“You’re still on the pill—”
“I threw them out this morning.” I’d started taking birth control after our youngest, Sam was born, and when things started getting crazy at Carter’s job. The thought of bringing another child into this world while also fearing for my husband’s life was too much to bear.
“We’re getting started on that assignment tonight!” Carter yelled, causing me to laugh out loud.
“What assignment? Another volcano?” Diego asked as he and Monique re-entered the living room.
I parted my mouth to respond when the baby monitor that Carter had carried into the living room alerted all of us that our youngest, Sam, had awaken from his nap.
“No. Your mama and I have a special project of our own we’re working on,” I heard Carter say as I started for the stairs to retrieve Sam.
Covering my mouth to keep the laugh from escaping, I looked back down to see Carter’s glinting eyes firmly planted on my backside. He grinned, licking his lips when he saw me watching him.
I wouldn’t bother to tell him that it would likely take at least a few days for the birth control to work its way out of my system. Heck, I was ready to started practicing as soon as possible.
****
Robert
“Fore!” Joshua yelled as Aaron took a swing at the ball with his golf club.
I squinted at the sun shining brightly, high in the sky, as I tried to follow the ball’s trajectory. I lost it somewhere in the distance, not finding it again until it landed only a few inches away from the hole Aaron had been aiming for.
“Excellent,” I grunted.
“You know, this is an eerily normal way for the five of us to be spending time together.”
Frowning, I turned to my youngest, the shit starter that he was. “I almost told your mother to abort you,” I responded.
Tyler, not taking me seriously, merely bent over, laughing. “Could you imagine this family withoutme?”
No. No, I couldn’t. The problem was he knew it, too.
“Little shit he might be, but he does have a point, Father.” That was Joshua, my more level headed, even-keeled child, except for rare occasions.
“We spend quality time together,” I finally responded while pulling one of my sleek, new stainless steel clubs from the bag that held it.
“Yup, usually spent in basements of abandoned homes …” Joshua stated.
“Or out in the woods,” Carter added.
“And the hidden office in Townsend Industries,” Aaron tacked on.
I made a sound, something between a grunt and a laugh. These little fuckers were right. We did have a particularly odd way of spending family time together. But that was because … “A threat to one of us, is a threat toallof us. Someone messes with one of you, and the rest of you don’t step up, you’ll have to deal withme.”I’d never hit my boys while they were growing up. Never even thought of it. I didn’t want to raise them the way I’d been raised.
But I sure as hell taught them how to strike at someone who posed a threat to them or their family.
“Same lesson I expect you to pass on to all of your sons. I only learned the importance of protecting my family when I first fell for your mother.”
“Are you going to tell us more of the story?” Tyler questioned.
I watched as all four of my sons moved in closer. They obviously wanted to hear more.
Acquiescing, I shoved the golf club back into my bag and leaned against one of the carts we’d rented for the day.
“Sure.”
Chapter Six
