“Oh god, yes. Unf.”

Alex smiled while he watched his wife’s face. Ecstasy transformed her features. She had her eyes closed. Her mouth was open one second as she gasped her pleasure—and the next, she’d bite her lip as she melted down in a quivering, full body moan.

“Harder,” she begged. “Again.”

He chuckled and gave her what she wanted. Pleasuring Meghan was one of life’s perfect joys.

Her head moved back and forth as he labored. He studied the mass of auburn curls spread out on the white linens of their bed. She arched her back slightly when he got especially fierce. Her arms were spread wide, and her fingers moved as she attempted to grab something.

“Don’t stop.”

Okay. Alex doubled down until she was moaning nonstop—and begging for more.

This is fun, he thought with a slight snicker.

A gorgeously sexy groan came from her open mouth. She shuddered head to toe. Her legs shook. He gave it to her hard and then stopped.

Her eyes opened, and a seductive and very wicked smile spread across her face. “I’m keeping you.” She giggled.

“Why?” he growled. Alex pressed into her again and drew another moan.

“Because you give good pleasure,” she answered brightly. “And certainly not because I like you or anything.”

He had a good laugh. She was a cheeky wench when the mood hit her.

Shifting her body just enough to land a satisfying thump on her ass, he scoffed and dropped the foot he’d been massaging.

“I believe this wifely ploy is the very definition of scamming the husband.”

Meghan laughed, sat up, and pushed him onto his back, at which point she climbed on top of him and wiggled in a deliciously audacious straddle.

“Explain, my sexy beast.” Her hand swiped down his chest, and he heard an appreciative sigh.

“There are several ways to pull off a husband scam,” he told her with a half-serious smirk. “In this case, though, what I refer to is that bullshit with the high heels that females are so good at.”

“Are you still bitching about my shoes?” Her delighted laughter made him smile.

“Yes. But now I get it.”

She sniggered, and he pulled the stretchy lace part of her nightie down and scooped both breasts from the fabric. It was all kinds of wicked cool how his wife’s magnificent tits were framed and lifted—right at his face.

“You wear the stupid heels and then complain about how your feet hurt.”

She arched a brow. Her dubious expression was sexy funny. He played with her tits, being careful not to get too earnest with her nipples.

“What’s your point?” she growled when he cupped her mounds and tested their weight with his hands.

“The point, my wicked Irish harridan, is this—if you want a fucking foot massage, just ask. Don’t cripple your feet and then whine about it like a spoiled brat.”

She wiggled and shot him a familiar look. “And what if the Irish hellcat wants the fucking but not the foot massage?”

Alex laughed. His wife was a piece of work. “Well, the dirty pictures guarantee a response. Try that instead.”

She put her hands over his and guided him through the touches and teasing that turned her on.

“I worked on that last one forever, you know.”

Huh? What? He was starting to lose the thread. Her subtle gyrations were playing havoc with his dick.

“Do tell,” he murmured because for the life of him he was having a hard time following along. His wife’s bountiful bosom had the power to render him speechless. So did her curvy ass but that was a turn-on for another day.

She slowly rode him for a few seconds—gathering her hair in a bunch and holding it atop her head while her hips moved seductively.

“Set the tripod up right over there,” she murmured. Her hand gestured at the side of the bed. “Bluetooth shutter control,” she groaned as he put a hand on her back and pushed her close enough for his tongue to flick a rosy nipple.

“Angles, lighting, props,” she continued, moaning.

He smiled when she mentioned props and instantly recalled the naughty photo his oversexed mate had sent him while he was in the middle of a business meeting.

She was bent over the side of the bed with her panties shoved down around her feet. Next to her on the bed sat a crop with a soft leather tab on the end. It wasn’t always about the flogger with Meghan. Sometimes, she preferred something a bit more … spirited.

He’d quite literally taken one look, shook his head, and then looked at the picture more closely. Her sultry demand was clear. The meeting ended abruptly, and with the howls of Team Justice’s laughter nipping at his heels, he’d all but ran to their bedroom.

Abandoning her tits, Alex reached for his wife’s lovely ass and enjoyed two handfuls. He slid into her panties and stroked his fingers where the red marks she’d begged for had been visible on her skin. Remembering the encounter sent his need soaring. She’d been a willing participant in something that got raunchy and fierce in record time. He’d fucked her bent over the bed, slow and deep until she cried and begged for more. The finish had been quite a show. She’d quivered and gushed while he’d grunted over and over, smacking her glorious butt as he emptied inside her.

“New rule,” he grumbled.

She wasn’t listening. Not with her ears. Her body was reading his signals and responding with increasing passion.

“I like rules,” she insisted. Her voice was husky—a dead giveaway.

“You like breaking rules,” he pointed out.

The smirk she gifted him was pure badass Boston bitch.

She bent down and kissed him. Lots of tongue and just the right amount of desperate moaning.

“New rule,” he growled again. “First thing every morning. Panties. Off.”

His wife wearing anything to bed was a new thing he wasn’t entirely happy about, yet it was another reminder that while nothing changed for him, being pregnant had rained a million changes down on Meghan. For whatever reason, and she had a dozen every time he complained, she preferred what she insisted was a little boob support even though he highly doubted the stretchy lace of her silky nightie offered much. Same for the underwear. He didn’t understand, but he wasn’t the one who was pregnant.

She giggled when he made his lordly pronouncement. “Say again?” she asked with a lusty snigger.

“Panties,” he barked. “Take ‘em off the second your eyes open.”

Her sexy giggle made his dick respond with enthusiasm.

When she pushed off him and swung her leg to the side, he groaned from the loss of contact. Wiggling off the bed, she stood next to him and sighed melodramatically.

“You’re so damn bossy.” She flipped her hair back and pushed it off her shoulder.

Alex grinned. The fire in her eyes was hot enough to scorch his skin.

With an impatient movement, she whipped the short nightie over her head and tossed it in the air. He didn’t look to see where it landed. Mainly because he didn’t care. The second his wife revealed her pregnant body, he went into beast overdrive.

He got off on the knowledge that their insatiable passion had led to a baby. And not just one baby—two! Her rounded belly was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. When she gave him a saucy look and turned around, he levered upward on the bed and leaned on his elbow for a better view.

Like a good girl should, his wife peeled her panties off with a striptease routine that melted his brain. He eyed the small tattoo that declared her to be his. Every time he saw the ink on her ass was still a thrill.

When she was beautifully naked, he grinned and twirled his finger. She blew him a kiss and performed a slow and very seductive spin. By the time she faced him again, he’d taken his swollen cock in one hand.

Meghan had a thing for watching him handle his junk. She’d drop everything for a front row seat. Sometimes, she asked questions. Questions he was more than happy to answer. Mostly, though, just like now, her eyes stayed glued to his dick.

A telltale swipe of her tongue along the seam of her lips almost triggered an orgasm. Sometimes her seductive moves and obvious desire for him meant he had the control and staying power of a first-timer.

He patted the bed beside him but never stopped stroking his flesh. She crawled toward him—her pendulous breasts swaying with every movement. Veering off at the last second, she licked the tip of his staff and dropped a kiss on the swollen head.

Alex gathered her body close and turned her on her side. They kissed and touched until they were groaning loudly. When he lifted her leg and draped it over his hip, she let out a contented sigh. His hand moved between them, and he found the wet heaven of her body.

She stroked his chest and purred. Knowing her desires, Alex slowed and kissed her madly while fingering her sweet pussy. Her hand covered his hardened cock. After a few way-too-short strokes, he felt her pull him closer. She wanted him—inside her—and he had no problem giving her what she needed.

That first slow slide was an agony of pleasure. As he entered her, the wet warmth of her body greeted his cock. He growled and used his hands on her ass to angle her pelvis in a way that brought them maximum pleasure.

They groaned their mutual delight as his manhood sank home. He surged gently, making little pulses that triggered her lusty shudders.

He liked this position. With his hands on her ass, he had an easy time directing her movements. Worried as she grew bigger that his considerable cock would be a problem, they’d enjoyed an exploration of positions he found in a book about pregnancy sex. This one was a favorite. Facing her and seeing the passion in her eyes as he loved her with his body turned him on big time.

He nuzzled his face into her neck—licking and biting until she quivered in response. Lifting her leg a bit higher on his side, he sank that much deeper. Meghan’s pleasure-cry let loose the beast.

Stroking with increasing urgency, he felt his heart hammering. Her hands were everywhere. Low, husky moans vibrated against his skin. She was so wet that their movements created a filthy symphony of deliciously lewd sounds.

Holding off any longer wasn’t an option as Alex felt his orgasm building. He tried controlling the pleasure, hoping to ride the edge as long as possible, but Meghan’s gyrations and her increasing desperation overrode everything.

Keeping one hand firmly on her ass, he maintained the perfect angle—the one that assured her ultimate pleasure. With his other hand, he reached between them and went with unerring accuracy to the pulsing nub of her desire. He plucked at her swollen clit. She jerked in his arms, and a flood drenched his hand.

“Alex,” she groaned. Her flushed face and the fierce tightness in her pussy and around her mouth told him she was close.

He watched her as she started to fly. Her hips bucked, and more arousal leaked from her body. Alex like seeing her reaction when nothing could stop her coming. The combination of Meghan’s wildly pulsing pussy, her soft cries of wonder, and the incredible strength of her inner muscles as her body milked his cock filled him with unspeakable pleasure.

Shifting his hips, he went for it. Grunting wildly, he stroked deep and sure. She reared back, arched her whole body, and gave a strangled cry. He luxuriated in the savage pulses of her pussy contracting as her climax exploded. He knew when she crested over the top, waited a few heartbeats, and then thundered to a bellowing finish.

It took a long time to come down. They clung, moaned, kissed, and moaned some more. Cuddling her close, he felt the smile that moved her lips. Kissing his chest, she purred contentedly.

“Did that qualify as a nooner?”

Oh, good lord. She was fucking priceless. A nooner? Yeah. Maybe not by definition but certainly by the clock. They’d passed out the second they got home from the hospital, waking just before midday.

Alex chuckled. “It qualified as awesome.” He kissed her soundly, grabbed a handful of hair, and gave a little tug. “Satisfied, Mrs. Marquez? Or do you need more?”

Biting her lip, she quietly admitted to having panicked last night. “I was so scared, and a big part of me wanted to run away from there and …” She shook her head and didn’t finish.

Alex lifted her chin with a finger. “And what, baby? What did you want after running away?”

She clung to him. Her whisper gave away how shocked she was by her feelings. “Alex. I’ve never needed you more. Needed that thing you do—make the noise in my head stop.”

Her hands made frantic patterns on his skin. The way she said the word needed got his attention. This was his wife admitting that their unique brand of domination and submission had consequences beyond the bedroom. And she relied on those consequences in a very real way.

He understood. The way she psychologically responded to his control made him a more confident and capable Dom. Because she allowed him intimate access to her heart and mind as well as her body, he’d learned much about his wife’s fears and needs. She was a complicated woman, but when she surrendered, her bliss was hard to overlook. Meghan craved their connection—craved his mastery over her.

“What did you want?” he asked the deceptively simple question to see what she said.

“I wanted you to take me to the tack room and tie my hands to an overhead hook.”

“And then what?”

“And then you’d take my face in your hands and look in my eyes.”

Alex felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “And?”

“You’d say, ‘You know what to do.’”

Her eyes closed briefly. She was thinking about his command. When outside influences overcame his wife, he often had her stop, think, and then find her center.

He asked, “Was there more or did you just need centering?”

The blush and lip bite told him there was a lot more.

“There’s always more. But it wasn’t about sex last night. When my anxiety was off the charts, I needed you.”

Wrapping her in his arms, he held her tight. “Meghan, I don’t understand it either, but that way you feel when I take control? It’s similar for me. My mind focuses, and everything else just stops. It’s exhilarating and scary too.”

“Promise me that won’t stop when the babies come. I really need it, Alex.”

He sighed. They had no idea what the fuck they were doing and made shit up as they went along. He understood her fear that the kids would change things, but he hadn’t just been sitting around clipping his toenails while she was pregnant and there was nothing for him to do.

He’d been diving deep. Reading everything he could. Personal anecdotes from other men who found themselves in a similar position were helpful. He didn’t give a shit about flowery words. He wanted the bottom line. Wanted to understand how to maintain the dynamic once it wasn’t just the two of them.

“I love that everyone else sees this ball-busting nasty woman. And I really love that when it’s just us, you’re still those things but with an added twist. This is us, baby,” he told her. “Nothing will change. I know who I am and who you are.”

She kissed his chest. “Okay.”

They lay quietly for a few minutes. Then she raised her head and said, “You have to feed me now.”

He shook his head and snickered.

“And then we have to go to the florist. We need to buy every lily and rose we can find. And the baby store. Oh! And can we stop and get …”

He tickled her to stop the babbling. “We can make all the stops you want. And you can buy everything your heart desires.”

“Thank you.”

Her stomach growled. He jumped up, grabbing her silk robe from the foot of the bed to hand to her.

“Come on, little Mommy. My kids are hungry. What do you say we raid the kitchen and see what we can find?”

She took the robe, slipped it on, and then went running for the bedroom door before he could react.

“I call dibs on any bacon we find!”

Alex laughed as she sped off. He pulled on a pair of sweats and followed her.

“Pound of bacon, coming up.” He chuckle-snorted.

* * *

Tori stretched, yawned, and rubbed her face before cracking her eyes open. Sunlight was streaming into the bedroom. She reached out for Draegyn, but his side of the bed was empty. Swiftly sitting up, she pushed hair out of her face and squinted at the clock.

Twelve thirty? Jesus lord! She threw back the covers, slid from the bed, and made a mad dash into the bathroom. The mirror told yesterday’s story. A wedding and a celebration followed by drama and a very long night.

Yikes!

Gathering her hair into a sloppy knot, she shoved it beneath a plastic cap and took the shortest, coldest shower on record. Then she broke every one of her mother’s staunchest beauty rules with a half-assed swipe of body lotion and face moisturizer while rummaging through her closet.

Baby number two was a sweet bump that she couldn’t stop admiring. With Daniel, she’d expanded like a balloon overnight and had been terribly uncomfortable. This time, though, was much different.

She pulled on a pair of stretchy yoga pants, made sure any visible panty lines weren’t too bad, and then settled on a ratty Justice t-shirt that Draegyn normally wore.

Racing from the bedroom, Tori struggled with the t-shirt as she flew down the hallway. The elevator would take too much time, so she powered down the series of angled stairways to the first floor, taking two steps at a time.

Having no idea what her downstairs would look like, she sort of expected a holy mess. Draegyn was great about taking care of Danny in the mornings, but he seemed brain-dead when it came to picking up as he went along.

To her complete surprise, the kitchen wasn’t all that bad. Cheerios littered the floor where two high chairs sat side by side, but that was it. In the sink, she found more evidence and took a fast mom inventory. Her husband had coffee and his usual scrambled eggs. She knew he liked to think he had mad kitchen abilities, but the truth was he had one dish—scrambled eggs. That was it. Everything else was either a disaster or in need of rescue.

Two toddler dishes were in the sink and a couple of sippy cups. On the counter, she found an open loaf of bread that Tori quickly wrapped and put in the bread keeper.

Where was everybody? She put her hands on her hips and listened. Thinking she heard noise in the mudroom, she started down the hall, realized it was the washing machine, and then nearly fell over laughing.

Mr. Mom was on duty today.

An elevated shriek had her running to the back-door sliders. Tearing onto the deck, she stumbled to a halt and watched her hunky 007 man crawling around the yard with the boys and Raven. Dylan was hopping up and down, screaming, “Giddy up,” while Danny rode her husband’s back.

When she slid open the doors and stepped onto the deck, Dylan saw her and came running. “Aunt Toto!” He scrambled up the stairs and flew into her arms. “Want my baby,” he yelled into her face.

She hugged and kissed him and looked at her husband. “What did you tell him?”

“Baby, baby, baby,” Danny hollered.

“No name,” Draegyn assured her as he dropped on his ass, grabbed their squealing son, and proceeded to reduce him to a pile of giggles with a tickle attack.

“Have we heard anything this morning?”

“Lacey is stable. We can go see her later. I thought the best thing we could do for them right now was take care of Dylan. I gathered from Cam’s tone that Lacey needs calm. The months of anxiety took a toll. She was so sure something was wrong.”

“Cam says there was a much finer distinction than that. She thought something wasn’t right. Somehow, she knew. But like he said, the good news is there was never any real danger. Cord wraps are common. The doctors are prepared. I do think, though, that he’s a little freaked out by how tiny the baby is.”

He stood and put their son on his shoulders. Danny grinned and smacked Draegyn on the head. “Go, go.” Draegyn clamored up the steps like a pony then he bent over and dropped their toddler son on the deck. The two boys ran to the toy bin by the door and started taking everything out.

“Have Parker and Angie arrived yet?”

“Dunno. Big Daddy is all over that part of things. He’s in charge of the satellite phone. I’ve got enough to deal with.”

Her husband wrapped her in his arms, twirling her around as the boys laughed and clapped.

“Thank you for letting me sleep in.”

“Six hours is hardly sleeping in.”

Tori hugged her man. “Did you rest at all?”

“A little,” he told her with a shrug. “My boy, ya know? I just want Cam to be happy. Thinking about that big lug and a daughter—well, it’s astonishing.”

“Nice shirt, by the way,” she teased.

He glanced down at his chest and smirked. The shirt’s Whiskey Pete’s logo proclaimed him a walking billboard for one Finn O’Brien.

“The dumb fuck is wearing me down. Just when I’m sure he really is the biggest dickhead on the planet, he does something nice. Cam and I are willing to declare him Justice-adjacent.”

She laughed and smacked his chest playfully. “Justice-adjacent? Well, I suppose it’s an uptick in status, so I won’t complain.”

He grumbled in that adorably pigheaded way that never failed to make Tori want to throw him on the ground and do all kinds of nasty things.

“Don’t understand why you ladies keep defending his stupid ass.”

“Stupid ass!”

They turned in unison and stared slack-jawed at Dylan, who was listening to every word.

“Why?” Tori groaned. “Why does he always just pick up on the bad words? Lacey’s gonna kill us.”

He kissed her forehead and murmured, “I’ve got this.” Whipping his phone out, her husband stooped down to the boys’ eye level and went through a farcical performance of griping about his stupid apps not working. Fascinated by the technology, both boys watched over his shoulder while he tapped and scrolled. Raven lost interest and wandered away.

Swiping to a screen full of fake kid stuff, he held up the phone for them to see. “Hey guys,” he drawled. “Pick an app.”

They all had a bunch of mock apps on their phones that led to nothing more than pictures of animals and nature. Heather gave them all a stern lecture about limiting technology with the kids.

Danny squealed and stabbed his chubby finger at an icon, and just like that, ass was forgotten and the apps took center stage. Draegyn snicker-laughed and gave her a wink. The man was brilliant.

She left him to it and returned to the kitchen. Her growling stomach let Tori know that Baby St. John wanted breakfast. It wasn’t until she had plowed through a bowl of cold spaghetti and sucked back an entire tumbler of iced black cherry herbal tea that she saw how peculiar her choices were.

This baby had definite preferences—cold spaghetti? Oh, my.

While she was cleaning up, Meghan called. Kicking the dishwasher shut with her foot, she reached across the counter for her phone.

“Morning!”

“Guess what?” Meghan shouted into the phone by way of a hello.

“What?” Tori smiled and released a very happy laugh.

“It’s a girl!”

“I know, right?”

They shrieked with delight and spent a few minutes babbling excitedly and making all sorts of plans to spoil mom and baby. Though Lily Rose was less than a day old, they were already planning girls’ outings with junior pedicures and tea parties—things baby Lily would have Bella Mia to thank for.

Bella was a new century female. She was all girl and let you know it while also being something of a tomboy. She spent hours with Draegyn in the workshop and had her own little workbench where she showed Danny how to make things. She also had the most adorable child-sized vanity—courtesy of Tori’s handyman hubs—where she practiced her girly routines. As the de facto leader of Junior Justice, she brought a lot to the table.

“Hey,” she asked. Her tone became serious. “How are you feeling? You didn’t look so good at the hospital.”

“I’m fine,” Meghan assured her. “Yeah, I had a few moments, but when taken against the whole day, I have no complaints.”

Tori wasn’t convinced. For someone carrying twins, her friend should have been gaining weight to beat the band. But Meghan struggled and had a hard time maintaining an appetite. The babies emptied her—that was the way she described how it felt to have two growing inside her.

“How’s the big guy? Alex hanging in there? Draegyn remarked how hard it was for them to see Cam so undone.”

“He gave me a foot massage.”

Tori had a good laugh. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just saying,” Meghan replied. “He needs to feel useful. You know him, Tori. When everyone else falls apart in a crisis, the Major steps up. It’s what he does.”

“He’s my hero,” she muttered.

“Same. And I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes I make shit up for him to do just so he’ll leave me alone for five goddamn minutes.”

Tori threw her head back and laughed so hard she nearly gave herself a nosebleed. “Oh, my god! Me too!”

“What’s so funny?” a bemused Draegyn asked as he ushered the boys into the kitchen.

She waved the phone by way of explanation and told him, “Meghan says Alex is a better husband than you are. He gave her a foot massage. I don’t remember you ever being nice to my feet.”

“El gran pendejar,” he growled.

On the phone, Meghan was laughing like hell. “Did he just call his boss a big wanker?”

“Am I the only one around here who doesn’t understand Spanish?”

“Aunt Toto,” Dylan called out. “Danny pooped.” He was making his yucky face and pointing at her grinning son. The bathroom humor was already strong with these two.

Draegyn took control, loudly proclaiming his awesomeness so Meghan would hear.

“I’ll handle diaper duty. Hear that? Now who’s the better husband? Huh?”

She shooed him off with both kiddos trailing behind. “Listen, Red, I’d better go. Cheryl is coming by later to take Danny, and we’ll bring Dylan with us to the hospital. Let’s touch base in a few hours.”

She ended the call and made sure the kitchen was in order before hurrying after one man and two babies. The past twenty-four hours with Parker and Angie’s perfect wedding juggled with Lacey and Cam’s surprise mini-drama reminded Tori that regardless of circumstances, life went on. You never knew where the day might lead, which was a sobering thought. But for every thrum of fear, there was an equal if not greater symphony of joy that made it all worthwhile.

The sound of boyish giggles and her wonderful husband’s joking growl sent her feet flying as Tori’s personal symphony of joy drew her forward.

* * *

Pinching her cheeks for extra color, Lacey worked her lips to smooth the balm she’d just applied and checked her appearance in a compact mirror. Satisfied, she snapped shut the vintage ladies’ accessory and put it on the table next to her hospital bed.

She adjusted the front of the pretty pink and white bed jacket that magically arrived by messenger and smiled.

Alex. He’d thought of everything. Not that her husband was a slouch in that department. She held up her wrist and admired a delicate bracelet of pink sapphires. He’d cried when placing it around her wrist—a thank you for the daughter she’d blessed him with. She’d started crying when he showed her a little gold necklace with the same pink sapphires adorning a dangling heart. It was for Lily Rose when she was old enough to wear it.

Sitting up straighter, she shifted and adjusted. Excitement made Lacey’s heart race. Her son was coming to meet his new baby sister. She looked at the hospital bassinet across the room and smiled. She had a son and a daughter!

“Knock, knock,” a voice called out. The door to her suite slowly swung open, and Cameron stuck his head in. “We have a visitor, Mommy!”

Dylan jumped from behind his dad and appeared in the open doorway with both hands on his hips. She wasn’t sure if he was Peter Pan or Captain Hook, but he sure was adorable.

“Mommy!”

She threw her arms wide and yipped with joy. “Get over here, little man, and give Mama some love.”

He smiled and leapt across the open space—she was sure his feet never touched the ground—and scrambled into her arms like a monkey after easily scaling the side of the bed.

She covered his face with kisses while he giggled and kissed her back.

“Ah-ah, Mommy.”

Lacey melted when she felt the little pat of his hand as he spoke the adorable endearment that was so uniquely Dylan.

Cameron stood next to them, his face shining with love. They’d made a magnificent human with their son.

“So, little man,” she said. Scooting over a smidge to give him more room, she helped Dylan sit next to her. She wanted him to have plenty of room when he held his baby sister. “Guess what!”

He looked at her. “What?”

“You’re a big brother, Dylan. Look,” she said and pointed at Cameron wheeling the bassinet closer.

He gasped and clapped his hands. “My baby?”

“Yes! Here she is, Dyl.”

Cameron lifted the tiny pink bundle, kissed his daughter’s face, and brought her to Dylan.

He sat, wedging Dylan in place. She saw her husband swallow and knew he was overcome with emotion. Sweeping a hand up and down his back, she leaned forward and kissed his shoulder.

It took a few seconds, but they both pulled it together. “Son,” he said after sniffing twice. “Meet Lily Rose. She’s tiny, so I want you to be very gentle and careful, okay?”

Dylan nodded, his eyes glued to the pink mound. “Baby Lily,” he said with awe.

Cameron lowered her into Dylan’s arms, and he held her on his small lap. The look of pure love and absolute wonder on his little face filled her with peace. Her husband sought her hand, and she happily gave it, squeezing his fingers in silent communication.

Lily’s eyes fluttered open, and Dylan giggled. She stared up at her big brother, and Lacey wondered what sort of bond formed in those initial moments. Dylan carefully stroked her tiny face. Then he stunned them when her son looked at his father and said—clear as a bell—“Like Mommy.”

Cameron almost crushed her fingers as he reacted. “That’s right, my boy.” He also stroked Lily’s face. “Just like Mommy.”

Her heart flooded with joy. Contentment so profound she had to take a deep breath spread inside her till it burst free and filled the room.

A movement caught her eye, and she looked up. There in the doorway stood a beaming Major and his camera-wielding wife. The delighted expression on Meghan’s face told Lacey her friend had captured the candid family moment.

“Can we come in?” Alex asked.

Dylan answered with an enthusiastic welcome. “Look! My Lily.”

Cameron stood but stayed close to Dylan. He shook Alex’s hand and then the two hugged it out with back slaps and murmured words. She and Meghan looked at each other with matching ‘Awww’ expressions.

Meghan waved both men away and laid down some Lady Mama law. “Out of the way, you two. Let the pregnant lady by. I want to see my new niece.”

Meghan bent over and kissed Lacey’s cheek. “I love you,” she murmured.

Dylan handled the introductions. “Lily Ro,” he gravely declared when Meghan got close for a peek.

“So you’re a big brother now, huh?” she asked Dylan. He nodded, and she ran her hands through his hair. “It’s a big job.”

He nodded again, and when she touched Lily’s blanket to see more of her face, Dylan broke out an expression that the Cameron and St. John families used quite a lot with their rambunctious sons.

“Go easy,” he said in a toddler’s admonishing tone.

Meghan almost lost it with laughter. she looked at Cameron and snickered. “Gatekeeper much?” she joked.

Cameron surprised the snot out of her when he screwed himself up all big and bad and assertively declared, “That’s how the Cameron men do. We take care of the women.”

The Cameron men. Hearing him say it like that made Lacey want to squeal with pride. Her sad orphan boy had come full circle or done whatever inner work needed doing to get to this point. They were a family. The Camerons. He was the patriarch of a growing brood. For him, the family tree started right here. Everything that came later would be the product of his determination and their deep love for each other.

Victoria and Draegyn were the next to arrive. They came right after the delivery of a roomful of rose and lily arrangements. Lacey missed not having Angie around—she was an integral part of their Justice Ladies crew.

“Everyone else is champing at the bit to invade, but Cam is being a bit overprotective,” Tori told her when the boys went for a walk, and it was just the ladies.

They were passing Lily around. She needed to hold her daughter every few minutes, so her friends only got small doses.

“I’m okay with overprotective,” she told them. “Look, I’ll admit to you two that I’m relieved we had a successful birth. It wasn’t uneventful, but it did have a happy ending. But I’m still raw emotionally. All that worry and just feeling like poo the whole time.”

“There’s nothing to explain,” Tori assured her. “I wrote the postpartum shitstorm book. And I’m happily going to remind you of what you said to me. Cut yourself a break, relax, and don’t apologize for needing me time. You earned it, honey.”

Meghan made a face. “I’m afraid you might have to make an exception for Carmen. She thinks of you like a daughter because you’re the first wife. My life will be hell until she’s seen for herself that you’re being properly seen to.”

Lacey smiled. “Carmen gets a pass. She’s the designated Justice granny, after all. Hey, any update on the honeymooners?”

“I don’t know what we’re all waiting for.” Meghan laughed.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she answered. “Maybe a reaction to finding herself on a private island with nothing but a suitcase full of sarongs and sunscreen?”

“French Polynesia. Boohoo.” Tori snorted. Lily squirmed in her aunt’s arms and made a small sound. “I think she concurs.”

Meghan started and put a hand on her belly. “Another country heard from.”

“Countries,” Lacey reminded her. “Speaking of which, we get a baby reprieve for a bit now, right? Sophie is due in May and …”

“My mom is due around Memorial Day,” Tori added.

They both looked at Meghan. “And then your big day,” she said with a smile.

“Well, June 24^th has a big red circle around it, and I’m happy to hang in there till after Alex’s birthday on the 22^nd. May is looking a bit crowded. Parker’s birthday,” she reminded them. “My wedding anniversary. Calder’s birthday and Uncle Ed’s. Add Sophie’s baby and Stephanie’s to the mix, and we have a full calendar.”

“It’s a gosh darn Justice jamboree,” Lacey hooted.

“Gosh darn?” Tori snickered. “Watching old Westerns again?”

Alex came and swept Meghan away a short while later. Draegyn followed suit and waited patiently while Lacey got in a last snuggle with Dylan.

“Bye, Mommy,” he said with a little wave as Drae took his hand and led him to the door. Dylan stopped and turned around then blew a kiss across the room and whispered, “Night, night, Lily.”

Exhausted but happy, she let out a long sigh and held tight to Cameron’s hand. She’d put up with staying in the hospital for another day, but then she wanted to go home. Having her two boys around to help with Lily was all she needed. Her family was everything, and for her, there was nothing like being home doing regular day-to-day things.

She didn’t need fancy vacations or closets full of clothes. All her heart needed was family, and on that score, the Arizona desert had proven to be fertile ground.