Page 5 of Havoc's Fox

“Daddy,” Analise said, falling into his embrace.

Bam pulled his daughter in, holding her tight as tears streamed down his face. “I missed you so much,” he rumbled, his raw emotion at finally having his oldest baby close enough to hug.

“I missed you, too, Daddy.”

He kissed the top of her head over and over again as he tried to stop his happy tears. Then Everly joined their embrace, followed immediately by Emmalyn.

Goldy hugged them all as best he could, then Maverik stepped up to the family reacquainting themselves. “Can I join in?” His eyes were glued to Analise, not sure how she’d react because he was after all, Havoc’s father.

Analise turned to look at Maverik. She smiled through happy tears and reached for him. “I love you, Uncle Maverik.”

“I love you, too,” he said gruffly as he held her close for just a few seconds.

Hellen squeezed in and added her hugs to the mix. “Really glad you’re home.”

“Me, too,” Analise admitted.

“About damn time,” Hellen grumbled.

Analise started laughing, which had everyone else laughing, too, followed by just about every single member of the clan insisting on being part of the welcoming party and the big group hug in the middle of the living room.

The door opened again, but it didn’t stop the warm reception Analise was soaking in.

“Damn. Looks like a rugby scrum.”

Surprised faces lifted from the group hug and looked at the owner of the voice. He stood just inside the door with a precious, yet precocious little girl perched on his hip. He held her secure with one arm as he hesitantly raised his other hand in a half-hearted wave.

“Y’all take up rugby?” Havoc quipped.

“Havoc!” several of them shouted. The room was once again filled with happy exclamations and welcomes as the group moved from Analise to welcome Havoc just as warmly.

Havoc laughed as he and his cousins did the same fist-bump-hand-slap-finger-grip handshake they’d thought was cool when they were still in high school. He hugged all his uncles, his aunts, and then he did his best not to cry when his mother finally got her chance to hug and kiss him.

Valerie held him close, kissing his cheek repeatedly as she swiped at her tears with the back of one hand. “Don’t you ever, ever stay away that long again,” she scolded.

“I know. I’m sorry, Ma.”

“No excuse for it! Family is family,” she said firmly, nodding her head.

Havoc smiled sadly and nodded to agree with her, but she, and he, and everyone else there knew exactly why he’d stayed away. He’d had to, it was the least he could do. But the pull of needing to feel home again, is what had finally brought him back, even if for only a little while, he was going to enjoy it the best he could.

“Boy, I’m so damn glad to see you,” Maverik said, curving his hand around the back of Havoc’s neck and pulling him in to an embrace.

“Me, too, Daddy,” Havoc said.

Analise watched with a soft smile on her face as everyone greeted Havoc just the same way they’d greeted her.

“I just found out about this about thirty minutes ago, otherwise I’d have warned you,” Emmalyn said.

Analise turned to look at her sister who stood beside her with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Havoc from across the room.

Analise bumped her shoulder into Emmalyn's. “It’s okay. I found out just about that long ago, too.”

Emmalyn turned surprised eyes on Analise. “You did? How?”

“We ran into each other in the coffee shop in town.”

Emmalyn raised an eyebrow. “How’d that go?”

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