Not that anyone minded.
Searcy and Doc had gone so far beyond overboard with all the kids’ gifts—winning the lottery definitely had its perks—that there was enough to go around for all and then some.
Searcy stood up and stretched, then walked over to me. “You might be the greatest baby whisperer ever to be.”
I leaned forward and held her youngest out to her. Searcy took Dalton with a smile, then nuzzled her face into his.
Calli used my pant leg to get up, then bent over so that both of her hands were braced on my knees.
She studied my face for a long second before she said, “All of the things that I got for you burned to the ground, too.”
I raised my hand and enclosed my palm around her wrist. “That’s okay.”
“I got you a thing for your bike.”
“What kind of thing?” I swept my thumb over the muscle on the inside of her arm.
“These things called Gremlin Bells,” she said. “They’re supposed to ward off the evil spirits and serve as a totem to ward off the gremlins that cause bad things to happen to bikes.” She bit her lip. “I saw that Elaine had gifted some to Knight. And the night before the accident, they’d fallen off. He’d said something while we were at dinner at Apollo’s. Said that he had to get a new clasp to hold them onto the frame of the bike. I asked them about the purpose, and he told me about how they had to be gifted. And their significance. I ordered you a set that night.”
I moved my hand up to the bend in her elbow and tugged her toward me.
She came willingly, squeezing into the small space between my body and the arm of the chair.
She rested her head on my chest, uncaring of the sweat and drool Pane had left behind, and curled up against me. Her hands went up under her face as she watched the controlled chaos around us.
“Do you want kids one day?” I asked.
I mean, I assumed that she wasn’t too hip on them, but I thought I’d ask.
“One day. In the far, far future,” she said. “Maybe in five or so years, once I’ve established myself in my job. When I’m more stable, and don’t have so many things I want to do in life.”
“Besides graduating top of your class and getting a job?”
“I want to visit the world,” she said. “I want to see all the mountains in the United States. I want to visit all of the national parks. I want to visit Japan and see the cherry blossoms in real life. I want to go to Manchester and visit Oxford Street during Christmas so I can see everything lit up. I want to go to all of the Christmas markets in Cologne, Strasbourg, Vienna, and Prague. I want to see the northern lights. I want to visit Alaska and see the bears eating the salmon in the middle of Kisatchie National Forest. And, let’s just say, that doesn’t sound super easy with a kid.”
I hummed as I reached for the blanket to bring it up over Calli’s tiny body.
“I’m down for all of that,” I said. “You can get on my bike and we can go tomorrow.”
“It’s a little cold for that, isn’t it?” she teased.
“Maybe,” I admitted.
“I’ve wanted nothing more than to ride on the back of your bike, Jasper Madden.”
I twisted my face and deposited a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ve wanted nothing more than to have you there.”
Twenty-Five
When a woman asks you “if you want to see crazy” assure her that no, you indeed, do not.
—Rules to live by
JASPER
Apollo pulled up to the curb between my house and Calli’s and got out.
He held out a present and said, “Found this at the clubhouse.”
