Page 20 of The Queen's Joker

Her lips are slightly stained, and I see the pitcher beside her. I wonder how many she had. “Wow, have I already driven you to drink?” Well, shit. Maybe this dog was a bad idea.

“Nah, King kept me company for a bit. What kind of trouble did my niece get you into today?” She smirks and narrows her eyes as I move the puppy behind me. I sit him on the floor; it takes no time before he takes off toward her, looking awkward as he needs to grow into his feet. He leaps toward her and ungracefully crawls into her lap while giving many puppy kisses. “Oh, my goodness! Are you serious?” She pulls him back, and he still tries to lean forward to lick her face as she looks at me.

“Are you mad?” I wince slightly as I walk over toward them both, and Queen talks to the puppy like a baby, so I begin to relax. His tail wags furiously, and he seems to try to eat and lick the words she is telling him.

She pulls him to her face and kisses his cheek. “How can you be mad at this face?” He turns and licks her again, causing her to laugh. “Such stinky puppy breath you got going.”

“What’s his name?” I ask her, tilting my head. I’m so happy I didn’t have to spoil the second surprise I want to give her later. After the kid arrives, I got us a small beach house for just the two of us. Well, three of us, if you count the puppy. It’s less than five hours away—just a little getaway for us to enjoy when we want to sneak off for a few days. I know I have seen her naked, but I want to see her beachside in a bikini. I’ll supply her with all the tequila she could want and spoil her with takeout. Because let’s face it, we both suck at cooking.

“His name is Norm,” she says with such certainty. He yawns before laying his head on her shoulder and snuggling in for a puppy nap. That way, when he is outside, we can yell, ‘Norm!’ like in Cheers.

“Norm, it is, though I might have to watch the show to understand that reference,” I say as I grab the watered-down pitcher of drinks from the coffee table, taking a drink out of the pitcher’s side. I nod to myself and can taste the tequila on my lips. “Not bad. I bet they would have tasted better fresh.”

Queen puts her hands over the puppy’s ears. “Shhh, don’t say such trash in front of Norm!” She grabs the remote aggressively before scrolling through all the apps until she finds Cheers. “Prepare for a journey with me.”

Chapter twenty-six

“She is stunning.” I hold my little bundle of a niece and pet her silky strands of hair. Right now, she has light brown hair, but I hope maybe this one will look more like Tess than Winnie. Poor girl had to do all the work and came out looking like my jerk of a brother. Summer, they named her Summer. It’s weird, but we now have Winter and Summer. I wonder if they will have an Autumn and a Spring? Spring seems odd. Is there a better name for that season?

Despite looking exhausted, Tess smiles almost dreamily, as if in a daze. Honestly, I think baby hormones put moms into a fog. Well, at least good ones; that’s why people have more babies. Without those hormones, most would be one and done unless she did something like I would do and try to sweet talk the doctor into giving her some good stuff. I smile over at her, the woman who somewhat tamed my brother. She is so much softer than I thought Ace would need in his life. Thankfully, I am wrong. Tess is perfect for him and the light she brings to his life. I still worry about the long-term effects of this life on her. For now, she looks content. She has a glow about her.

Summer begins to grunt and root around, looking for milk. I take one last look at her, wanting to memorize her little face like this. She was born a week ago, but Joker and I let the family spend time together, bonding before intruding. Now, we are getting ready to leave for two weeks for a trip he has planned. All I know is I’m supposed to pack tequila and multiple bikinis. Oh, and apparently, all of ‘Norm’s shit,’ which is a direct Joker quote. I give her one last cuddle before handing her back to Tess for getting fed. “None of that from me, little girl.” I start to stand, but then pause. “When we return, I am stealing your potty-trained kid for a slumber party.”

Tess’s eyes get slightly misty. “Oh good! Winnie will love that. I worry she might feel left out with all the attention on Summer. Thank you.”

I waggle my finger at her. “Nope, none of that.” Winnie has been over so much, mostly because of Norm, but I have to admit that Joker was right about the cool points we scored from having a dog. “Anytime you need a break or feel like you need a little help, call or text us. We are here for not just the girls, but you too.”

She is trying to hold back the tears, looking like she is about to sneeze. “You did that on purpose. I am barely holding on.” She grabs Summer and snuggles her close. “Go, I can’t look at you right now. But I appreciate it and you.”

I smile, but have mercy on the woman who wants to be tough for this family. Her softness is odd but nice. I am so glad my nieces have her for their mother. I find Joker talking to Winnie as she holds onto Norm. “Why can’t he stay here with me? He likes me. I would take good care of him.”

“Of course he likes you, and when we return, you can spend the night. Norm can even sleep with you.” Joker is becoming such a softy with my niece, which warms my heart. Ace motions to me, and I walk over to him and pour myself a cup of coffee.

With his voice low, he leans over and whispers, “What the hell did you do to him? If I didn’t know better, I would say you have made him soft.”

I smile into my coffee mug and take a drink, taking in the sight of the three of them. Norm tries to cheer Winnie up by giving puppy kisses all over her face. “Don’t say that too loudly. I could say the same thing about you with your girls, though. We both know better. Put you out on a mission, and you’re still cutthroat. Then you both will wash off the blood and violence before coming back to play house.” I don’t mean to make it sound harsh, but I suppose it is. Part of me felt we were playing different roles in our lives. What we were raised to be and then what we want for ourselves. We have to be both. Our lives can’t just be normal. Leaving this life isn’t a possibility. We have too many enemies and people who know who we are. “How’s having two of them going?”

“It’s different. Changing diapers is weird. I keep having to remind myself of front to back wiping. Then I can’t stop thinking about how Tess had to do this by herself. She was so young and alone; I slightly wish I could kill Mother all over again.” He clenches and unclenches his jaw.

“Well, now you have completed your family. Everyone is happy and healthy right where they are supposed to be, and that’s with you.” I pause for a moment and point at Winnie. “You just have to share that one with me. I like them potty trained.”

Ace rolls his eyes at me. “I don’t know if it’s completed yet, but I have my family. I’m glad that you and Winnie have become close. If only we can pull Jack’s head out of his ass. It hurts Winnie’s feelings, not that she would say anything.”

I huff because I am so close to going over to Jack and beating his ass. He hasn’t acted this oddly before, which isn’t like him. If King doesn’t talk to him soon, fists will fly when I return. I smile back because I know if Jack lands one on me, he will also have Joker to deal with. I have an unfair advantage in fighting my siblings now. “When I get home, I will step in if he isn’t himself. Or have a sibling intervention because he needs the attention.”

Chapter twenty-seven

We have made it to our small getaway house. It’s nothing you would see on HDTV or anything like that, but it has a beachside cottage feel. The place has light blue siding with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, but the best part is the porch and backyard space—an oversized patio with fairy lights to light the way, palm trees, and beach grasses. You can hear the waves crash. We have been here for two days and wouldn’t change going to sleep with open windows. Queen curled up next to me is also a big bonus.

I glare down at Norm, who was supposed to sleep in a kennel but has been sleeping at the foot of our bed. He will be too big for that, so I have ordered a dog bed and hope to talk him into it. The dog is spoiled. He has a radius collar that keeps him in the area with freedom. I pull some basketball shorts on before I wrap a sleepy Queen up in a light gray sheet. She snuggles into my chest and mumbles, “Where are you taking me?”

“Do you care?” I look down at her, and she doesn’t even open her eyes to utter a reply but gives a sleepy smile and is content to let me take her outside. Between two palms, we have a hammock set up, and I want to watch the sunrise in an hour or so with her in my arms. I set us both down as gracefully as possible while getting into a hammock; thankfully, I didn’t screw up step one. We are now swinging slowly in the breeze, still holding my girl. “Queen? Can I ask you something?”

“You have never waited to ask something. Why start now?” She twists a little and lies on my chest, which makes me feel amazing.

“Remember when I officiated at Tess and Ace’s wedding?” She nods against my chest. “Do you want that whole thing? Would it make you happy, or are you okay with how we are? I want to make sure we are always on the same page.” I am slightly nervous about her answer, not because I am afraid of marrying her. It is mainly because I don’t have a birth certificate or at least none that I can find.

“We are basically married in my book. I don’t need anything flashy, and I don’t need someone giving me away. Nor do I want you to ask my brother’s permission because I am a person, not a possession. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Unless you want something, then we can just justice of the peace courthouse style.” She looks up at me; the sky is lightening up, and her beautiful blue eyes are still lined with sleep.

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