He popped his blue eyes open again, then sat down and kicked out his legs, crossing them at the ankles before continuing.
“There are holes in this. Sometimes you give people a shot, and they fall back in their ways—they’re shitheads, or whatever. But the ones you reach? You can’t beat that loyalty into people. You can threaten people’s loved ones, but they’ll still turn on you when they can. Rightfully so. But after all this time, I think I found something that works better. So I’m building relationships, as cheesy as that sounds, and recruiting some new guys, treating them all right.”
Beckett paused to take a breath, and Cole knew he should say something, but he couldn’t find the words. Before he’d formulated something encouraging to say, Beck was off again.
“These houses? This abandoned shit no one is using? I want to let single moms live in them. I want people like my friend Vere to have a place to stay. I think if we train up some people, they can help each other, bound by loyalty. My new tactic for Poughkeepsie is defense, and we’ll do it by having a strong community. Some of the lowest people on the totem pole will never get out of that fucking hole without help. They can work their jobs, earn minimum wage, and still never have anything they get to call their own. I want them to get their heads above water, if they have a desire to do so.”
Beckett stood again and put his hand to the wall. He smoothed it over the light blue paint. “I sound like an insane hippy. This is stupid, right?” Blake shifted on his seat and looked at his feet. Cole smiled. He’d just watched this man in front of him give himself over to a beautiful dream. This time he found his words. “It’s an amazing plan. I’m so proud of you.”
Beckett looked at Cole with a skeptical gaze. “But—”
“No. Just flat-out perfection. You’re a force to be reckoned with. You’re so damn smart. And you have a power inside of you that’s unstoppable. You—” Cole stood and walked with purpose to stand right in front of his brother “—have been put on this earth for a reason. And I do believe you’ve found it.”
Beckett threw his arm around Cole and turned to look at Blake. “This is all well and good, but I don’t want to ask either of you to rough this one out. Go home, talk about it together. Bake Christmas cookies and crap. Then tell me what you want to happen. Know that I’m yours. My loyalty, my soul is yours no matter what you decide. Crap, you can shoot me in the back, and I’ll never want anything but to be around you hookers.”
Blake stood and shook his head. “Nah, I don’t need time. I appreciate the place in Hawaii, and it would be great to go to—maybe for a vacation sometime? But I’m here. I’m not leaving you. You’re my family.”
Beckett ran a hand down his face and nodded.
Cole had never been on board with a murderous bloodbath, but he could get behind trying to help the community. He was so relieved that he could finally side with his brother on this. “You know, you’ve helped Blake and me any chance you got,” he said, “even when it meant leaving Poughkeepsie for years. This is something we can help you with.”
Beckett bit his bottom lip. “I can’t think of anything better.” He added his arm to their handshake.
9
Casserole
Cole rocked his son as he stood in the kitchen on Christmas morning. He could see the chair where he’d first told Kyle about this baby who had become JB. He could see it, but he certainly couldn’t sit in it. There was an elaborate pattern of walking and standing that JB preferred. The baby opened his eyes and blinked a few times before seeming to focus on his father’s face.
“Hey, buddy. Let’s let Mommy sleep,” Cole told him. “Good morning.”
The responding cooing sounds spoke straight to Cole’s soul. This child was his to keep safe. The thought covered his spine with metal and determination as he bounced out a rhythm.
He’d been thinking so much lately of his own upbringing—how much of it wasn’t his fault. Stupid, common-sense stuff. But he’d been small, and the path he’d been forced to take wasn’t fair. Yet he’d come out the other side willing to look for love. That was his own personal affirmation that God existed.
After a few minutes he heard Kyle stomp into the bathroom upstairs. He did his best to juggle the baby and pop the pod in the coffee maker. After descending the stairs, his beautiful bride, sexy in satin pajamas that skimmed her slim dancer’s figure, glared at him and the baby before finishing the rest of the coffee-making production for him.
“Merry Christmas, sunshine.” He winked at her as she rolled her eyes and gave him the finger. They were silent while she waited for her coffee. Within a minute she had the full cup in her hand, and she swallowed the steaming liquid with a sigh.
Her voice was still scratchy with sleep, her short hair wild. “Merry Christmas to you and my baby boy.” She kissed him, and her lips were warm and tasted of her coffee. Then she brushed her lips on JB’s forehead, careful to keep the hot cup far from the baby. “How long have you been up?”
“About two hours.”
“You want to head upstairs and get a few extra minutes?”
“Of sleep?” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“You have a dirty mind on Christ’s birthday.” She slapped him hard on the butt.
“Nah, thanks, though. You know our niece and nephew have to be chomping at the bit.” Cole transferred JB to his bouncy seat.
“Did we leave any presents here?” Kyle rubbed her eyes and tried to comb her hair with her fingers.
The coffee was doing wonders for her mood, judging from her smile.
“All the ones we need right now are over there under the tree.” He took her cup away and wrapped her in his arms. “Merry Christmas, baby.”
She touched his cheeks. “Merry Christmas. You and our son are the best presents ever.”
They kissed deeply, but she pushed him away when he started to get grabby. “No, seriously, let me get a shower. My vagina smells like a set of nuts.”
“Awesome.” Cole laughed.
“So I’ll go first, then get the baby fed and pack his bag, and after you shower, I’ll get ready. We can’t forget the breakfast casserole or my sister will shit a cow.”
He stopped her by grabbing her hand. “Your mouth.”
“Ah, shit.” Kyle covered her offending lips with her other hand.
“You’re filthy.” He spanked her butt in return. “We need some sort of swear jar up in this joint.”
She shook her head but refused to talk.
“Or more like a swear water tower or landfill.”
Kyle stomped her feet and gave him a hard look.
“Your anger makes you cuter. So have at it.” He let go of her other hand and rested against the counter, crossing his arms.
She backed up and, when she was out of sight of the baby, pulled up her top to flash her boobs at him before turning and going up the stairs.
Cole’s phone buzzed, and he ignored it while she watched his wife, hoping for more nudity, but the water turned on upstairs. He answered his brother’s call.
“Hey, hot stuff. You on your way? I hear Blake’s kids are jumping out of their skin.” Beckett sounded like he was in the car.
“You already headed over?”
“It’s seven thirty a.m., and I hear that’s fucking late for presents. I wouldn’t know.”
“Me neither.”
“Time to start some new traditions then,” Beckett said. “I’m not gonna be late even if I have to park in the driveway for an hour. Holidays were hard without anyone while I was gone.”
“We felt your loss every time. You’ll enjoy the chaos. Speaking of which, did he mention if he got our package?”
“Chaos? Yeah. He texted me a pic of the present you guys sent. That was real thoughtful.”
“It was Kyle.”
“I figured. I got something in the car from them to JB. You want me to bring it in?”
Cole picked up the baby and cuddled him close, propping the phone against his shoulder.
“S
ure. I’m figuring we’ll be there in forty-five minutes. I suck at ETA with the little guy here, though. Tough to get out the door with everything we need.”
“I’m sure it is. We’re pulling up now, and Blake is headed at me and Eve with coffee.”
“We’ll see you there. Merry Christmas.”
Cole went ahead and fed JB while Kyle showered. When she came down in her robe, she saw that breakfast was already happening and turned tail to get dressed. Then they did the hand-off, and Cole showered in the warm, moist bathroom.
After they were all clothed and had received about twenty texts from siblings urging them on—including pouting pictures of Emme and Kellan—they made it to the car. Of course then they had to turn around to get the casserole.
Finally pulling into Blake and Livia’s neighborhood felt like finishing a marathon.
Blake plopped Kellan in Eve’s lap. His son had always gravitated to the pretty blonde, and she lit up as she positioned the baby so they could chat. Blake needed help monitoring the crazy kids upstairs while they waited for Cole’s group and Livia put the finishing touches on the tree downstairs. Emme watched Christmas cartoons in between asking “How much longer?”
“Cole said they’re about five minutes away.”
Eve nodded to show she’d heard Blake but continued to listen to Kellan’s story, which sounded like an anthology of every word he’d ever heard.
Beckett knocked on the door frame lightly, and Blake rose to stand next to his brother. “If my kids can get through the wait, this is going to be an epic morning.”
Beckett smiled. “Yeah. She looks good with a kid, right?”
Blake followed his brother’s gaze as Eve gave Kellan a kiss on the cheek.
“Like a different person. She healing up?”
Beckett nodded. “She’s tough. My job is to make sure she doesn’t overdo it.”
Eve glanced out the window and set Kellan on the floor.
Beckett reacted quickly, stepping in front of the kids to stand by her side. Blake knew Eve was likely at least a little armed, and he watched as his brother went for a gun and came up empty-handed. Livia’s rule was no guns. She was adamant. They made her nervous.
All at once Eve and Beckett relaxed their postures. Beckett turned and shook his head. “Your neighbor has company. Nothing to worry about.”
“Is that how it always is?”
Blake watched as Eve settled on the floor next to Kellan to go back to their game.
“We can leave, if you need us to.”
“I think the entire family feels better when you’re here than when you’re not.” Blake patted his brother on the back as Beckett stood a little taller.
“They’re here! Get the kids ready!” Livia’s voice came bouncing up the stairwell. She sounded as excited as the kids.
Blake turned off the TV and revved the little ones up as Eve and Beckett slipped out. When they had the go-ahead, Blake and the kids went to the top of the stairs. Livia had taped wrapping paper over the doorway at the bottom. The computer in the living room began playing “We Are the Champions” by Queen.
Beckett’s laugh was infectious, and the kids worked together to burst from the stairway like a conquering football team. On the other side of the paper stood a huge stack of presents under their just-a-little-bit-too-tall Christmas tree.
Phones were out to video the kids’ reactions. Kyle brought JB over, and Blake noticed he was wearing the same pajamas as Emme and Kellan. The house smelled like cinnamon and pine. After the entrance song, the computer transitioned to softly playing Christmas songs.
After taking it all in, the kids started with their stockings, and the brothers found themselves separated around the living room. There would be a peace sign if someone took the time to draw a line on the floor connecting them.
Blake knew this was his and his brothers’ wildest dream. Each of their women held a baby. They could almost choke on all the love in the room—the normal, what they’d never had. Beckett looked at his feet. Cole exhaled and stuffed his hands in his pockets. They were having the same thoughts.
He motioned for them to step into the kitchen. He pulled three glasses from the cabinet as Beckett saw where this was headed and went to Blake’s pantry. He smiled at the bourbon he pulled out. Cole nodded. It was too early to be drinking, but they had to do it. There had to be a way to consecrate this moment. Beckett poured stupidly generous amounts of the amber liquid.
He held up his glass after setting down the bottle. His brothers matched his movement. “To family.”
“To family.”
“To family.”
They touched their glasses and made eye contact. Each made sure to drain his entire helping of the bourbon.
Blake laughed at the burn and slapped his glass down on the counter.
“And that’s how the baby Jesus would want us to celebrate.” Beckett held up his arm.
They’d seen each other so much recently, it was a smooth connection. The brother’s handshake.
Kyle walked into the kitchen. “You girls done having your panty-swap party yet? Because these kids have some presents to open.”
It didn’t take long to get through the rest of everything. Blake handed Beckett a screwdriver and a sheet of stickers for Emme’s new toy horse corral. Cole worked on a new mobile for JB, and soon Blake was knee-deep in batteries for a pile of toys. The laughter and jokes flew around the room fast. The bourbon was revisited twice.
John and Kathy walked in with another armful of gifts shortly after the kids finished the first round. John shook hands with Blake and Cole and gave Beckett a hard stare.
Blake watched as Livia took her father aside and had some stern words, but the man didn’t seem to relax. Perhaps sensing this, Beckett and Eve were ready to go just after breakfast. If John had been a little more welcoming, Blake bet they would have stayed longer.
He and Cole walked them out, and Beckett hugged them both. Blake pulled two envelopes out of his pocket and handed one to Beckett and the other to Cole. “This is for you guys.”
He watched as his brothers each pulled out three tickets. Cole had a set for all of them to a hockey game and Beckett a set to a baseball game.
“Contractually obligated memories. That’s all I’m saying,” Blake explained. “And yes, I checked with the women on the dates.”
Beckett shook his head and looked at Eve. She shrugged. He trotted to the car and reached into the glove compartment. He came back with a stack of envelopes.
“You already knew about this, but here are the deeds.” He handed out the crumpled envelopes. Between Blake and Cole there were three deeds to houses in Hawaii.
“I thought we were staying?” Cole looked slightly worried.
“No, you’re good. I hope you are. I just…I bought them and I thought, shit, I might as well hand them out. There’s plenty of room to build around those houses too. I bought up the land. At the very least they can be part of the kids’ inheritance. Maybe you can vacation there, and God forbid, if shit turns to a shitstorm, you all have a place to go. I got a place for Chery, Vere, and Chaos too, but it’s across town.”
He stuck his hands in his pocket. “And there’s a place for John and Kathy.” He motioned to the extra envelope in Blake’s hand. “You know, just up and go if things ever make you skittish. I need to have a safe place for you to land.”
Blake nodded before hugging it out with Beckett. “We don’t want to leave, but I appreciate the gesture.”
Cole also thanked Beckett, adding, “Well, I didn’t get you guys jack. I’m lucky I’m wearing clean underwear.”
Beckett laughed. “You sure about that, baby?”
“Okay, fine. I’m not even entirely sure about that.” Cole swiped under his chin in Beckett’s direction.
“Awww, priest man’s getting feisty now.” Beckett faux punched both his brothers.
Blake tried one last time. “Seriously, you can stay. John will…”
He trailed off as
the screen door squeaked behind them. “It’s him isn’t it?”
John cleared his throat loudly. “Can I get a minute?”
Blake and Cole shook hands before leaving Beckett leaning against his Challenger. Eve slipped slowly behind the steering wheel and slammed the door.
Blake hated that Beckett still had an illegal air to him. He really just wanted the man safe, settled, and in his life for good.
Beckett waited as Capt. John McHugh approached. The man looked tense, but he always did. “Listen, I have to talk to you,” he announced. “Is she still in on all your stuff?” He nodded in Eve’s direction.
Nice of him to ask, but since Morales’ involvement, Beckett was fairly certain there were very few secrets anymore as far as Eve was concerned. He played along and nodded.
“Can you follow me a few roads down?” McHugh didn’t wait for an answer and headed for his car.
Beckett got in the passenger’s side of the Challenger. His buzz had dried up. He’d wanted to spend Christmas with his family and then cuddled up with Eve at his house. Now this.
“We following him?” She already had the car in reverse.
“Yeah. Not sure what we’re going into.”
McHugh pulled over in the parking lot of a gas station, threading around to the back of the store. Eve parked in a way that didn’t hem them in, but it was too little too late as Ryan’s douchebag truck pulled in right behind them. Beckett sighed.
Eve threw it in park and got out—always a tiger, ready to attack. Beckett got out more slowly, more pissed that his Christmas now included Morales than anything else. They met in front of the car, and he didn’t miss Eve’s nod acknowledging Morales.
“Too drunk to drive, assbag?” Morales gave Beckett the finger and shook hands with McHugh.