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J.T. cleared his throat. “I’d like to say something too. Thank you all for not letting the past get in the way of the future.”
After everyone drank again, Jake held up his glass. “Sorry, one more.” He smiled at Joey and Finn. “Welcome to the family.”
Joey wiped her eyes. “I… You all…”
J.T. kissed her. “She says, thank you.”
Sage went to the cake box and moved it to the table with the champagne and a stack of plates. When she opened the box, she shook her head and looked at Joey, who had come up next to her.
Joey smiled. “Your bakery guy has a sense of humor.”
“He’s so darn cute.”
“Maybe five kids aren’t that big of a deal.”
Sage laughed. “Oh how I wish that were true.”
Sawyer came up to them. “What’s going on over here?” He looked at the cake. “I assume that wasn’t how J.T. ordered it.”
Sage smiled. “No. That was Xander’s addition.”
“Hmm.”
Sage bumped his shoulder. “You have to admit, it’s kind of cute.”
“Five kids, Sage. Five.”
“I know.” She glanced at Joey. “There could be worse obstacles in the way.”
Sawyer scowled. “Really? You think? Name one.”
“He could have a wife to go along with the five kids.”
Joey laughed. “Or there could be ten of them.”
Sawyer shook his head. “I would hope if either one of those scenarios were true, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
After cake and more champagne, J.T. found himself in the kitchen with Jake, who was starting a pot of coffee. Jake turned to him and smiled.
“So, how does it feel?”
J.T. took a deep breath. “Pretty damn good. A little scary. But nothing I can’t handle. Do you have any fatherly advice for me?”
Jake took a moment to answer. “I hope I raised you well enough so you will know how to proceed from here. But I will give you three things I found make for a happy marriage. And it pretty much works for raising kids, too. Respect. Listen, and by that I mean truly listen when Joey or Finn talk to you. And this kind of goes with that one, communication. Talk before you act. Not always easy. And I’ve broken that one a few too many times. But try. If you can do those three things, everything else will fall into place.”
J.T. went to Jake and hugged him. “Thank you, Dad.”
“For what?”
“For being you.”
“I don’t know who else to be, son.” The coffee was done, and he poured himself a cup. “Do you want a cup?”
“No. I think I’ll go for a beer, though.”
Jake leaned on the counter. “I assume there will be some more little O’Connells in your future.”
“Yeah. Most likely.”
