Page 89 of My Boss's Sons

The bell rang again and Jack’s voice filled the shop, followed by Ava’s even louder one. I felt the same sense of pride I did every time we all got together, especially at my studio. Our family grew larger all the time and if we kept coming to the studio, I’d have to get a bigger place.

I cleaned up my gear as I listened to the different conversations that filled the air. Jack and his boyfriend Ricky were arguing with Ava about which one of them could do the better tattoo on the practice skins. It was always Ava. She was even considering apprenticing with me. Milo and Mom were discussing the gummies he’d given her the week before. It turned out our mother had a few things in common with Milo, one being their love of edibles.

Ethan and Noah were in a work conversation about the program Ethan ran at Anderson Inc.. After realizing how much he loved kids because of Lily, he’d pushed for the company to offer a bigger childcare program. He was figuring out how to alter the program so it aged with the kids. He was explaining something about scholarships to Noah and Noah was excitedly workshopping the idea.

“What are you thinking about?” Sophia came up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Her pregnant belly got in the way but she made it work.

I turned in her arms and stroked her cheek. “I was just thinking about how lucky I am.”

She smiled. “Funny. I was thinking the same thing.”

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “For a guy who spent most of his life feeling like the odd one out in my family, I’m pretty fucking happy with how much I’m surrounded by family now.”

“Family who loves you unconditionally.” She ran her hands through my hair. “I’ll never let you feel like that again.”

I could tell where her mind went by the way her brows furrowed. I smoothed her skin out and laughed quietly at her pout. “Stop thinking about Gerald.”

“I wasn’t.”

“Sophia.”

“Fine.” She sighed. “I was. If I could kick his ass, I would. Out of everything he did, I think making you feel like less was the worst.”

“Hardly, Soph.”

“Mary told me he’s calling for money again.” Looking over my shoulder to avoid my gaze, Sophia chewed on her bottom lip. Her heart was too big for her own good at times and that was going to be one of them, I knew. “I hate him, Alex, but I feel bad. I never wanted to take everything from him.”

“You didn’t take anything from him, Sophia. He did it to himself. You have nothing to feel bad about.” I cupped her face in my hands. “He’s fine. He’s got a place to live, he’s got enough money from us buying him out to live out the rest of his miserable life. He’s calling for money because he doesn’t think he deserves to live anything less than a rich life. He’s our father and we agreed we won’t let him die on the streets, but we’re not sponsoring a yacht life for him.”

She looked down and took in a big breath before looking up at me through her lashes, a sure sign that she was about to tell me something I didn’t like. It was the only time she ever acted demure. “I’ve just been thinking. What if you guys resent me someday? I lost my parents and-”

“Soph… Your parents were good people and don’t deserve to be compared to my father.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “We’re happy. We’re better off without him. You don’t get to take credit for ending that relationship, either. That was our decision and it’s not one I’ll ever regret. How could I? Look at our life. You’re carrying our child. This is always going to be the right choice for us.”

“If you guys ever want to seek out a relationship with him, you know I wouldn’t get in the way of that, right?”

“Woman, you’re nuts.” I laughed at her shocked expression. “I mean it. Stop worrying about things better left in the past. Focus on running a billion-dollar company and growing a baby. And keeping our delinquent kid out of trouble.”

Lily giggled as she saw me looking at her trying to take one of my tattoo guns. “Jack and Ava won’t share the other ones with me. They’re big babies.”

“I heard that, you little brat!” Ava’s voice came from the front of the shop and I was as impressed as always with her ability to hear things about herself from abnormal distances away.

Sophia kissed me once before turning away. “You know you don’t use Alex’s tattoo guns, baby. Want me to help you kick Aunt Ava off hers?”

“Hell yeah!” Lily, seeing her mom start to reprimand her, held up her finger. “That’s my one swear, Mom!”

Noah snorted from where he’d been deep in conversation with Ethan. “Bullshit.”

I tried not to laugh but the look Lily gave Noah was too good. She turned that look on me and I shrugged. “Don’t look at me, kid. I’m no snitch, but I’m also not going to lie to your mother.”

Sophia sighed dramatically. “There are days that I would kill for a snitch in this family. All the security cameras in our house and I still can’t figure out who keeps eating my ice cream.”

Ethan cleared his throat and patted his still flat stomach. “I’m sorry, Soph. I’m trying to get my dad bod on.”

She giggled and melted into his arms when he hugged her. “That’s cute. I forgive you.”

Noah flipped Ethan off when Sophia couldn’t see him. “I would’ve gotten a lecture ifI’deaten the ice cream.”

“That’s because I work with you all day, everyday. There are just so many more chances for you to bother me about other things. If you ate my ice cream on top of all the other things you do to me during the day, that’d be crossing a line.” She moved into his arms and laughed at his shocked expression. “I’m teasing. You’re the best c0-CEO I could hope for. You do plenty of really,reallynice things for me during the day, too.”

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