ALEX HAD SAID NOTHING AFTER they left the Cameron cabin and headed back to the Villa together, although Calder was not so dense as to not be fully aware that his nephew had taken note of the odd vibe between him and Stephanie.
He supposed it was only a matter of time before Alex said something. How could he not? They’d been puttering around the tech cave for almost an hour, engaged in random geek-speak when his nephew finally jumped in with a surprising comment that came out of left field.
“Sometimes I forget that you were married once upon a time. Y’know, I was too young to really remember all that much about Becky, but Mom said she was a piece of work.”
Calder was slack-jawed with surprise at the mention of his ex-wife. Where the hell was Alex going with this line of conversation? It had been ages since he’d even thought about the four years he spent married to someone who turned out to be a selfish, mean-spirited bitch.
The only good thing he could say concerning Becky was that he had the sense to divorce her cheating ass before he’d sold his business and hit the financial jackpot. At the time, she’d gotten their home in the settlement and pretty much everything else. Left him with his computers and little else. After a couple of years living on his partner Smith’s basement sofa, he’d had the last laugh. Overnight, they’d gone from using duct tape to hold their coffeemaker together to hiring financial advisors to handle the boatload of money they’d been paid. Becky had been apoplectic when he and Smith sold the business and tried to sue him for everything under the sun. Thankfully the courts had seen right through her shit and basically told her to shut the fuck up and sit the hell down.
“I believe the term she favored was that your ex-wife was a questionable blonde with a cup size that exceeded her I.Q,” Alex continued.
“Your mom always did have a special way with words,” he sniggered. Calder shut down the computer he’d been using and swiveled in his chair to face Alex. “Why are you bringing this up? I hope you’re not having second thoughts about getting married. Meghan is a keeper, dude. Becky, on the other hand, was a young man’s hormonal mistake. Don’t confuse the two.”
Alex’s tone got serious in a heartbeat. “Oh, I know full well what I’ve got. Don’t ever doubt that. Meghan’s so much more than just a fiancée or even a wife. She’s my heart, man. My soul. Every thought I have somehow involves her.”
“Glad to hear it and between you and me—it’s obvious how you two feel about each other. The woman lights up like a Christmas tree around you. Ashleigh is thrilled, so’s your dad. You chose well, Alex, and I’m happy for you.”
“Speaking of the folks, look at this,” Alex murmured nodding his head toward the monitor of his computer. “They want to give us a restored seventeenth-century finca in Aragon. It’s not part of the vineyard. Something my grandparents kept separate. There’s a farmhouse, landscaped gardens, and a small trout river.”
“Holy shit,” Calder muttered, leaning into the screen as Alex clicked through the pictures.
“I know, right?”
“Does Meghan know about this?”
Alex shrugged and groaned at the same time. “I’ve told her about the vineyard, and when we video chat with my folks, Mom pretty much goes on and on about my Spanish heritage. It’s almost funny coming from her California-girl mouth.”
Calder couldn’t help but chuckle. Ashleigh was priceless in that regard. She put enormous store in nurturing the Valleja-Marquez history, which was precisely why she’d moved her daughters and husband to Spain to take over the family vineyard when Alex’s grandparents had passed.
“Dude—your mom takes all that stuff way too serious. I’m sure she just wants to bring your Irish bombshell into the fold and keep those Spanish home fires burning bright. As for the finca, it’s fucking beautiful. Looks like a great place to vacation, and after all, you’ll want to give whatever kids you have a sense of their Spanish ancestry.”
“Yeah,” Alex murmured as he closed out the browser. “Guess that’s why I was thinking about your marriage. Are you bummed that you never had kids?”
Whoa. Calder hadn’t seen that question coming. Not at all.
“Mmmmm, I suppose at one time it bothered me. But I have you and your sisters. Being the wacky uncle has merits, too, y’know. I get to swoop in, cause all kinds of fuckery, drive my sister and her husband bat-shit crazy, then traipse away laughing knowing some of my best work lies in how awesome you, Angelita, and Sophia are.”
“Yeah. I really miss them. Can’t wait for the wedding when we’ll all be together.”
Calder shook his head with understanding. It had to be hard for Alex to be separated and on a different continent from the rest of his family. It helped that the close-knit crew he’d created here in Arizona was just as loyal and loving as his birth family.
“She likes you, y’know. I can tell,” his nephew proclaimed with quiet earnestness.
Huh? She who? “Um, excuse me?” he questioned.
Alex gazed at him long and hard. They were so much alike—he and his nephew—but sometimes he had no idea what went on in the younger man’s mind.
“Stephanie Bennett. She likes you. And don’t act like you have no fucking idea what I’m talking about.”
Calder moved away and busied his hands with a stack of papers spit out from a printer that lay in a haphazard pile on a worktable. What was he supposed to say to such a random comment?
The lady baffled him. She wasn’t what he expected. Nor was she an easy read. Plus, she ran hot and cold where he was concerned, a reaction that was entirely mutual. One minute he wanted to rip her fucking head off—for reasons he couldn’t quite get a handle on—and the next he was fantasizing about what sort of lingerie she favored. He wondered whether she was a vocal lover or one of those moaning, whimpering types who melted with the first touch.
“You’re imagining things, Alex. Don’t go there, man,” he snapped none too cheerfully then instantly regretted what a dick he sounded like. He should have known his nephew wouldn’t leave it at that, fucker.
“It’s alright, you know,” Alex continued with the slightest edge of humor lacing his voice. “It wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing if you liked her, too.”
What the fuck. How had they gone from discussing his shit show of a marriage to this? “Oh, for Christ’s sake. You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Calder protested with a growl. “Told you—high-maintenance women leave me cold.” He paused, searched for what to say next, and to his horror let slip a huge tell when his mouth jumped out ahead of his sense. “How do you know she likes me? Has she said something?”
The shit-eating grin that broke out on Alex’s face damned him to hell. Crap. This wasn’t high school where, as a hormonally driven teenager, he’d lusted after the head cheerleader. Hoping to catch her eye, he had his hopes dashed because hot girls with big tits and kissable lips didn’t swoon over the boys in the Geek Squad.
“Fuck,” he murmured, his hands going to his hips as he kicked a box on the floor filled with old hard drives and remote controls. He couldn’t look at Alex, so he shook his head and glanced everywhere in the tech cave except at the man smirking at him.
After a time, Alex pushed a rolling chair at him that he dropped into, and laid his head on the high-backed seat, gripping the armrest till he was white knuckled. “She fucking makes me crazy—and don’t you dare laugh. Can’t decide whether to stick my foot out and trip her so she falls flat on her face or offer her a hand to step over imaginary puddles.”
“Relax,” he heard Alex chuckle. “Don’t overthink it, man. Take it from one who knows.”
“Fuck you, Alex. I’m too old for this kind of shit.”
A bark of laughter rattled off the tech cave walls. “Well, it’s about damn time.”
“What in the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Calder grumbled, fixing his nephew with a dark scowl.
“Means you’re never too old for a woman to get under your skin. You could do worse—and in fact, you have. I’d say you finally met your match, Unc. I told you—Stephanie isn’t quite what she seems on the outside. Lady is smart as a whip, has a mean mouth when necessary, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. From my viewpoint—she deserves a guy who would appreciate who she is, where she comes from, and what she has to offer. I think you could be that guy. If you play your cards right, that is.”
“Well, you’re wrong about one thing. She most certainly doesn’t like me, so stop pushing, Alex.”
The younger man stood, pulled his phone from the pocket of his jeans, and glanced at the screen for a second. “Meghan says the movie will be over in about forty minutes. I suggest you put on some shining armor and get your aging ass back to the cabin. Offer to see Tori and her mother home. And stop fooling yourself, Calder. If it seems like she’s not interested, it’s because you’re freaking her out. I’ve known the woman for years and never have in all that time seen her at a loss for words in any situation.”
Humph. “Really?”
“Yeah, dude. Really. Don’t be an ass. She’s a handful, I’ll grant you that, but some simpering pushover wouldn’t hold your attention for more than a roll in the sack followed by a hasty walk of shame. She’s good people, so stop trying to be a hard-ass and follow your instincts—or your hormones. Whichever works.”
“THANKS, BRODY,” LACEY GUSHED AS he came toward her with Dylan cuddled on his shoulder. “Was he a good little boy for you?”
“Yeah, damn him,” he drawled with a grin. “Slept like a champ until ten minutes ago. Here I thought we’d have a boys’ night—maybe drink a few beers, watch some porn, swap some inappropriate stories, but all he did was snore and pee his pants. Just like his daddy.”
Lacey threw back her head and laughed. “You will not be subjecting my sweet baby son to any porn!” she shrieked with glee.
“Well, better keep him away from the barn then, lady. Especially when there’s a session going on,” he smirked. “Those spooks from the CIA that were here last month had some of the raunchiest smut I’ve ever seen. And they drink like fucking Russians with a vodka surplus.”
“Oh, my God,” she groaned. “I give up. Porn. Language. Alcohol.”
Lacey’s faux outrage got everyone laughing and brought baby Dylan’s head up in search of his mama when he heard her voice. Brody planted a kiss on the baby’s cheek and then gently handed him over to his mom, saying, “Babysitter duties complete so I’m outta here!”
Cradling her son with an expression of pure, unadulterated joy on her face, she sighed as he squirmed in her embrace. When he settled and smiled at her, Lacey beamed with happiness and blew Brody an air kiss as he quickly made for the door.
Meghan hung over her shoulder and marveled at the cuteness that was baby Dylan. “He looks so much like his daddy when he smiles like that,” she gushed.
For Lacey, there was no greater compliment. For it was a well-known fact that until she came into Cameron’s life, he rarely smiled and certainly never laughed. What a lifetime ago those days were when she’d been homeless and desperate and he’d been a brooding loner with a dangerous attitude. They’d rescued each other in every way that mattered and now, here they were, a year later—married, blissfully in love, and over the moon with happiness. Dylan’s birth had cemented the family they each longed for.
As always, the women slowly gravitated in the baby’s direction, each wanting a chance to kiss, hug, and cuddle her sweet little boy. Eventually, she walked him to Tori, who was still settled comfortably on a recliner with her feet up, and lowered him into her eagerly waiting arms.
“You’re a natural, honey,” Lacey murmured as she watched her sister-in-law snuggle with her beloved son.
“I still can’t believe you gave him Draegyn’s middle name,” Tori said with a wistful smile. “It meant so much to him, you know.”
Stephanie crouched down next to her daughter and put her head upon Tori’s shoulder where she watched Dylan with keen interest. Meghan rubbed a hand up and down Lacey’s back while Carmen, Ria, and Betty stood in a tight semi-circle and looked on lovingly. These wonderful people meant so much to her. Family Justice. There was absolutely nothing about the moment that wasn’t memorable and touching.
She told Tori, “Cameron loves Drae. Like more than a brother so it made sense to choose Henry as Dylan’s middle name.”
Meghan hugged her tight before she reached out and squeezed Tori’s shoulder. “You’ve made the Major so happy. All of you,” she added looking around at every woman present.
With that, Lacey picked up one of the remote controls and punched a few buttons, accessing the music library on the entertainment system. When “We Are Family” starting playing, everyone got into the spirit and began singing and dancing. Even Stephanie got into it adding her special flair of pageant presence as she broke out some disco moves that did Sister Sledge proud.
Next thing she knew, two hilariously off-key baritone voices sounded from the back of the room where Alex and Calder had appeared—doing a spastic send up of their musical gyrations. They were so funny that tears of laughter brimmed in her eyes—watching the two burly men shimmy and shake as they mocked the disco theme song was funnier than anything The Birdcage could have choreographed. Why in the hell wasn’t anyone recording this classic moment with their phone? Sheesh.
When the song ended, everyone was laughing. Even Dylan was smiling from his place in Tori’s arms.
Alex went to her with a goofy grin and swooped the baby up proclaiming, “The boy needs some manly influences, too, ladies! Got ‘Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers’ by ZZ Top in your library? I’m sure Cam would prefer that to some swishy disco dancing bullshit.”
“Settle down, Thunder Foot,” Meghan drawled. “You’ll get your chance to corrupt Dylan Henry with your rock 'n' roll influences and questionable taste in whiskey when he’s older.”
“Glenfiddich,” Alex barked.
“Jameson,” Meghan countered with a snicker. “Glenfiddich is for pussies.”
Lacey hung her head and giggled. Pretending to be outraged, she put her hands over Dylan’s ears. “Oh, my God, you guys! Language.”
“Don’t listen to her, my boy,” Alex chuckled. “If you ever say gosh darn it, your father will vapor lock.”
“That sure is one adorable baby, Lacey,” Calder interjected with smiling appreciation. “May I hold him?”
Alex looked to her for approval, which she easily gave, beaming with pride when Calder held her son in his big arms and gave her a wide grin. “I like the Phoenix Suns sox by the way. Nice touch.”
“What can I say?” she quipped. “Cameron would watch basketball twenty-four seven if I let him. He’s already planning on taking Dylan to a game as soon as he’s old enough.”
To say she was surprised when this recent addition to Family Justice lowered his head, inhaled deeply, then looked at her with unabashed delight and said, “I love the smell of babies,” was an understatement. She was flabbergasted. It took a big man to admit to such a private delight. Her assessment of Alex’s uncle climbed a dozen notches in that instant.
“Do you have any children, Calder?” she asked.
He shrugged and gave Dylan a sweet kiss on the forehead before handing the baby off to her. “Nah,” he answered with a poignant look of regret on his face as he gazed at her son. “I wasn’t that lucky.”
From the corner of her eye, she spied Tori reaching out and taking her mom’s hand. She noticed that Stephanie caught Calder’s gaze for just a second before she glanced away and leaned down to help ease Tori from the recliner.
“C’mon, shugah dahlin’, let’s get you up. Alex, can you help?”
Calder all but leaped across the room to lend a hand after a quick elbow in the ribs from his nephew, which no one but Lacey happened to see. It was all she could do not to laugh. Matchmaking indeed, she thought.
“Here, let me help you,” Calder mumbled as he put an arm securely around Tori’s bumped out waist. “Wanna walk around a bit, Victoria?” he asked. “Get the blood flowing after sitting so long.”
“Ooooh, good idea,” Meghan chimed in with all the aplomb of a seasoned Phys Ed teacher.
“Tell you what,” Calder suggested. “Me and your mom will walk you out to the driveway and get you into her cart.” Looking to Alex and Meghan, he said, “We’ll all follow you down to your house. That way Alex and I can make sure you and Stephanie are tucked in tight for the night. Sound good?”
Pretty much everyone in the room nodded with approval.
“I’ll take the puppy outside and tire her out for you while Alex and Calder get you situated,” Meghan said.
Lacey watched Tori chew on the inside of her mouth and knew she was trying damn hard not to laugh. Alex and Meghan weren’t exactly being obvious, but it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they were doing everything they could to encourage Calder’s involvement with Tori’s mom.
She couldn’t wait to share this interlude with Cameron when he called. She was sure he’d get a good laugh out of the entire situation.