“Mom! You have to see this!”
Mikey barreled around the corner, holding up a box. The torn remains of Christmas wrapping paper drifted in his wake. Inside the box was a toy motorcycle, and a leather cut, just like the one Reese wore. On the back, it read: Capone, Jr.
“Reese,” I said in a warning tone. “Did you get those things for him? I told you, no motorcycles, and now you’re getting him a cut and giving him a road name?”
“It’s a badge of honor,” Reese protested. “Every brother needs a road name. Besides, technically, you can’t blame me. I didn’t get those things for him.”
“Oh, really?” I arched an eyebrow with a no-nonsense look and crossed my arms. “Then how did they end up inour house?”
God, that sounded so good to say. Our house. The way it rolled off my tongue. If I wasn’t scolding my husband, I would have said it over and over again, just to taste the sweetness of those two wonderful words.
“Ironside,” Reese replied, pleased with himself at his cleverness. “He was the one who had them custom made. He knows a guy who owed him a favor. All I did was make the request.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Reese held up his hands in surrender.
“Don’t give me that look, sweetheart. Listen, if you have a problem with it, you’ll have to talk to Ironside. I’m innocent.”
I huffed with dry amusement and grabbed his belt, yanking him toward me.
“You are never innocent.”
He grinned and cupped my cheek in his palm, pulling me in for a kiss.
“I thought that’s what you liked about me.”
“Only under very specific circumstances that don’t require clothes,” I whispered low enough for his ears alone.
Mikey wasn’t paying us any attention though. He stripped off his coat and grabbed his new cut, shrugging it on. I sighed, resigned to my fate. My husband was going to turn my boy into a biker, whether I was ready for it or not.
“Hey, I look like you, Dad,” Mikey said, his eyes shining with pride.
Reese went stock still. He blinked in surprise. A heartbeat of silence settled over the kitchen. I touched his shoulder.
“That’s—that’s really cool, buddy,” he stammered. “Did you…um…did you pick a room yet? We can start getting your stuff moved in soon.”
Mikey gathered up the box and his coat into his arms.
“I’m working on it. But the room above the garage has these shelves built into the wall. They would be perfect for my collection. I’ll keep looking before I make a decision though.”
Reese nodded, but I could tell he was too stunned to say more. After Mikey left, I rested my cheek on Reese’s shoulder.
“He called you Dad,” I said softly. “He’s never done that before.”
Reese kept nodding. He clenched his jaw tight, pressing his lips together, fighting to stay composed. That one word—Dad—had struck the heart of a raw nerve.
I interlaced our fingers together and kissed his cheek. He blew out a shaky breath.
“That’s one hell of a Christmas present,” he said.
“Well, brace yourself,” I murmured, placing sweet, slow kisses along his jawline. “Because there’s more where that came from.”
“What do you mean?”
Reese turned his gaze on me, searching my face. I brushed my thumb over his lips, curling my fingers around the back of his neck to steady him.
“It’s a surprise,” I said. “I’m not supposed to tell you.”
He groaned.
