Chapter 1 – Greg – Early Spring
I’ve been sitting in my truck, staring through out the windshield without seeing a thing. My skin feels tight, my blood too hot, and my heart is beating too fast. The smile on my face though? It feels like it will never leave. Never—not once—did I ever think this would be reachable. When I pictured my future, it was always with the acceptance that I would just be cool Uncle Greg, and maybe if I were lucky, I would find someone compatible enough to spend my life with. I didn’t expect love. I had given up that hope years ago.
Then I met Melissa, and everything I could have settled for went flying out the window. Poof—in an instant, I met my future. I crave her. The feelings she gave me and the love I knew would come from her was all that mattered.
We haven’t had an easy time of it. There was the time when we almost lost Cohen that I thought I would once again end up with nothing. When I first met Melissa’s nephew, Cohen, that boy had me wrapped around his little awesome finger. Melissa and her mom had raised him since his mom—her sister—had passed away. He was her boy. And now? Now he’s our boy.
We both went through a tough time after Cohen’s kidnapping. Not only was there a period when I didn’t know if I would get him back, but in the mess of things, we also lost Melissa’s mom.
But my girl is strong. We overcame together. My girl… My wife, and our beautiful little boy. And now? Now we have a bright future ahead of us. Nothing could top those two in my life. Not a damn thing.
Until last weekend.
I’ll never forget the day she came home from visiting her sister and mother’s graves. Normally, that would be something all three of us would do together. Cohen likes to spend time talking to his angels, and I know it gives Melissa some peace to have a place where she feels they are. Somewhere tangible so she can still be with them.
I watch out the corner of my eye when I hear a car pulling into the driveway. Cohen and I were kicking some serious ninja ass, rolling around in the front lawn, and just enjoying some man time. Melissa has been gone for a while now, so I know before even looking at her beautiful face that she’s home.
I finally detach Cohen’s small body from where we just conquered our last ‘bad guy.’ Somehow, that fight had turned into a wrestling and tickling match. Hell, I don’t care what the reason is. If my little dude is laughing, that’s all that matters.
Finally getting loose, I turn and spy Melissa through the windshield. She’s been sitting in her car, just watching us with her blinding smile fully in place. My heart picks up speed when I look into her eyes so full of love for her men.
“Life doesn’t get any better than this, C-Man.”
Cohen turns, his big brown eyes twinkling with happiness. “Yeah it does. If we had some pizza!”
I laugh but turn my attention back to Melissa when I hear the car door shut. Cohen doesn’t say anything else, but hell, even he gets stunned silent when she walks into our path.
She takes her time walking over to us. When she gets close enough, Cohen jumps up, runs and gives her a big hug before he starts dancing around the yard in a battle only he understands. His little arms flap around, his legs kick out, and the biggest grin spreads across his face. She doesn’t even pause. Instead, she walks right up to me and plops her fine ass down in my lap. My arms wrap around her body, and I pull her against my lap, fighting the urge to throw her down and take her hard.
She laughs, wiggling against my growing erection. Yeah, she knows exactly what she’s up to. She turns, her smile lighting up her face, and leans in and kisses me.
Resting her forehead against mine, her eyes still holding her smile, she whispers softly words that touch me to my very soul.
“If it’s a girl, maybe we can come up with something to honor both our sisters.”
A statement. Not a hypothetical ‘if we have one in the future’ kind of statement.
I come out of my daze, my smile wide enough that my face hurts, and get ready to climb out of my truck. I know that the second that I step foot into the office the guys will take one look at me and know. They may not know what’s got me smiling like an idiot, but they will know something significant has happened. It’s not easy keeping something so life changing to myself. But with news like this, I can’t wait to share. Hell, I would be screaming from the rafters, taking out ads in the local paper, maybe even a few billboards if I could.
I lock up the truck, and before I can even take a step, I hear him.
“Gregory!”
I smile at Sway and walk over to where he’s standing outside of his shop.
“What’s going on, Sway?”
“’What’s going on,’ he says? Oh nothing much, you gorgeous man. Just sitting here, minding my own business, when I see you pull in, park, and just sit there with that delicious smile happening. That’s what is happening, Gregory! Blinding me with all that yumminess all the way into my salon.”
He’s standing there, hands on his hips, tapping one red leather-booted foot, his long blond hair falling over his shoulder and the ever-present naughty gleam in his eyes. No shame at all in the fact that I’m pretty sure he just took all my clothes off as I walked across the parking lot.
“Stop thinking about me naked, Sway,” I guffaw. “I got some good news this weekend. You can’t wipe this smile off if you tried.”
“Oh, Gregory… That sounds like an invitation to try.” We both laugh, but truth be told, I doubt there is anything that can knock me off my high. “Well? Are you going to tell Sway what has you all happilicious?”
Happilicious? The hell?
“You’re something else, Sway.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Melissa told me this weekend that we’re pregnant. Well…she’s pregnant, but you know what I mean.” Even saying it out loud brings a fresh round of pure fucking joy to flush through my system.
My girl. Pregnant.
“Ohhhhh! A baby!” Sway starts going on and on about Uncle Sway this, baby showers that, and that is when I take my cue to leave.
Right when I open my mouth to tell him bye, I hear it. Clapping coming from behind me. Turning, I find them. Axel, Beck, Coop, and Maddox are all clapping like demented seals with smiles front and center. Even Maddox has a grin on his normally stoic face.