Page 25 of Hurricane's House

“Sure, I do, but what you just said to your aunt was uncalled for,” Hurricane said.

“He’s right,” Savage chimed in. Chasity shot him a dirty look and he just stared her down until she turned back to Tina to apologize. Sure, it was half-hearted, but it was a start.

“As you know, I was much older when your parents passed, and you came to live with me. I know that I had a learning curve, trying to take care of you and never having children of my own, but I wanted so much to try. I wanted you to be happy with me, and when I found out that you were running to Hurricane’s club and staying the night there, I knew that I had to let you go. I knew that he’d take good care of you, and I was right. You being with him brought us closer—until you overheard our conversation.”

“Gee, I’m so sorry that I ruined your plan for us to be a big happy family, Aunt Tina. I guess I shouldn’t have listened in on you telling Hurricane that you didn’t want me.”

“She didn’t tell me that she didn’t want you, kid. Your aunt told me that we’re going to have a baby. You overheard the part where I asked her if she was happy about the baby, and she said that she had never thought about being a mother before you came into her life. If you would have stuck around for the entire conversation, you would have had no reason to run,” Hurricane said.

“Is that true?” Chasity asked, sitting up in the chair. “Are you guys going to have a baby?”

“We are,” Tina admitted, “and Hurricane is right—I did say that I wanted the four of us to be a family, but you didn’t hear that part. I love you Chasity and I want you to stay with us, but only if you want to.”

“What about the new baby?” Chasity asked. “What if you guys decide that you only want him or her and don’t want me around anymore?” The thought of tossing Chasity out because they were having a new baby never crossed her mind. It hurt her heart that her niece thought her capable of doing such a thing.

“Won’t ever happen,” Hurricane insisted.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked.

“Because your aunt and I want to adopt you,” he admitted. They had briefly talked about it on the flight down to Alabama, but she was shocked that Hurricane just blurted it out to Chasity.

“You do?” she asked.

“We do,” Tina agreed, “are you sure, Hurricane?” she asked. She had agreed to take care of her niece, not him. But the determined look on his handsome face told her everything that she needed to know.

“I’m sure,” he admitted. “I want the four of us to be a family too. I love you too, kid, and I kind of like having you around—as long as you don’t start breaking into my club again.”

Chasity smiled—actually smiled, and nodded. “I think that I can manage that,” she agreed. “Do you know if the baby is a boy or a girl?” she asked.

“It’s a boy,” Tina said, “and we were talking about naming him James, after your dad, if that’s all right with you.”

“I’d like that,” Chasity whispered, “and I think that Dad would have liked that too.”

“So, does this mean that you’ll be taking the kid and heading out?” Savage asked. “Because I don’t need anyone calling the cops on me or my guys.”

“Looks that way,” Hurricane agreed. He stood and shook Savage’s hand. “Thanks for everything, brother.”

“You know that I mean this when I say it—any time, Hurricane. You and your family are welcome to visit us anytime—at my house. The kids need to steer clear of my club though.”

Hurricane chuckled, “Same holds true for you guys. If you’re ever up in New York, look us up.”

Tina stood from the sofa and crossed the small office. She went up on her tiptoes to kiss Savage’s bristly cheek. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered in his ear.

Savage nodded and if she wasn’t imagining things, he actually blushed. “Send us pictures of the little guy when he gets here.” He turned to Chasity and smiled, “And you, stay out of trouble,” he ordered.

“No promises,” she grumbled, making them all laugh. “Are you two ready to head back home?” she asked Tina and Hurricane. “I kind of miss New York.”

“In the morning,” Tina said. “Tonight, we promised Wren and Yonkers that they can show us a bit of Huntsville if you’re up for it.”

“I’d like that,” Chasity agreed. “Thanks for coming to get me, guys,” she said.

“Thanks for agreeing to be our kid,” Hurricane said, pulling her in for a quick hug. Tina got tugged into the mix and the three of them stood there, giggling and hugging each other like fools, and it was absolutely perfect.

Hurricane

Eight Months Later

Hurricane walked into the baby’s nursery and found his son sleeping peacefully in his crib. They had just switched him over to his own room after trying to co-sleep for a few months. The problem was, all four of them would end up in one bed and there was no room for him to actually get some sleep. Most nights, he’d end up on the sofa, trying to at least catch an hour or two of sleep before the sun came up. He was dog tired, and convincing both Tina and Chasity that James needed to sleep in his own bed was an uphill battle. They were both so protective of the little guy that he basically had to put his foot down—and promise them a trip to Alabama to visit Savage and the guys.

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