Page 93 of Second-Rate Superstar

Beau whined alongside Charlie, but the older kids ushered them to the giant oak kitchen table. There was such a wide age range between Natalie and Jaxon’s children, which made sense given her two marriages, but it made me wonder about the large gap between Braxton and his brother, seeing as it was only the two of them.

Natalie and Braxton went to the table and sat with the raucous crew. It was chaos as everyone reached to fill their plates simultaneously. I hung back, watching, wondering if this could be my future.

Did Braxton want a large family? More importantly, did I?

I hadn’t given it much thought before now, but being an only child was lonely, and in that split second, I decided that if I—or we—had kids, I wanted more than one. I wanted them to have a tight relationship, like I could tell Amelia and Jameson had, being so close in age. I knew that wasn’t a guarantee. Obviously, some siblings hated each other, and the Slate boys’ relationship was far from perfect, but they’d always have each other, no matter what.

Unsure of how long I spent staring, Jaxon’s voice startled me. “It was hard for her too.”

“What?” My head whipped around in time to see him nod toward his wife, who was busy helping Charlie cut up pancakes.

“Being part of a family.” He must have seen the skepticism in my eyes because he explained, “Her parents practically forced her into her first marriage. They didn’t care more about her than they did themselves. They sacrificed their only daughter to a man who has now been medically deemed a psychopath.”

I gaped at Braxton’s brother. “Seriously?”

He nodded. “Like you, she had an emotional breakdown when she realized unconditional love not only exists but that she could receive it from people who barely knew her. It took her a long time to accept feeling worthy of that love.” Jaxon smiled lovingly at his wife. “But once she did? The transformation was incredible. I’ve loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. Scratch that, from the moment I heard her laughter, not having seen her face. But the woman she’s become being truly loved, that was worth the fight. I can tell my brother feels the same way about you.And if I know him, he will stand by your side patiently until you’re ready to take that leap alongside him.”

Did this kind of wisdom come from age? Becoming a parent? Or possibly from having walked through the same fire? Whatever it was, Jaxon understood not only what I was feeling but how his brother was responding. It was mildly unsettling how easily he read us.

Before I had time to let everything Jaxon said sink in, he added, “I know it’s sudden, but you became family the day Braxton brought you with him to the hospital. He doesn’t date.” He paused. “Well, hasn’t for a long time. The fact that he’s let you in? It speaks volumes. Braxton doesn’t do half-measures. He’s either all in, or he doesn’t bother. I knew my brother was all in with you the day Max was born. But it’s okay if you need more time to realize it. He’s not going anywhere. And neither are we.”

Jaxon looped his arm around my shoulder and squeezed. It was the same way I’d seen him show affection for his teenage daughter, and it felt more parental versus what you might expect of an older sibling. It was as if he could sense my wish that my dad had been more like him.

These were good people, and they’d chosen me. It would take some getting used to, but I liked the warm and fuzzy feeling swirling in my belly.

I finally had a family.

The living room was a mess of wrapping paper flung in every direction after the kids were finally let loose to open gifts. Charlie was a hoot, running over to show me every item she discovered hidden beneath cheerful packaging. She was my little buddy, and I loved the bond we were building.

The chaos eventually slowed, and the bounty beneath the tree dwindled to next to nothing. Only a few packages remained. Braxton shifted, jostling me from where I was curled into his side on the couch.

“Gotta let me up if you want your gift,” he teased, tickling my side.

I shrieked, squirming to get away from him. Braxton used that as an opportunity to shuffle through the mess to reach the tree. Squatting, he lifted a wide, shallow box.

Returning to where I sat, he placed the package in my lap, kneeling before me, practically vibrating with excited energy.

I ran my hand through his hair, joking, “Is this a gift for me or for you?”

His face lit up with that smile that warmed my heart. “Both.”

Quirking an eyebrow, I wondered what in the world could be inside.

Braxton bounced on his knees. “I can see those wheels turning, Firefly. Unless you have X-ray vision, you’ll need to actually open it to find out what’s inside.”

Rolling my eyes at him, I tore the paper along the seam. I couldn’t bite back a smile when the item came into view. It was my very own pair of hockey skates.

Tracing the line of the skate’s blade pictured on the front of the box, he smirked. “No more rentals for my girl. We’ll get them baked this afternoon, and maybe you will come out on the lake with us before we have to head back to Connecticut.”

My brows rose. “The lake?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you know, that big body of water seen through those windows over there.” Braxton pointed behind me.

I smacked his finger down. “I know what a lake is and where it’s located. Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Nah. Been doing it my whole life. We know how to spot thin ice and test for thickness. It’s perfectly safe.”

Chewing on my lip, I wasn’t so sure. I was already taking so many risks, and it seemed like tempting fate to add more.

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