Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Ethan

I stand at the fireplace mantel, a cold bottle of beer in hand as I survey the room. I'm hard pressed to keep my smile at bay, even through the chaos.

The Blackburn family is all together and it's fucking fantastic. Abby and Kellen arrived a few hours ago but I was still down at the broodmare barn. I ignored my mother's texts to hurry with my work, and it wasn't until she sent Sylvie down in one of the electric golf carts that are safe enough for her to drive that I finally called it a day. Besides, I've been more than excited to see Abby.

All the siblings are finally gathered by the time Miranda serves a home-cooked meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and a triple-layer chocolate cake. Now we're all relaxing in the formal room, not because we're a formal family but because it has the most space and seating.

On the long antique sofa, Abby sits between my mother and father, holding both their hands. They'll be monopolizing their youngest twin until she heads back to Pittsburgh. Kellen, Kat, Trey and Wade are at the round poker table that seats four, a marble cover hiding the game beneath. Mom keeps it covered and a small vase of fresh flowers on it instead.

Marcie and Sylvie are on the love seat, their heads bent together as Marcie shows Sylvie something on her phone. No clue what it is but Sylvie's laughing. Renault is curled up on the floor beside them, snoozing hard.

My eyes linger on the redheaded bombshell and the mighty little raven-haired girl, both new to my life and yet somehow incredibly important to me. I could've never imagined having a daughter and now that I have her, I can't imagine life without her.

And Marcie? I can't stop thinking about last night and how unbelievably fantastic the sex was. Yes, it was hot and explosive and the best I've ever had, but I've never felt intimate with a woman before.

Close.

In fact, after we'd gone at it a third time and had finally spooned to get some sleep, I had a very short moment where I wasn't sure if this was right. And because the feeling was so at odds with how I'd been just moments before, I voiced it to Marcie.

"I'm not used to this," I said into the darkness. Her back was flush against my chest, her naked bottom settled against my groin and she wiggled a little. I slid my palm down her thigh to hold her still or we'd never get to sleep.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Cuddling. Talking. Connection." Three simple words, but Marcie was smart enough to understand me. "I'm not sure I'm built for this in the long run."

There are many ways she could've reacted and I think most women would've gotten angry after allowing me to have my way. But not Marcie.

She was so matter-of-fact when she said, "Doesn't matter if you're not built for it. I am and I'll teach you."

Marcie will teach me? I'm all in.

"What are you two laughing about?" I ask, moving toward the love seat.

Sylvie takes Marcie's phone and turns it so I can see. "Pictures of Renault that Marcie took the other day." I owe that dog a lot as he was the catalyst that helped to erase the gap between me and my kid, but I'm not laughing as I see the damn dog has one of my socks in its mouth. Sylvie rushes to assure me. "I told him to drop it and he did."

"Good thing he's well behaved," I mutter, motioning for them to scoot over so I can sit too. "Or else I'd have to shoot him."

Sylvie rolls her eyes, but she and Marcie move to the left and I plop down. That puts Sylvie in between us and with this being only a love seat, we are crammed in tight. I drape my arm over the back, my fingers coming to rest on Marcie's shoulder. Her eyes are warm as she glances at me and I'm ashamed, but there's a part of me that wishes everyone would disappear right now just so I could have time alone with her.

But that's not possible with a family reunion of sorts and I have to be content in knowing that she'll be back in my bed this upcoming Saturday when Sylvie goes to visit the Mardraggons.

Assuming she wants to.

Sylvie didn't have a lot to say about her first visit other than she played Scrabble with Uncle Gabe. But as of now, plans are on that she'll go back late Saturday afternoon and Marcie will be staying the night with me.

"Want to see my dogs?" Abby asks Sylvie. The love seat and sofa face each other and Sylvie scrambles away from me and Marcie to go wedge herself in between Abby and my dad. They all shift to make room and then Sylvie is leaning over Abby's phone.

"This is Princess and her puppy, Roscoe. And here's Bubba."

"Oh, he looks fierce," Sylvie croons.

"He's a Belgian Malinois and was Kellen's police dog when he was in the Marine Corps. And this here is Spud." Then Sylvie takes the phone and shows my dad. "Look, Papi. Aren't they cute?"

My dad's expression goes absolutely gooey at her French name for him. "I don't know that I'd call Bubba cute. He looks like he could rip your throat out."

"He's the sweetest boy ever," Abby coos as she takes her phone back. "Totally harmless."

"Abby's the one you have to watch out for," Kat says. She's been watching the interaction along with Trey, Wade and Kellen. She looks right at Sylvie and says, "Your aunt Abby is a badass and single-handedly took down a large puppy mill ring back in Pennsylvania."

"Badass or fool?" Kellen mutters and admittedly, I like that answer. I tend to blame him for letting her get herself in trouble, but truth is… there's no containing Abby and I know it.

"Oh, stop," Abby shushes her husband. "All's well that ends well."

"Yes, dear," Kellen says with an overly bright smile. We all laugh because no one thinks Kellen is the type to roll over and bare his throat to his wife, but he also knows all that stuff is in the past and no sense in continuing to berate her for her foolishness.

But Jesus, she was an idiot to do what she did.

"How is work going for you?" my father asks Kellen. "Any exciting missions?"

"Missions?" Sylvie asks, eyes gleaming. "What does that mean?"

"It means your uncle Kellen will sometimes be hired to protect famous people or even rescue others who have been kidnapped," Abby provides.

Sylvie's green eyes widen with interest. "Wow. Have you ever been shot at?"

"Yeah," he says with hardly any snark at all, even though it would be deserved. "When your aunt Abby tried to steal a dog from the puppy mill."

"No way," Sylvie exclaims, but she's not horrified in the least. "Tell me the entire story."

And so Abby and Kellen do, both of them providing their radically different views on whether Abby should've even been involved in the first place. It's a battle we've all witnessed before, a retelling of an impetuousness that almost got Abby killed. But in the end, she got the man of her dreams, so she reasons that she was fated to shut that mill down.

"Come here," I say quietly to Marcie, and pat the cushion closer to me.

She doesn't hesitate, sliding over the green crushed velvet and snuggling into my side. I can't miss the approval gleaming in my mom's eyes as she gives us a quick side glance. Marcie has complete family approval, each parent and sibling gushing at me at one time or another about how awesome she is, but it's my mom who's the happiest for me.

I think she despaired of me ever settling down and finding someone to love.

Love.

It's a word that shouldn't have entered my thoughts and yet, I'm not bothered that it has. Do I love Marcie?

I'm not sure. All I know is that I didn't think I had love to give to a child a mere month and a half ago and look where I am now. Marcie has brought such enrichment to my life in ways I never knew I needed, I'm guessing I had no concept of what romantic love could be.

For the next hour, Sylvie gets to see what being a Blackburn is all about. She's seen it in bits and pieces—meals together, time with her aunt and uncles, building a relationship with me. But all of us here together, laughing and speaking with fondness and respect, genuine care and poking fun—I can't help but wonder if she's comparing us to the Mardraggons. Is she really understanding that she's in the best place?

And perhaps finally realizing that her mom knew what in the hell she was doing?

I send up a silent message to Alaine if she's listening. You did the right thing and I'll take good care of her.

Eventually, Sylvie yawns and it's on the third one that I finally call a halt to her fun. "All right, young lady… time for you to get ready for bed."

"But Papa," she whines as she pauses her thumb-wrestling match with Wade.

I practically bite through the inside of my cheek to stop from laughing, totally delighted in having my kid grumble over one of my orders. I'm equally delighted in holding the line. "Sorry, kiddo. It's a school night and you should've been in bed an hour ago. Say good night to everyone."

One by one, Sylvie goes around the room and gives everyone a hug. She lingers exceptionally long on my mom, accepting extra squeezes, and then does the same with Marcie. When she gets to me, she pouts up at me in an adorable way that's meant to melt my heart. I pull her into a hug. "Nice try. Almost had me."

She returns my embrace with vigor, telling me she's not really mad. "Good night, Papa."

It's not a French endearment the way she has given my parents, but for some reason, I like that she uses the American version to address me as her father. It means she's acclimating, accepting a part of me the way I am. It means more to me than she'll ever know.

Everyone calls goodbye as Sylvie heads toward the kitchen, intent on letting Renault out one last time before they'll trudge up the back staircase to the second floor.

Abby turns to me when Sylvie is gone and smiles. "She's like the most perfect thing ever."

"Yeah… I know."

Abby's eyes cut to Marcie and then back to me with a grin. "Lots of big changes in your life. Never thought the grumpy, fuddy-duddy would be so… so…"

"Cool?" Kellen offers.

Abby gives her husband the side-eye before looking at me. "I was going to say evolved."

I shrug as if it's no big deal but Marcie elbows me in the ribs. "You were a fuddy-duddy?"

"No, I was not a fuddy-duddy," I reply haughtily. "But I might have been a little too serious at times."

"A little?" Trey exclaims. "Try a lot."

"Pack it in, you two," my mom says, quelling her brood before we start yelling at each other. But it's all in good fun.

"Seriously, though," Abby says, her voice lowering slightly. "How are things going with the Mardraggons?"

Abby may live in Pennsylvania, but she's been kept in the loop. We have a family group chat and while she may not have been here witnessing the progression of everything, she knows enough.

"It's a pain in the ass to have to deal with them, but things seem to have settled. Now if I could only get Gabe to stop throwing business ideas regarding the winery at me, it would all be good."

"He wants to grow it?" Kellen asks.

"Yeah, because a winery that grosses over thirty million a year is a complete failure," Trey says sarcastically.

"Thirty million?" Abby asks, her mouth gaping.

I nod. "According to the financial records he provided me. And Sylvie gets eighty percent of the net profit."

"That's got to absolutely kill Lionel," Wade muses. "Mardraggon money going to a Blackburn."

Kat snorts in disdain. "Makes the fifteen million Gabe offered you a pittance. That guy's a complete douche."

"Language," my mom warns Kat who doesn't look repentant at all.

"I made clear I'm not selling out to them." I remove my arm from around Marcie's shoulders, take her hand and rise from the couch, pulling her up. "That winery is Sylvie's legacy and if she wants to return there when she's an adult to run it, it will be there for her." I look down at my parents, then around the room. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to make a trip down to the broodmare barn to check on the foals."

Everyone smiles and nods in understanding.

My return smile is sly. "And for those of you who can't read between the lines, I want to take my girl somewhere private so we can make out for a bit."

Abby's mouth falls open again and Kellen barks a laugh. My mom makes a clucking sound and Marcie slaps me in the stomach.

I wink down at her. "How's that for fuddy-duddy?"