Page 54 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 3

Slipping and sliding along the wood floors, I made my way to the kitchen, where Jack’s face was red as a tomato, the veins in his neck bulging with his overt fury as he pointed at Erik. He said something angrily, and Erik threw his arms up into the air and then slapped them down at his sides, clearly agitated.

“What in the world is happening here?” I blurted, entering the kitchen and putting my arms out in a t-shape between thetwo men. Savannah was nowhere to be found. “And where is TJ?”

“He’s with Savannah, taking a walk outside while I talk some sense into my brother,” Erik barked.

I had to admit, an angry, super tall, lumberjack-sized man with long hair, a beard and mustache, and very large biceps and tree trunk thighs was something to see. But it was also pretty scary, so I backed up until Jack looped an arm around my waist and pulled me until my back was against his front.

“No, he’s out of his mind!” Jack roared in return. “If you think you’re going to steal TJ away from me, you’ve got it all wrong,brother,” he seethed, putting special enunciation on the word brother.

“Steal TJ away? Someone catch me up?” I asked, trying to deescalate a heightened situation.

“Go ahead, Erik, tell Summer exactly what you and Savannah are attempting to do,” Jack sneered.

“Jack, stop talking to me like I’m your enemy. We’re family.”

“Oh really?Now,we’re family. Where the hell were you when Troy died?” Jack fired off.

“That isn’t fair. I was in the hospital.”

“And after? Where were you then? Were you consoling a grieving, pregnant widow? Oh no, you were traveling the world, trying to find yourself. While I was here.” Jack pointed at the ground. “With Ellen, our sister by choice, who had lost her husband, our best friend, and was about to have a child! Do you have any idea what that was like?”

“Jack,” Erik said his name, and I could hear the apology in the single word, but I didn’t think Jack could.

“No!” Jack shook his head. “Don’t you dare start. I was the one who went to the birthing classes with a grieving widow. I was the one that held her hand through every contraction. I was theone that cut the umbilical cord and saw TJ enter the world. For the past two and a half years, I have been here. You haven’t!”

“I know, I know. But that’s all changed. I have Savannah now, and I’m a new man,” Erik responded.

“You have Savannah now. Woo hoo! Great for you. But who had Ellen for the last two years? Who had TJ? Hmmm? He doesn’t even know you. You’ve met him what…twice in his entire life? While I have a room here and have had weekly dinner night as a family.”

“I told you, all that’s changing. I’m more present now than I ever have been. And Savannah and I talked about it. We want kids soon anyway. We can raise TJ as our own and you can—”

“I can what? Be free? Be a single man? Have nothing in my life besides work? Don’t you see, Erik? I’ve wanted a family for so long, you’ve just been too wrapped up in yourself to see it! I want people in my daily life that I can love with my whole heart. Ones who care the same for me. While you were off soul searching, I was here, in the trenches with Ellen and TJ. Grieving. Dealing with daily life. Taking care of them.”

“And I did find myself,” Erik barked. “I did, and I’m here. Right here, ready to give back. Ready to do the work!”

“Fucking great man, I’m happy for you. But you’re too late. You can’t come in here and all of a sudden play Daddy to a child that doesn’t even know your name!”

“So, what? Jack, the great playboy is ready to be a father?” Erik laughed dryly.

I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached from trying to stay out of it and just be silent support.

“I’m going to follow Ellen’s wishes for TJ to the letter.” Jack let me go and walked over to the counter where a large envelope sat. “In here is Ellen’s last will and testament. She listed me as Troy Jack’s guardian in the event of her death. You will note, Ellen and I already had this conversation not long after TJ wasborn. My signature is on the document and was signed by a witness. TJ’s mine, and I’m not letting him go.”

“Jack…” Erik lowered his voice to one of concern and not anger. “Savannah and I aren’t trying to steal the boy from you. We just wanted to offer another option. A good one. You know we’d be excellent parents. We have a lot of love to give, and we’re married. We have our life plan in place. You’re just starting out with Summer,” Erik gestured to me. “You need more time.”

I held up my hands. “Hey, don’t look at me, dude. I want the whole enchilada: TJ and Jack.”

Erik’s head jerked back. “You just met and you’re telling me you are ready to be a mother?”

I shrugged. “Kids are awesome. I want more of them, and soon, if Jack is down with that plan. I was kind of waiting to drop that bomb on him until after the wedding, but now that we’ve got TJ, I don’t really see any reason to wait.”

Jack’s head snapped toward me. “You want kids soon?”

“Hey, I’d get off birth control the minute you said go. I’m not getting any younger, and my parents are dying for some grandchildren. I always dreamed of having a whole houseful one day.”

Jack grinned in that boyish way that made my heart pound and my coochie clench. “A whole houseful?” he repeated.

“Yeah, honey. Lots of little tow-headed kids running around my pink house, speaking bits and pieces of English and Norwegian. Dark eyes and serious expressions.” I could already imagine it.

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