Page 94 of Recovering Ivy

“I don’t know how you tell these little fuckers apart. Which one is this one?” Jax asked.

Jasmin and I let out a peal of laughter. And Violet shook her head.

“I don’t know, maybe you have Robert Zane?”

I locked eyes with Linc. As much as I tried, I could not stop the emotions from overtaking me. I watched as a tear slid down his cheek, mirroring my own.

We both quickly wiped it away, hoping that no one noticed.

“A man that is any type of man sheds tears on two occasions in his life; when his woman slips his ring on her finger and at the birth of his children.” Tom’s voice sounded unusually gruff. “Now give me this Asher Thomas. He and I have some things to discuss. Namely, his thoughts on the second amendment.”

My eyes had not left my brother’s. He came closer to me and shot his hand out. I grabbed hold of it and he pulled me in for a hug.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“There is no better big brother. We want you to know that they are yours if something happens to us. There is no one we trust more with our boys than you. We know they have a room full of honorary uncles who would give their own lives for them, but it is you that we know will teach them to be men. Because there is no better man than you, Zane. You don’t forget that.”

He looked over at his wife, who was now holding both his sons, smiling at him like he had just given her the world instead of the other way around.

“Proud of you, Linc. Can I…” Fuck. I didn’t do this mushy shit. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Can I hold my nephew?”

Linc placed Robert in my arms and I felt Ivy wrap her arms around us.

“He’s beautiful. Those Parker genes - boy, they run true and deep. I think I may be in trouble.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because if your brother’s sons are this adorable, I’ll be fighting off teenage girls with a bat when they come around trying to find ours.”

Ours.

For the first time in a week I could breathe.

I had a lot to make up for. But Ivy was still by my side. She didn’t run. She stayed so we could fight. Together.

34

Ivy

“They are so cute. And did you see how tiny they are?”

“They are and yes.” Zane chuckled.

I talked about Robert and Asher the whole drive home from the hospital. He was being a good sport about it, but I could tell there was something on his mind. The more nervous I became about what that something was, the more I babbled on about the babies, afraid any lull in the conversation would change into a topic I was too scared to talk about.

After my talk with the girls, I felt better, stronger. I knew what I needed to do, but it didn’t mean I was brave enough to do it right this minute. The birth of his nephews was the perfect excuse to postpone the talk we needed to have.

“Why don’t you go and get ready for bed and I’ll lock up. I’m fuckin’ beat.”

“Oh. Okay.” I dropped my purse on the side table and made my way to the bedroom. I rushed through a shower, not bothering to wash my hair, just needing to rinse the stickiness of the day away. I was pulling my hair out of the clip when I heard Zane come into the bedroom. My mouth watered and my hands itched to reach out and touch him when he appeared in the doorway only in his boxer briefs.

“Do you mind?” He motioned to the sink.

“Not at all.” I moved over to give him room to brush his teeth.

I continued to comb through my hair, trying my hardest not to check out his firm ass as he bent over to spit out the mouthful of toothpaste. My gaze caught his in the mirror and the sexy smirk told me I’d been caught. The look was a far cry from the mask he’d been wearing. It was full of lust and mischief. I’d missed the way he looked at me like he was getting ready to pounce and devour me.

He wiped his mouth on a towel and extended his hand. “Ready?”