Ford, it seems, wasn’t off sulking somewhere while the rest of us partied. He was setting out a wedding feast to rival any banquet hall. On the table are large bowls of steaming stew, the yeast rolls Gray has been fighting to perfect for years, and some kind of casserole dish I can’t quite place.
“Figured it was as good a time as any to warm up what was left of our winter rations,” Ford says with a shrug. “It’s not much as far as wedding feasts go but?—”
“It’s perfect,” I interrupt, pulling him into me for a hard embrace. “Thank you, Ford. It’s absolutely perfect.”
Taking my place at the head of the table again, I give my sleeping bundle a gentle shake. “Time to wake up, sleepyhead. Your Uncle Ford made us a feast.”
Whining softly, Lanie buries her face in my neck, pressing herself more tightly against me in a way that has my throat aching. My family watches on, all with varying degrees of wonder and amusement as I rub her back.
“I know you’re so very tired, little one. But it’s time to wake up now. We need to get some food in that cute little tummy.”
“Don’twanna.”
Adorable, and stubborn.
Just the way I like it.
Putting a hint of steel in my voice, I give her diaper-covered bottom a firm pat. “Unless you’d like to be eating dinner with an extra-sore bottom, I suggest you do as Daddy says, little girl.”
That seems to get through to her. Lifting her head, she blinks, then narrows her eyes at me, her bottom lip pushing out in an adorable pout. “Not hungry.”
As if on cue, her stomach rumbles, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear and I have to swallow a laugh as I pin her with a stern stare. “Are you lying to your Daddy, little girl?”
The sleepiness slowly clears from her eyes, and I can see the wheels turning in her head as she calculates her response. “Maybe I’m alittlehungry.”
“Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.” Shifting her so she’s perched on my thigh, I force myself to remain stern no matter how fucking cute she looks all rumpled from being so well-fucked earlier. “Since it’s our wedding day, I’m going to let you off the hook on that one. But the next time you lie to Daddy, you will be getting that naughty bottom spanked. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
Fuck me, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of hearing those words, no matter how sulky she sounds saying them right now. “Good girl. Now, what do you want to eat?”
Melanie
Dinner is…an adventure.
Everything is delicious, and even the green beans Axel forces on me have had some kind of culinary magic performed on them to make them palatable. But the food is the least interesting part. It’s Axel’s siblings I find the most fascinating.
Unlike my own family, Axel’s is loud. Obnoxiously so. And yet, there’s something about the noise that’s almost peaceful.Perhaps because despite the noise, there are no angry words, no shrill voices. They genuinely just seem to… enjoy each other.
Fascinating.
What’s even more interesting is the dynamic. Despite Gray being the youngest, everyone seems to look to her for leadership alongside Axel and I find myself wondering how that developed. Is it just because she’s the youngest and the only girl, so their instinctive response is to spoil her and give her everything she wants?
Maybe, but they don’t strike me as the kind of men to simply go along with whatever their baby sister wants just to make her happy. Especially not Axel.
Or maybe that “give her whatever she wants” attitude simply doesn’t extend to me.
Rude, if so.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that while they’re a rather cohesive unit, Gray is the leader. From my perch on Axel’s knee, I watch the others, trying to parse out who is who in this odd family.
Ford is the quiet one, certainly. Sweet, almost shy in a way the others aren’t. Bram is quiet too, but in more of a watchful way. Every now and then I get the feeling he’s just… studying me, like a puzzle he’s trying to figure out.
Then there’s Colt, who is the complete opposite of his twin. Goofy and loud where Bram is silent and almost brooding. All through dinner, Colt shares tales of his exploits in the business world, his latest travels here and there and everywhere.
“Vegas?” My interest piques when he mentions that sinful city further west. “I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas.”
Flashing a smile, Colt grins. “Then we’ll go. I’m sure we can talk your old fuddy-duddy of a Daddy into a trip once the snow melts.”
