Page 65 of These Jagged Edges

"You said soft scrambled! You never said anything about having to cook those damned eggs, Joe!" Lou throws her hands in the air, clearly upset.

I cock an eyebrow at her as she sits with her arms crossed looking every bit like a child. "Fine. I can get the ice," she mutters.

"Thanks, babe." I wink at her. "You’re the best!"

After finalizing my checklist, I head off to the grocery store to pick up a few last-minute things for their party. The boys insisted on a pool party since Vic had their pool up and honestly it makes the most sense. I head to the back of the store where the butcher is when a chill runs up my spine stopping me dead.

Quickly looking around I don't notice anything out of the ordinary, but I still grab the pepper spray in my purse just in case. It feels like someone is watching me as I try to get the things I still need from the store. Shaken, I decide to check out and head home.

Maddox and the boys greet me when I pull into the driveway and begin unloading the car.

"Mama, did you remember the water balloons?" Bash asks with hopeful eyes.

"Shoot! I forgot. That's okay, we still have two days before the party. Plenty of time to get some!" I reassure him.

After putting everything away I realize I forgot the water balloons, drinks, ice cream, and balloons and I still can’t shake the feeling of being watched even after being home.

"Hey, you okay?" Maddox asks as he downs a glass of water.

"What? Yes, of course. How's the treehouse coming?" I wipe my sweaty palms off on my shorts.

Maddox and Mercy had a wild idea last night to build the boys a treehouse and have been working since before dawn this morning, even enlisting Henry's help. Trust me, I'm not complaining, I'll take any chance I can to see Maddox shirtless building anything.The man is just as skilled as a carpenter as he is a boxer, and I love to watch him work with his hands.

"What happened?" he demands, trapping me between the counter and his big body.

"It's silly! I felt like someone was watching me in the grocery store, and I panicked. Then I left without getting everything I needed."

"You should’ve called me."

“Well, it was silly like I said. It's just the stress of the party and their birthday." That's all it was. It has to be.

"Baby, if it scares you, it's not silly. Promise me next time you'll call somebody." He gently grabs me around the nape tilting my head up. His green eyes are full of concern.

"I promise."

Maddox flashes me a smile before giving me a quick kiss. Sawdust falls out of his hair as he does.

"Back outside, Maddox! You're tracking sawdust everywhere!" I laugh as he purposely rubs his sweaty head all over my face.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The next day everyone pitches in to help get everything ready for the party. Maddox and Mercy put the finishing touches on the tree house they built the boys, and it looks so good! Like something you'd see in a movie complete with their own rope swing ladder. The boys even got to help build some of it and that pretty much made their whole year. They love to build things and are constantly helping Vic with whatever minuscule project he’s working on around the house.

Vic’s mowing the yard and moving his picnic table over. Joe, Lou, Soph, and I are busy making decorations because even if it’s a pool party there needs to be decor. Lou always says I go overboard but I can remember being the kid who never celebrated their birthday. The only people to ever tell me happy birthday were the school secretaries. My boys will never experience that.

"So, have you ever thought about having more kids?"

I let go of the balloon in my hands, and it shoots across the room deflating. "Who me?"

"No, the damn Pope and Cleo up the street. Of course you, who the hell else?" Joe sasses from the kitchen.

"Honestly, I haven't even thought about it."

Does Maddox want more kids? Hell, do I want more kids? I’ve never even considered it.

"Well, you might want to think about it."

"We haven't even discussed more kids. We just take it a day at a time."

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