17: BRYNLEE

“You have to get used to this, you know?” I tell Brayden, resting my chin in my palms.

“I don’t know. It’s odd, man.”

“Listen, would you rather me be with one of those other knuckleheads out there? Or with a man who you know and have a relationship with?”

“That’s the problem. I know Ambrose. Ro and I used to kick it about all types of shit, especially when it came to women. I know the stuff he used to get into in college and I remember his wildin’ days in the MLB. I don’t wanna hear him talk about smashing my sister.”

“When you guys were in college, I recall all of your friends being out of control, including you.”

“Which is why I never wanted you dating any of them.”

“And yet, look at you. You’ve turned your life around for Shayla. You’ve been a good man to her,” I say proudly.

“She makes me want to be a good man.”

“And you don’t think I can do that for Ro?”

My brother sighs, sits back in his seat, and scratches his temple. “Not saying that you can’t.”

“And if we’re talking about his MLB days, let’s recall that he was in a sham of a marriage. Was he wildin’ the entire time? What about his early married years?” I ask, recalling what Ambrose told me about how he’d tried to make the marriage work.

“Well, he didn’t start that shit until the last couple of years of their marriage, I guess.”

“Exactly. He wasn’t really in a relationship. But while he was trying to make it work with her, he gave it his best. Same thing with me. Aside from the Lyndsey issue, Ro never gave me a reason to doubt him.”

“That’s fine. So long as he doesn’t hurt you. And you would tell me, right?” my brother asks, reaching across the table and tipping my chin up.

“Of course, I would. But you wouldn’t have to worry. I’d kick his ass myself,” I tease.

“Whose ass are you kicking and why?” Shayla asks, walking through the kitchen door.

“Probably mine,” Ambrose grunts out, setting three grocery bags on the counter.

Shayla accompanied him to the grocery store to give Brayden and me a chance to speak privately.

“You guessed it, buddy,” I tease, turning to receive his kiss as he walks back to me.

“Don’t get too violent too soon,” Shayla says.

“I won’t as long as Ro behaves,” I say as he walks back to the counter and unpacks the groceries.

“Well, we’re going to need you both to behave,” Shayla says, sitting on my brother’s lap as he squeezes her close.

Brayden kisses Shayla, and she giggles.

“What’s going on, guys?” Ambrose asks.

“We’re going to need you two to be the godparents of our little girl next spring,” Brayden announces.

“What? You’re having a baby?” I squeal, jumping up from my seat.

“Yep,” Shayla says, rubbing her belly. “I went to the doctor yesterday and they confirmed that I’m nine weeks.”

I throw my arms around her, almost hitting my brother in his face in my excitement. Shayla stands and hugs me back as we rock side to side, squeezing the life out of each other in our excitement.

I hear Ambrose behind me saying, “Congratulations, man. Can’t imagine you as a dad, but I’ll be there to help you figure shit out.”

Brayden laughs and says, “I’m counting on that, man.”

Shayla and I finally let go. I turn to my brother and hug him.

“I’m so proud of you, Bray. So happy for you both,” I whisper.

Brayden rubs tiny circles on my back and says, “I know. Thanks, baby girl. I love you, and you’ll always be my baby girl; you know this, right?”

Laughing, I say, “I’m grown, Bray. Trust me, you’re going to have your hands full with this one.”

“I know,” he says, smiling brightly as I pull back from his embrace.

“What’s going on in here? I don’t smell food cooking!” Austin, Ambrose’s younger brother, announces loudly, walking into the kitchen.

“I told you we should have stopped somewhere before coming. You know Ro’s always last minute,” another man says behind me.

I turn to see Austin, the one I’ve always considered Ambrose’s twin, accompanied by another man. I met Austin while I was still in college.

But the other man is truly Ambrose’s doppelganger. I have never seen three brothers who weren’t triplets look more alike than these three.

“Oh, my goodness! There’s no way that you’re not Dominic,” I say, walking up to him.

He smiles brightly and extends his hand. “That would be me, and I’m guessing you’re the beautiful Brynlee who has my brother’s head in the clouds,” he says, laughing.

Shaking my head, I open my arms and say, “Sorry, I’m from a family of huggers, and yes, that would be me.”

He hugs me, and it feels warm and comforting. “I welcome hugs,” he says kindly.

Those dark features, thick, dark brown hair, angular jaw, high, broad forehead, full, pillowy-soft lips, and bright, hooded, knowing eyes are characteristics all the brothers hold.

“You know who you look like?” I tell him.

He laughs and nods. “That Cuban actor, William Levy, from Resident Evil: The Final Chapter ?”

All three of them have that same look but they’re at varying ages. I happen to know that Dominic is three years older than Ambrose, and Austin is six years younger than Ambrose.

“How did you know?” I ask.

“He gets that all the time,” Austin, the youngest brother, says.

I recall that their father is French and Cuban, and their mother is Italian.

“Now that you have formally met and you both know Brayden. This is Shayla, Brayden’s fiancée and the mother of his daughter.”

Ambrose looks at her, smiles, and wishes her congratulations, as well as Brayden.

Our siblings sit around the table and start talking as Ambrose and I move to the counter and sink to begin preparing the meal.

He invited everyone to his place today so that we could all get to know one another better and celebrate our engagement in a small, intimate setting. Neither of our parents could make it, nor could my sister, Makenzi, and her family, but they will be here for Christmas, which we’re all looking forward to.

Ambrose is as close to his brothers as I am to my siblings. We see a bright future with both families intermingled, and today’s dinner is just the beginning.

We’re preparing pork chops with apples and bacon, tomato bisque, and pumpkin coffee cake for dessert. The kitchen is full of laughter and chatter as Ambrose and I work in harmony and our siblings regal each other with stories of our childhood growing up.

We’re halfway through the meal when we hear running in the hallway. I glance at him, and he lifts his eyebrows and shrugs.

“I’m not expecting anyone,” he says.

Just as he’s preparing to get up from the table, Cee-Cee comes bounding into the dining room with a broad smile on her face.

“Uncle Dom!” she squeals, and the eldest brother stands from his chair, wraps his arms around the pre-teen, lifts, and spins her around.

I smile as he showers her face with kisses.

“Thought I was your favorite uncle,” Austin says, poking his lips out and crossing his arms.

Cee-Cee turns and giggles at him as she pulls herself from his arms and turns to hug Austin. She smiles broadly at me and waves. Moving away from him, she rushes to Shayla and Brayden and hugs them before running to Ambrose.

“Hey, sweetie. Where’s your mom?” he asks, kissing the top of her head and squeezing her.

“Her mother is right here,” Lyndsey says brashly, stepping into the dining room. “Wow, isn’t this cute and cozy?”

Her gaze lands on me, but I don’t say anything. I try not to tense up, and I try to keep my cool. It’s not my place to check this bitch, and I especially won’t do it with Cee-Cee right here.

“Can I have a word with you for a second?” Ambrose asks, releasing his daughter, who comes to me.

“I didn’t know you were here,” she says excitedly to me.

“Yes, your father—”

“You asked her daddy?” Cee-Cee squeals when she sees my hand.

She grabs it and lifts it up in excitement.

“Couldn’t wait until the ink was dry, could you?” Lyndsey asks, glaring at me.

Her face is pale, her eyes are narrowed, and her lips are pinched in anger.

“Lyndsey,” Ambrose says in a dark, warning tone.

“Are you sure you want to go down that road again?”

“You need to leave, Lyndsey. Now!” Ambrose barks.

“I thought you were looking forward, but you’re returning to your past. I should’ve known that she was hanging around you for a reason. She’s the real gold digger. Looks like I’m not the only one who knows a good thing when she sees it,” Lyndsey smirks.

I stand just as Shayla says, “Cee-Cee, come with me. You can help me gather everything for the dessert.”

“What’s for dessert?” she asks, popping up from the chair she’d already claimed.

Her voice trails off as she and Shayla leave the dining room. I step out of the dining room because while Shayla and Cee-Cee aren’t right there, we can still see each other, and they might be able to see me.

“Ambrose, would you please give us a moment?”

“Bryn, I’ve got this.”

“That’s fine. You can handle your little situation with her popping up whenever she wants, but that shit that she just said about me? I can handle my own, Ro.”

I can feel him seething as I stand my ground.

“Bryn.”

“Ro.”

“Looks like I know who’ll be wearing the pants in this relationship,” Lyndsey scoffs.

“Call me when you’re done, Bryn. Lyndsey, I’m done playing your fucking games. The only thing I have to say to you is that I’m going to file for full custody this week. I warned you,” Ambrose says and turns away from us.

I step close to Lyndsey as Ambrose heads to his home office.

“Listen, you’re absolutely right that I knew a good thing when I saw it. The difference between you and me is that I am his good thing, too. You manipulated your way into his life once, and he saw you for the snake that you were. You may have ruined us in the past, but that will never happen again. I was young, but I’m a whole lot wiser now. Your tricks, popping up here with your daughter unannounced, you’re harming no one but yourself, Lyndsey.

“All the shit you do are the actions of a desperate woman. I know how to love, respect, honor, and treat my man. He will never have to worry about me manipulating him, controlling him, or being some other man’s whore. And he definitely won’t have to worry about the impression I leave upon our future children,” I hiss.

“You bitch,” she hisses back.

“As long as you know,” I say, spinning around on my heel.

“You’ll never be able to keep him. Hell, you couldn’t do it the first time around. He’ll always come running back to me as he always does. So, remember, the next time that you kiss him, it might be my pussy on his lips that you’re tasting. You can never be the woman to Ambrose that I am. You’re just some girl from the ghetto he’s slumming it with. Just some skank who’s whoring yourself out to him for a better payday. You’re not—”

My arm shoots out, and before I know it, I’ve slapped the taste out of her mouth. Tears spring to her eyes, her face turns red, and she holds her cheek. Her mouth is open wide as she stares at me in disbelief.

“Ro, I’m finished,” I call out, lifting an eyebrow in challenge to her. “Sorry, sometimes that ghetto bitch in me rears her ugly head. Now fuck with me if you want to,” I say as Ambrose steps from his office down the hallway.

“Let’s go,” Ambrose says, taking her by the wrist and dragging her to the front door.

“She hit me, Ambrose!”

“You must have done something to deserve it,” I hear him say.

I turn towards the dining room, only to find Brayden, Austin, and Dominic all standing in the doorway, staring wide-eyed at me.

They each rush back to their seats, and I take my seat again.

Austin is the first one to break the tension. He claps, stands, and bows to me.

“Congratulations and welcome to the family. I think you’re the first person who ever stood up to her,” Austin says.

“It’s about time someone did, and thank God Ambrose has you. Not that he’s ever been anyone’s puppet, but I hate the way that she uses that child to manipulate him,” Dominic says.

“Those days are over,” I reply.

“Good for you, lil’ sis,” Brayden says. “Guess I don’t have to worry about you after all,” he says, winking and then returning to his food.

Shayla and Cee-Cee return at that moment with the dessert.

“Umm...are we ready for dessert yet?” Shayla asks a little too high-pitched.

“Girl, bye. That business is settled and done,” I say, rolling my eyes in the direction that Ambrose and Lyndsey disappeared.

I see Shayla’s shoulders relax. She walks to me and sets a dessert plate down in front of me. While the men are chatting up Cee-Cee, Shayla whispers in my ear, “I thought she was gonna catch those hands.”

“She’s a blonde bitch, not a dumb bitch,” I whisper back. “I backhanded her, but I didn’t have to chin-check her ass.”

Shayla giggles and takes her seat beside my brother again. By the time the dessert finishes passing around, and I’ve slid a slice of pumpkin coffee cake onto Ambrose’s plate, he returns.

He smiles at me with so much love that my heart bursts.

Settling into his seat, he leans close to whisper in my ear.

“Listen, I know that you were supposed to spend the weekend with me. And I know that we hadn’t planned for Cee-Cee to be here...”

My heart hitches at what his next words may be.

“I was hoping you’d still stay anyway. She needs to get used to seeing the two of us together overnight since she’ll be seeing it soon anyway.”

Smiling at him, I peck him on the lips and say, “That’s fine by me.”

“When’s the wedding?” Cee-Cee pipes up across the table from me.

“Valentine's Day,” Ambrose and I both say at the same time.

“That’s cool!” Cee-Cee exclaims.

We’re not having a large ceremony, but something sweet and simple at Dominic’s vineyard in North Georgia. Our siblings, our parents, and our closest friends will be there. We’ve planned for fifty people, and I cannot wait for the special day to seal and celebrate our union.

“I thought that we could go shopping for your dress next weekend,” I announce to Cee-Cee, knowing that next weekend is Ambrose’s scheduled weekend with her.

“Really?” she asks, smirking.

“Yeah, that’s when Shayla and I will be looking for ours, as well. Besides, my big sister, Mak, is flying into town to shop with us, and I’d love for you to meet her.”

“A girls' weekend!” she exclaims.

“Right,” I agree.

Ambrose links his fingers with mine and lifts them to his lips. Kissing my fingers, he stares into my eyes and says, “You know I’m going to have to punish you for that little display of temper back there.”

“She had it coming,” I hiss.

“And so do you.”

My eyes narrow at him as my breath hisses and my pussy tingles.

“I promise, you’re going to love it,” he whispers.