“I can’t believe you’re almost two months old!”

Sophie covered her son’s adorable face with kisses. She loved Teo with all her heart. He represented a slate clearing ending and a magnificent beginning.

Closing her blouse, she put the baby on her shoulder and gently patted his back. It only took a minute for him to produce a little burp.

“Such a big boy.”

She dropped her head onto the back of the rocker and let the love she had for Teo fill her up.

A gentle kiss on her forehead forced Sophie’s eyes open.

Jace.

A smile lit up her soul and spread to her face.

“How’s the lad doing today, Mommy?”

“He’s working on his boob gourmet badge,” she jokingly replied.

“Lucky kid,” he answered with a half-assed leering smile.

“Wanna hold him so I can get myself in order?”

She handed Teo off into Jace’s capable arms. The happy smile on her face was starting to feel permanent.

“Give me a sec,” she mumbled before dashing into the little washroom at the back of her office.

She chose this little suite in the Double M administration building because of the available bathroom and a small alcove intended for a seating arrangement that she easily converted to baby space with a wooden Shoji screen that Draegyn custom made for her.

Leaving the door open a crack so she could listen, Sophie fixed her nursing bra, made sure her blouse was buttoned correctly, and then washed her hands. Jace cooed and chatted with Teo – just like any father would.

The only thing was, Teo didn’t have an official father. He had a biological other. But that wasn’t stopping Jace from staking an emotional claim with her son. And her.

“You’re early,” she said when she rejoined her two guys.

On the days that she went to work at the Double M, Jace made it a point to act as chauffeur. With her still living with her folks and Jace’s apartment in a nearby neighborhood, he said it made sense for them to carpool.

It didn’t, but she pretended because spending time with Jace made her happy and after too many years of believing happiness wasn’t on the agenda, to have the tables turned so neatly and so perfectly gave Sophie hope for the future.

“Your brother wasn’t having the best of days, so I bolted for safety.”

Oh, and the other thing she liked about Jace? He didn’t beat needlessly around the bush.

“Was he being a dick? ’Cause if he was, I'll set him straight in a hurry.”

Jace chuckled. “I can handle Alex. And no, not a dick. More like a boiling pot about to overflow.”

Hmm. She didn’t like the sound of that and asked, “Are there problems with Justice?”

He kissed Teo’s head and placed him in his seat.

“No, not at all. They run a tight ship. Betty is a powerhouse, and Domineau in control of the programming adds some military-like efficiency to the deal.” He looked at her and shrugged. “This feels personal.”

The sentence hung in the air for a minute before he added, “And I’m sure the others notice too.”

“The others?” she asked. “You mean the guys?”

“Yeah. St. John definitely. Cam too. Plus, your mom and Meghan.”

Her mom? Really? Why hadn’t she said anything?

Teo happily cooed and made lopsided grins at Jace as he played with the baby’s feet and engaged him with smiles and sounds.

Sophie did a hasty review of her brother’s recent behavior. “He seemed fine at the barbecue. Maybe a little tense but Alex is always wrapped tight when he’s left in charge of stuff. He seemed genuinely amused at the ’rents RV plans.”

“I don’t know him well enough to have an opinion. Although …”

“What?” she snapped. “Although what?”

“He looks crooked, if that makes any sense. Like something’s a little bit off. And every so often, he rubs his leg.”

“Ah, shit.” She grimaced.

“What’s that mean, Soph?”

Without waffling, she moved into his arms and put her head on his chest. He enclosed her in a warm hug.

“It means we should be worried.”

He tightened his embrace and quietly asked, “What can I do?”

Sophie didn’t doubt that she had Jace’s full support. He hadn’t witnessed the decade and more when she was a certified mess. He dealt with her in the here and now without shadows from the past to make things weird.

“I’ll speak to Red,” she murmured against his chest. “And maybe Draegyn. I don’t know. It depends on what Meghan says.”

There wasn’t anything else to say on the matter, so she switched gears to more pleasant topics. Like how safe she felt in Jace’s arms. Pressing her ear against his wide chest, she listened for his heartbeat and smiled when she found it.

“Ms. Marquez,” he said in a decidedly sexy sounding drawl.

She lifted her head and looked at him.

“We’re coming up on the eight-week milestone.”

Every time he spoke of them and Teo as a ‘we’ – she felt giddy.

“Do you want to throw a party?” she teased.

“Nope. Something better. I’m asking you for a date. If you can find a babysitter, that is,” he added with a smirky chuckle. “It’s time, don’t you think?”

Fireworks lit up here insides. This was too good to be true.

“Are you proposing a first date, Mr. Delacroix?”

“That I am, Ms. Marquez. A proper date. Not a meet-up for dinner.”

“Oh.” She giggled. “You want to go old school.” Grinning with delight, she gave his torso a squeeze before letting go and stepping back. “I could do old school. Sure.”

They smiled at each other.

“So give it a whirl,” she said with a laugh. “Ask me properly.”

He cleared his throat and grabbed his suit jacket with one hand while using the other to emphasize his orator skill.

The man was adorable. And hot as shit dressed in a very nice suit that made the most of his cowboy assets.

“Sophia Isabel Camiña Valleja-Marquez,” he grandiosely began. “Will you do me the great honor of allowing me to squire you to dinner?”

“Well, I don’t know,” she teased. “What would this dinner involve?”

He was grinning. She felt light as air.

“It involves me calling for you at a pre-arranged time even if that means having to experience a withering glare from your father. Since my intention is to woo you in a manner consistent with wooing a woman as fine as you are, we will go anywhere you want.”

“Will you bring me flowers?”

Jace’s cheeks colored. “Stop blocking my best moves. Let me surprise you, please!”

Teo cooed. She looked at her beautiful son and made a decision.

“Monsieur Delacroix,” she said in flawless French. “It would be my pleasure to accept your dinner invitation.”

He reached for her hand and kissed it like a silent movie hero.

“And while I very much enjoy the cowboy vibe you’ve got going on, this suit and tie thing works for me too. Since this is old school, I yield to you on the choice of restaurant as long as I get to wear something fabulous.”

He loosened his tie and shocked her with an obvious leer. “I’ve spent more time in a suit than jeans, so I’d be happy to dress the part.” He waggled his eyebrows and lowered his voice. “And just to be clear, it wouldn’t be all that hard to come up with fifty shades of things to do with a tie.”

She giggled. Had to. Couldn’t be helped. Her giggles led to some naughty chuckles as she reviewed possible tie scenarios.

The naughty chuckles gave way to her playfully smacking his chest and laughing her ass off.

“Just to be clear, sir,” she pithily remarked, “there are also fifty shades of interesting things to do with my bra.”

His brows shot up.

“And your belt, of course.”

His expression was hilarious.

She stroked his handsome face and left him with something to think about. “Ever been tied up using your own belt?”

* * *

“Is this thing for real?” Meghan asked as they toured Deval’s jaw-dropping RV.

Alex was impressed. He’d thought his parents’ rig and the Sullivan’s too were cool, but this shit was next level awesome.

Dev threw an arm around his sister’s shoulder. “I figured if we were gonna be living the road trip life for a couple of months, we might as well do it up in style. Check this out,” he added before pushing a series of buttons that made a large section of the central seating area bump out in an extension. In less than a minute, the space inside the RV was greatly enlarged.

“Here’s the best part,” Dev told them as he ushered him and Meghan out of the RV.

“The extension has sliding panels that reveal a sixty-inch satellite TV system. Outdoor entertaining at its finest.”

“I’ve got nothing except holy crap,” Meghan murmured as she checked out the entertainment system.

He nodded at Dev. “No joke, man. This is fucking amazing.”

“The kids love it. We’re having a fantastic time. Stopped at Dollywood and sort of lost my mind at Branson, Missouri.”

Alex laughed. “You mean lost your mind as in cha-ching?”

“Exactly,” his brother-in-law drily admitted. “I know buying stuff and having lots of things doesn’t spell happiness. But this trip is nothing short of epic. Spoiling them is part of the experience. You’ll find out,” he added with a laugh and a back slap.

His response was an insincere smile that Dev didn’t notice.

The tour continued, but Alex just went through the motions. Deval’s inconsequential quip about stuff he’d find out now that he had kids landed in his gut with a thud like a chewy bagel slathered in peanut butter. And now he had one more thing to worry about, obsess over, and plan for.

Goddammit.

He checked a very heavy sigh before it gathered enough oxygen to be heard. Meghan was particularly tuned into his sighs these days, and he didn’t want to rain on her happiness. She was genuinely delighted to host Deval and the kids at the Villa. Once the reality of the O’Brien clan spending quality time in Arizona entered the picture, she’d been plotting and planning. It meant a great deal to her that through a series of unexpected events, their kids would be able to develop close relationships, not just as visitors, with her family.

His wife caught his eye as Deval was explaining the ins and outs of the toilet and showering options in an RV. She frowned slightly.

Shit. She’d caught him unconsciously rubbing his thigh. It was an old habit that reared its ugly head when he was having a tough time.

Snatching his hand away, he shoved both into his pockets and pretended to listen.

As Dev droned on, Alex wandered deeper into his thoughts. He looked around with unseeing eyes. Did everyone know he was a fake? A charlatan?

He was no great warrior and didn’t feel half as smart as his résumé claimed.

Alex Marquez was a goddamn phony who no one in his or her right mind should trust with anything of importance – like a human life.

His mind shifted into tally mode and started ticking off all the lives he’d ruined by being a fraud, including the dozens of people right this second who imagined he was the best person to take charge.

What a joke.

The dull throb of a strengthening headache started banging on his temples.

When Meghan laughed at something her brother said, Alex looked at her and frowned.

What if he fucked up, and Meghan paid the price for his failure? What about the twins? He shuddered at the thought and felt a zing of anxiety pierce his chest.

A musical horn played the bagpipes as Paddy O’Brien pulled up in the rental RV he picked up in Flagstaff. Brother and sister cracked up and groaned. When the door of the RV opened, it was Alex’s dad who jumped out first.

“Can you believe it? Bagpipes!”

Paddy came next, and he was laughing like everyone else.

“It was bagpipes or the Dukes of Hazard. Guess which one I picked.”

There wasn’t further opportunity to mope about his failings after Meghan’s mom came rushing from the house.

With a comical puffing of his chest, Paddy gestured to the RV. “Got you all your bells and whistles, me darlin’.” He held his hand out to her. “Come on, let’s check out the bedroom.”

Meghan and Deval groaned. His dad had a laugh, shook his head, and waved before making a fast trot inside the house.

“What?” Maggie snickered. She slapped her hands on her hips and eyeballed two of her kids with some pretty damn awesome mom shade. “Are you both just figuring out now that you didn’t spring from a shamrock at the stroke of midnight?”

Dev won the day with an offspring rebound that Alex admitted was worth stealing. After all, his parents were just as bad with the senior sex thing.

“Ma, all I’m saying is this. Your husband is a dirty old man.”

Paddy’s deep laugh rang out. “Well said, my boy.”

When his in-laws disappeared inside the RV, he and Meghan clasped hands and turned toward the house.

“Dev, it’s hot as balls out here,” Meghan said. “You want a cool drink?”

“Nah, but thanks. I’m going to go change and then terrorize the kids. Today is hang by the pool day.”

Carmen appeared in the doorway and waved to them. “Duke needs a word,” she shouted.

His head of security needing a word had ominous undertones. Alex wanted to sigh but didn’t.

He counted the steps they took and wasn’t surprised when five steps were all it took before his wife moved into his path and stopped.

“Is everything okay?”

“Absolutely,” he assured her. “There’s just a lot going on.”

She leaned into him with her arms around his neck and smiled. “It will be a ghost town around here after the caravan leaves.”

“It might do us some good to have a little quiet time.”

Meghan put her fingers in his hair and purred. “I feel a naked swim coming on.”

Alex knew most of his wife’s moves, and this was a sexy redirect. She knew he was having a difficult time, but rather than pester him to death with talk, she opted for a more physical approach.

Without apology, he kissed her long and hard, while Carmen coughed, cleared her throat, and sighed.

His beautiful wife’s surrender came quickly, but Alex didn’t ease off until he was satisfied. Every day, they got closer to the time when making love was the only option left. Maybe then he’d calm the motherfuck down and regain some perspective.

Taking Meghan’s hand in a firm grasp, he pulled her along the walkway and faced Carmen’s good-natured irritation.

“What is that expression? Get a room?”

“Ha-ha, very funny, Mrs. Delgado. A room wouldn’t be necessary if we ever got any damn privacy.”

His second mother drew herself up straight and gave him the look.

After escorting his wife out of the sun and into the coolness of the house, he asked where Duke was hiding so he could find out what was chafing his butt.

Zeus provided the answer when she came bounding from the kitchen with a new chew toy hanging from her mouth and Duke chasing after. The two developed a weird bond that his dad called playground friends. Whenever they got together, the fun began.

“Major, sorry to interrupt, but there’s something you need to see.”

Meghan was the one to sigh. He’d also heard the urgency in Duke’s words but didn’t react. Yet.

“It’s nearly time for lunch. I’ll be in the nursery if you need me.” She kissed his cheek before speaking to Duke. “Please don’t keep him long.”

Watching the gruff Vietnam vet wither beneath the Irish death stare his wife was so good at delivering struck Alex as hilariously funny. Nothing leveled the field faster than a woman who would not take any shit.

When the ladies walked away, he patted Duke on the back and bade him to follow as Alex headed to the kitchen. He made straight for the built-in beverage cooler and grabbed a Coke. He didn’t really like soda, but sometimes, the carbonated beverage came in handy. Cracking the pull tab with a pop, he listened to the fizz before guzzling a third of the can in one gulp.

“All right, Duke. What’s got your shorts in a knot?”

His security chief took an iPad off the counter and started to tap-swipe.

“I noticed something in the June data dump. An algorithm that sticks out. When you combine the tables in sequential order, there’s a blip and a fade-out in every one. See?” He pointed at a graph that Alex knew like his own dick. “This isn’t right,” Duke remarked.

He took the tablet and tap-swiped the monthly data. Duke was on to something. It wasn’t obvious at first, but if you knew how to connect the dots, there certainly was something there.

“Does this pattern appear in previous months? Have you double-checked against the quarterly data dumps?”

Wearing a concerned expression, Duke shook his head. “No, sir. Not yet. I wanted to get your input first. I’m no techie. This is your area, Major. For all I know, the blip and dip is something you wrote into the system.”

This was one of the reasons he relied on Duke. The man was smart and kept his head on a swivel. Nothing got by him, and if it did, it wouldn’t take long before he was on the scent and ready to pounce.

He also knew his limits and was an expert at sensing when to defer.

Alex leaned against the island counter and finished the soda. What did this mean? The blip and dip. He contemplated a couple of scenarios but nothing realistically plausible turned up. He might need to get Calder involved on this one. Nobody had better tech instincts than his uncle. Nobody. Except for perhaps himself and Tori.

The carbonation did its job and triggered a world-class belch that sounded awesome in the empty kitchen.

Duke’s amused chuckle turned into a grin when Alex worked up a second, louder soda burp.

“Ahh.” He sighed and gave Duke half a smile. “There’s nothing quite like carbonation!”

Duke snapped his fingers, then pointed and said, “If it’s okay, I’ll change the code this afternoon.”

Alex filled in the rest because he knew where Duke was going. “Run a full scan every twenty-four hours. I want as much data as you can get. Oh, and Duke?”

The chief’s eyes met his.

“Let’s keep this on the down low for now. Not a word to Mrs. St. John. The only thing I want her to think about is having that kid. And for heaven’s sake, nothing around my wife.”

After an understanding fast thumbs up, Duke headed out with an assurance that he’d be in touch the minute he found anything else.

Alone in the huge kitchen, Alex looked around. He was the hereditary Don of the Villa de Valleja-Marquez. Because that wasn’t enough, he was also the CEO of a global business. Perhaps by virtue of that alone, they’d cropped up on the radar of the massive military industrial engine that was the United States of America.

He pondered which of those roles was more likely to be on a bad actor’s radar. The zapping anxiety started up again in his stomach. Was something really wrong, or was he just spoiling for drama? For a chance to blow up.

Scrubbing both hands up and down his face, he shook off the disquieting unease that was growing stronger inside him.

Zeus scrambled down the back stairs and came to his side. She sat and nosed his hand for attention. He scratched the top of her head. When she came to get him, that tended to mean the twins were awake. The faithful Labrador took her job as family guard dog seriously.

He needed to get out of his head and push all this stuff into a corner for now. There was already too much going on without adding more.

* * *

Drae was nearly out of his mind with giddy anticipation as Victoria waddled through the final days of her pregnancy. He honestly could not fucking wait to meet their new son or daughter.

Not even halfway through July and the summer of 2017 was setting records for the number of consecutive hellfire heat days. It was memorable for another reason. Not only were he and Victoria awaiting their second child this summer, but their oldest had also achieved Mach 1 toddler status. Daniel only had two speeds. Full tilt boogie and out cold.

So when Desirée and Tyler finally arrived, all hell broke loose. Danny went bonkers over Shiloh and Wade while the grown-ups got weepy over the newest addition to Desi’s family. A beautiful baby girl born in April named Annie.

Drae was surprised by how effortless it was to love the newly adopted addition to the Morrison family. If Family Justice taught him only one thing, it was that FAMILY happened in a thousand ways and not always by giving birth or having a blood tie.

Gathering in the backyard under a moveable tent awning kept them out of the sun. Tyler was an eager new daddy who couldn’t get enough of Annie’s adorable sweetness. He was parading back and forth with the baby up on his shoulder while Desi, the kids, and Raven made a god-awful mess with water balloons.

“I wanted to speak with you two,” Tyler said. “While Desi isn’t around.”

He sensed Victoria’s interest when she shifted and stared at Tyler. “What’s up?” she asked.

“Well, I’m thinking you aren’t going to like this, Drae, but I need your input.”

Why did it feel like that did not sound good?

Tyler frowned. “It’s about your parents.”

Drae flinched as if he’d been shot. “Uh, say again?”

“Yeah,” Tyler grunted. “You heard me.”

Victoria stroked his leg, but the agitation that erupted at the mention of Arthur and Hillary St. John made him nauseous and instantly jumpy.

“What the fuck?” Not exactly eloquent but that was all he had.

His brother-in-law threw down with a fierce, scowling expression and told them in no uncertain terms, “I don’t want Desi upset.”

“What have they done?” he demanded.

“Sit down, Tyler, and give Annie to me.” Victoria at least had some sense and got control of the baby, so they could talk.

“Here’s the thing,” Tyler gritted. “Sorry Draegyn but they’re assholes, and I’m done with cutting them any slack. Wade is almost ten, and he’s never met his mother’s parents. I say it that way because neither of them deserves to be called grandparents.”

“Truth,” Drae coldly murmured. There was no way around the undeniable fact that his parents were horrible people. Pfft. They barely earned recognition as parents.

“Hillary came out of the woodwork in the spring. Somehow, she heard about the adoption. I’ve always suspected that they kept tabs on us. Probably on you too.”

Drae squirmed uncomfortably. He couldn’t wrap his mind around either of the people calling themselves his parents giving the slightest crap about his life. Or his sister’s.

“She came at us through my work email. It’s been years since Desi had contact, so I was more than a little surprised.”

Victoria chimed in. “Does Desi know this, Tyler?”

“God, no. She’s in no way receptive, if you catch my meaning.”

Drae snorted. “Yeah, no shit.”

“Anyway,” Tyler continued in a flat, slightly angry tone. “I suggested she kiss my ass and spelled out what going away and leaving us alone meant. That woman makes ice shiver from the cold.”

Growling, “She’s a heartless bitch, and her husband an empty suit,” Drae felt his anger rising.

Victoria nodded her agreement while Annie sat on her leg and stared at them.

“I hoped that would be it, but a couple of weeks ago, a package came. Once again, to my workplace.”

“Let me guess,” Victoria drawled. “An engraved silver cup?”

“Yep, that and a framed print of an elaborate family tree that did not include any of the kids. Or me and Victoria,” Tyler sneered.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Drae gave Tyler a hard glance. “Trash, I hope.”

“No. That’s not my call,” he pointed out.

There was something about the change in Tyler’s tone that made Drae uneasy.

“There’s more, isn’t there?”

“For the record, I hate all things social media. Instagram is a necessary evil in my job, but anything of a more personal nature I prefer to release the old-fashioned way. Face to face or with an actual picture. But such is not the case with our offspring.”

“Uh-oh,” Victoria quietly stated. “But doesn’t Desi control the family account? I never see anything even slightly inappropriate. Wade has a thing for tagging and identifying animal poop, but beyond that, it’s all Little League and school projects.”

Tyler let out a long, tense sounding sigh. “You’re right, but I’m worried.”

“Why?” Drae anxiously questioned.

“There’s fucking geo tags on everything these days. We didn’t think to disable that crap before leaving home, and I’m afraid we’ve left an obvious bread crumb trail leading straight here.”

“To Bendover?” Victoria asked in an astonished voice.

“Yes,” Tyler growled. “And it gets worse. You guys play starring guest roles. If they’re watching – following along – there’s little left to the imagination.”

Something dark and dangerous woke up and began to prowl inside Drae. Danny’s happy laugh caught his attention. He watched his adorable son mixing it up with his cousins and aunt. This was all he ever wanted as a kid. To be part of a family. And now he had that and more with Victoria and the extended Justice clan.

He gazed at his wife’s baby bump and a barrage of harsh thoughts filled his brain. It had taken more than thirty years to overcome the royal fucked-up-ness that his unfeeling parents had caused in his and Desi’s lives. There was no way he was letting his so-called parents anywhere near his loved ones, and he knew without a doubt that his sister felt the same way.

There wasn’t much to be done at this point. It was enough to know what was going on.

“If it helps any, you can rest assured that the Justice security blanket covers every inch of this place. Not that they’d have the balls to show up. But if in the unlikely event they try to gain access, security will shut them down.”

Tyler nodded, but Drae saw the fury in the man’s eyes. His sister had chosen and chosen well. Tyler Morrison might be something of a nerd when it came to all things involving nature, but deep down, he was no different from the macho alphas swaggering through the compound. His family was the deal breaker. Fuck with them and he lost the nerd vibe but quick.

* * *

Rubbing the back of his neck to release some tension, Parker took a deep breath and considered the pile of papers that grew steadily throughout the day. He was having a bear of a time making sense of what should have been a walk in the park.

At the sound of his door opening, he looked up, expecting to see his secretary or one of the law partners working for Sullivan Legal. To his surprise and delight, it was his wife, wearing a very pretty dress that clung to her growing bump.

His delight evaporated when he saw the expression on her face. Something was wrong.

She shut his office door, tossed her purse on a chair, and came to him without saying a word.

Her face had a strange pallor, and when he tried catching her eyes Parker saw the clear evidence of tears.

Nope. Nope, nope, nope. Tears in her sapphire eyes were totally unacceptable.

He started to speak, but she put her fingers on his lips and shook her head. Then she slid his reading glasses off, folded them, and laid them aside. Pushing him and his chair away from the desk, she moved his arms and climbed onto his lap. When she was situated, she took one of his arms and folded it around her middle.

When she kicked off her shoes, drew her knees up, and curled into him like a vulnerable child, he held on tight.

After a little bit, he murmured gently, “What’s wrong, my angel?”

The hand fisted beneath her chin open and toyed with his tie. Just when he thought she’d say something, she nuzzled her face into his neck and sighed heavily.

Stroking her back over and over, he gave what comfort he could.

She mumbled something that he didn’t catch. When he didn’t respond, she burst out in a bewildering huff, “I feel like shit.”

Worry bloomed to life inside him. He needed more information to figure out what was up.

“What kind of feel like shit?” he questioned anxiously.

More fiddling with his tie and a couple of sighs later, she tilted her head so he could see her face. The pout she wore was achingly familiar. Whatever this turned out be, he was sure it wouldn’t be serious. Not in a life or death way.

Abandoning his tie, she wrapped one of her long curls around a finger and pulled a sulky face.

“I have a headache, and I’m not allowed to have coffee.”

He almost laughed. This award-winning snit was because she couldn’t drink caffeine? Oh, thank god.

He must have looked relieved because she sat up in a huff and glared at him. Unfortunately, the movement of her ass on his lap worked better and faster than any of the erectile dysfunction drugs on the market today. If he counted back from fifty, maybe he’d get his body under control.

She looked miserable when she added, “And my tummy is upset.”

The only thing keeping his face neutral was years of lawyer experience, but when she used the word, tummy, he nearly lost it and laughed. He regarded his pouting wife with amusement.

Because of their long personal history, he had no problem recalling a much younger Angelina complaining about a tummy ache. That she used the expression to explain some pregnancy grumpiness gave him a case of the sillies.

Rubbing her belly, he teased his charming wife, hoping some lighthearted jests would make her laugh.

“Aw, baby girl. Is your tummy upset?”

Right away, her mouth quivered with evidence of a smile.

“I know a way to make you feel better.”

Okay, gosh, really? He didn’t begin with sex in mind, but he definitely went there.

Angie pursed her sweet lips and rolled her beautiful eyes.

“I’m serious, Parker. I feel awful, and it’s not funny.”

Her pout quivered and made him feel like a dog. They were having a baby, yes, but Angie was doing the heavy lifting. And judging by the way she was behaving, his angel wife wasn’t having that great of a time.

It was his job to help her. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He lifted her chin with his finger. Their eyes met. “I’m with you every step of the way.”

She nodded. Her lip quivered again. “I’m not a baby,” she sniffed, and he wondered how many times he’d heard her say those same words.

When all was said and done, she was a huge baby, and he needed this reminder. The only time she was like this was when she wasn’t sure. When her normal confidence and ballsy attitude took a hike.

Parker smiled with his entire expression. It wasn’t just the curl of his lips. He poured a lifetime of loving her into his gaze.

“Thank you,” he murmured before lightly kissing her lips. “Thank you for coming. Any time you’re worried or don’t feel well, I want you to do exactly this, Angel. I want to be part of everything, baby girl. The good stuff and the challenging stuff.”

Tears welled in her eyes. He caressed her stomach.

“What do you need?”

The quivering lip was driving him insane. When it started wobbling big time, he sensed she was at her limit.

“All I need is you. Can you just hold me, Parker?”

He folded her into a supportive embrace and gave her all the time she needed. It didn’t matter that he had a buttload of work on his plate or a law practice to run. Nothing mattered except this. The two of them and the tiny life growing inside her.

In a soothing voice, he spoke of his undying love and promised her the sun, moon, and stars.

“Angel love, you are more precious to me than you realize.”

They sat like that for a long time. He rubbed her back, stroked her hair, and held on tight. His thoughts were drifting when she eventually spoke.

“I want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to laugh.”

She sat up and looked him square in the eye.

“Okay. Laughing disconnected.”

He found it impossibly enchanting that she appeared so unsure and hesitant. Being pregnant brought out hidden weaknesses. Parker knew he’d be wise to remember that. She needed him now more than ever.

Angie scratched her forehead and looked perplexed. “Um, okay, so, like – for real, I don’t think the baby likes meat.”

His brows rose and eyes widened. “Really?” He thought about it a moment and finished with, “I can see where that would be a bit of a problem.”

Problem? Good lord. It was a major hurdle because his wife had a membership card for a nightly carnivore banquet. Just this morning, she scarfed down more bacon than a human should consume and complained that steak and eggs weren’t a daily option.

Hmm. “Do you think that’s why your feel lousy? Because the baby doesn’t care for what you’re eating? Is that a thing?”

“I have no idea,” she miserably replied. “Everyone is different. Stephanie ate avocados by the bushel. Meghan didn’t feel like eating. Sophie ate her body weight in sour pickles. It’s whatever.”

He answered with what he assumed would be the most reasonable and universally accepted solution. Don’t eat so much meat. With one statement, he witnessed pregnancy hormones on display when she snarled, frowned, and pushed off his lap.

Standing at his knees, she slapped her hands on her hips and glared down at him. He was trapped in his chair by the closeness of her body.

In a voice terse with sarcasm she began in a half yell and went from there.

“Is there anything else you think I might do or not do?”

Husbandly self-preservation told him not to move a muscle.

“I can’t have coffee or ibuprofen. Eggs make me burp. Alcohol is off limits, and I’m going to get fat.”

The word fat and everything it implied was in the Top 5 on his list of things he despised and hated. If fat was a pejorative, then so should a whole slew of other descriptive words. Tall, short, blonde, smart, dedicated.

“There is no such thing, and that sort of stuff shouldn’t get an airing – not even in your thoughts. You’re making a tiny human. What’s a few pounds, inches, or dress sizes when taken in that light?”

She threw her hands up and stomped to the far side of his office. Shit,” she grumbled. “I know you’re right. I’m just a mess.”

His emotions clenched tight when she lowered her face into her hands and groaned.

That was it. His workday was officially over. He shuffled some papers, made an even bigger mess on his desk, and then gave up.

She watched silently.

“Eh, fuck it,” he snarled.

He swooped down to get her shoes and took them to her. Kneeling, he played Prince Charming and slid each heeled shoe onto her feet.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m taking you home. Don’t worry about a thing, Angel.”

Parker slid on his suit jacket, fixed his tie, and checked a pocket to make sure he had his wallet. He snatched his car keys from the corner of the desk. “How did you get here? Is your car in the parking garage?”

“I Uber’ed.”

He nodded. “Smart girl.”

Taking her hand in his, he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Come on, love. Let’s get you home and comfortable. Would you like to stop for ice cream?”

She brightened immediately and smiled. “Yes, please!”

It wasn’t necessary to explain anything to his trusty secretary. She took one look at Angie and nodded her understanding.

“I’ll take care of everything. You take care of your wife.”

Mission accepted, he thought as they took their time leaving the building. He’d waited a lifetime for Angie, and now she was having his baby. He knew damn straight where his priorities lay.

Nothing – absolutely nothing was more important than this.

* * *

Sophie used the gavel Draegyn St. John made and rapped it on the table.

“Okay people, let’s wrap this up. Outstanding effort everyone! Give yourselves a round of applause.”

She stood in her spot at the head of the conference table and clapped enthusiastically. Being the person in charge came naturally to her. She wasn’t all that different from Alex.

The entire administrative team and department managers for the Double M had gathered for a planning session that went better than anything Sophie could dream up. Meghan did an outstanding job of attracting the best people for the family center, which made a transition at the top easier to manage. Everyone understood why a new mom of twins had to step back from work commitments. Their support for Meghan translated into unwavering dedication and focus on the mission of the family center. It also meant that when she took over, they welcomed Sophie with open minds and hearts.

When the group started packing up to leave, she called Ingrid Bartholomew over. As their official Jane-of-all-trades, Ingrid handled the performance arts programming and anything else along those lines. She had community theater experience that was going to be critical for the event her team just signed on for.

“Ingrid,” she said in a cheerfully offbeat way. “You’ve got this, right?”

Eyes that twinkled with merriment and what Sophie suspected was a touch of mischief met hers.

“Walk in the park,” Ingrid replied. “But we have to get ourselves in gear pretty fast. We have roughly six weeks. With everything we do starting from scratch for this inaugural event, the stage crew will be extra busy.”

Taking into consideration the point Ingrid made about first times, Sophie mentally flagged a couple of random thoughts to ponder later. In November, the center would celebrate one year in operation, so nearly everything they planned for programming and events would be new.

“Gotta tell you, Sophie, that this idea for a community variety show is nothing short of inspired! By having an anything-goes format, more people will want to be involved.”

She gave an easy shrug. “And after all, isn’t that what the Double M is about? People getting involved with the center and each other? My sister-in-law is a genius because this is how you build a supportive, inclusive community.”

“So how much leeway do I have?” Ingrid chuckled as she asked. “Enthusiasm leads to more, bigger, better! Give me an idea of where the limit is. Will save time.”

“I’m open to anything. I know that’s not much to go on, but I’ve got a surprise you’ll enjoy.”

“Surprises are the gooey delicious center for an endeavor like this! Hit me with your best shot,” Ingrid hooted.

“Have you met Charlize Wilde yet? She’s the artist who did the jaw-dropping mural in the business wing. She’ll be here soon. Victoria St. John talked her into leading some art classes during August. Anyway, I was thinking she’d be a huge help with set designs and things like that.”

“An artist, you say? Well, hot damn!”

Sophie chuckled. “There are a lot of people itching to share all sorts of skills and talents with the center. We have a waiting list. There are even a couple of workshops I wouldn’t mind taking.”

“Knock, knock,” a familiar voice called out.

She looked at the doorway to find Jace with Teo in his arms and a diaper bag hanging from one shoulder.

“Did you call a cab?” he joked.

Ingrid put a hand on Sophie’s forearm and gave a little squeeze. “Your son is adorable. So is your friend,” she added with a humorous man-ogling wink. “Go on, get outta here. We’ll lock up.”

She wasn’t about to turn down the offer.

“Thanks, Ingrid. Oh, and you’ll get me a rough draft by the weekend? I’ll have to do some quick procurement to realize our vision of the multipurpose room as an auditorium.”

“On it, boss lady. Now skedaddle and go make the rest of us jealous.”

Sophie laughed. “Jealous? Of what?”

“I don’t see anyone else going home with two gorgeous men,” the spirited redhead drawled.

The pleased smile on her face as she left the center stayed with her throughout the rest of the day until sleep came.