His giggle fills the room, a tiny little hand covering his mouth as he replies. “Bwoccoli is yucky! We’ll feed it to my dinosauw!”
We high-five in agreement, and he runs off, Boner hot on his heels as he launches himself into my dad’s lap. I take a seat next to Finley, listening in as my mom and sister ask her how she’s feeling. The nerves she was struggling with earlier are nowhere to be found, which doesn’t surprise me in the least. I knew they’d love her. How could they not?
We decide to order in for dinner—no broccoli included—so we can enjoy a night in without having tocook. I’m sure we’ll wake up to my mom preparing a three-course breakfast, but for now, I just want my favorite people in the world to get to know one another.
Because if I have my way, Finley is going to be a part of the Calloway family someday soon.
TWENTY-THREE
FINLEY
“Can I help you with anything?”Tatum says from the kitchen doorway as I toss the last of the takeout containers into the trash. We had an amazing dinner, watched the Cleveland Crunch game, and now everyone is getting ready for bed.
Tess and Philip went upstairs about an hour ago, tired from a day of traveling. Reid and Boner fell asleep, cuddled up on the couch not long after, and now Kyle and Theo are working on assembling Evie’s bassinet, because despite fighting it all night, the poor thing is exhausted.
Same, girl.
“I think I’m all set,” I reply, plopping down in the closest chair and sighing in relief. My feet are killing me, and I ate way more than any one person should in a single sitting. Theo knows I can’t say no to chicken tenders, which is probably why he ordered them. Add in the lava cake he got for dessert, and I can barely move.
“Tonight was a lot, huh?” she says, wheeling herself up to the table. Her long, blonde hair is the exact color of her mother’s, which has been passed down to both of the little ones, as well. It makes me wonder if my baby will have red hair and green eyes like me, or if she’ll resemble the man who refuses to acknowledge her. The thought is like a knife to my chest, because she may end up being a spitting image of him, yet he’ll still likely deny her.
“It was,” I reply, ignoring the sadness that nags at the back of my mind. Eric doesn’t deserve an inch of space in my brain anymore, especially while I’m surrounded by such an amazing, accepting group of people. “I’m not really used to the wholebig familything. It was always just me and my mom, and she wasn’t around very much. Being here is still a bit of a shock to my system sometimes, but it’s the closest thing to a home I’ve ever had.”
She peers through the doorway, both of us looking on as Theo comes into view with Evie fast asleep in his arms. He doesn’t notice us, far too concerned with the little bundle in front of him to realize we’re both captivated by the sight. He’s perfection in every sense of the word, rocking her back and forth as though it’s second nature.
“He’s a good one,” she mutters, a soft smile playing at her lips. “I may harass my brother endlessly, but between us, I look up to him. He somehow always manages to find beauty, even in the most fucked up situations. He’s one of the brightest lights in this ugly-ass world, and I love him more than he’ll ever know.”Her eyes find mine, narrowing playfully. “Don’t you dare tell him I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I whisper, my heart squeezing in my chest as he leans down and gently kisses Evie’s forehead. I don’t know what I did right to have a man like Theo by my side, but it isn’t lost on me how lucky I am. He’s taken what was hands-down one of the scariest times in my life and shown me how to enjoy it, reminding me that whatever comes next, I’ll always have a hand to hold. I’m grateful every day that he brought me into his home, sharing himself with me in ways that I’ll probably never deserve. He’s not just agood one. He’s the best person I know.
“I don’t like the two of you telling secrets,” he cuts in from the doorway, a crooked grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he jerks his chin toward Tatum. “You better not be talking shit, or I’ll put your hand in a cup of warm water while you sleep and make you pee your pants again.”
“Do it, Teddy Graham,” she shoots back. “I’ll tell your girlfriend about the old lady porn magazines I found under your mattress in middle school.”
He clenches his jaw, the tips of his ears going bright red with anger—or embarrassment. I slap a hand over my mouth in an attempt to keep from bursting into hysterics, but I’m barely holding it together as he growls his response. “You’re an evil shrew. Also, I got those magazines from your boyfriend at the time. I bet he was thinking about saggy titties every time he kissed you.”
I curl into myself, both hands now covering my face,so he doesn’t see that I’m cracking the fuck up. I can barely breathe, my shoulders shaking with silent laughter as I make a mental note to thank Tatum in private for this beautiful wealth of knowledge. A very unladylike snort comes from my body, and he huffs a frustrated breath, his heavy footfalls approaching where we sit.
“Take your baby,” he says to Tate, carefully placing Evie in her arms. She grunts for a second, wiggling around until she’s comfortable before releasing a soft, contented sigh. “I need to get Finley out of here before you rub off on her. She’s too pure to be corrupted like that.”
I’m still trying not to wake up the entire house with my laughter when he lifts me out of the chair, a small squeak pushing past my lips as he whips us around and carries me toward the stairs. He grumbles the entire way about hownobody’s loyal anymoreand how hecan never leave me alone with her again. But it’s all a bunch of empty threats, because the smile on his face when he pulls the covers back, lowers me onto the mattress, and yanks his shirt over his head tells me everything I need to know. He had just as much fun tonight as I did.
“Do you still like me, or did my sister ruin my life again?” he says, climbing in next to me. I can’t stop my eyes from roving over his tan skin and defined muscles, trying my hardest not to get turned all the way on. It’s one thing to sleep in his bed with everyone here, but there’s no way I can have sex with him, despite the fact that I want to more than anything. He’s far too good atit to stay quiet, and I’m not about to face them all in the morning after they heard me moaning his name.
No fucking thanks.
He drops his mouth to my neck, kissing a warm path above the scooped collar of my sweater dress. “Mmm,” I hum, enjoying the feel of his lips as they tease gently, goosebumps rising along my sensitive skin in its wake. “I still like you. Maybe even more so now that I know where you came from. Your family is amazing.”
“They are,” he replies, his tender gaze landing on mine. He reaches up, using his fingertips to sweep a rogue lock of hair from my forehead. Everything he does gives me butterflies, from the small, caring gestures to the way he looks at me like I’m the only girl in the world. “And just as I knew they would, they adore you. I’m afraid you’re one of us now, whether you like it or not.”
I smile softly, warmth expanding in my chest. “I could think of much worse things than to be a Calloway.”
“Careful what you wish for, Mama,” he says with a wink. “You just might get it.”
TWENTY-FOUR
THEO
“Come here, sweetie,”my mother says, pulling Finley into a hug. We just arrived home from another Renegades win, and now we’re saying our goodbyes so they can head to the airport for their trip back to Georgia. The weekend flew by way too fast, but I’m glad they were able to meet Finley. Once the baby is born, she’ll need all the support she can get, especially from people who have been through the ups and downs of motherhood.
