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“Shit, really?” Greer looked surprised. “You fuckin’ cradle robber.”
I giggled and opened Kit’s present.
Oh wow! It was a model craft thing, like, I could build my own…very big and funny-looking helicopter called an Osprey.
Greer joined my side and eyed the box with a look of approval. “You chose well, little one. That’s a Marine’s best friend right there.”
“I know, right?” Kit was ecstatic. “A jarhead taxi.”
Greer cracked up at that.
I was kinda ecstatic too, and about as dazed as Greer had been earlier.
“Thank you so much, Kit. You’re gonna have to teach me how to build it.”
“Count on it! I’m teaching Colt also. He’s building an F-16.”
“Of course he is,” Greer chuckled.
Colt gave Greer’s shoulder a squeeze. “It’s nice to have a little one to geek out with. I’m sure Corey can teach you a thing or two as well.”
Greer pressed a kiss to Kyla’s head and glanced at me. “You can teach me the IKEA language, baby.”
“I don’t speak Swedish!” I grated out. Gosh darn it, I had to put tape on that button so he couldn’t push it all the time. “You’d be so lucky to learn the language of the great Kingdom of Denmark.” I huffed. “Du er virkelig sjov,” I muttered sarcastically.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “Didju just call me sexy?”
I smiled up at him. “Yes, Dominus.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna have to learn Danish,” he grunted and handed Kyla over to Archie. “Kid can say whatever the fuck he wants and get away with it.”
“And then he’ll switch to Spanish,” Daddy said, amused.
Score one for the brat!
“Open our gift now,” Shay blurted out. “Not that the polyglot business isn’t wild, but we’re on the clock here, and those cupcakes look fucking delicious.”
He was right! We had lots to do, and I wanted to eat at least two cupcakes before we got to work. As long as we took a picture of the cupcakes first because they were so pretty. Frosting in lots of different pastel colors, and do not think for a second that I had missed the After Eight chocolates on some of them. That was mint. And dark chocolate.
My moment of being overwhelmed in the best possible way continued. TenShay had gifted me two bundles of beautiful jute rope that Daddy eyed with interest, a bottle of soothing aftercare lotion, and a huge jar filled with brightly colored swirly lollipops. I couldn’t stop smiling, and I felt stupidly emotional. Then Colt and Lucas—they’d given me supplies for sketching, including pads with really nice paper, a new pen for my iPad, and regular pens. Oh, a box of charcoal pencils too!
Tate and Kingsley’s gift made me a little weepy. I knew them well enough to see who’d been in charge of what. I opened a jewelry box to find a thin silver chain holding two tiny charms. Each one had two cute silver frogs next to each other, and combined, it made four. Four frogs, for the dynamic I now found myself in. It was clearly the work of Tate. While Master Kingsley had written the card.
Strength comes in numbers
It comes from within
Brat, now is the time
For you to believe
Happy birthday from Kingsley and Tate. We were very happy to hear about you joining Greer, Archie, and Sloan. See you soon, kiddo.
When two strong arms enveloped me from behind, I tilted my head and found Greer.
“We have a goal to work toward, little one,” he murmured against my cheek. “Daddy told me about your vision for a sleepover apartment, so that will be our gift to you. We’ll decorate it together till you feel right at home, with however many beds you want, so that one day in the future, you can give it up and move in with us not because you hate your home but because you love ours even more.”
And right there, I reached my limit. Unable to form a damn word, I merely turned around and crushed myself to him in a hug.
It’s time to believe.
CHAPTER TWELVE
I blew out a breath and killed the engine.
Today, I couldn’t be a Little.
Fuck.
Deep breaths.
Hold your head up high.
I glanced around me to see if Marcus had parked yet, though he could be parking on the other side of the house or out on the street. The circular drive outside the entrance rarely had any available slots, and I’d taken the last one a minute ago.
I swallowed against the dryness in my throat and checked my phone.
Letting my thumb hover over the top two conversations, I had to acknowledge the symbolism. The first one was my new group chat with Sloan, Archie, and Greer. The second was my convo with Marcus.
In one week, my life had changed so drastically and completely that I felt like a new person.
He’d texted an hour ago.
I’ll be at your place at five.
