize to. Not now, but soon.

“Yeah. All good. Thanks for coming by.”

“Alright, no,” he said in a hushed voice. “You good?”

Fuck.

“Almost,” I answered honestly.

“What can I do to erase the almost?”

Fucking hell.

“Give me ten minutes of your time later.” A request I should’ve made months ago.

“Done.”

Easton slapped me on the shoulder and announced, “Donuts.”

Cash stopped next to Melissa on his way to the kitchen, reached out, and demanded, “Give me that cute little girl.”

Melissa startled before she handed Gracie over.

“Swear to fu..freak she comes back saying Cash is King you’re getting it in the nuts and the face.”

The idiot busted out laughing. Gracie giggled and again a pang of jealousy raced over me.

I seriously had to step up my uncle game before Cash cut in on all the action.

“Mellie, let’s move stuff so Gracie can toddle around.”

She didn’t move.

“Baby?”

Still nothing.

I skirted the coffee table, the short side of the sectional, and stopped in front of her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I missed you,” she whispered.

Pain and joy ricocheted through me.

“Baby.”

“I missed you so much I wouldn’t allow myself to think about how much I missed you. Now here I am in your big, beautiful house and it hurts seeing what you created without me. I missed all of this and it makes me miss you more.”

Jesus, I was a dumbass asshole.

“I’ll sell it and we’ll find a new house.”

“Sell your house?”

“Yeah. One you pick.”

Melissa tucked her chin and faceplanted on my chest. My arms automatically circled her, pulling her closer.

“I don’t want you to sell your house. I’m just being stupid—”

“There’s nothing stupid about you. You missed me and being here is hard for you. I get it. I felt the same way being in your space. A place you lived that I’d never been. It was a reminder that you spent years living a life I wasn’t a part of.”

“Yeah.”

She took her time resting her forehead on my chest before she lifted her head, bringing her eyes to mine.

“We have to tell him about Slater.”

“You want me there for that conversation?”

Mellie chewed on her lip, something she did rarely and only when she was thinking extra hard about something.

“I’m thinking no,” she said, then rushed out, “Not because I don’t want you there.”

“Baby, I get it. Christian doesn’t know me. He’s gonna have a reaction to the news and he needs the people he loves and trusts there to help him through that. How about when your parents get back I take off and give y’all privacy? You call me when you want me to come home.”

“You sure? We could—”

“Melissa, baby, this is important. I want this to be your home. Our home. That may or may not include it being Christian and Gracie’s home too. But even if they don’t live here, it’s still their home because their aunt lives here. I’m saying that so when I say make yourself at home, you’ll understand I mean that in a real and permanent way.”

“Christian and Gracie?”

“You love them. You haven’t said, but now that it’s necessary for your parents to have them, I don’t know what role you want in that or if that includes you taking guardianship of them. I want you. However you come to me is what I want.”

Mellie stared up at me with tears brimming in her eyes and I saw it.

Shining bright shimmering behind the wetness.

I no longer needed the words. I could read her every emotion, though I’d work my ass off to earn them.

“Love you, Mellie Kate.”

I leaned down and sealed it with a kiss like some sap in chick flick.

And I didn’t give the first fuck I knew my nosy-ass team was watching.