Safe with Me

“Am I dreaming?” He asks, his voice raw.

She shakes her head no and wraps her arms around him. “No.”

He kisses her then, long and hard, like I’ve never seen him do in public before, not even at their wedding. He finally pulls back and gazes down at her with so much love in his eyes, it feels wrong to be watching it, like we’re intruding.

Caleb reaches down and links his fingers with mine and squeezes tightly. All of the Montgomery men are quiet.

This is their baby sister.

“I love you so much, Julianne.” Nate finally speaks and brushes the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs. “Thank you,” he whispers.

He scoops her up into a big hug and twirls her in a circle before setting her down and turning to the rest of us. “We’re gonna have a baby!”

“Congratulations!” We descend on them, hugging and laughing and then hugging each other, celebrating and rejoicing in the new life that is about to join our family.

“Mommy,” Maddie tugs on my hand to get my attention. “Can Sophie stay with us tonight?”

“No sweetheart,” I lift her in my arms and kiss her cheek. She’s almost too heavy to hold like this now. “Not tonight.”

“Why not?” Josie asks.

“Sophie has to go home and sleep in her own bed,” Stacy tells them with a smile.

“She can sleep in our bed, like Caleb sleeps in Mommy’s bed,” Maddie replies and once again the room goes dead silent. My eyes go wide and I look around the room, looking for Caleb, who is standing next to Nate, also with the deer in the headlights look on his handsome face.

Isaac laughs, and everyone joins him, and I just close my eyes and lean my head against Maddie’s shoulder.

Just shoot me.

Chapter Thirteen

~Caleb~

“So, did you bring me here to remind me how out of shape I am?” Brynna plants her hands on her hips and glares at me after we enter through the non-descript front doors of Rich McKenna’s gym in downtown Seattle.

“No,” I chuckle and hold my hand out for her jacket.

“I’m not taking my jacket off,” she pouts.

“You’re adorable. Give me the fucking coat.”

She glares at me some more just as Jules yells from behind us, “There you are!”

“Jules is here?” Brynna asks with wide brown eyes. Before I can answer, Jules runs to us and catches Brynna up in a big hug.

“I’ve been trying to talk Nate into letting me do some pull-ups, but he won’t let me do anything.” Jules rolls her eyes and then grins. “I’m going to get so fat.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Brynna replies while shaking her head. “Besides, he’s right. Unless you’re doing yoga, you shouldn’t be doing anything in this gym.”

“That’s what I keep telling her,” Nate responds as he joins us. “This is a sparring gym. We don’t do yoga.” Nate wraps an arm around my sister’s shoulders and kisses her temple.

“It’s great to see you guys,” Brynna begins and glances at me. “But, what am I doing here?”

“Caleb didn’t tell you?” Jules asks.

She shakes her head and Nate smiles reassuringly.

“Nate is going to show you some self-defense techniques,” I inform her and take her hand in mine, squeezing it firmly.

“Why?” She asks and stares at Nate.

“Because he kicks ass,” Jules replies proudly, making Nate laugh and shake his head.

“Can’t you show me?” Brynna asks me quietly.

Sure, if you don’t mind me getting distracted every ten seconds and turning a self-defense class into crazy hot sex.

“I could, but Nate has actual fighting experience,” I reply instead.

She turns her eyes to Nate and frowns. “I am perhaps the most out of shape woman in this family. You know that, right? Instead of treadmills and weights, I spend my time chasing and lifting twins.”

“You don’t have to be an athlete to protect yourself, Brynna.” Nate winks at Bryn, kisses Jules once more and then pulls away, holding his hand out for Brynna to join him. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“Tell my kids I loved them,” she pleads as she tosses a look to me over her shoulder. “And I want to be cremated, please.”

I laugh and shake my head as I pause beside the big ring in the middle of the room next to my baby sister. Nate leads Brynna up into the ring and begins murmuring to her, demonstrating with his hands as he speaks.

“Damn, he’s fucking hot,” Jules whispers beside me.

“Really?” I ask and scowl down at her.

“What?” She grins innocently then leans her head against my arm. “He’s mine. I get to say stuff like that.”

“Not around me.” I sigh and watch the tall, lean woman in the ring.

“She’s beautiful,” Jules murmurs.

“She is,” I confirm and sigh again. She’s so fucking beautiful she takes my breath away.

I don’t know why she insists that she’s out of shape. She’s tall and curvy, with just the right sized ass and breasts. Her thighs are solid, probably from chasing after the girls. And her brown eyes destroy me, whether they’re happy or scared or glowing with lust.

“And according to the girls, you’re sleeping in her bed.” I can feel her smile against my arm and I narrow my eyes as I watch Nate wrap his arm around Brynna’s throat, as though he’s approaching her from behind.

“I am.” What else is there to say?

“So how is it going?” Jules asks and pulls away so she can look up at my face.

I keep my eyes on the ring.

“Fine.”

“Jesus, you’re so difficult!” She punches me in the shoulder and then shakes her hand with a scowl. “Ow.”

I smirk and glance down at her. “I’m not telling you about my sex life. Ever.”

“I just want to know how things are going,” she pouts.

“We’re fine,” I repeat.

“Are you guys going to the Nash concert tomorrow night?” Jules asks with a grin.

“Yeah,” I nod and sigh and pull my hand down my face.

God, I don’t want to go to that concert.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asks softly.

I shrug nonchalantly. “Bryn wants to go. She doesn’t go anywhere without me, so that means we’re going.”

“You don’t have to babysit her every minute of the day, Caleb.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “What, are you worried that she’ll get hit on?”