The heat made it impossible for a daytime stroll, so Meghan strapped the twins into her fancy deluxe four-passenger electric cart and took off down the backroad, past Calder and Stephanie’s place to the bend in the lane where the Villa chapel sat. She liked spending time at the small adobe building and felt that as the wife of the Villa’s ancestral Don, it was her responsibility to look after the place.

Parking in the shade, she made quick work of getting Aiden and Stevie into the twin stroller and out of the sun.

Inside the chapel, she opened the shutters to let in the light. Dust motes in the streams of light hung in the air and gave the space a magical feel.

“Okay,” she said to the twins. “So what do you want to do first? I know. Let’s sing a happy song!”

She ran to a deep cabinet in the chapel’s back corner and pulled out her old teacher’s autoharp.

Bringing music to the chapel was important to everyone, and since there wasn’t an organ, they improvised. There were chimes and flute recorders. Lacey added maracas and finger cymbals. Ashleigh donated some of her tambourines.

Spreading a blanket on the floor, she put each of the babies in a Boppy and sat down in front of them with the autoharp on her lap.

“You guys are going to get a heck of a music education! How about we start with one of Grandda’s favorite groups, the Beatles?”

She strummed the instrument and smiled when both kids cooed with delight.

“This one is called, “I Will”.”

Aiden gurgled as she sang. It was as if he wanted to harmonize! Stevie appeared mesmerized by the beautiful chords.

After the last note, she took a deep breath and nodded to herself.

“The acoustics in here are amazing.”

She nearly jumped out of her skin and whirled around in shocked surprise.

“Drae, my god. You scared the life outta me. What are you doing here?”

He chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Sit down.” She told him with a pat on the floor beside her.

Kneeling by the kids, he did baby fist bumps, told Aiden that Uncle Drae was making wood cars for everyone to play with, and kissed Stevie’s little hands and face until she cooed and smiled.

When he sat on the blanket, he did so with comedic flair and a chorus of old man grunts and groans.

She heard his knees snap, crackle, and pop.

“You need to do some yoga, my friend. It’ll loosen up your joints.”

“Can’t,” he mugged with a goofy shrug. “Yoga pants aren’t a good look for me.”

“Well”—she sniffed—“regardless of your fashion peeves, I’ve told Alex you guys need a trainer.”

“What the fuck for?” He scoffed. “We have a gym and a pool and a fucking rock wall to climb. Plenty of exercise.”

“I’m not talking about exercise, you dolt. Being fit and exercising are not the same things.”

“Women’s logic.” He snorted. “Aiden, listen up, buddy. Don’t get sucked into the ladies’ logic. They don’t realize it, but that stuff only makes sense to them.”

She whacked his arm. “Are you mansplaining to my son?”

He rubbed his bicep and grinned. Then he shifted gears and became deadly serious. It felt as if a cloud had moved and blocked the sun.

“Listen, Red, I’m glad I caught you alone.”

Uh-oh. Drae’s tone and frown suggested something was up that she wasn’t going to like.

“What’s the matter? Is Victoria okay? The baby? Danny?”

“Whoa, whoa, easy,” he said. “Everyone is fine.”

“I can feel when something’s not right, Draegyn. Don’t dance in a circle. Out with it.”

He let out a troubled sigh. Looking at the twins, Drae’s brows bumped together.

“You guys did good with these two.”

She didn’t respond because she knew how Drae worked. He was speaking his thoughts. Eventually, he’d get to the heart of the matter.

“Alex managed to keep it together. Which is amazing, by the way.”

His probing gaze swept her face.

“Uh-huh. And?”

He sighed again. “I hate to bring this up, but the calendar on the wall says I have to.”

The calendar on the wall? What was he talking about? What did a calendar have to do with …

“Oh, shit,” she moaned. “Shit, shit, shit.”

He patted her back and sighed once more. She looked him in the eye.

“I hope I’m wrong, Meghan, but I think he might be speeding headfirst into a wall.”

Her eyes moved to the twins, and she felt a squeeze around her heart. She’d been completely focused to the point of obsession on one thing. Bringing Alex’s baby humans safely into the world. The pregnancy consumed her body and mind – how much had she missed? What signs did she overlook?

“Why do you think something’s up, Drae? Has he spoken to you about the bombing anniversary?”

“No.”

He took hold of her hand and looked her in the eyes.

“Here’s what I think is going on. Just remember that it’s only my opinion, and I could be wrong.”

“You were there, Drae. I trust your instinct.”

“Yeah. I was there. I know how it felt to find Alex half dead in the debris. It’s something I never want to go through ever again.”

She felt for him – heard the anguish in his voice.

“That remarkable mind of his sees the bombing horror as a catastrophic failure to control. Somehow a suicide mission he was unaware of and didn’t suspect is all his fault.”

“He thinks he let his command down.”

“Has he said that?” Drae asked.

She nodded. “Yes. Not that he talks about it much. Last year when the anniversary rolled around, we were on our honeymoon. There were still … moments,” she added with hesitation, “when he’d be a total asshole for no reason. I guess I hoped that the babies would make a difference this year.”

“They have,” he solemnly said. “But not the way you think.”

“Oh, god.” She put her face in her hands. “I know.”

“So you understand what I’m getting at?”

“Yeah,” she told him. “He felt helpless during the pregnancy. I think the whole thing tested his control issues. You dads get left on the sidelines.”

“And now?”

“It’s worse now. We are not the singing Von Trapp family, and he cannot give a command and expect the newborns to get in line. He made a schedule that the kids promptly farted on, and though it’s great having so much help, he’s made that into some slight to his manhood.”

“Major Daddy.”

She agreed. “Indeed.”

They sat in silence for several moments. “Wanna know what he does every morning?”

Drae’s eyes widened. “Sure.”

“We’re on a dawn schedule. Two hungry babies at 5 A.M. When both are changed, fed, and back to sleep, he goes down to the pool and swims laps.”

“Swimming was part of his recovery therapy.”

She understood that and said so, but this wasn’t therapy. “Drae, I’m talking about power swimming. Like a shark is gaining on him. He keeps it up for a very long time. Until he’s half drowned. It scares me a little.”

“Meghan,” Drae murmured. “I told you before. He’s always going to fight this battle. It’s at the center of who he is as a human being. That fucking war was not and is not pretty. Bad shit went on all the time. We understood who we were fighting. It’s a warrior thing. Identify the enemy.”

“But the enemy was hiding. Under a Burka and with bombs strapped to her body.”

Drae made an angry grunt. “That’s the thing he can’t process. A mother, someone we all knew and trusted. Her kid. Blown to bits.”

“David,” she murmured softly. It had been a long time since she thought about the boy she’d grown up with who’d gone off to become a man in a war zone. It was David Anderson losing his life in the bombing that put her and Alex on a collision path.

Drae continued with sadness. “He feels responsible. Is convinced he should have somehow known what the bad guys were up to. Now jump in time to the here and now. Mr. Responsible is chugging overtime to manage the full scope of what he sees as his function - authority, control, power, leadership. All those words pertain to Alex.”

“He’s feeling the burden.”

“Times a hundred,” Drae muttered. “The baby explosion, his parents coming home, you, me, the twins, hell, all of it. He was wrapped so tight when we were in Pakistan that I thought he’d crack a molar. It’s all coming to a head, and I’m worried.”

She stared at the twins for a long time. Daddy’s in crisis, guys, she thought. We have to do something, but she didn’t know what.

“Watch him, Double M. This might be a make-or-break deal.”

“I fucking hate PTSD,” she snarled. “You never know when it’s going to appear.”

“You made a difference, Meghan. In a way, you kind of saved him. Oh, sure, he was a functioning human before you came, but he was also an empty shell emotionally. Going from grumpy isolation to happily ever after in the blink of an eye has a cost. This time, he’s struggling to find out who he is and where he fits in. As a son. A husband. A father. And in a way, with Justice. We’re all finding our way.”

“May I ask you something, Drae? About Justice.”

He looked startled. “Of course,” he said with a hearty chuckle. You’ve got the padlock combination to all things Justice, Mrs. Marquez. Ask away.”

“Domineau is here.”

“That she is,” he murmured in reply.

“Alex says she’s going to run the programming. The actual hands-on stuff?”

“Yep. Brilliant move on his part. Domineau is a world-class warrior. Putting a female in charge will end up separating the real men from the pussy boys.”

She laughed. Had to. What a great way to describe it! “Do you mean anyone stupid enough to react to a female in charge will be the first to go?”

“Something like that. We don’t have time to teach manhood. They either understand the way the world works, or they don’t.”

She snickered. “Domineau will get off on that!”

“Fuck yeah, she will.” He laughed. “That’s what makes it so funny. And so Justice. Was that your question, Red?”

“No, I was planting markers. Here’s the question. Or maybe it’s a comment I’d like you to react to.”

“Have at it.”

“How much fuckery did my husband unleash by bringing Domineau here and then giving Rafe the all clear to come for an extended visit? Meet the family stuff.”

“Oh, that. Yeah. Um, ugh,” he grunted. “Honestly? I don’t know what to think. You should have seen those two in Pakistan. Every damn day was like an episode of Divorce Court. I’m pretty sure that they never once made eye contact in all the weeks we were together.”

“My husband is matchmaking again.”

Drae laughed. “His record is pretty damn good so far.”

“And then there’s that.” She chuckled. “But something’s different about this. I’m worried about what will happen when Rafe gets here.”

Drae arched a brow. “Oh? Why?”

“He’s not traveling alone. And he refused an offer to stay in the casita. I know the pretense for him coming at this time is to meet the twins, but I have a funny feeling his decision has everything to do with Domineau.”

She searched Drae’s face. He was thinking.

“Has Sawyer been around at all?”

“Sawyer? Oh, for Pete’s sake. What does he have to do with this?”

“Chill, Red. I’m asking because when you want information, he’s the man with the contacts. I bet Sawyer knows plenty and might be able to shed some light on things.”

“Oh, well he might stop by with the family on the Fourth. Alex said it’s a big deal that he wants to meet the explosion that is Family Justice, and that he’s never once brought his family around before.”

“Kids change everything. You might find quite a few folks stopping in to meet the family and genuflect for Alex.”

“That sounded awfully ominous.”

“I didn’t mean for it to sound like an omen or anything. I’m just saying that Alex Marquez is held in high regard in the halls of power, at the Pentagon, and a few other unusual places. There will be some who would find it advantageous to play the game and do bended knee to your husband. Basically, that’s what Rafe is doing. He’s not stupid. This is Alex we’re talking about. There isn’t anyone from Team Justice who wouldn’t jump in front of a speeding train for the man.”

* * *

“Matty! Don’t wander off.”

Roman looked up when Kelly called after the boy. She looked and sounded exhausted. They all did.

It had been three days of hotel life and nonstop real estate hunting in the brutal heat of summer. They were all fried, and in Matty’s case, he’d been cooperative long enough. He wanted to see Bella, and he wanted Justice to know they were in town. The only way to get him to agree to help choose a house was by going on and on about how great a surprise Bella will get when they all show up at the Justice Fourth of July bash.

The real estate agent gave them an understanding look. Every day he learned more and more about the secret language of parenting. Where kids were involved, it was a whole new world, so he tended to notice everything.

The dad nods were his favorite because the head movement was no different than the hand sign bikers used when another motorcycle passed or the toot toot passing Mazda car owners favored. He didn’t actually know what the hell that was about, but he’d heard the recognition signal enough times to notice.

This secret parent language was universal as well because it didn’t matter if you were raising a kid in a nomadic Bedouin tent or on Fifth Avenue in New York. Not when the kid was antsy or wide-awake in the middle of the night.

“My boy has a six-minute time span,” the agent told them. “Drives his father nuts.”

He chuckled and nodded. Kids were the ultimate game changer.

Sensing Kelly’s growing annoyance, he stroked her arm lightly and took control of the boy.

“Matthew, front and center. I need your opinion.”

The agent chuckled softly.

“Redirection,” he told the two women. “Doesn’t always work but worth a try.”

Kelly ran a hand through her hair and spoke in a flat voice. “Can we just flip a coin or something? I’m exhausted. Matty is cruising for a verbal smackdown. It’s hot and honestly Roman, enough.”

Matty boyishly swaggered up to him. “I like this house,” he exclaimed. “There’s even a swing set.”

Well, there you have it, he thought. Done and done.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “This is a big decision. Can you see us hanging out here?”

“Oh, sure,” Matty declared with glee. “Can we get a grill? That’d be cool. Bella’s daddy has a grill.”

He turned to the agent. “We’ll take this one. How soon can we move in?”

She looked genuinely shocked by his manner and blinked a couple of times.

“Oh, my,” she responded. “You weren’t kidding when you said immediately. Well, good news. This property hasn’t even gone on the market yet. It’s an exclusive to my agency. I know the owner is eager to sell. He’s relocating for business, so I’m sure if you meet his price, there won’t be any problem.”

She was right about that – there wouldn’t be any problems because at the end of the day, it came down to money.

“Tell him we’ll meet the asking price – no bargaining necessary. I did the research and know what the comps are in this area. And if you can make the closing happen in a jiffy, we’ll include a ten percent bonus to be split equally between your agency and the owner.”

The offer flustered the agent for all of a minute, and then she put her finger up and said, “Give me a minute,” before producing her phone. She walked away presumably to make the call.

Kelly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tight. “Thank you.”

Matty gave a whooping yelp and started hopping up and down. “I’m going to go pick my room,” he yelled before scurrying into the house.

He kissed the top of his lover’s head and returned the embrace. She sighed and picked her head up from his chest to look at him.

“I might be getting used to you spoiling me. Us,” she emphasized.

Roman bent and kissed her sweet lips.

“Your happiness is my first priority, carina. This is our family, and I take that shit seriously.”

He touched the soft skin on her face and marveled that the sexy, unassuming waif was his.

“Congratulations, you two. The owner enthusiastically accepts your offer. All that’s left is a mountain of paperwork. Once that’s wrapped up, the keys will be in your hand.”

Kelly patted his arm and smiled. “I’ll tell Matty it’s a go and see which bedroom he thinks is his.”

Roman watched his beloved walk away. Bringing her here was the right thing to do. The city had almost swallowed her whole – a mistake he was unlikely to make in the future. Kelly was that unique individual who was well grounded while at the same time being somewhat wild and ecstatically free. She needed space to breathe and have access to nature and the outdoors, and the new house offered both. So did this place. He saw the transaction as necessary to ensure his family was happy.

* * *

Kelly’s voice in the empty space echoed off the walls as she mimicked a cackling witch crying, “I’m melting, I’m melting.”

A heat wave greeted them upon their arrival. In the span of one day, they’d gone from gloomy, overcast, and humid to blazing sun and dry heat. She’d been slathering sunscreen on her and Matty, night and day.

“Matthew! Where are you?” She yelled up the stairs and listened for sounds.

“Kiki! Come look!”

Wearily, she smiled at his enthusiasm and used the railing to pull her uncooperative body up the stairs. She found Matty in one of the bedrooms.

“Look!” he exclaimed.

The view of Chimney Rock and Thunder Mountain took her breath away.

She knew when they arrived that this place would be perfect – and that was before they toured the house.

Located in a small West Sedona subdivision, and tucked away at the back of a cul-de-sac, this property had all the charm and quaint feels she expected from a southwestern home. Plus, it had a homey feel and was much smaller than the new huge, oddly sterile mega houses they looked at.

Matty threw his arms around her middle and hugged her. “I’m so happy, Kiki. Are you happy too? When can we see Domineau? I want her to look at the swing set.”

It was so cute that he thought about her feelings and adorable that he included Domineau in the bigger picture.

She’d been thinking a lot about godparents and guardians. Where Matty was concerned, she had to give his peculiar situation serious thought. It went without saying that Liam was on the top of Roman’s list for the male side of the equation. When she had to give the matter some thought, Kelly knew right away the only person she’d ask to step in should it be necessary was Domineau Rivera. She’d protect Matty with her life, and if called upon to do so, she would be an awesome co-guardian along with Liam.

She sat cross-legged on the soft carpet and bade Matty to sit next to her.

“For now, we’ll stay in the hotel because Roman and I have to sign a bunch of papers and talk to lawyers and bank people before this place is ours.”

“Oh,” he grumbled.

Nudging him playfully, she teased his disappointment away by bringing up Bella.

“Guess what? I talked to Heather and told her about the surprise.”

Gasping with delight, he got on his knees and hugged her again.

“And we’re gonna do a FaceTime later – a quickie – but you’ll have to pretend we’re still in New York. Think you can do that?”

“Yes, yes!”

“Imagine how surprised everyone will be when we show up at the Family Justice Fourth of July Barbecue.”

“Can we make s’mores?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s gonna happen.” She laughed.

He climbed into her lap like he did when he was still a baby. She couldn’t love him more if he was her own child.

Cuddling in silence, she and her little man in charge clung to each other as yet another wind of change gusted into their life.

Many minutes later, Roman appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the jamb and watched them. With her chin resting on Matty’s head, she looked at him and smiled.

His eyes told a thousand stories, and what they revealed to her right now was that she and Matty made him happy.

Her smile softened. Roman Bishop took her breath away whether they were doing their mom and dad thing, having drinks with her brother, or being squired around the very private Red Club. No matter what was going on around them, she was either a blazing bonfire of awareness or just beginning to fan the flames that never seemed to completely extinguish.

“A week. Tops,” he drawled in his ‘I’m the MAN’ way. “We’ll use Sullivan Legal for whatever is needed. I gave Parker the heads-up.” He gave her the cutest smirk and added, “Looks like you and the gals have a decorating project to tackle.”

They’d been smiling into each other’s eyes for a long time when she realized that Matty was dead weight. She glanced down and checked him out only to find that he’d fallen asleep in her arms.

“He’s fried,” she told him in a quiet voice.

“We all are,” Roman quietly said as he came into the room. He scooped Matty off her lap and onto his shoulder. “Let’s ramble on, m’lady. Big day tomorrow. I think we’ve earned some room service and pay-per-view.”

Offering his one free hand, he pulled her off the floor and then kissed the hand he held.

“It’s official,” he quipped in his sexy growl. “We have a vacation home in Arizona. You know what this means, right?”

Kelly giggled and quickly covered her mouth, so she didn’t squawk so loud that she disturbed Matty.

“I know, you dirty old man. Same thing you said about the New York house! Every room must be fuck christened.”

He chuckled. “Fuck christened. Sounds sexy coming from such a sweet mouth.”

With a sly smile, she asked, “Did you check out the hot tub on our private patio? We can go straight to the Jacuzzi from the bed or bathroom in total privacy.”

Roman gave her an eyebrow smirk. “Babe, when we were on the patio, I was already planning what outdoor furniture to get for the extreme amount of fucking that’s going to happen there.”

She blushed. “I really hope he’s asleep because if he isn’t, we’re probably scarring him for life.”

Shooing her downstairs, he lingered behind to shut off any lights that were on and lock all the patio doors.

At the bottom of the steps, she turned in a circle for the 365° view. A southwest vibe emanated from every inch of the place. Her mind was clicking as she planned out a small workspace that would fit perfectly in the laundry room. She already had ideas for a couple of stained glass pieces that were in the works for the New York house.

The real estate agent came from the back of the house wearing a big smile.

“We’re all secured in the back.”

“Roman’s locking the upstairs,” she told her.

The woman nodded approvingly as she glanced around the empty house.

“This is a wonderful house. Not too old so there’s no need to worry about upgrades. And you lucked out in a big way with the views from almost every window.”

Kelly looked around and had to agree. The cute cul-de-sac house was exactly what she needed. What they all needed.

* * *

“I can’t wait for you to see my kids. Rafe! A boy and a girl. Can you believe it? me. A dad. To twins.”

Meghan enjoyed the genuine warmth in her husband’s voice. He was like a little kid sometimes when he went on and on about the babies. And his enthusiasm was infectious. It was impossible to be in a crappy mood around him because he was a ray of merry sunshine when he was like this.

“Nah, shit. You don’t need to bring anything. We’ve got food to feed an entire platoon. But bring your bathing suits.”

She smiled and chuckled. He surprised her by turning into a party planner. Something Cristián said had sparked a childhood memory, and before she knew it, Alex was the man with a plan for family gatherings. This Fourth of July bash was his coming out as a dad party, and he wanted things done just so.

He didn’t know it, but for the most part, they were all mockingly rolling their eyes behind his back.

Yes, he was being that cute.

When he got off the phone, Alex immediately turned to her and began talking a mile an hour.

“He’s got an Air BnB rental. A condo in Sedona. Says he’s taken a leave of absence from work. What do you think that means? Didn’t give me so much as a clue who he’s traveling with. I could get Cam to do his thing and see what the fuck is going on. Nah, bad idea. Justice doesn’t spy on each other. Right, hon? I mean, sure, if he’s married or otherwise occupado, things could get dicey. Should I give Domineau a heads-up? I should, right? He’s not showing up unannounced, so I guess I should tell her. But anyway, he says he’ll mosey round at noon. Oh, and remind me to check on the timing. Finn has a brisket smoking game plan worked out with Ben. Some idea of a schedule would be nice.”

After wondering when or if he was going to come up for air, Meghan wandered away in her thoughts while he nattered on.

Fast moving streams of information and mental vignettes of a dozen things fired off in her head. She eyed her studly beast with what she hoped was a placid expression.

With a mental sigh, she focused on one thing – Alex and his matchmaking. The man was a complete romantic at heart – though she knew he’d never see it that way. He had great examples of strong, true love all around him. His parents, the Sullivans, even her folks. And most of Justice too. He wanted Rafe and Domineau to find their happily ever after, and she loved him for being such a softie.

But he was underestimating the complexity of the individuals he was playing with. When it came to secrets and building walls, those two won the prize. Plus, she saw something in Domineau that she suspected others didn’t. Maybe it was her damn empathy – sucking up emotion and behavior.

In Domineau’s case, Meghan was certain she wasn’t at all who she pretended to be. She didn’t mean as a warrior. That part of who Domineau was had to be taken as a given. The lady had balls, according to the men, and ice water in her veins. Things that Meghan did not discount.

But there was something else about her. Something small that she kept hidden. Meghan admitted her thoughts wouldn’t seem to be practical for a person like Domineau, but she wasn’t so sure.

For that reason and because she liked her husband’s balls attached to his yummy body, she was going to take the hit by being the one to tell Domineau that Rafe was coming for a nice, long visit. She was afraid of what the Amazon warrior would do to Alex if he attempted the heads-up.

“I have a surprise for you and your mom.”

Huh? Did he just say something about a surprise?

Stepping back into the conversation, she smiled and said, “That’s nice.”

He looked at her strangely before busting out a husky laugh. “You just totally tuned me out, didn’t you?”

She pursed her lips and tried to look fierce, but she wasn’t a good enough of an actress to pull it off.

So she laughed.

“Busted. Sorry. It’s just that I couldn’t help but think about Domineau. She needs special handling.”

His brows bumped together, and he started as if about to ask a question, but then backed down, so she continued.

“And by special handling, I do not mean Justice. I think this requires a woman’s touch if you want it to work.”

“What are you suggesting?” he asked.

“Let me talk to her. You handle Rafe.”

“Ah.” He sniggered. “Team Marquez?”

Meghan shrugged and made a goofy face. “Well, I figure you’re always going to pull this crap, so I might as well get involved. Hopefully, my perspective can help you navigate the rocks and hazards.”

“We make a good team.”

Five simple words were spoken in a tone that made her wet. She fluffed her hair and gave him some playful attitude.

“I suppose you’re the leader of this team. Am I right?”

He looked her up and down with such a meaningful leer that she almost fanned herself from the heat of his gaze.

“What can I say? I’m a take charge kinda guy.”

Crossing her arms so her boobs would be in his face, she issued a challenge.

“And if I don’t feel like listening to the take-charge guy, can I expect a spanking?”

The inferno blazing in his eyes from her provocative response triggered a slow melt.

“Give me any guff, and you’ll be trying out some Kegel balls while I pink your ass.”

She went to him and twined her arms around his neck so she could shimmy on his body. Leaning in, she licked his ear and then bit the lobe. In a sexy whisper, she stated her desires and spiced things up.

“And will you be placing the balls inside me?”

His answer was a grunt.

“In that case, Major, you can expect all manner of insubordination.”

She bit his earlobe one more time as he squeezed a handful of her ass.

“By the time we actually have intercourse, we’ll both be ready to explode.”

Meghan giggled. He was right. But the wait was going to be so worth it. She married an extraordinary man. All the dots must have lined up because by letting him guide them during this unusual time, the communication floodgates opened, laughter returned to their bedroom, and they stumbled on a tempo to their intimacy that respected what she’d been through while being hot as fuck.