30. Nolan

CHAPTER 30

Nolan

“ C ome on, little dove. Race me.”

Katie narrows her eyes at me. “Have you not had enough competition with your siblings that you need me to join in, too?”

“Nope.”

My answer throws her off, and she huffs. I continue to grin at her while Cody and his friends run like banshees through the bounce house. The party has been a hit. Everyone is wearing their Camp Half-Blood shirts, we’ve gorged ourselves on sweets, and the sword fights have been vicious. Well… as vicious as possible when they’re made of foam.

Cody races over to the patio where most of the family has congregated. “Mom! Go through the bounce house with me. I want to see if I can beat you. Nolan is too good.”

Katie’s sigh is full of resignation, but she’s smiling as she gets up at Cody’s request. They stand at the starting line of the course while I stand behind them on the ground. “On your marks, get set, go!”

They take off to shouts of encouragement. The girls are cheering on Katie while the boys are yelling at Cody. I run around the bounce house to watch the ending. The sound of the two of them teasing each other and giggling as they go through makes me smile. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing them be playful with each other.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Cody yells as he yanks on Katie’s arm before she has a chance to go down the slide. He topples over her, barrel rolling down to the bottom.

Katie slides down behind him, her face set with determination.

“Uh-oh!” Cody squeals with laughter as he takes off across the yard.

“Get back here, you little cheater!” Katie runs after Cody, who is cackling. She finally catches up to him and wrestles him to the ground with tickles.

“Okay, okay!” Cody gasps. “You win! I cheated.”

“That’s right. Never mess with your momma.” Katie smacks a kiss on his cheek. Cody groans and wipes it off, pretending like he’s grossed out by her kisses.

“I should give you a thousand kisses for that,” Katie says with indignation. She takes a threatening step toward Cody.

His laughter is full of nerves, and he runs away as he yells, “Noooo! I’m sorry!”

Katie walks over to me, her face bright with exertion and a smile a mile wide.

“I’ll take your kisses if you’re still giving them out.” I wink.

She stands on her toes and kisses me straight on the mouth. I was expecting her to go for the cheek. I’m blaming my surprise for my next actions. My hands slide into her hair, holding her close to me. I use my tongue to explore her mouth before coming to my senses and pulling away.

It’s then I hear the catcalls from behind us. Embarrassment floods Katie’s face, and I grin at her. “I’m not even a little sorry.”

“Of course, you’re not,” she huffs.

“You started it. ”

She hums in agreement. “Worth it.”

I punch my fist into the air. “Yes!”

Katie’s head drops back when she laughs. I’m not sure if she’s ever looked more beautiful than she does right now. Her dark hair is a little wild, her eyes are bright, and she’s looking at me with all the love in the world. I am one lucky fucking man.

She smacks another kiss on my lips. “Come on, crazy man. I need another drink.”

I head straight to the stocked bar on Matthew’s patio where the guys are standing. The girls are teasing Katie, and I chuckle at their antics. Adam comes up to make a drink next to me. “You did good, Nolan. I may not know Katie very well, but in all the time she’s spent with Ellie, I’ve never seen her this happy before. I’m proud of you.”

I’ve always looked up to Adam. He’s been my role model since I was old enough to have one. When I started working at O’Malley’s, I thought he’d be disappointed in my career choice. It wasn’t as glamorous as his job or as respected as Carter’s and Sara’s. It took me a while to get the courage to tell him my plan of owning the bar one day. In the end, the only thing he wanted for me was to be happy. He didn’t care what it looked like.

For the first time, I can honestly say I am.

“She’s the one who was willing to give me the time of day. I haven’t had to do anything but keep showing up.”

Adam takes a sip of his drink. “That’s all it takes. Never stop showing up for them. Don’t let her forget how important she is. When life gets hectic and you feel like the world is pulling you in different directions, you have to keep showing up for each other. Make the effort to keep your connection, even when it’s hard. It’s the only way this works.”

He squeezes my shoulder and walks over to Ellie. Her eyes shine with affection when he leans down to kiss her head. How did I get this lucky to have a family who loves harder than anyone I’ve ever met? I have so many examples of what a good relationship can look like. They’re all a little different, but they prove that it’s possible to love someone with your whole self without losing who you are individually.

“Cody? Katherine, are you back here?” A man strides into Matthew’s backyard without a question as to whether he’s welcome.

I know immediately that this is Cody’s dad. Even without the striking resemblance, the pompous attitude would give him away.

Katie shoots out of her chair and strides across the yard. I follow behind her, just in case. I’m not worried she can’t handle herself. After all the self-defense classes she and Ellie have taken together, I know she has the skills. I just can’t let her handle this completely on her own.

“What are you doing here, Bryce? How the hell did you even know where we were?” Katie crosses her arms over her chest. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mom leading Cody and the boys inside. The rest of my siblings stay outside to back her up.

Bryce laughs. “It’s my son’s birthday. Of course, I’m going to be here. I’m just assuming my invitation got lost somewhere. Where is he?”

“No. You were purposefully not invited. Not after what happened at the park. I’m not letting you see him again.”

“Katherine.” He says her name as if he’s placating her. “That was a misunderstanding. I shouldn’t be cut off from my son because of a mistake.”

“That was no mistake. That’s just who you are. A zebra can’t change his stripes. You know, I finally smartened up and looked into why you’re suddenly coming around. How’s that campaign going?”

Campaign? Why didn’t she tell me she looked into why Bryce was suddenly interested in his son ?

Katie doesn’t wait for his reply. “Not great, if the polls are any indication. Did you really think you could use my son for your political gain? I’d never let him be a pawn in your schemes.”

“You listen here,” Bryce growls.

It’s as if my brothers and I are on the same wavelength because all four of us move closer behind Katie. Ben, Tucker, and Sam are standing behind us. We’re a menacing sight.

Bryce notices the movement and visibly takes a breath, stepping away from Katie. “Fine, yes, I am running for office, but this has nothing to do with my campaign. I still want to see my son.”

“He doesn’t want to see you. I will not force my son to see someone he doesn’t know just because he happens to share genetics with him. He has plenty of men in his life to take on the role you didn’t want to fill.”

Bryce sneers. “Yeah, looks like you have quite the harem going behind you. Did you spread your legs for all of them like you did me?”

A legit growl rumbles in my throat as I step up behind Katie. “I’d be careful about what you say to her. She’s more than capable of taking you down, but she has a kid to think about. I, on the other hand, can afford to do a little time for assault.”

Bryce spares me one glance before his eyes move back to Katie. “This isn’t over. My threat wasn’t a bluff.” He turns around and storms out of the backyard.

Katie turns toward me, panic clear in her eyes.

I pull her close to me. “We’ll handle whatever happens. He won’t take Cody. I swear it on my life.”