Page 49 of Reckless Encore

“And she walked straight toward Tyler. They’ve always been inseparable.” From Gabi’s arms to the coffee table, to the gorgeous little boy playing on the rug. “And if we’re looking on the bright side, at least it’s not Et—”

“Don’t say it.”

“Ethan.”

He shuddered. “I would seriously kill the kid if he laid a hand on her.”

“And Mason would let you. That young man still has a lot of growing up to do.”

“Remember when he won that music award, then proceeded with a degrading speech to the entire school about his brilliance before doing a mic drop?”

“The arrogant twerp was right though,” she drawled. “Every compliment he gave himself was true.”

“He didn’t need to rub it in their faces. It was fucking hilarious when Mason stood up and told the hall he ‘learned everything from his dear ol’ dad.’”

She chuckled. “I can still picture the death stare Ethan gave him.”

“Those stares have been a favored passed time from all the kids.”

“They sure have.” They fell into a comfortable silence, one where the anger in the room slowly began to fade.

Gabi took the quiet time to reminisce on their lives together. On all the achievements their girls made. The academic awards. The praise. The smiles. The joy.

Parenting may not have been easy, but the rewards were beyond anything she could have comprehended. Even the bad times shaped them into something stronger.

“Remember when we lost our first pregnancy?” she asked.

He sucked in a ragged breath and let it out slowly. “I remember.”

“I thought I’d never be able to give you children.”

“And I thought I’d never be able to make you happy without them.”

“You’ve always made me happy, Blake. Every single day. Through the good times and the bad. We always bounce back harder than ever. And we’ll do the same with this, too.”

He sighed and turned into her, dragging her into the warmth of his chest.

As much as his protective nature grated on her nerves, she would never wish to change him. He would always be the ferocious papa bear who fought tooth and nail for his girls. Her included. And despite the tension his attitude sometimes provided, she loved his passion.

“I still want to break his face,” he muttered and placed a kiss against her forehead.

“I know.” She closed her eyes and held him tighter.

“But you’re not going to let me, are you?”

“No, my love. It’s time we took a back seat.”

“Really?” He perched on one elbow, looking down at her. “I remember back seats being one of my happy places in the good ol’ days.”

“Maybe that’s why I brought it up.” She waggled her brows.

He frowned. “Are you trying to distract me with your wicked ways?”

“Possibly.” She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer. “Are you complaining?”

“Never, angel.” He leaned in and kissed her, his taut frame relaxing with each passing heartbeat. “If there’s one thing capable of dragging me from the brink of an overbearing, protective tailspin it’s you and your gorgeous body.”

She laid back on the mattress and encouraged him on top of her. “Feel free to use that overbearing protection on me. I don’t mind your alpha side.”

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