Page 44 of Until Bax

“I’d love that.”

“We’ll talk about it at work.” She looks down at her son, who is trying to drag her off. “I guess we better go before all the candy is gone everywhere else.”

“Have fun.” I wave goodbye to her, then look over at Bax. “She co-owns the spa where I work… with Julie.”

“Got it.” He nods, and once again, there is no real reaction to the mention of Julie.

“Hey, guys?” Bax and I turn to look at his mom when she steps outside, with Nico right behind her. “The kids are almost done eating and want to go out. Do you want us to take over passing out candy so you two can eat and go with them?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Mom.” Bax passes his dad the cauldron, then kisses his mom’s cheek before ushering me into the house, where it’s pure chaos as parents attempt to get the kids back into their full costumes. Kim is painting flowers on Eleanor, Ava, and Lillian’s faces in the living room. The three of them are all dressed like different-colored fairies.

When Sage’s son, Nash, runs up with his samurai sword and attempts to chop Bax with it, his uncle lifts him off the ground and starts to tickle him. It’s sweet seeing him with his nieces and nephews… and a little inkling of how he might be as a father himself. Of course, the rest of the boys join in, so Bax ends up being attacked by Tobias, Conor, Alistair, and Nash, all while I stand back and watch with a grin on my face that’s so wide it starts to hurt.

“Do you want kids?” Harmony asks, walking up to stand next to where I’m watching all the boys wrestle with their uncle.

“One day.”

“For years, Bax said he wanted to have six kids.”

“Six?” My eyes widen, and she laughs.

“Maybe he’s changed his mind since then.” She tips her head to the side like her mom did earlier. “How does Liam feel about you and my brother?” My heart sinks, and she must read it in my expression. “Oh my God,” she whispers. “He doesn't know.”

“Who doesn’t know what?” Willow asks as she walks up to join us.

“Liam doesn’t know about Olivia and Bax,” Harmony explains, and I look over at their brother in question, who is not paying us any mind, and wonder how crazy I’d look if I started shouting, “Telemarketer!”

“There is nothing for him to know,” I defend, and they both give me identical doubt-filled looks. “I’m serious. We haven’t even kissed ye—” I cut myself off.

“Too late. You were going to say ‘yet.’” Harmony grabs hold of my blunder in an instant.

“Oh goodness, it’s going to be like when everyone found out about Ashlyn and Dillon getting married in Vegas without anyone knowing… but worse,” Willow says. I have no idea what she’s talking about, but that does sound bad.

“Don’t scare her,” Harmony tells her sister before meeting my gaze. “It will be fine. Liam’s mostly rational.”

“Mostly,” Willow agrees, sounding like she doesn’t agree at all. Biting the inside of my cheek, I look over at Bax, feeling like I’m standing at the edge of a fire, and one wrong move could send me into the flames. The thing I need to figure out is if I’d happily burn for the chance to see what might happen between the two of us.

CHAPTER12

Bax

“My nose is numb,” Olivia whispers, leaning her slight weight into my side, and I smile, looking down at her.

“You’re drunk, baby.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and tuck her against my side, where she fits perfectly.

“I’m not drunk. I’m cold.” She’s not cold, and she might not be drunk, but she’s definitely tipsy. All the girls got together and made hot apple cider, which they mixed with Jack Daniels Spiced Whiskey, to carry with them before we ushered the kids out of the house to take them trick-or-treating.

“I think we’re going to turn around and start heading back to the house,” Clay says, and I look over at him, then drop my gaze to my sister. She’s holding her very large stomach that is covered with a bright-blue hoodie painted on the front to look like her bump is a fishbowl with a goldfish inside.

“You okay?” I ask when Willow meets my gaze.

“Yeah, my feet are just swollen, and I need to get off them for a bit.”

“I think we should all head back,” Sage says, and Harlen nods his agreement as Harmony and Kim walk back toward our group with the kids, who just went up to another house for candy.

“Are we going back home?” Harmony asks, looking at her husband. He’s pulling the wagon holding their youngest, Lillian, who gave up on walking about thirty minutes after we got outside. Though, every now and then, one of the other kids will join her, or she’ll get out to walk with the bigger kids.

“We can start in that direction, and the kids can hit the houses on the opposite side of the street on the way back.”

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