“It’s okay,” I mutter quietly for only him to hear. “You’re gonna be okay here.”
“Why can’t we be with you guys?” He whispers brokenly against me and my heart cracks in my chest.
I wish more than anything I could take them both home with me right now. I want to wrap them in bubble-wrap and keep them safe and close by until all the bad shit leaves their mind. But I can’t do that. At least, not yet.
I pull back, looking him in the eyes. “We’re working on it. But you’ve got to stay here for a while. We trust Amelia and Roman, and I’ll be here every day for work, so I can see you guys every day.”
Jaxon looks at Amelia and Roman over his shoulder, his bottom lip still wobbling as he pulls it between his teeth. He turns back to me. “You really trust them?”
I give him a firm nod. “With my whole heart.”
He looks at his sister, who is nestled in Killian’s arms, her head resting against his chest as he sways side to side. With a deep intake of breath, he focuses back on me and dips his head. “Okay.”
Killian’s hand finds the small of my back as he steps closer. “You ready to go see your new digs?” he asks Jaxon, who looks to me for confirmation.
With a smile, I lean into Killian. “Let’s go show them.”
CHAPTER 49
KILLIAN
The dining room is abuzz with chatter as me and Noah carry in the smaller table from the family room.
With the ever-growing new additions to the family meals, the table they had in here no longer seats everyone. What was once six of us, quickly became nine when Savannah, Liv and Reign joined the fold and has since turned into fourteen with Bella, Daisy, Jax, Juliet and baby Crue now joining us at the Calloway’s dinner table. Though, I’m not really sure you can count Crue just yet.
Amelia, Noah’s mom, is practically floating with happiness as she laughs with her daughter in-law’s and coos at her grandson.
She’s been outnumbered by men our whole lives, so now that she has so much female company, she’s rightfully eating it up.
I watch Jax as he helps Roman set the table, his attention lasered in on the way the older man lays the knives and forks beside each plate. It’s something so simple, yet so foreign to him and is just further evidence of all the things he is yet to learn about how life should be.
Once he got settled into his new bedroom and had the grand tour of the house, his nerves calmed slightly, and he was able to relax a little around Amelia and Roman. Though, as relaxed as he may seem, I have noticed that his eyes search out his sister every few minutes.
Juliet is playing in the corner with Reign, the two girls quickly becoming the best of friends as they talk animatedly to one another through the dolls in their hands. Thankfully, it seems Juliet is blissfully unaware of what it was she was witnessing that night.
The child services officer that Amelia and Roman spoke to explained that Juliet is more than likely blocking out the entire thing and that it’s probably for the best right now. If it comes back to her in the future, then we’ll deal with it, but for now I’m just glad that her little mind is at ease.
Noah, Grayson and Hunter talk amongst themselves, each of them clutching a bottle of beer in their fists as they discuss their plans for the approaching branding season. I could join in on their conversation considering I will be helping out around the ranch when the time comes like I do every year, but I’m preoccupied with dark curls and the sweet sound of Daisy’s husky laugh as it floats out of the kitchen.
My wife and my sister stand with the other women, the five of them laughing as they clink their wine glasses together in cheers.
My own smile teases my lips as, much like they always do when we’re in the vicinity of each other, Daisy’s eyes find mine. She’s holding Crue in her arms and her cheeks are flushed with happiness as she bounces on the spot to soothe him.
A few weeks ago, the sight would have caused an ache in my chest. Now, all it does is make me smile wider.
It doesn’t matter that it’ll never be our baby that she rocks to sleep in her arms. Because what we have right now, surrounded by our chosen family, is what matters.
Thisis what the seventeen-year-old version of me dreamt of.
As long as my eyes find those chocolate ones across any room, I have everything I’ll ever need.
With a wink, I mouth the words I’ll never tire of telling her. “I love you, angel.”
Her smile widens, the true happiness in it shining through and hitting me like a dagger to the heart as she mouths back, “I love you, too.”
EPILOGUE
JAXON
