He lifted an auburn eyebrow in my direction before sitting back against the leather sofa, spreading his arms to rest atop the pillows. He sat as if he owned the entire building. But I couldn’t blame him. I’d taught all of my sons to never shrink in front of any man. And the only woman they’d shrink in front of better be the one who they spent their lives with and beared their children.
“Not ever,” he said. “Wait, there were those times when she basically told me tofuck offwhen I asked her to have another baby,” he amended, frowning.
Joshua and I both chuckled loudly at that. I could picture the short spitfire he’d married telling him just that.
“She was exactly what you needed to keep you in line,” Joshua commented, still laughing.
“Whatever, jackass.”
“No, really, Ty. Destiny had triplets. She carried three babies at once. Babies, mind you, who are still under the age of one, and you’re already asking her to have more.”
Tyler’s face folded into an expression of incredulity. “I’m not asking for a second round of multiples like our oldest brother, geesh. Just one more kid.”
Joshua’s laughter increased before he sobered up. “No wonder she told you to fuck off.”
Tyler flipped the bird at my third oldest son before his lips formed into a cocky smirk.
I began shaking my head because I knew what that look meant. “She agreed, didn’t she?”
His smiling hazel-green eyes wrinkled at the edges as his smile grew. “Of fucking course. Am I not Tyler Townsend?” He arms spread wide, face lifting to the ceiling, eyes closing as if he was soaking in the cheers of an adoring crowd. A move he’d often made after throwing a perfect spiral down the middle of the field to score a touchdown for his team.
“Such a cocky little shit.”
“And you love it,” Tyler retorted.
I sat back, watching my two youngest bicker just as they had while growing up. I didn’t get in the middle of it then and I refused to do so now. They’d work it out. They may seem like they couldn’t stand one another, but the brats would fall apart without the others around. They’d been raised with a special bond that no one could break. I’d made sure of that.
Even when Carter went off to the military to fight for his country at eighteen, I knew he was just trying to find his way. Being the eldest with the last name Townsend had had a special meaning his whole life. One that I had pushed for him to take on, but ultimately, it wasn’t his destiny. My wife had had to sit me down and talk me off the ledge, to let Carter go and be his own man. However, I knew he would return at some point. The fact that he’d returned to Williamsport to become a firefighter wasn’t lost on me. He could have chosen any major city in the country. One that, while the Townsend name would still be known, wasn’t as closely associated with Townsend Industries. But he’d come home. To Williamsport. Because this was where he belonged. With his family.
“You know, you’re one to talk, Father.”
I returned my attention to Tyler, wrinkling my forehead.
“You’re the guy who informed Mother she would be the mother of your four boys, the night after you first defiled her. Oh, and by the way, youreallycould’ve left that part of the story out of it. We didn’t need to knoweverydetail.”
“Yeah, you know how much I hate to admit when Ty’s right. But it’s true. That part could’ve been left out,” Joshua agreed, frowning and shaking his head.
Smirking, I sat back in my chair, folding my hands behind my head, looking between the two of them. “She was my wife long before she was your mother. Don’t ever forget that.”
“Still could’ve been left out,” Tyler mumbled.
I just grinned.
“Anyway,” Joshua started, “from what you say, you never doubted Mother, but you were getting evidence from Rick that was pretty much pointing directly at her as at least one of the conspirators behind the Townsend leaks.”
I nodded. “It did look that way …”
****
Then
Robert
“This shit is getting out of hand,” I grunted before taking a swing at Thiers. I cursed inwardly when he successfully ducked the punch and hopped to the side, getting out of my line of sight.
We circled the ring, aiming for one another’s ribs instead of the face. That had been one of the rules we’d established before this round in the ring.
“You’re getting faster,” I commented.
