Page 22 of Greater than the Heart
“Is Auntie Winnie downstairs?” Ford asked.
“She was talking to Connor about something. She packed things for me and Mamma. She said she was pretty sure we would be staying here for a while. Is Mamma okay? Are the babies okay?” the young girl asked, surprising Ford.
“You know about the babies?” he asked, astonishment evident.
“Of course, I do. Mamma throws up a lot, and I asked why. She said she was giving you a big gift, and when I asked what it was, she said it was three babies. I know they won’t be my brothers or sisters, but they’ll still be related to me, right?” Carlotta asked, stunning Ford.
Cade laughed and pulled her in between him and Jax. “They’ll be your cousins. There are two of them, but we don’t know yet if they’re boys or girls, so we have to think of a lot of names. Do you have any ideas? We’re just dumb boys, but you’re a very smart young lady,” he told her.
Ford’s eyes teared up, so he excused himself to the bathroom to cry in private. He just couldn’t forgive himself for slapping Kincade. It wasn’t in his DNA to ever strike out, but he’d done it without a second thought.
He felt his stomach roll as the bathroom door opened to reveal Cade in his sleep shorts. “Let it go. It happened. Hell, I was hysterical, and you brought me back to reality. You didn’t do itwith maliciousness in your heart, and I doubt you’d ever do it again, Bix. Quit beating yourself up about it. You wanna make it up to me?”
“More than anything in my life,” Ford said.
“Blow me,” Cade told him with a little giggle. Oh, that wasn’t a chore at all.
“Just so we’re clear, I’ll never raise a hand to you again, and this isn’t… Well, it’s exactly me trying to make up for my failings by blowing you, but I love you more than myself, Kincade. I’m sorry,” he apologized again.
Cade giggled again and dropped his shorts. “Yeah, yeah, get to it, Delacroix, and make it really good.”
Ford crawled over to him and did just as he asked, feeling the comfort of Cade’s hands wrapped in his hair as he pumped into his mouth. Makeup sex… in any form… was great.
Chapter Ten
Cade
“Hee-hee-hee-woosh,” Cade breathed as Sela sat in front of him practicing her Lamaze breathing. It was August, and the babies were due in the middle of September. The Lamaze classes weren’t for Sela because she’d already had the gorgeous Carlotta. They were for the three Delacroixs. They had no idea what to expect during childbirth, so they’d hired an instructor to come to their house to teach them, especially Ford because everyone knew he passed out at the first sign of blood.
“Good, Cade. Maybe a little slower so you both don’t hyperventilate, but you’ve got the gist of it. How about Dad number two?” She wore a friendly smile while Sela giggled.
Their Lamaze coach was Cyndi Crow, the sister of Janelle who worked for Jax. She’d given them assignments and videos to watch regarding not just the birth but the first few months after they had the two babies home. She’d called it more than just childbirth, and Cade appreciated it. None of them had the slightest clue how to take care of babies.
“Do we all need to know how to do the breathing thing? I mean, only one of us will be in the room, right? Isn’t the Dad’s role to stay in the waiting room? We had a neighbor one time…” Jax began.
Sela laughed as she sat up with help from Cade. “Jackson, you’re all going to be in the room because after Ford faints from the blood, I’ll need one of you to take care of him and the other to help me bring your babies into the world. Once they vacate the premises, you’re on your own with two little crying poop machines, and I can’t wait to watch.” She brushed her hand over her large abdomen.
Cade was pretty sure the babies were Jax and Ford’s because of how big Sela had grown. He was sure if one was his, it would be small. Regardless of their parentage, he’d still love them because they were part of his husbands.
“Wait, you mean you won’t…” Ford began.
Sela laughed. “Carlie and I are going home, and after I recover a little, you three are sending me to the spa in Sedona, remember? You agreed to watch Carlie while you bond with your babies and allow me to come back and just be the auntie. It’s too late to renege,” she told them.
Cade laughed first. It was exactly what they’d promised, along with a tummy tuck if she so desired, so they’d made their bed. They’d have to lie in it, but what a lovely bed it would be. Two beautiful babies to make their life even more full. It was perfect.
Cade was looking up the meanings of names on Labor Day afternoon while their guests were swimming in the outdoor pool. There were about thirty people in attendance, and he’d made the rounds, but he needed time alone to consider some things.
He’d just turned twenty-five in August. They’d had an intimate celebration with just family, and it had been incredible.
“Wake up, Uncle Cade.” Carlotta shook his shoulders.
He opened his eyes to see her kneeling on the bed holding a cupcake with a candle in it. Ford, Jax, and a pregnant Sela were standing behind her, along with Winnie and Connor, all singing happy birthday as he fought hard not to piss the bed.
After he blew out the candle, he leaped out the other side and ran around them to the bathroom, slamming the door. He could hear the laughter beyond the door, and it made him smile. He had several people who loved him, and it was a blessing… even if they enjoyed torturing him.
When he came out of the john, he could see it was just Jax and Ford standing there, and they were packing things into a bag. “Where’s everyone?” He continued to brush his teeth.
“We’re going away for a couple of days. Sela and Carlie will be fine with Winnie and Connor. They’ll call us if anything happens, and we’ll be close enough to get home fast. Grab some clothes, Kincade.” Ford pointed to the small suitcase on the bed.
