Chapter 24

24

Dakota

T he wedding preparations are nowhere near as daunting as I thought they would be. Then again, we're not doing a big, traditional wedding. By all accounts and purposes, it could qualify as a sham wedding, and the thought gives my soul a bittersweet taste that I can't quite shake. It's hard to enjoy all the mindless lovemaking and endless conversations when we all know there's an expiration date looming somewhere on the horizon. We know we should keep the emergency brake handy, just in case, yet we can't help ourselves, either.

And I'm still keeping yet another big secret.

I'm actually looking forward to the wedding day. I only wish I could marry all three of them.

"Mommy, I like this place," Maisie says. It's day three of us living in the Faulkner house, and my daughter has welcomed the unexpected change. "It's big."

"Well, it's a house built for a big family. Ours was always small but cozy," I reply as I prepare her morning oatmeal bowl before I drop her off at school. "Didn't you like our house?"

"I liked it there, but it's really… old. This house is prettier," Maisie says.

"Fair enough. Grandma Sally's house could do with a few upgrades, I'll admit. Maybe we'll look into doing some renovations."

"Does that mean we're going to move back there?" she gives me a worried look.

I laugh lightly as I set the oatmeal bowl on the table before her. This kitchen has a sprawling breakfast nook. A large bay window overlooks the backyard, which is a lush green paradise, even in the heart of winter. Agave shrubs and fat aloe vera plants dominate the garden, along with a couple of palm trees and one mighty fig tree smack in the middle.

It's a tad too chilly for us to make use of the pool these days, so the guys keep it covered, but I look forward to the first few days of spring to take my baby out there and splash around in the sun.

"We're staying here for now, honey," I tell her. What else could I possibly say? "You and Trevor seem to be getting along better."

Maisie nods excitedly. "He's being nicer, yeah. He's actually glad I'm living here now."

"Did he say that, or are you just hopefully guessing?" I joke.

"He said it, Mommy."

"Well then, I am really glad to hear that. Oh, hold on for a second, honey," I say and head back to the stove as the water for my eggs starts bubbling and boiling. Carefully, I set three fresh eggs inside.

The guys' omelets are already cooked and plated, awaiting their arrival next to several slices of maple glazed bacon and buttered toast. I'm just about to start chopping up a fruit salad to go with the whole thing when I hear the doorbell ring.

"Mommy, the door!" Maisie excitedly says.

"Hold on," I mutter and turn the stove off. "Coming!" I call out as I walk into the entryway.

Reed is already at the door, though, a towel wrapped around his waist, practically naked and still wet from the shower, water dripping down his muscular back as tendrils of steam rise from his broad shoulders. I can't help but bite into my lower lip as I watch him open the door.

"Hi, there," a familiar voice startles me.

I freeze in the corner of the entryway, staring at Keith as he stands outside the door with an awkward look on his face. Reed's got his back to me, but I can tell from his voice that he's not impressed. "Who are you?" my future husband asks.

"That's Keith Ellis," I hear myself say. "My ex-husband."

Reed glances back at me, his brow instantly furrowed. "Your ex-husband," he repeats.

"Yes," Keith replies with a faint smile. "I, uh… I stopped by your place, but I understand you don't live there anymore."

"How'd you find me here?" I ask, cautiously approaching the door. "I'm pretty sure I told you to stay away from Maisie and me the last time we met."

"I know, but I had to make this right," he says and takes out an envelope. "I've got cash here. It's four months' worth of child support. I'll put the rest together after Christmas. Consider this a show of good faith, maybe?"

Reed stares him down. "What the fuck are you doing at my doorstep, Mr. Ellis?"

"I'm here to see my wife," Keith retorts, visibly and instantly insulted.

"Ex-wife," Reed and I say at the same time.

Keith shakes his head. "I'm sorry. Ex-wife. Mother of my child. Love of my life," he says and looks at me. "Please, just take the money. I'll do better, I promise."

"How did you know where to find her?" Reed insists, his tone catching a menacing note that is exceedingly rare for him. My blood runs cold as I, too, wonder the same thing.

"I asked the neighbors where I could find you. They sent me to the community center. I stopped there, talked to a few people, and one of them said you'd moved in with Reed Faulkner. I'm guessing that's you?" he asks Reed.

"What is going on down here?" Archer cuts in as he makes his way down the stairs, also wearing nothing but a towel, also looking fucking glorious at the worst possible time.

"Who's there?" Maddox adds, coming in third and just as scantily clad.

"You've got to be kidding me," I mutter to myself as I see the look on Keith's face shift from surprise and indignation into pure dread as he takes each of them in, mouth gaping wide as he struggles to find his words. Suddenly, he's no longer able to play the charming former hubby who's seeking forgiveness, transforming into a quivering mess as he stands before three giant former marines staring down at him.

Keith chuckles nervously as he tries to address the situation, realizing that he's in over his head. "I suppose you're brothers?"

"Who's this genius?" Maddox bluntly asks.

"Keith Ellis. Dakota's ex-husband," Reed sternly replies. "The guy who walked out on his wife and child because he couldn't hack it as a dad."

"Hey, no need to get personal here," Keith tries to interject.

Archer scoffs. "It's the truth, right? What's in the envelope?" he asks, but he doesn't wait for Keith to reply. Instead, he just snatches it from his hand with lightning speed and looks inside. "Oh, look at that, Dakota. Your outstanding child support," he quips and gives Keith a hard glare. "It's a little light, don't you think?"

"I'll get the rest by January," Keith says with a tremor in his voice, then looks at me with genuine confusion. "Are you okay? Where's Maisie?"

"Since when do you give a shit?" Archer is relentless and unforgiving.

The guys are aware of the texts and the impromptu meeting in the supermarket from a while back. They've been adamant they'd crack his head open if they ever ran into him. I just didn't think he'd be foolish enough to do something like this—show up out of nowhere at the Faulkner brothers' house.

"I'm still Maisie's father," Keith says.

"You're just the sperm donor. Now, get the fuck off my property, or I will call the cops," Archer shoots back.

Keith gives me a confused look. "His property? I thought you were living with Reed here," he says. "What's going on, Dakota?"

"You'd better mind your words before you lose your teeth," Maddox replies, and I know it's not just a threat. It's a promise.

"It's our house," Reed replies. "Dakota moved in with me. We're sharing a bedroom, while my brothers have rooms of their own, as does our son, as does Maisie. So, you'd better be careful about what you imply, Keith."

"Oh, I'm not implying anything," Keith sneers. "It's bad enough there's one grown man walking around half-naked with my daughter inside, but all three of you? What the fuck, Dakota?"

Maddox takes a step closer, but Archer holds him back. Rage oozes from them in waves, the air practically rippling around them. My stomach tightens, and nausea threatens to turn this morning into one hell of a disaster unless Keith does the smart thing for once and just leaves.

"Keith, you need to go," I say. "Thank you for the money. Maisie is fine, and you don't need to worry about her. Please, just go."

He shakes his head in dismay, eyes glistening with outrage. "This isn't over. I'll be seeing you in court, Dakota. I don't like this. It's not a safe environment for my daughter."

"I'll give you to the count of three to get off my property," Maddox replies, "or I will tear you a new one long before you manage to call the cops."

"And once my brother is done with you, I'll get the lawyers involved. Given your history and the way you abandoned your wife and daughter, trust me, we will bury you in court," Archer adds. "And if you show up here again, we'll slap stalking charges on top of it all."

Keith measures each of the brothers from head to toe, lips tightening into a frustrated line. He can tell they're not bluffing. He knows he's in over his head. I don't know what he was hoping to gain by coming here, but it didn't work out in his favor. He gives me one last look before he walks away.

"I'll see you in court," he mutters.

Reed closes the door with a loud thud, then locks it for good measure. "That shameless son of a bitch." He comes over and gently takes me in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." But that's a lie. The room is spinning, but I hold onto him until the dizziness passes and until I'm able to look him in the eye and try to go on as if nothing happened. "Breakfast is ready."

I don't know what Keith got out of this, but I do know that his heightened interest spells trouble ahead. The wedding is two weeks away, and we can't let anything or anybody get in our way.

"You're anything but fine," Archer notices, setting the envelope on the side table by the door. "He spooked you."

"He spooked me because the three of you showed up practically naked at the door," I reply, slightly irritated. "How do you think that's going to sound in court?"

"We're brothers, sharing a house," Archer replies with a nonchalant shrug.

"With a woman and two children," I remind him.

He grins coolly. "Yeah, but Keith doesn't know the details. It's not exactly the first scenario that people are going to think of. We know what we do behind closed doors. To everyone else, we're just a unique family. You're about to marry our brother."

"On top of that, our reputations are pristine," Reed proudly reminds me. "We're respected businessmen and pillars of the community. The ladies over at Social Services love us. And they love Trevor."

I run my fingers through my hair, still trembling and shaken to the core. "My God, you make it sound so easy."

"That's because as far as the rest of the world is concerned, it is," Reed gently insists. "Don't let Keith get into your head, Dakota. He was just being a dick because he was faced with irrefutable proof that you've moved on. Not only that, but you're happy and well taken care of. That renders him even more useless. He's a small man. He can't take that. His ego is crushed."

"So, what, I'm supposed to just ignore everything that just happened?" I ask him, my hands resting on his broad chest.

"No, but don't take him too seriously. He's a fucking clown," Reed replies. "He doesn't stand a chance in court. And once you get your inheritance, you'll be able to bury him. Literally, if you know the right people."

"I know the right people," Maddox grumbles. "I'll gladly make the call."

"No." I nervously laugh, hoping what Maddox said was just a dark joke.