Brooklyn

Laughter makes its way to my ears as I head down the steps, the aroma of bacon and maple syrup assaulting me the instant I emerge onto the first floor. I take a minute, adjusting my damp hair into a messy bun on the top of my head and rolling the waist of Drew’s shorts so they’re not so enormous on me.

“Auntie Brook!” Charlotte’s voice calls out. I swing my eyes to see her looking at me from her position on one of the stools in front of Drew’s massive eat-in island. “Do you want waffles, too?”

With a smile, I square my shoulders and walk toward them, acting as if their father hadn’t just fucked me like he did.

“Wait,” she blurts out, turning her furrowed brow to Drew. “Am I still supposed to call her Auntie Brook if she’s your girlfriend?”

I cock my head at Drew, placing my hands on my hips. “I’m your girlfriend?”

He turns off the gas on the stove, moving the pan of bacon to the counter and placing it on a trivet. “Well, girlfriend doesn’t seem right for what you are to me, but I suppose it’s the best title…for now.” Winking, he grabs a set of tongs and serves the girls a few pieces of bacon.

“For now?” I approach, still uneasy about how to act around him while in the presence of his kids. This is new territory for me. I’ve never dated or slept with anyone who had kids. I awkwardly attempt to keep my distance, wishing I had something other than his clothes to wear, but Drew wraps an arm around me, dragging me against him.

“I like to consider it a temporary title.” He gradually lowers his mouth toward mine, treating me to yet another one of his kisses. I doubt I’ll ever get my fill.

I remember my younger days, how desperate I was to experience my first kiss, how I didn’t think I’d ever hit the number of kisses most people experienced in their lifetime. Now I know I will. In fact, I have a feeling I’ll far exceed the two weeks most people spend kissing. I could kiss Andrew Brinks for two weeks straight and still hunger for more.

Momentarily forgetting where I am, I melt into him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Then the sound of giggling cuts through and I pull back, although Drew tries to prevent me, despite our audience.

“Oooh! You guys are kissing!” Alyssa teases. It brings a smile to my face. I was most worried about her being okay with this. She’s older and much more reluctant to trust people. I don’t fault her. I was the same way. To hear her joke makes me think it’s all going to be okay. That we’re all going to be okay.

Drew returns his attention to the waffle maker and opens it, scooping the waffle onto a plate, adding it to the pile he’d already made.

“Hey, Dad?” Alyssa’s tone turns serious.

He shifts his gaze to hers. “What is it, sweetie?”

“Since there’s no wedding, I was wondering…” She trails off as she brings her fork to her waffle, hesitating.

“What is it?” he presses once more.

“Well…” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “It’s just…” She inhales a deep breath, returning her eyes to Drew’s. “Tonight’s game seven of the Stanley Cup and it’s here. I’d hoped…”

We laugh at the seriousness on her face. “That we could go?” he finishes.

She nods.

“Do you think we’d miss it? No way!”

Both girls squeal in excitement, dancing in their stools.

“They truly are your daughters,” I comment in mock irritation.

“Every girl needs a little hockey in her life.” He winks as he heads toward the counter, grabbing the freshly pressed pot of coffee and pouring some into a mug. After preparing it the way I prefer, he hands it to me, leaning toward my ear, his voice a whisper. “And every woman needs a hockey player in their bed.”

“Is that right?” I smirk, pulling back. “So this is community service for you?”

He shakes his head with a lascivious grin. “No. It’s more like Brooklyn service. All Brooklyn. All the time.”

I bite my lower lip. “I like the sound of Brooklyn service.”

He brushes his mouth against mine, making my flesh tingle. “So do I.”

Girlish snickers sound from the island. “You guys are kissing again,” Charlotte comments.

“Get used to it,” Drew shoots back, then presses his firm lips against mine. I can’t help but sigh, loving how he makes no move to hide his affection for me, even in front of his kids.

His hand finds my ass and he gives it a squeeze.

“Shut the front door!” a familiar voice exclaims, breaking the moment.

Drew and I whirl around, staring at a very bewildered Molly and an extremely satisfied Gigi standing just off the entryway. Molly’s eyes are wide, her mouth even wider as she gapes at us. Gigi crosses her arms, smirking, as if she predicted this would happen.

“Hi, Auntie Molly!” Charlotte says, barely looking up from her waffles. “Auntie Brooklyn isn’t going to marry Wes anymore. Instead, she’s Daddy’s girlfriend. They had a sleepover last night.”

Molly shifts her stunned expression back to me, her surprise waning as she waggles her brows. “You did, did you?” She takes a few steps toward us. “Did you have a pillow fight, too?” She leans closer. “Did Drew win?”

“It looked like he was winning,” Charlotte answers around a mouthful of waffle.

Her comment catching me off-guard, I choke on my coffee, shifting my gaze to Drew, his face an adorable shade of red.

“He wasn’t winning,” Alyssa claims. “They were doing it.”

“It?” Charlotte inquires.

I eye Drew, praying he’ll put an end to this.

“Yeah. It.”

“What do you mean?”

“Okay, you two,” Drew interrupts. Finally. “Finish up, or no hockey game tonight.” That’s all they need to hear. All conversation ceases as they focus on their breakfast. “I’m investing in some better locks,” he murmurs, his mouth brushing against my temple.

“Good.” I tilt my eyes toward his, chewing on my bottom lip.

“Tell me…” Molly’s voice cuts through our moment and we both look at her. “How did you go from marrying Wes to having a ‘sleepover’ with Drew?”

“He asked me to dance,” I respond with a shrug. It sounds silly and insignificant, but it’s the truth. Drew was right. No words could have told me what his heart did. “The instant I was in his arms again, I knew it was where I was meant to be.” I take a small sip of my coffee, lowering my eyes. “Of course, as we all know, I can be stubborn, so I still tried to fight it. It wasn’t until my father…” I trail off, the happiness of being with Drew dampened by the truth of what my father did.

Drew drapes an arm around my shoulders and squeezes, reassuring me it’ll all work out. Molly steals a glance at him, questioning. He nods, their interaction leading me to believe Drew told Molly what my father did. I shouldn’t be surprised. They have an oddly close relationship. They tell each other everything.

“I’m really sorry, Molly,” I say, unsure my words are adequate to relay how awful I feel for the way I’ve treated her.

“Don’t be.” She shrugs it off. “I knew you’d come to your senses eventually.” She steps toward me, lowering her voice. “How’s Wes?”

“He knew it was coming.” A lump forms in my throat as I recall his sad eyes when I kissed him goodbye. The way he handled last night with such grace and admiration surprised me. It probably shouldn’t have, considering that’s how he handled himself throughout our entire relationship. “He was sweet about it, said he tried to love me enough for the both of us, but knew it wasn’t enough.”

“So he’s okay?”

I consider her question for a moment. “Yeah. He is.”

“What about mom-zilla?”

“Oh, I expect her to come banging on the door at any minute so she can save face in front of all her friends. Just like she tried to do last night at the rehearsal dinner when I went to give Wes the ring back.”

Molly’s eyes practically bulge out of their sockets. “You broke up with him at the rehearsal dinner?”

I pinch my lips together. “I was tired of living a lie.”

She considers my response, then narrows her eyes, her gaze filled with concern. “And your dad?”

I exhale a long breath, my throat tightening. “I need some time.”

“Forgiveness is a difficult thing.” Gigi walks toward me, taking my hand in hers. “But so is living with regret.”

I swallow hard, nodding.

“I am so happy you finally found your way back to each other.” She clutches my cheeks, forcing my eyes to hers. “That’s the important thing. Not anything that may have happened in the past. If one thing were different, you may not be here today.” She loosens her hold on me, glancing across the island at Alyssa and Charlotte. “They may not be here today. Could you imagine your life without them?”

I shake my head.

“Just remember that.”