Chapter Forty-Six

Blake

A year or so later

Tommy whistled as we stood in front of the massive house spread out before us. The lush, green grass, the wraparound porch... Yeah, this place was impressive. Maverick had told me they had a giant house, even sent pictures, but he didn’t warn me it was a mansion. They even had a four-car garage. Maybe this was what Tommy, and I should have. Although I would be happy living in a cardboard box as long as he was by my side.

“This is...” Tommy’s dark eyes were wide with wonder. “Is this too much? I mean, who needs all this space? It’s the two of them and Andy.”

I chuckled. “I think it’s exactly what Mav wanted.”

Speaking of my drummer, Maverick was standing on the front porch with a huge smile on his face. As we grew closer, I noticed the way his emerald eyes sparkled with happiness and the pink in his cheeks. He had an apron wrapped around his slim waist, and the sound of drums and the scent of something spicy filtered through the air. He stepped in to hug me, his arms holding me tightly. Then he laughed and did the same to Tommy, pulling him against his chest. Marriage looked good on Maverick. The smile on his face was proof of that. His joy was contagious.

“I can’t believe you’re finally here! How was the drive down?” Maverick asked once Tommy and I had stepped into the house and sat down at the kitchen table.

In a surprise move, Jackson had retired early from the Terriers. He had said it was because he wasn’t getting any younger, that his body hurt in places it shouldn’t, and he wanted to spend more time with his husband and son. So, they bought this house in North Carolina and never looked back.

“This guy is a bit of a backseat driver.” Tommy hooked his thumb at me and snorted when I gasped in mock horror.

We could have flown, it would have been quicker, but Tommy had wanted to take his time. I think part of him didn’t want to be stuck on a plane where people could see his scar. He was getting more comfortable in his body, but he still hated it when people stared. I couldn’t blame him.

He wasn’t wrong. “You drive like an old man.”

“I drive safely, Bug. There’s a difference. I wanted to make sure we arrived in North Carolina in one piece.” Tommy grabbed my hand and laced our fingers. He traced the engagement ring he gave me, and heat exploded in my belly.

Maverick giggled. “You two are so cute.” He slid into the seat across from me. “Can you believe Kill and Matty are going to be parents? I mean, wow, right?”

“I don’t know. I think you being this house-husband dad might be more surprising,” I teased.

Maverick blushed and shook his head. He was such a good father, too.

He turned his head away from me to call out to his son. “Andy, your uncles are here.” He winked at me. “He’s so much more talented than I was at his age.”

“Stop it.” I scoffed, but when I realized he was serious, I raised my brows. “Really?”

Maverick nodded as a smile tugged at his lips. “Yeah, he’s fucking amazing.”

“I thought Andy was playing hockey?” Tommy squeezed my hand.

“He’s doing that, too, but I honestly think he only does it to make Jax happy. Like he wants to have both of his parents’ careers in his life.” Maverick turned at the sound of footsteps, and then Andy walked into the room, helping a blue-eyed, raven-haired boy on crutches, his leg wrapped in a cast. It appeared there were a few other things Mav had left out about his son.

Andy broke into a smile when he saw us. “How long are you two staying? Will you be able to watch my game on Sunday? How about listening to my band practice? I wrote a new song. Do you want to hear it?”

“Andrew.” Maverick ruffled his hair until Andy pushed his hand away. “Relax, baby, they’re not going anywhere.”

I nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to be sticking around for a bit. Probably looking at places to live, even though that’s a way off.”

“You’re moving here?” Andy exclaimed.

Tommy leaned into me. “That’s the plan.”

“That is so cool! You’re going to love it here. I mean, Boston is nice, but it’s so great here. It’s quiet and fun. I started a band. We’re going to be huge, just like Mulligan,” Andy gushed before his smile disappeared. “Oh, I’m sorry. This is my boyfriend, Leo. Ricky, these are my uncles, Tom and Blake. Tom is Pop’s brother.”

Leo’s lips turned up into a smile. “I’ve heard so much about the both of you. It’s nice to meet you.”

He held out his hand, the tips of his nails glittering pink. He gently shook my hand, then Tommy’s. He had a little liner around his eyes, a dusting of color over his lids, and looked at Andy like he was the sun and the moon. Mav had mentioned Andy had a boyfriend, but this looked more than serious.

“So, tell me, how did the two of you meet?” I asked curiously.

Andy helped his boyfriend down into one of the chairs before he answered. “School.” He beamed at Leo. “I hadn’t realized what these feelings were that I had around him until I ran into him at the Brooks Racing Christmas party. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Leo was the prettiest boy in the room.”

“Oh, hon.” Leo ducked his head as his skin burned pink. His dark hair covered his eyes, but the smile he wore was as bright as the sun. “I already had a big crush on Andy. It started the day Dad came into school and screamed about the way his son was being treated.”

Dad? My brows shot up when I glanced over at Tommy, who looked just as surprised as I did.

“He calls me Dad.” Maverick waved a hand in the air like he could read my mind. “I mean, I am pretty great, right, boys?”

Andy groaned. “Dad, stop.”

I felt Tommy squeeze my hand as he glanced in my direction. “I know that feeling,” he murmured, which caused my own face to flush.

I let my eyes move around the table and coughed nervously. It was bright and cheery inside the kitchen, light filtering in from the oversized window over the double sink. It was comfortable here. Unlike where Maverick had grown up, this was a home. A place where he could have breakfast with his son, drinks with his friends, and be happy with his husband.

“When is Jax supposed to be home?” I asked.

Maverick’s eyes lit up at the mention of his husband. “Not soon enough.” He knocked his knuckles against the table. “He and Wyatt will be back tomorrow, though.”

“They were teammates in Boston, right?” I briefly remembered Wyatt from the wedding. “He was dating Asher, or something like that?” I heard briefly from Dean that Wyatt had suddenly left Boston, but I didn’t know the entire story.

Leo shook his head. “That’s old news. He’s dating my brother Noel now. And Seth. Plus, Asher’s with Saint now.”

Wait, who and what? “Seth?” My eyes went wide. “Who’s Seth? He’s dating both of them?”

“A friend of Ezra’s. You’ll meet them both tomorrow. Trust me, you’re going to love Ezra,” Leo answered.

I had already heard all about Ezra from Maverick. They were quite the pair.

Leo struggled to stand up. “I will be so happy when I get this darn cast off.”

Andy was quick to climb to his feet. “What do you need? I’ll get it.”

“Both of you relax. I’ll take care of everything. I have lunch in the oven.” Maverick motioned for them to sit back down as he slid out of his chair. “Are you hungry?” His emerald eyes sparkled with happiness.

Tommy nodded. “Did you just ask a hockey player if he was hungry?” He chuckled as Mav rolled his eyes and headed over to the oven. “We’ve heard all about this Ezra. Jax told me that he and Maverick are best friends.”

“I’m Ezra’s best friend.” Leo balked, slapping a hand against his heart before he giggled. His nails shimmered in the sun. “Ezra is best friends with everyone. You’ll see. He’ll have the two of you wrapped around his finger, too, saying things like boo and wearing makeup.”

Not happening. I leaned back in my chair, my fingers still interlocked with Tommy’s. “And how did you meet this Ezra?”

“Carson.” Maverick carried the casserole dish over to the table and placed it in the center. “You two have a lot of gossip to catch up on. I mean, I try to keep it tame in the band chat, but there is so much happening.” He began dishing out steaming servings of lasagna. The first two plates went to Andy and his boyfriend. It smelled amazing. He winked at me when I took my plate and then slid back into his chair. “I’m so happy you’re here. Jax is going to flip when he sees you, Tom.”

My fiancé was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to answer, but he grunted and nodded his head in agreement.

“Thanks, Mav, we’re happy to be here, too,” I told him.

I knew that Tommy was wary about the whole thing, but if he could survive this, he might be ready to move here, to be closer to his brother; then we could finally create the life we always wanted. Maybe have a couple kids of our own. Whatever he wanted, when he wanted.

Tommy finished chewing his food before he spoke. “I can’t believe that Killian and Matty are going to be parents. Not just parents but having a baby, a little version of one of them. That’s wild.”

“I’ve already told them we would babysit any time they want,” Leo piped up. He blew a raspberry as Andy’s mouth dropped open. “Whatever, hon, we have to prepare for when we have a family.”

Andy’s hazel eyes softened. “You want a family with me?”

“Duh, of course.” Leo leaned toward him. “Only you, though.”

Maverick’s green orbs welled with happiness before he ducked his head and tried to hide the smile that was spreading across his face. “What about you two? Any wedding plans you want to talk about or maybe kids?” he asked.

“Uh?” Tommy’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I mean, yeah. I’d like some little rugrats of my own someday. I want to get married first, though. Make an honest man out of my bug. We’re waiting for the right time. We want to be settled here first.”

Warmth spread through my belly. “I want that, too.” I hummed. “Dean’s coming, right?” I had briefly spoken with my guitar player about the baby shower. He had said he and Beau would try to make it down.

“Yes!” Maverick clapped his hands with excitement. “He and Beau are flying in later tonight. I miss him so much. We talk every day, but it will be nice to see him in person. It’s been too long. They’re staying at a hotel, though, because they wanted some privacy.”

Tommy snickered. “I bet they did.” He burst into a fit of laughter when Maverick’s mouth dropped. “Please, they just want to fu—have fun. Yep, totally want to just have fun.”

“Do you think we’re not aware of—”

“Andrew!” Maverick cut off his son before he could say anything else. “Uncle Dean and his boyfriend wanted to enjoy this little vacation time together. That’s all.” His ears burned pink as Andy and Leo snickered.

I glanced across the table where Andy sat speaking softly to his boyfriend, then found Maverick beaming at me. He winked before he took a small bite of his lasagna. This was... surprisingly nice. We had visited with Jax and Mav in Boston twice before they moved down to North Carolina. While we’d had fun, it never felt like this. There was a lot of love inside these four walls. This house was definitely a home.

“Okay, I’m done eating. Can you come listen to my song?” Andy grabbed his plate along with Leo’s and placed them in the sink. “Please, please, please? This is a big deal.”

I wiped my mouth before I spoke. “Has Killian heard it yet?”

“No, I wanted you to hear it first.” Andy’s face burned crimson. “I mean, if you want.”

I climbed to my feet. “I would love to.” I leaned down to press my lips to Tommy’s. “I want this,” I murmured against his mouth.

“And you’ll have it, Bug, I promise,” he assured me.