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“Honey, none of that will matter. I assure you. You heard Gaspar. His wife was attacked, and couldn’t have children after. They adopted six siblings that are all part of our team now. Amazing kids, all of them. Ivan and Sophia, another member of our team. Same thing. They adopted five great kids. Frank and Lane adopted a boy from Haiti. Others adopted nephews. Again, all part of our team now.
“Then we have those who chose to be the amazing aunts and uncles. Jean and Ro, Sly and Suzette, Ben and Harper, Adam and Jane. Having a child doesn’t define you, Gail, and it damn sure doesn’t change our opinion of you in our family.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I guess, just listening to all of you talk about family and how close you are, I thought maybe you wanted blood family only.”
“Gail, you’ll figure this out at Belle Fleur, but there’s no dividing line in our family between blood and non-blood. Mama Irene and Matthew, Gaspar’s parents, they see everyone as their children and grandchildren. They are truly the finest people you’ll ever meet.” Gail smiled up at him.
“How many people live there?”
“Oh, wow. I think I’ve lost count. We’ve gotta be close to three hundred people now, maybe more.”
“No one leaves?” she asked quietly.
“No. We have everything we need right there. All of our men were once Special Forces, first responders, or with an agency. Those are high-pressure, high-stress, overwhelming jobs. Our wives, including my own, all contribute to the businesses on-site. Some are PhDs, MDs, engineers, scientists. It’s an amazing group of people.
“We tend to not like cities or crowds. Belle Fleur gives us all exactly what we need, and we see no reason to leave.”
He looked at her pale features, checking her vitals once more. She was exhausted for all the wrong reasons. She should be making love to Tobias in the back bedroom, securing a great-grandchild for him. Not suffering like this.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “I’m scared that Tobias will wake up one day and know that he could have done better. That I’m not what he wants. I can feel myself falling for him more and more every day, and it terrifies me.”
“Oh, sweet girl, there is nothing to be terrified about. That is perfectly normal, and I can guarantee you that my grandson knows what he wants. He’s headstrong, like his mother and grandmother.” He gave her a wink and knew she was fighting sleep. It could be nightmares or any other number of things keeping her awake. But he needed her to sleep.
Turning, he spotted Bull and cocked his head. Bull nodded.
“How ‘ya doin’, sunshine?”
“I’ve been better,” she whispered.
“You know what usually helps the ladies fall asleep? A little song,” he smiled.
She graced him with a smile of her own, nodding. Music always helped to relax her. She heard the deep rumbling hum and closed her eyes, then the melodic words flowing from his lips.
His voice was perfect for the song choice. “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails, but he sang the version that Johnny Cash helped to make famous. The words were haunting and beautiful, painful and sorrowful. He watched as she closed her eyes, then the soft rhythmic breathing. When he finished, the others were all in tears as she slept.
“You get me every fucking time, Bull,” said Antoine. “Amazing, brother.”
“Thanks, man,” he smirked.
Gail awoke as they were beginning their descent. She used the electronic seat to push herself up and look out the window. There wasn’t much to see except clouds and water. She could hear the men in front of her having their usual banter.
“And I’m telling you that pumpkin pie is the official pie of Christmas,” said Antoine.
“What are you, a communist?” frowned his brother Rafe. “Apple is the official pie of Christmas.”
“Apple?” the room smirked.
“Yes. Apple. Apple pie, all American, Johnny Appleseed. Apple!”
“You’re all a bunch of dumbasses,” frowned Gaspar. “It’s Mama’s chocolate pecan pie with cinnamon ice cream and whiskey-bourbon sauce.”
There were moans and groans, all of them shaking their heads.
“I think it should be cranberry tarte,” said Gabe. Antoine frowned at him.
“What the hell is wrong with this family? I’m tellin’ Mama on all of ‘ya.”
