Feeling like an impressionable twit overcome with illumination after reading an article in one of her parenting magazines didn’t faze Meghan one bit. Nope. Not when her gut had reacted so strongly. What the writer conveyed resonated with her. Music spoke to the soul. And babies, being newly born souls, had music reactions worth noting.

“So,” she cooed to Aiden and Stevie. “What’ll it be, hmm? One of Daddy’s favorite songs?”

’Cause he was the closest, she kissed Aiden’s nose, made sure one last time that everyone was secure, and then sat at the piano.

“How about something pretty to start?”

Her fingers fluttered over the ivory keys for a few seconds before an amused sounding question brought her up short.

“What’s all this?”

Meghan shifted on the piano bench in time to catch sight of Ashleigh and her enormous smile as her mother-in-law sashayed through the front door.

“Am I in time for a serenade?” she asked.

“MomMom!”

As she always did, Ashleigh came straight to her for a two-cheek hello kiss. Because Meghan was seated, Alex’s tiny statured mother loomed over her and smiled.

“I love the happiness that you bring to this old house. By waiting until the time was right, my son did okay.”

An involuntary snicker-snort shot from her mouth as she gave Ashleigh a skeptical smirk. “Mom, come on. It’s not like I was his first.”

Her mother-in-law’s infectious laughter filled the foyer and put gurgling smiles on the twin’s faces.

“Oh, but you are, Meghan! Didn’t you know?”

“Okay, hold on a second. What?”

Shooing her over to make room on the bench, Ashleigh sat and then took one of Meghan’s hands and held it in her lap.

“Alexander was such a, um … well”—she snickered with some serious mom-shade—“he’s male first, so his judgment was, at times, questionable.”

“I have three brothers. Believe me, I know.”

They nodded together and sniggered.

“It was Parker who got most of the attention. Girls have been swooning at that boy’s feet for decades. Alexander was his second. His lieutenant.”

Ash chuckled and hugged Meghan’s hand. A happy smile of memory lit up her face.

“And like all good co-pilots, my son was more geek mess than suave. His father and I wondered if he was gay at one time.”

At that completely unexpected admission, Meghan almost fell on her ass when she rocked back and forth with gales of laughter. Laughter her children found amusing.

“Excuse me?” She laugh-snorted. Wiping away tears of irreverent delight, she gave her mother-in-law an incredulous look. “You’ve met your son. How could you think …”

The laughter started up again. Aiden and Stevie giggled along. She was glad they had no idea what was so funny.

“My dear”—Ash drily sniffed—“all that macho nonsense and chest thumping didn’t come until much later. My son was an innocent.”

Flashes of the unfortunate mental scenario Meghan kept locked away of Parker, Alex and a certain Stifler’s mom sprang to life. She glanced at Aiden and winced. No mother wanted to discover that as a teen her son was essentially a hormonal dirty dog. Alex must have been putting on one hell of an act.

“Alex was far more interested in motherboards and processing speeds. He wrote code, not love notes. The girls he took to school proms were computer club friends.”

Ash shrugged and continued her story.

“College was no different. I can’t recall anyone he dated.”

“Yes, well dating isn’t really a thing in college. Hooking up? Yes. Actual relationships? No.”

Stevie cooed and giggled as if she was weighing in. Ash smiled.

“My point, Meghan, is that you’re the first. The only female we’ve seen Alexander with. I’m sure he’s sowed plenty of irresponsible oats. Lord knows his father certainly did but at no time did anything progress far enough for him to play meet the parents.”

“Oh, my.”

Her mother-in-law’s arched brow made Meghan sit up and pay attention.

“He waited till it was right. You are Alexander’s one and only.”

Meghan felt her nose tingle and her lips wobble, then the tears flooded her eyes. At the first available moment, she was going to find her husband and love him into a coma.

Swiping at the tears, she offered Ash a watery smile and something else. Something really special that she’d just figured out.

“Wanna see something really cool, MomMom?”

“Does it involve those beautiful babies watching us?”

She nodded and chuckled. “Yes. Since you shared something wonderful about Alex, I’m going to show you something. Before anyone else. Even their daddy.”

Ashleigh Marquez was a lot of things; chief amongst her traits though was a cheeky willful streak. The woman was born to top.

Shaken by the way her mind worked these days, Meghan banished the thought because no way did she want to imagine what floated her in-laws’ boat. Biting her lip, she pinned this moment in her mind as something she shouldn’t revisit.

Gesturing to a nearby chair, she winked at Alex’s mom.

“Be cool, MomMom. Nonchalant. Have a seat where you can see but don’t make eye contact. Sit quietly and watch what happens.”

Meghan knew just what to play. Sometimes she wished the beautiful piano melody wasn’t called Broken, but the composer, David Nevue knew what he was doing. For her the song was the sound of her heart—something she’d never been more sure of than the first time Alex took her to Vortice Amore.

As her fingers moved on the keys and the beautiful notes filled the foyer, something extraordinary happened.

First, Aiden’s little foot found the tempo. He kept time like his daddy did. Were they seeing a junior drummer in the making?

In a little bit, the next extraordinary thing happened. Stevie dropped her inquisitive hands to her sides and became still. After a big inhale, her eyes closed. Outward appearance suggested she was asleep.

Just wait.

The haunting melody tapered slowly to a close. When the last notes hung in the air, she turned to Ashleigh and mouthed, “Watch.”

When no more sound lingered and the piano was silent, Aiden smacked his hands everywhere. Like applause.

And Stevie? Her smart little girl’s eyes flew open, her hands waved, and a sweet gurgling coo rang out.

She blew kisses to each baby and then swiveled on the bench to find Ashleigh slack jawed and teary eyed.

“Oh, my goodness, Meghan. She listens with her eyes closed.”

Thinking she was just sharing some of the twin’s quirkiness, the very last thing she expected was for Ashleigh to burst into tears.

Holy shit. What’s happening?

“Mom, oh, my god. What?” Meghan flew off the piano bench and knelt on the hard tile floor so she could hug her mother-in-law.

After a few seconds of heartbreaking sobs, Ash pulled it together.

“I’m sorry, Meghan. It’s okay. Really.”

Reaching into the pocket of her skirt, she withdrew a wad of tissues. Motherhood requirement.

Thanking her, Ash took some tissues and fixed her face. It took more than a few moments for her to find her voice. When she did, Meghan needed a couple of the tissues.

“My love of music came from my mother.”

Meghan remembered how emotional Calder and Ash got when they spoke of Mark and Anna Dane.

“She had a beautiful voice and could play half a dozen instruments. My mother enjoyed a good melody.”

When Ashleigh paused and swallowed, Meghan held her breath.

“She always listened with her eyes closed. It was her thing. Everyone teased her about it because she’d sit through a musical like she was sleeping.”

They turned to gaze at Stevie. Lately, her strawberry blond hair took a golden turn, rather like her MomMom. Meghan thought it was cute, especially when Alex teased that even the universe was willing to pander to his mom. It was turning into a family joke.

Choking with emotion, her diminutive mother-in-law blew her nose and destroyed a bunch of tissues. Then Ashleigh turned the emotion dial past ten. Past eleven, too, and went straight to twelve.

Carefully pulling a chain from her blouse, Meghan saw a small ornate locket hanging at the end. Ashleigh’s hand trembled when she opened the gold pendant and held it for her to see.

At first glance, she was confused. She’d seen pictures of the Danes before, but this was different. Instead of Mark Dane, she found the picture of a young boy who had Calder’s distinctive smirk.

Leaning in closer for a better look, her gasp filled the air when it started to make sense.

The picture of Anna in Ashleigh’s locket showed her mom at around two years old with long blond curls and a pair of blue eyes and rosebud lips that bore a remarkable resemblance to Stevie.

“After they were gone, the only way I could deal with losing them was to imagine Mom with music playing, her eyes closed, and a serene smile.”

Meghan hugged the crap out of Ash and shared something her mother told her.

“Babies are new souls. Ma always said that heaven clings to newborns and that we lose the connection as we grow and come to understand the world. Our angels stay close, but we can’t see them. I think Stevie is showing us that those we love never truly leave.”

Ash sniffled and smiled.

“Does Alex know this about your mom? That she listened with her eyes closed?”

“Maybe he does, but I’m sure if he’s forgotten, seeing his daughter do it will awaken the memory.”

Aiden hollered at them and smacked his hands everywhere, reminding him that he was first.

Ash chuckled. Then giggled. Then laughed.

“Sorry to do this to you, my dear, but Papa Cris and I can’t wait to hook our grandson up with a drum kit.”

Meghan snorted. “Why would you do that?” she asked with accusing mockery. “I thought you liked me!”

“I’ll get you ear phones because we’ve waited forever. Since the time Alex started thumping on the drums his dad and I have said, just wait till he has a son.”

“Ohhh”—she snickered—“I get it. The standard parent payback. Just wait till you’ve got kids of your own. Then you’ll see! You mean something like that?”

“Bingo.” Ash giggled. She tapped her nose and winked. “Don’t fret, though. I mean, after all, Alexander has a drum studio, doesn’t he? I’m sure there’s enough room to squeeze another set-up.”

Heat raced up her neck and bloomed on Meghan’s face at the mention of the studio. Was there room for more instruments? Over her dead body.

Yes, Alex had a go at the skins every so often but what really went on in the very private, soundproof room had nothing to do with music, and she’d be damned before she surrendered their playroom.

Rushing to change the subject, she asked Ash to stay for lunch so they could catch up and touch base. Meghan was dying to ask about Sophie and Jace. The two were showing everyone how an old school courtship is done, and unless her eyes deceived her, Soph was over the moon with Jace circling nearby.

They scooped the babies from their seats and carried them into the great room. Carmen was getting lunch ready but greeted them without her usual smile. She and Ash exchanged looks but said nothing.

Some time later after the twins had eaten everything in sight and she and Ash noshed on leftovers, Meghan realized Carmen had melted into the woodwork.

Now where the hell did she go and what in the world was up?

* * *

He hated his agency office—it was too formal—so Alex started working from home as much as he could. And by working at home, he didn’t mean fucking around in his bat cave tech zone. He referred to actual work of the desk jockeying variety.

Jace was a natural businessman—it must be in his DNA or something because the guy took the agency reins with a minimum of fuss or disruption. And dammit if he was kicking ass and taking names as the Justice boss. The bonus was that Jace and Domineau got on like dry kindling and a cherry bomb. They spat out ideas in explosive bursts with each of their competitive streaks taking over. No matter how you cut it, putting those two in charge was just what Justice needed.

He was better than okay with no longer shouldering the business and the programming. Left him free to do the bigger picture stuff. Keeping Justice moving forward and always a step or two ahead of the pack was what got them where they were today. He liked exploring cutting edge technology and along with Calder, letting their nerd imaginations soar free.

Unfortunately, his boyish enthusiasm meant he never threw anything away, and in a pretty short time, the Villa study started to resemble a hoarder’s paradise. He glanced around and made mental notes about putting some effort into a bit of organizing. If this ended up as his official work hangout, the least he could do was go through the motions.

Pushing aside a rolling work table piled with prototype equipment, empty boxes, and a Lego first order heavy assault walker from the Star Wars collection that he and Parker assembled, Alex stepped around a stack of cartons overflowing with the office supplies he asked Betty to gather. A Hello Kitty pink desk stapler sat prominently on top. No doubt a subtle message from his office manager that he go fuck himself.

A slow grin spread on his face. Nobody pulled off drill sergeant stoic quite like Boop. Carmen and his mom had the indulgent snark locked down, but Betty? She came at him from the business side of his life. For more years than he cared to count, he spoiled her rotten, and she put up with his absentminded ways.

When he asked her to equip his home office, he knew damn well she’d shake her head and view the demand as one more sign that he was not just clueless but also an idiot. Her snotty reaction to his request involved disbelief that he thought for one second she knew or gave a crap what office supplies he preferred.

Boop was an original member of the ever-growing squad of women around him who were not impressed with his shit. He laughed, and before taking another step, Alex pulled out his phone and quickly found a floral arrangement with a Betty Boop balloon that he happily paid an ass load for to ensure priority delivery.

He fully expected her to counter with more Hello Kitty fuckery.

“Knock, knock.”

Alex’s neck twinged when his head whipped around and shot up at the same time. He gripped the tingling spot and dug his thumb in hard to stop the spasm. Surprised to find Carmen hovering at the door to his study like a bad kid sent to the principal’s office, he frowned from confusion and discomfort.

“Alexander. Do you have a moment?”

His brows shot up, and he immediately straightened. No accent and using his formal name signaled something significant. A lightning quick analysis of the situation led him to presume this wasn’t a moment for joking around. He slid into his Major role and nodded while waving her into the cluttered room.

“Of course, Carmen. Be careful. Sorry for the mess. Come on over here and sit down.” He offered a comfortable wood captain’s chair and helped her get seated before rounding the antique desk.

“May I offer you some water?”

He saw her slight smile and relaxed a little.

She gave him one of her driest expressions and quipped, “Easy does it. Nobody is dying.”

His smirky grin equaled her pithy response. “Doesn’t change the fact that you’ll rat me out to my mother if I don’t use my manners.”

Carmen chuckled and tsk’d as he settled in his big desk chair. He eyed her every move and waited her out. When she fussed with her hair and brushed invisible lint off her pants, his curiosity was piqued.

“I’d like to request time off.”

His hands automatically moved to the armrests, so he had something to grip. Despite the fact he signed her paycheck, Carmen was family. She was free to come and go as she pleased. He’d never once raised an eyebrow over whatever vacation time she wanted to take. As far as he was concerned, she could retire tomorrow, and he’d still pay her while making sure she got to travel the globe first class if that was what she wanted. Their bond was forever.

Lowering his voice, he spoke in a precise, serious, and overtly respectful way.

“Mamita, this is your home, too. I gave you the keys to this kingdom. I’m not your boss, no matter how it looks. If you need time off—for any reason—you do not need my permission.”

Her eyes met his. He smiled warmly.

“Where is this coming from,” he asked. “Why so formal?”

The way she shifted and cleared her throat left no doubt he’d landed a bull’s-eye.

“Is it okay to speak about Chief Winston?” After a second of pause, she shyly murmured, “Duke.”

Oh. My. God. Heat and sweat bloomed on his neck.

He had shit to offer if Carmen started talking about her love life. Where the hell was his wife when he needed her guidance? Squirming in the leather seat, he picked up a pen and started tapping it.

“Um, yeah. Okay. Sure.” He nodded and tapped. “Duke. Chief Winston. Fine.”

What happened to his usual take-charge eloquence? He had barely an eye blink to ponder this before his stomach did a somersault. No way was he going to survive relationship talk with his second mother.

“There are things about Duke I think you should know.”

Alex blinked in slow motion. What did she mean? Should he be concerned about something with his chief of security? If there was, he would murder Cam. It was his job to carefully vet the people placed in positions close to the family.

His somersaulting stomach did a few back flips at the suggestion of Cameron Justice missing a critical detail. The man’s investigative legend loomed large in the most rarefied assemblies of very powerful people. A lot of the Justice cachet was built around Cam. It wasn’t like him to be sloppy. Ever.

Carmen continued her story. He decided to say nothing until he understood where this was going.

“Do you know why he’s here?” she asked. “Why he came to Arizona?”

The question sounded rhetorical, so he barely reacted but wondered about the subject.

“He hates trees. Especially lots of trees. What he calls the woods.”

Something familiar about her words opened his memory. He turned his speculative gaze to her face and saw flashes of concern mixed with anguish. Duke was in his sixties. He was a storied veteran. Alex got the picture she was trying to create without her saying another word.

She shifted gear in the story, and he swallowed with difficulty when she started her little speech.

“He was married, you know. Once a long time ago. There was a boy. Michael. He said they called those kids the R & R Brats. After the fall of Saigon, Duke went back to a home he’d never seen, a wife he barely knew, and a son he’d never met. They settled in Cajun country. Louisiana. Somewhere along the Bayou. He hated it. Reminded him of the jungle.”

He murmured, “That was a long time ago, Carmen.”

The look she pinned him with reminded Alex that he was one to talk. Warrior shit, anything involving the war or aftermath, was never a long time ago.

“The story does not end happily. His wife and son were strangers. Society was unkind to Vietnam vets.”

Alex sighed heavily. The war fucked up both of their lives. Carmen and Duke. What were the chances?

“This is painful for you. Have you told Duke about your past?”

She nodded. “I lost a husband, and my stepson moved a continent away. But my story has happiness too. A step-grandson to honor my late husband’s memory. Because of you, Alexander, and technology, I keep the connection alive.”

“You know I’ll do whatever I can, mamita. Tell me what brought you here. What do you need from me?”

Carmen sighed so heavily, he started to worry.

“Oh, Alexander, I don’t know what to do.”

He got up and went to her. “Come on, let’s sit on the sofa, and you can tell me about what you don’t know.”

There was a pile of shit on the sofa that he quickly dumped in a corner. Carmen made a face when he finally sat beside her.

“How did you survive the military?” She scoffed. “It’s a wonder you found the sofa at all.” Her waving hand and the piles of office crap helped make her point.

He grinned and made a joke. “Are you kidding? Back in those days, with Draegyn and Cam vying for top dog, it was too easy. I could take a dump in the mess tent and those two would compete to clean it up.”

She slapped his thigh and snickered. “So much like your papa.”

He slung an arm about her shoulders and drew his second mother in close for a supportive hug. “Now tell me why you came to me and not my old man.”

Carmen’s face wore a pained scowl. “Alex, Duke has a ten-year-old grandson. He needs a home.”

“What?” He wasn’t sure if the astonishment shook him as much as the visceral concern.

After a long sigh, she told him a story that made his heart ache. Duke and his son endured a long estrangement during the boy’s childhood. But things changed as he grew up. In college, the boy, Michael, reached out to his father. They had a real relationship after that and would get together a few times a year. When Michael left college, he took his degree and turned it into a military career.”

“He followed Duke’s footsteps?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “Yes.”

A bad feeling crept up his spine. He urged her to continue with a hesitant nudge.

“He was killed in Afghanistan. 2012. Left behind a four-year-old son. At some point, the boy’s mother passes after a car accident. He’s been with Duke’s ex-wife, but she has an aging parent and needs to make some changes.”

“Carmen,” he muttered—too upset for words.

“We planned to vacation in Washington. Go to the memorial together. When he contacted the ex-wife, hoping to see the boy while we were on the East Coast, she unloaded. She wants Duke to take custody of the boy.”

His jaw dropped.

“There’s more,” she murmured with a thick voice.

Too stunned for speech, he merely blinked and waited.

“Duke is an honorable man, Alexander. We weren’t going to have a vacation frolic. He’s asked me to be his wife. There was no way he would be okay with us traveling together without a commitment.”

“You’re going to marry Duke?”

She blushed and looked away. “Well, once he does the proper thing and asks permission, we’ll see.”

“Permission?”

“Yes.” She nodded “Cristián, and you, of course. And Eduardo. We do nothing without his blessing.”

Sometimes, he forgot about Carmen’s long generational history with the Valleja-Marquez family.

Alex waved his hands in the air. “Okay, hold on. Let me see if I have this. You’re asking for vacation time to go east. Duke is averse to you guys shacking up, so he wants to make an honorable woman out of you. Me, Dad, and Ed have to give consent.”

She nodded to all of it.

“And when you come back, you’ll have a kid? Do I have this right?”

“Yesss.” Her reply was hesitant, and his antennae went up. “Here’s the thing.” Carmen cleared her throat and sighed dramatically. “Is it okay if we live in my quarters?”

Alex frowned. Why wouldn’t they live in her quarters? What was the real question?

“It’s your home, Carmen.”

He wasn’t sure why she hesitated, and in a couple of heartbeats, he didn’t care. He saw something to do and grabbed on with both hands.

“So what we need right away is a second bedroom. For the boy. What’s his name?”

“Paul. Paul Winston.”

“Right. So Paul needs a room suitable for a dude. With his own bathroom.”

“Alex, slow down.”

He chuckled. “Why? I thought you had a thing for Duke.”

“I do,” she quickly assured him, “but you’re talking about changing the Villa, and I don’t …”

He jostled her playfully. “Relax. I have some ideas for Caleb Merrill to look over. His company did a fantastic job with the chapel and what he made happen for Stephanie and Calder is inspiring. Need some changes in the family wing.” He shrugged. “I figure if he’s going to be working at the Villa, we might as well get a couple of things done. You need a second bedroom and maybe an office for Duke.”

His mind was clicking incredibly fast.

“Oh hey, wait a minute. After the Marquez-Dane men give their permission, when’s the wedding?”

She beamed. “As soon as we return. Duke will coordinate with Eduardo. With your permission, I would like to be married in the chapel.”

“Well, I don’t know,” he critically drawled—earning him her shocked attention. “Kid before the wedding? You naughty girl!”

Carmen rocked with laughter and wiped away a few tears. “Duke said something similar. I think he’s worried about my reputation.” She dryly snickered.

Her snarky humor turned into five minutes of fist bumps, awful jokes, and inappropriate humor—all reasons why he loved this woman to death.

It was funny as shit to watch her try to pull it together. For a host of reasons, Alex enjoyed her struggle—once in a while, it was good for Carmen to let her hair down and get silly. She was the true rock of the family, and for anyone who imagined that honor belonged to him, he had a few truths to throw down for blowing that theory straight to hell.

Without Carmen Delgado in his corner all these years, fuck only knows what might have happened. And not just to him. There was Cam and Drae as well. She took over big time when three fucked-up, surly, battle-hardened warriors appeared on the Villa’s doorstep, and it was by her hand that all of them eventually rejoined the human race.

She stood and had her usual game face on within a few seconds. He secretly chuckled. Once upon a time, he thought only his mom and Carmen had that face, but marriage and being forced to be ‘woke’ by an ever-growing crew of seriously kickass females showed him that ‘the look’ was something all women had—especially moms or anyone in a position of having to deal with men.

“You’ll tell the meesus?”

He laughed. There just wasn’t any other option. The woman turned her accent off and on like a spigot. Meghan was the one to point out that Carmen had them all snowed with her slightly confused act. Not only did she understand every goddamn word of English, she spoke it perfectly—when it suited her.

“Oh, sure.” He sniggered. “No problem. But you do realize, of course, that with you ditching us to go off on vacation, my wife will have the run of your kitchen.”

Alex didn’t bother to pretend that the Villa’s enormous kitchen was anything except Carmen’s exclusive domain. Meghan rattling around with one of her amusing attempts at faking domesticity was sure to drive their housekeeper nuts.

“Balls.”

He gasped, and his eyes went wide. “Did you just say balls?”

Bright pink spots of embarrassment lit up her cheeks. She sniffed—the sound of mock indignation—and doubled down on ‘the look.’ “It is Duke’s favorite word. Blame him.”

And with that, she half smirked and marched out of the study.

Standing in the silence, Alex rewound the conversation, decided that Meghan needed to hear every word, and went off in search of his wife.