“Hi guys,” I spoke up before they started to fight in earnest. “How was school, bud?” I asked Max.
“Good. I played with Liam.”
“Awesome.” I smiled, leaning over to pull him into a hug. It sounded like he’d made a friend. I was relieved. “How about you, baby?” I asked Emmie.
“Good. Mason and me played wif Gracie. Tate was there too but he just cried.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste.
“Babies do that.” I nodded with a smile. I scooped down to pick up Mason, kissing his neck. “Did you have fun, Bubs?”
He made a squealing noise and wriggled to get down. Now that he was mobile he rarely wanted to stay put for long.
“Do you guys want a snack?” I asked, knowing the answer already.
“Yes!” Emmie and Max replied at the same time.
I set to work cutting up an apple as the kids flew around the living room with their typical never-ending energy.
“You should be resting,” Cal growled.
“I’m tired of being told what I need to be doing,” I shot back, irritated.
“Uh, Prez, if you don’t need us, we’ll head out.” Axel spoke through the tension in the air. Clearly, the guys were eager to avoid the argument they sensed coming.
I didn’t blame them.
Cal eyes didn’t leave mine as he nodded. “Yeah, you can take off. I want a meet later. Wait for my text.”
Tag and Axel nodded and gathered their cuts.
Sophie moved in for a hug. “I’ll call you later,” she murmured.
“Yeah. Thanks for coming over,” I replied, forcing a smile.
“Good luck,” she whispered with a wink.
“What was that about?” Cal asked as soon as the door shut behind them.
I plated the kids’ snack with my back turned to him. “Was there a note?” I demanded.
I could feel him tense even though we weren’t touching.
I turned to look up at him. “I asked if there was a note,” I repeated.
“And I heard you,” he rumbled. “You don’t need to read that shit.” He shook his head.
“I do, actually,” I argued firmly. “This ismylife.” I cocked my head toward where the kids were playing out of earshot. “Those are our kids,” I hissed. “If he threatened them or me, I deserve to know about it.”
“No, baby.” His nostrils flared as he took a step closer. “What you deserve is my promise that I’ll love you and protect you until the day I die. What you deserve is to fall asleep every night feeling safe and secure.”
My heart lurched at the passion in his tone and the spark in his eye.
“What you deserve,” he continued, “is this family, right here under this roof. You deserve a man who will never raise a hand other than to defend you. And Jill, I’m going to raise a hell of a lot more than that,” he swore. “So no, you don’t need to know what that fucking note said. What you need to know is that I love you. Those kids over there, they love you. They’re lucky to have you, and baby, Christ, I thank my lucky stars every day.” He hung his head, his arms braced on either side of me as I leaned into the counter. “I know you’re strong. You can handle it. But let me be strong for the both of us on this one, all right?”
It was a request, not a demand. That’s what got me. If I pushed to see the note, he’d show it to me. But this mattered to him. On this, I’d yield. After all, he’d done the same for me, more than once.
I nodded, staring up at him, lost in his gorgeous eyes and the love that stared back at me.
“Jilly!” Emmie cried. “Is our snack ready?”
