THE DOCK REVISITED
“Baby?”
I’ve been searching through the house for the last fifteen minutes, looking for my boys. I swear Axel does this just to see me laugh when I finally find them.
“Axel Reid, you come out now . . . I missed my boys today.” Shaking my head in fake exasperation, I continue down the stairs with my soft laughter trailing behind me. “Nate baby? Mama’s home. Where is my handsome little man?”
I trip over a few of Nate’s toys and almost take my head off when I slip on his new favorite motorcycle from Maddox. Axel must have brought it into the kitchen to keep Nate busy while he was fixing lunch. I would be willing to bet he skipped Nate’s naptime—again—so that he could keep playing with him.
My man, he loves his son.
I stop my search for a few moments to pick up the blocks that are scattered all over the floor, before continuing my mission to find my men.
I walk through out the back door, looking around the deck. Our property is vast, so it takes me a second to scan the surroundings for them. The sun warms my skin and the reflection from the lake blinds me momentarily. Now that Nate is mobile, we have been spending more and more afternoons enjoying springtime in Georgia. Today is no different. The sky is a dazzling blue, with not one cloud in the sky. The flowers we planted along the pebbled path that leads down to the dock are in full bloom.
Everything about this once barren house screams life.
Our home.
A shiver of déjà vu wraps around my spine and whispers up my back when I see movements down at the end of the dock. Sitting down with his legs dangling in the lake is my Axel. His bronze, naked back is the only thing I can see from my angle, but judging by his soft swaying, my little man is nestled tight in his arms.
I follow the pebbled path, slipping off my shoes before continuing down the wooden planks. I make sure to keep my steps slow and steady—careful to keep them unnoticeable. I’m only a few steps behind them when his voice reaches my ears.
“ . . . and then your mommy made me the luckiest man in the world. Never thought my heart could get bigger until she told me you were coming. You don’t know this now, but one day you will. Your mom . . . She thinks she’s lucky to have us, but it’s the other way around my little man. Blessed to the max. So blessed, Nate.”
My foot hits a loose board that moans in protest, earning me Axel’s attention. “Damn, I was trying to be sneaky,” I mumble under my breath.
His smile is blinding in the late afternoon sun, his happiness is infections, and the best part is that I helped put it there.
“Hey, Princess. Have fun on your search?” His teasing tone causes my suppressed laughter to bubble out.
Shaking my head, I crouch down and press my front tight against his warm back. My legs don’t even come close to falling off the side, but I can still wrap my arms around his powerful frame.
I shiver when my skin touches his.
“Hey, you. I missed my boys today.” I kiss his back before looking over his shoulder at Nate. “Ax, you can’t keep letting him chew on that! It’s so dirty!” Reaching around, I gently remove Axel’s dog tags from Nate’s chubby fingers and gummy mouth. “There’s mama’s handsome little man.”
Nate starts squirming in Axel’s hold to reach me, clearly growing impatient with his father’s slow transfer.
“One of these days he’ll be happy just hanging out with his old man.”
“Don’t be such a baby,” I tease, “You know he loves his daddy. His mommy just happens to have his endless food supply.”
Axel shifts his position so he can pull me into his lap—holding both of us within his arms. The instant rush of safety and love that always pours out of him wraps around us, blanketing me in the world’s best feeling.
I cradle Nate in my arms before bringing my shirt up so that he can reach my breast. He doesn’t waste a second before latching on. I lie my head down against Axel’s shoulder, and he brings his hand up to caresses Nate’s soft cheek.
“I love you, baby, but right now, I’m insanely jealous of our boy.”
“I can tell. And if your jealousy doesn’t stop poking me in the rear, I’m taking our boy inside.”
The vibrations of his laughter tickle my skin before his lips press lightly against my neck.
“I missed you today, Princess,” he whispers against my skin, “What kept you away for so long?”
“Ax, I’ve been gone for three hours,” I laugh.
“Three hours too long. I thought we decided weekends were spent at home—just us.”
“We did, but you know I had to take care of some wedding stuff and Dee is always so busy that this was the only time we could get together. Then Greg came over and we just lost track of time.” I turn my head, making sure he really isn’t upset. Seeing the small smile on his full lips puts me at ease.
“I got it, babe. That doesn’t mean I don’t miss you when you aren’t around. Plus Nate missed you so much he wanted to skip his nap and wait up.”
“Oh? He came up with that all on his own, huh?” I laugh.
“Yup. He said he would rather pass his time building block towers.”
“Ax, baby, you are ridiculous sometimes,” I rush past my giggles.
“I know. So, you ready to be my wife yet, Princess?” His question warms my ears right before he nips my lobe lightly between his teeth. “You ready to finally be all mine?”
“I’m already yours and you know that.” The argument, even playful as it always is, seems to be a daily conversation.
“Not until your last name matches mine and Nate’s.” His voice is firm, and I know he’s losing his patience.
“I don’t need to have your last name to prove anything. Especially not that my heart is yours.”
“But you will,” he stresses with all playfulness gone from his tone.
I know this is a sore subject, but we both agreed that it would be best to wait until Nate was born. Then we started planning and things just started taking longer. With Nate just turning nine months old, I know he’s getting frustrated.
I ignore him and lift Nate up to my shoulder.
“Da-da.”
“See, I told you. He only wants me to be his live-in walking refrigerator!” I joke.
We both laugh and enjoy a few quiet moments sitting down on the dock. It’s times like this when I realize just how lucky we are. Axel’s right—we are truly blessed. Time spent with my soon-to-be husband and this perfect product of our love really brings that home.
I shift a now sleeping Nate in my arms and snuggle more slowly into Axel. His strong arms tighten slightly, shifting us to a more comfortable position.
“Princess, I need you to be mine.” His softly spoken words break the silence.
“I know, Axel. I know. That’s what took me so long today. Dee and I finished everything up. Booked, paid for, and confirmed. Can you wait just one more month?”
“Izzy, what’s one more month when we’ve waited for this many years?” I can tell he isn’t thrilled but still happy-ish knowing that it’s going to be soon.
“Ax? The day I become yours will be right up there with the birth of our son as the best day of my life. I can’t wait, baby.”
His arms go solid for a second before he speaks. “I know.” The smug tone in his voice erases all signs of his earlier impatience.
Cocky bastard.
God, I love him.