“Oh, all right,” Jordan grumbles, scooting to the edge of the island before jumping down and running toward his dad, who Kenyon is already standing next to.
“Say goodnight to Uncle Dillon and Aunt Ashlyn,” Parker instructs, using the palms of his hands on the top of the boys’ heads to turn them to face Dillon and me.
“Night.” They grin, and then duck their heads and run off, shouting and laughing.
“I’ll be back,” Parker mutters before looking at Cara. “Are you coming?”
“It depends.” She turns to look at me. “Do you have wine?”
“I’ve got wine.” I smile, feeling Dillon’s body shake with silent laughter against my back.
“I guess I’m coming,” she sighs, and I laugh out loud watching them leave, then lean into Dillon and look up at him.
“Are you happy?”
“My favorite people are all under one roof,” he replies without answering, and I press farther into him.
“So you’re happy?” I surmise, but instead of answering again, he kisses me until I’m breathless.
*
Taking a sip of soda, I lean back against Dillon, who pulled me down onto his lap as soon as we got outside, and look across the gas-lit fire at Cara and Parker, who are sitting exactly like we are, and smile. I could hear Cara and Parker arguing with the boys the whole time they were upstairs and knew they would both need a drink by the time they were done, so I had Dillon start up the outdoor fireplace and open a bottle of wine. As soon as they came downstairs, I handed Cara a glass and Parker a beer and lead them to the backyard to relax.
“So tell me, how did Dillon finally convince you to go out with him?” Cara asks, and I bite my lip, trying to figure out how much I should tell her. She told me earlier that Dillon mentioned me to her and Parker during their last visit, but was convinced I wasn’t interested in him.
“I didn’t convince her,” he says, running his fingers along my hip under my sweater, and she frowns. Seeing the confused look on her face, I open my mouth to speak, but then snap it shut when Dillon continues. “When we went to Vegas for the dental convention, I canceled her room so she had to share mine. She got pissed at me and got drunk, so I took advantage of her inebriated state and dragged her to the nearest wedding chapel, where I married her. And the next morning, when she woke up asking for a divorce, I refused,” he finishes, and I know my eyes are as wide as Cara’s, which are staring back at me.
“Wow,” she whispers after a moment, and looks at Parker. “And I thought you were crazy.” Smiling, he tugs her head down toward his and says something I can’t hear, and her face softens before he pulls her even closer to kiss her.
Dragging my eyes from them, I look at Dillon. “What do you mean you canceled my room?” I ask, and he grins.
“I canceled my extra room the day I told you I needed you to come with me.”
“You did?” I breathe, and he runs his fingers across my stomach. “Were you planning on seducing me?”
“You refused to see there was something between us, so I was going to convince you there was, one way or another.”
“And you think I’m a nut.” I run my fingers along his jaw, watching his grin turn into a soft smile.
“It worked out in the end.”
“Yeah, but you still could have asked me out like a normal guy,” I mutter, and he wraps the front of my sweater in his fist and forces me closer.
“If I was normal, we wouldn’t be together.”
“You don’t know that.” I frown, and he pulls me even closer.
“Don’t forget, I’ve seen what you’ve done to normal men, baby.”
“Whatever.” I narrow my eyes on his when he chuckles.
“We’re gonna go on in and get to bed early,” Parker says suddenly. I turn to look at him, and then hide my smile when Cara ducks her head.
“Sure. Night, guys.”
“Night,” Cara replies quickly as Parker propels her into the house in front of him.
“I’m surprised he didn’t just pick her up and throw her over his shoulder like a caveman,” I mutter, feeling Dillon laugh, and my eyes drop to his. “I like them.”
“I’m glad.”
“I like the boys too. They’re adorable.”
“They are.” He nods, turning me in his lap to straddle him.
“I’m going to see if Hope wants to go to the zoo with us tomorrow.”
“That would be nice,” he agrees absently as one of his hands slides up my back under my sweater then around, cupping my breast. “Are you ready for bed?”
I press my chest into his while wrapping my arms around the back of his neck. “Yes.” I nip his ear, and he stands, keeping me against him with his hands under my ass. Twining my legs around his waist, I let him carry me into the house and up to bed, where we do not go to sleep until much later.
“That’s our point, not yours,” I hear a little boy’s voice shout through my sleep-fogged brain, and my eyes blink open.
“No, it’s our point,” is rumbled back, and I roll my head to the side, finding Dillon gone and the bed cold.
Scooting across the cool sheets, I look at the clock on the bedside table and groan when I see it’s just five after seven. I want to go back to sleep, but know I won’t be able to now that I’m awake. Throwing my legs over the side, I stand, stretching my arms over my head as I walk across the room toward the closet. As soon as I open the door, I blink in confusion. The clothes that were in my suitcases are now scattered across the floor. Shaking my head, I wonder why Dillon couldn’t just tell me to unpack. “This is Dillon we’re talking about,” I mutter to myself as I go about hanging stuff up and shoving some into drawers.
After finally putting away the last piece of clothing, I grab the jeans and shirt I picked out to wear and head for the bathroom. Tying my hair into a bun on top of my head, I turn on the shower and hop in, making quick work of getting cleaned up since cleaning the closet took over an hour. I know the boys will want to get to the zoo early, and I still need to call Ellie to see about Hope coming along with us.
Once I’m showered and dressed, I put on some mascara and bronzer then grab my cell phone and leave the room, feeling my heart melt as I head down the steps. Taking a seat at the bottom of the stairs, I watch the boys, including Parker and Dillon, play hockey across the marble floors using brooms and mops as hockey sticks and a wadded up piece of paper as a puck.
“We win, you lose!” Jordan yells, giving Kenyon a high-five when he scores a point in the imaginary goal.
“I call a rematch.” Dillon smiles, picking up a laughing Jordan under one arm and a giggling Kenyon under his other, before spinning them in circles, making their laughter echo through the foyer.
“Morning,” Parker says, and I smile as he takes a seat next to me on the step.
“Morning.” I nudge my shoulder with his, listening to the boys giggle and yell for Dillon to go faster.
“When are you guys going to take the dive into parenthood?” he asks, and I feel my face soften when Dillon’s smiling eyes come to me.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly, staring into Dillon’s eyes. Seeing him with his nephews makes me want to see him with our kids. I have no doubt he will be an amazing dad. “Maybe a few years. We’re still trying to get to know each other, and as you know, we didn’t start out like most married couples.”
“Do you love him?” he asks softly, and I pull my eyes from Dillon and the boys to look at him before I answer.
“Yes.”
“That’s all that matters. The rest will fall into place with time.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” He grins, and I roll my eyes, seeing he’s just as cocky as his brother.
“You sound just like Dillon.”
“Dillon sounds just like me. I’m older.” He smiles then looks at the door when the bell rings. Dropping the boys to their feet, Dillon pulls it open, and as soon as I see who is waiting there, I
feel my temper flare. Then I hear Parker mutter, “You’ve got to be shitting me.” I’m staring at Isla who is standing on the front porch.
“Dillon, please.” She holds up her hand when it looks like he’s about to shut the door in her face, and he shakes his head then looks over his shoulder at us.
Standing, I start down the last two steps, but then drop my eyes to my wrist when Parker takes hold of it, stopping me. “Boys, go hang with your mom,” he orders, and the boys look at him and frown, probably confused by his change in demeanor. “Now,” he urges, and they take off toward the kitchen.
“Can we please talk?” she pleads, looking up at Dillon, and my stomach fills with all the anger I’ve been holding back.
“Why are you here?” he asks as Parker releases me and goes to stand next to him, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I… I tried to see you yesterday. Did Ashley give you my message?” she prompts, and I grit my teeth, knowing for a fact she’s very aware my name is not Ashley.
“Are you serious? Are you so desperate to see him that you came all the way to Tennessee?” I question as I shoulder my way between the two guys blocking the door, and she looks at me.
“I don’t want to be rude, but this is family business,” she murmurs, looking contrite, and my hands ball into fists so I don’t reach out and strangle her.
“Baby,” Dillon says gently, wrapping his arm around my waist.
I turn my glare on him, daring him to say something, and then move my eyes back to her and narrow them further. “I’m his wife. That makes me the definition of family.” I point at myself, and her eyes fill with spite before she hides it with pity.
“He didn’t even give you his mom’s ring,” she says. Dillon and Parker growl, “What the fuck?” at the same time.
“You’re right. He didn’t, but I don’t see it on your finger, either,” I hiss, lunging for her, but Dillon’s arms band around my waist before I can reach her.
“Baby, calm down,” he rumbles, but I ignore him and attempt to pull myself from his grasp to get my hands on her.
“Get her the fuck out of here,” Dillon barks at Parker, who quickly ushers Isla down the steps to her car as I fight against his hold. So pissed that my vision has turned red and no amount of self-control will be able to change it. “Calm the fuck down.”
“No!” I buck against him, pissed at myself for acting like a deranged, jealous wife, and pissed at him for having anything to do with her. I’m not this person. I’m not someone who gets jealous and acts crazy… or I wasn’t until him. Sagging against his chest, I close my eyes, feeling defeated and humiliated. “Let me go.” His arms tighten and his mouth drops to my ear.
“I’m not ever fucking letting you go.”
“Please,” I whisper, feeling tears burn the back of my eyes. I’m not this woman, and I don’t want to be her. “Please, just let me go,” I murmur, and he must hear the desperation in my tone, because his arms loosen enough for me to get away.
Stepping back from him, I pull in a breath then turn to face him. “Baby.” He reaches for me, but I take another step away from him.
“I…” I shake my head as tears sting my nose. Shutting my eyes tightly, I only open them back up once I know I’ve fought them back.
“What the fuck was that?” Parker slams the door, making me jump, and I look at him, feeling my cheeks heat in embarrassment. I can’t believe I acted the way I did in front of him. I can’t believe he just saw me at my worst.
“I’ll talk to you about it in a minute. Go check on Cara and the boys. I need to talk to Ash.”
“Fine, but you better tell me what the fuck is going on,” he warns before storming off toward the kitchen, and my eyes follow his retreating back.
“Come here,” Dillon calls, and my eyes go to his and I jerk my head from left to right.
I… I need some ti—” I begin quietly, and his jaw clenches as he cuts me off.
“I’m not letting you go.”
“You guys go to the zoo. I just need some time alone.”
“You don’t need time alone,” he denies, and my stomach twists.
“I do. This… you… God! I don’t even know the person I just was,” I cry, and he takes a step closer to me, but I move before he can touch me. “Please, I’m begging you. Just give me some time to think.” I hold up my hand to ward him off, and his eyes drop to my outstretched palm.
“Goddammit. Let me hold you!” he roars, and I cringe, feeling my shoulders sag.
“I think we both need some time to think. Some time to calm down,” I whisper, and his eyes close then open and pin me in place.
“If you’re not here when I get back and I have to come find you, I’m going to be pissed,” he snarls, then turns and storms off, leaving me shaken.
Chapter 10
Dillon
“Talk to me.”
Looking at my brother, I feel my teeth grind together. “I don’t even know where to fucking start,” I mutter, leaning against the fence in front of me, not seeing the boys and Cara feeding the animals inside the pen. My mind is consumed with Ashlyn and the look I saw on her face before I left her standing in the foyer.
“You can start by telling me why the hell Isla is still around. I thought you cut her out of your life after you ended your bullshit engagement to her.”
“I did,” I grit out, and he shakes his head, leaning his elbows on the rail.
“I told you it was stupid to even pretend to be with her. I told you that shit was whack and was going to blow up in your face.”
“I don’t need to hear ‘I told you so’ right now. You know how it was growing up in that house. Her parents were around, but were never really there. And when you left, it was just me and her. It’s not an excuse, but I’d always just taken on the job of looking out for her, so I missed it. I didn’t see her bullshit for what it was. I had no idea she was in to me like that.”
“I could have told you she was in love with you. She’s been standing under your tree for years, trying to get you to give her an apple.”
“What the fuck does that even mean?” I ask, feeling my brows pull sharply together.
“I’ve been reading The Giving Tree to the boys at night.” He shrugs and smiles.
“I would be better off talking to Cara right now.”
“Probably not. You know how she feels about Isla,” he mutters, and I cringe, remembering the first time Parker brought Cara to New York to meet everyone. Isla tried during that visit to hook him up with one of her friends, right in front of Cara, and Cara lost her mind. After that, she refused to have anything to do with Isla—or her parents, because they acted like it wasn’t a big deal and laughed it off. “I’m just glad Cara didn’t see Isla. You and I both know she would have helped Ashlyn kick her ass.” He laughs, and my jaw ticks.
“This shit’s not funny,” I growl, and he pulls his eyes from the kids and Cara to look at me.
“You need to calm the fuck down. It will all be okay,” he mutters, but the feeling in my chest won’t go away, and I know it won’t until I see her.
“Fuck, I can’t do this. I can’t stay here. I need to go home and check on her.” I pull my car keys from my pocket and shove them at him. “Take my car. I’ll get a cab to take me back to the house.”
“Do you want us to find a hotel for the night?” he asks quietly, and I shake my head.
“No, I just need some time. Take Cara and the boys out to dinner.”
“Sure, whatever you need.” He nods, putting my keys in his front pocket.
“I’ll see you later,” I tell him, leaving without saying goodbye to Cara and the boys.
Making my way out of the zoo, I call Tim and see if he’s available to pick me up. Luckily, he’s close, and is waiting out front for me as soon as I leave the front gate.
“Did your car break down?” he asks, opening the back door.
“No, my brother’s using it. He’s staying here with his wife and kids.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, something came up that I need to take care of at home.”
“I’ll get you there quickly,” he mutters, shutting the door.
Rolling up the divider between us, I pull out my cell phone to call Ashlyn, and then grit my teeth when she doesn’t answer. The drive to the house seems to take forever, even though I know it’s only fifteen minutes. As soon as we pull up out front, I hand Tim enough money to cover the trip and extra for a tip before I get out, slamming the door. Entering the house, I head toward the library, knowing that’s where I will find her if she didn’t take off on me. As soon as I enter the room, I find her curled up on the couch with a blanket pulled up to her shoulders and her eyes closed.
Taking a seat in the crook of her lap, I rest my palm against her cheek and her eyes flutter open. “You didn’t leave,” I murmur, and she attempts to sit up, but I keep her where she is by leaning my body into hers.
“I told you I wouldn’t.”
“I’m sorry, baby.”
Frowning, she shakes her head and tries to sit up once more. “Why are you sorry? You’re not the one who acted like a crazy person.”
“You didn’t act like a crazy person. You reacted when you felt someone was a threat. Your reaction was completely normal.”
“You think trying to attack someone is normal?” She closes her eyes, and I rest my hand over her heart.
“Baby.” Her eyes open, and I feel my heart beat against my ribcage in sync with hers against my palm. “I would kill someone if I thought they were a threat, and I would go to war with any person that tried to come between us. That is not crazy. That’s me protecting the most vital part of me, because it lives inside of you.”
“Dillon.” She closes her eyes, resting her hand over mine on her chest. “I… I don’t like the person I was.”
“That’s okay, because I love her,” I say gently as I run my thumb over her pouted bottom lip. “I hate what happened, but I loved seeing that your feelings for me are just as strong as mine are for you.” I dip my head and kiss her softly then pull back.