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“I’ve already laid down the law in our house,” Lincoln says cockily.
Hudson rolls his eyes. “Are you stupid?”
Lottie leans across her husband. “No, but he will be celibate if another dumb comment like that comes out of his mouth.”
Lincoln looks aghast. “Baby, you know I was only kidding.”
Lottie raises her brow. “Yeah, right.”
Everyone is talking among themselves, and I lean into my husband as my daughter fingers my hair and sucks her thumb.
“She’ll be amazing.”
He grins and kisses my cheek. “I know, I can’t help but worry though.”
“That’s one of the reasons I love you.”
“Yeah, I thought it was because of my big….”
I give him a warning look and he chuckles. “Get your mind out of the gutter, wife. I was going to say my big yard.”
“’Course you were.”
The lights dim and we all fall silent as a spotlight hits the stage where three colorful silks hang from a steel beam in the ceiling of the center. Tia walks onto the stage, head high, a wide smile on her face. Dressed in black leggings and a black leotard, she stands beside her silk in the middle. As the music begins, she takes the silk in her hands and performs a perfect straddle mount. Her routine flows from there intoman in the moon, then intoskirted lady, andmermaidbefore she performs a perfectvampire. She’s confident, graceful, and I’m so proud of her I could burst.
Tia performs a perfect roll out and the room erupts with applause and cheers. I turn and see my mom and aunt Heather behind us and she gives me a look, which I can read so easily. She wishes my dad was here, and so do I, but he isn’t and life, I’ve learned, is to be lived every day.
After the show,we head back to our place, which now boasts an extension for our growing family.
“I’ll fire up the BBQ.”
Harrison heads outside and all the men follow.
“You okay in here or do you need my help?”
Hudson rests his chin on my shoulder as his arms come around my middle. He, Lincoln, Harrison, Ryker, Xander, and Beck have grown close over the years and, despite the rocky start, Hudson and Lincoln are close now. Even running the charity we set up, for abused women to seek shelter, together.
“Go play with the boys, we’ve got this.”
He kisses my neck and I shiver. The passion between us has only grown and, despite waiting for that heat to wane, it hasn’t. I want him as much, if not more, now than when we met. The slight grey on the sides of his temple gives him a distinguished look that only makes him hotter.
“I’ll make it up to you later.”
“Yes, you will.”
Heat burns in his eyes as his gaze rakes over me. “Think your mom would have the girls overnight?”
“I’m way ahead of you, handsome. She’s taking them home with her when she leaves.”
Hudson lifts me against his chest and kisses me deeply, as my arms come around him.
“God, I love you, wife.”
“I love you, too, husband.”
“No regrets?”
“No regrets.”
As he puts me down and heads into our backyard to show the boys his latest obsession, which is fixing up old motorcycles, I know I speak the truth. Our journey to this point wasn’t easy but I wouldn’t change a moment of it, because now my life is perfect.
* * *
