AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Loved.
Wanted.
Happy.
“Sure,” Jax said.
I jiggled Charlie, who burbled his happiness. There was no animosity between Jax and Johan, and Jax smiled.
“I’ve already…” Johan shot a quick glance at the car where Paula was on the phone. “I want to ask Paula to marry me.”
Jax’s ready smile slipped, and instead, he became thoughtful. “You don’t need my permission,” he said.
“I’m not asking for… well I am… but I’m asking her anyway, so if you say no, it wouldn’t stop that, but…” He put his shoulders back. “Financially, I can support the girls alongside you and Paula, trusts, that kind of thing, you know that.” Jax nodded—Johan wasn’t short of cash, and Jax once said he was happy Paula wouldn’t be struggling, if it were serious.
I guess though, he’d never contemplated an actual marriage proposal or Johan asking for his blessing.
“Okay—”
“Also, I will never try and take over being a dad to India and Iris. I won’t try to change any arrangements you have. I want to be a good step-dad, and husband, and I?—”
“Okay,” Jax interrupted. “Do the girls know?”
Johan’s eyes widened. “No. I asked you first.”
That sealed the deal. “You have my blessing.”
Johan beamed at us, shook our hands, and then, went back to the car, and we watched them drive away.
“Wow,” Jax said, then tugged me in for a soft kiss. “Wow,” he repeated.
“Daddy!” Iris yelled. “India has my bracelet!”
Jax chuckled. “And so it starts.”
The hustle and bustle of the kitchen was a symphony of clanking pots and pans, chopping veggies, and the occasional shout for someone to pass things. Mama Byrne, head chef, of course, was a whirlwind of activity, making incredible things for us to eat, ably assisted by Lorna’s boyfriend Ian.
As we all gathered in the living room, the noise level went up several decibels, and it was like a comedy club in there. Papa Byrne, armed with his arsenal of dad jokes, was making the kids laugh, which meant the other adults got to chat, as the niblings sat enraptured.
“What does a turkey eat for Thanksgiving?” he asked, and a couple of the older kids, having already heard this joke, snickered. “Peach Gobbler!” he announced.
I took a moment to take Charlie out for a diaper check—at least that was my excuse. I didn’t know why, but I felt edgy, and it had started when Johan talked about marrying, and what with Jax mentioning the idea of his forever, I was tense, and wondering how in hell my world had changed so much.
The niblings, with their boundless energy, added a whole new dimension to the chaos, which had expanded from Papa Byrne’s jokes, and now included them racing around the house, crashing into things, but always managing to get back up with a giggle.
“Football?” Jax asked from behind me as I fastened the snaps on the cute pumpkin onesie.
Football at Thanksgiving was a tradition that the Byrne family took very seriously, and while I didn’t watch every game as Reid did, if I had to choose a team to support it would be the Chargers just for proximity. Still, I knew how to play the game after years at school, and this was three on three, and I was big enough to fend off even the sneakiest of hits from Jax and his brothers.
I was flanked by Leo’s other half, Jason, and ten-year-old Adam, Reid’s oldest son, who was a fast and sneaky player, ready to take on the Byrne brothers on the other side—Jax, Reid, and Leo.
The game started with an air of competition, but as we played, it became clear their team was dominating. The Byrne brothers were outplaying us at every turn, and as the touchdowns piled up, the smiles on their faces grew wider.
Jason, always the quick one, darted past Jax and threw a perfect pass to me. I caught the ball with ease and lumbered toward the end zone, shrugging off Reid's attempted tackle as if he were a mosquito. Touchdown.
Jason high-fived me, and Adam did a victory dance as we got one back. But then, something changed. We could see it in the eyes of the Byrne brothers; they weren't just playing to win anymore. They were playing for something else.
Leo attempted to intercept one of my passes, but he let it slip through his fingers. We exchanged confused glances. Reid followed suit on another pass, allowing us to score another touchdown.
