Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Jaxon

I slept most of the way home. Since I was still pretty sick and only really well enough to ride home in a car, Zeppelin had arranged something with the rental car company he’d rented the SUV from to return the car at a different location in Gainesville.

After I’d woken up from my nap, Eros had climbed into the shower with me while Zeppelin got our things together, having already showered without us. Then, once we were all in the car—me and Eros in the backseat while Zeppelin drove—I’d leaned my head on Eros’s shoulder and closed my eyes, the NyQuil they made me take again making me drowsy as fuck. Once Eros had begun running his fingers through my hair, I’d been out like a light, only waking up long enough to eat, use the bathroom, and take more medicine whenever Zeppelin stopped and they forced me awake.

“Jaxon, baby, come on,” Eros said softly, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “We’re home.”

I groaned and slowly lifted my head, peeling open my tired eyes. Sure enough, my little house stood in front of me. Spencer was standing on the front porch with his arms crossed over his chest, looking extremely worried. Ezra’s arms were wrapped around my son’s chest, his chin resting on Spencer’s shoulder. I yawned and reached up to rub my eyes.

“What time is it?” I mumbled.

“Only about three in the afternoon,” Zeppelin answered as he pushed open the driver’s door. He got out and shut his door before rounding the car and opening my car door, smiling at me. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you inside. You can sleep more in your bed. It’ll be a hell of a lot more comfortable than the car.”

I didn’t know about that. Sleeping on Eros’s shoulder, and sometimes with my head in his lap, had been pretty fucking great, especially when he ran his fingers through my hair. I’d missed them both so damn much after Zeppelin booted me out of their lives. Having them come to me all the way in Atlanta had been everything . Especially when I’d felt like so much shit.

They’d come when I’d needed them the most, and that meant a hell of a fucking lot to me.

When I got out of the car, Spencer knocked Ezra’s arms out of his way and rushed down the steps, launching himself into my arms. I grunted and stumbled a little, thankful that Zeppelin gripped my upper arm to keep me steady so I wouldn’t send both me and Spencer to our asses on the concrete driveway.

“I was so fucking worried. You know you used my debit card, Dad? You never use my card. I panicked. I thought you’d been robbed or?—”

I blinked in surprise and gently pulled him back from me to look down at him. “I used your debit card?” A frown pulled at my lips as I tried to remember, but I couldn’t remember shit.

“We told you about it,” Eros gently told me, his brows furrowing in concern. “But you were probably too out of it to remember that either.”

“It’s okay, Dad,” Spencer rushed out. “But I was just… God, don’t ever do that again. I was ready to jump on a plane and say fuck all of my classes.”

I shook my head, gently squeezing his upper arms. “I’m okay now,” I promised him.

“We won’t allow him to run away again,” Zeppelin promised him. I released Spencer, dropping my hands to my sides. “I plan to keep your dad right at our sides where he belongs.” My heart skipped a beat in my chest at his words. Our eyes met over Spencer’s head, and Zeppelin slid his hand down my arm, linking our fingers together. “Come on. Let’s get inside. You look like you might fall over.”

“I made soup,” Spencer said, walking ahead of us. “I found it in one of Mom’s recipe books. She wrote ‘Jaxon’s favorite’ beside it, so I figured it was a safe bet.”

I looked up at the sky, squinting against the sun. Penelope… that damned woman. I sighed, unable to fight the small smile tilting my lips. She was a meddling ass woman—always had been. I should have known that wouldn’t stop just because she passed away. But one thing was for sure—she always knew what I needed. Always .

Zeppelin led me to the dining room, dropping my hand once we reached the table. He disappeared into the kitchen with Spencer and Ezra. Logan dropped into the chair across from the one Eros was pulling out for me. I leaned over and pressed my lips to Eros’s cheek before I sat down and closed my eyes, wanting to do nothing more than crawl into bed and sleep for a few more hours.

Zeppelin set a bowl of soup in front of me before gripping my hair and tugging my head back so he could press his mouth to mine in a kiss so damn dirty, it made me just a tiny bit uncomfortable to have Logan sitting in front of me while it happened. It took everything in me not to moan.

“You’re going to get sick, too, if you keep kissing me,” I rasped, my throat still feeling a little raw.

Zeppelin hummed. “Doubt it.” He released my hair but not before he scraped his nails across my scalp. I shivered and closed my eyes, relishing in his touch. “Eat, Jax baby.” He dropped into the chair beside me, smiling at Eros when Eros placed a bowl of soup in front of him before taking a seat on the other side of me with his own bowl of soup. “Thanks, babe.”

“It’s really good fucking soup,” Logan said as Ezra placed a bowl in front of him. Ezra dropped a kiss to the top of Logan’s head before taking a seat beside him. They both waited until Spencer was sitting with his own bowl before digging into their food. “Your wife knew what she was doing when she put this recipe together.”

I snorted, coughing after. “She was a damn good cook,” I croaked, patting my chest.

Spencer nodded in agreement. “Dad was such a shit cook for a while.” I smiled a little at the memory. “We lived off take-out for weeks until he got some basic dishes down.” I chuckled, remembering it. Spencer smiled at me. Despite that being such a dark time for both of us, I was glad we both had some good memories from it.

Losing her hadn’t broken us.

“So, DILF,” Logan began, making me groan. Spencer shot him a dark look. Ezra sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking like he was over Logan’s shit. Zeppelin coughed to cover his laugh, making me throw him my own dark look.

Logan did not need fucking encouragement.

“How’s it feel to be in a relationship like ours?” Logan asked, ignoring all of us who were annoyed with him calling me a DILF. I mean, fuck, I knew I looked good to be forty-three, but I did not need a boy I considered my son to be calling me that. I knew he only did it because it irritated me, and Logan was all for doing shit that riled me up.

“Did you just call your father-in-law a DILF?” Eros asked, frowning at Logan in confusion. Zeppelin snickered again. I kicked him under the table, and he pouted at me.

Christ, he and Logan were both children.

“ Mhm ,” Logan hummed, smirking at me. He knew it annoyed me. I knew it was part of the reason he did it in the first place. Logan had always looked for ways to push people’s buttons, even Ezra and Spencer’s. It was a trait that would never go away despite healing from his trauma. Unfortunately, it was here to stay.

“Watch it, boy,” I warned him. “I may be sick, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get away with saying whatever you want.”

“Oh, come on, Daddy ,” Logan taunted, his smirk widening into a highly amused grin when I scowled at him. Zeppelin choked on his sip of water and banged his fist on his chest, his eyes watering. Eros sighed, looking as fed up as I was beginning to get. Logan was definitely an acquired taste, and I was still getting used to the kid’s mouth after three years.

“That’s it ,” Spencer snapped, setting his spoon into his bowl with a loud clang, turning to look at Logan.

Ezra snickered at Logan’s surprised look. “Oh, you did it now, babe,” he murmured to Logan.

“Wait, pretty boy—” Logan stammered.

“No,” Spencer snapped. “You don’t get to have sex tonight. You don’t even get to get off.” I grimaced, my face screwing up in distaste. I didn’t want to hear this shit. Zeppelin was laughing so hard, he could hardly breathe. Even Eros was snickering at the appalled, horrified look on Logan’s face. “You only get to watch .”

“Pretty boy—” Logan tried again, his tone pleading, but Spencer slapped his hand over Logan’s mouth, preventing him from speaking.

“No. Just… no. Stop calling my dad a DILF. Stop calling him Daddy. It’s fucking weird, okay? And he’s sick. Can’t you stop being a douchebag for two fucking seconds?”

Logan sighed behind Spencer’s hand, his shoulders deflating. When Spencer removed his hand, he grumbled, “Fine. But please don’t torture me tonight. I’m begging you.”

Spencer shook his head before looking at my men seated on either side of me. “Are you two sure you’re ready to tie yourselves to this family? We’re dysfunctional on our best days, and you have to deal with him, too,” he said, jabbing his thumb at Logan. Logan gaped at Spencer, making me chuckle. “He’s an… acquired taste.”

Zeppelin chuckled and looked at me, his eyes bright with happiness. My heart clenched in my chest. Eros grabbed my hand under the table, linking our fingers together. When I looked at him, he was looking at my son, nodding his head. “Yeah, we’re all in with your dad, kid. We’re not going anywhere,” he promised.

I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat and squeezed his hand, unable to speak. Instead, I just picked up my spoon and began to eat the soup Spencer made, my chest tight with happiness and full of warmth.