Page 90 of Five Days

Sean snorted and sipped his beer. “You’re whipped.”

“Wait until you have your own,” Micah grumbled at his brother. “She’ll melt your heart.”

“No female will ever do what only Matteo can,” Sean retorted.

Micah snorted a laugh. “I’ll remember you said that.” He kissed his daughter’s forehead. “Let’s go find Mommy.”

He moved off, and Sean let out a string of curses.

I turned toward what had caught his attention.

His and Micah’s parents had arrived.

Their father tottered on his own with a walker, but Sean didn’t leave us to greet him or his mom. He ignored them, giving his Teach his full attention even though the light from moments before had dimmed from his eyes.

“Thought shit was a little better between the two of you and your dad,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Meh.” He shrugged and sipped his beer. “It’s not nearly as bad as it used to be, but things aren’t exactly good. No biggie though. Matteo is everything I need.”

Sean’s Teach blew him a kiss before one of Kellen and JJ’s boys attempted to dunk him.

Landon pulled himself from the pool, water rushing down his body as he stood beside me. He’d put on some muscle and had a gorgeous tan from our recent vacation in Tuscany, which we’d agreed would continue to be a family tradition no matter how many kids we ended up fostering.

“You’re drooling,” Drake teased, elbowing me and making Landon flush.

“Can you blame me?” I couldn’t tear my gaze off the rivulets running over the muscles my man had packed on thanks to his new coach—me—pushing him at the gym for almost a year.

“I like mine a little more on the lithe side,” Drake said.

Drake’s husband, Preston, was indeed that, his red hair a beacon beneath the sun, his eyes like emeralds and set on Drake from where he treaded water a few feet away. They’d gotten married one year to the day they’d spent stuck in an elevator for four hours. It’d been there that they’d reconnected and had given into the love they’d felt for each other since childhood. They’d also recently begun the process of adopting their first child, something they’d both been dreaming about for years.

“We’re all whipped,” Kellen stated—and not a one of us argued.

“Sean.”

We all turned at Mr. Fox’s greeting. The old man had approached on his own, the wheels of his walker clattering over the cobblestone patio. He held out his hand.

Sean stared for a few uncomfortable seconds of silence before accepting his dad’s greeting.

“I’m happy for you, son.”

A hush seemed to settle over Micah’s backyard at the old man’s off the wall and completely unexpected declaration.

“Mom put you up to this?” Sean croaked, wariness like a shield over his face regardless of welling tears.

“No.” Mr. Fox shook his head. “I just had a come to Jesus minute last night. Thought my heart was giving out and realized I needed to set things right before I meet my maker.”

“You’re too stubborn to give up the ghost just yet, old man,” Sean argued, his tone jovial regardless of underlying shakiness and the lingering wetness in his eyes.

“Goddamn right, I am,” Mr. Fox grumbled. “The wife told me I’m not allowed to go first. Said she can’t live without me. Don’t know what I ever did to deserve that woman’s love.”

“She’s the best,” Sean agreed, his tone still broken.

Mr. Fox nodded and glanced around our small circle. “I’m happy for all you boys finding your soul mates. Hang on tight because life is short. You never know when your time will be up.”

A warm, damp hand slid into mine as Sean ambled off with his dad toward Micah and the rest of their small family.

My heart ached in the best way possible having gotten to hear in person the one reconciliation I’d never expected.

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