Aaron looks between me and Evan like he can’t believe what just happened. Did he forget he left us a little present in the hotel room? He finally shakes his head and follows Evan out the door.
“I was hoping, since Evan’s gone, I could take a few pictures of the two of you and Lexi,” I tell his parents. “I know I’ve taken a ton this week, but I thought maybe a few that were a little more formal might be a good surprise for him.”
“Of course, but I have one condition,” his mom says. I smile and nod. “You have to send me copies.”
I laugh. “You got it. I’m going to go lay her down, and when she wakes up, we’ll take a few. It won’t take long,” I say, looking over at his dad. He looks worn out from all the excitement.
“Sounds like a plan, young lady,” he says, his voice gruff.
Chapter 48
Evan
“This is it?” Aaron asks.
“Yep, we need to walk through that clearing.” I point through the front window of the Durango.
“Let’s do this. We only have about two hours before I have to get back,” he says, climbing out of the SUV.
I keep waiting for him to call me out. I kissed McKinley in front of all of them, but it just felt right. She had my daughter, who I know she loves, in her arms and she was smiling at me, my smile, damn it. How was I supposed to resist that? I wanted to kiss my wife and I did. No regrets.
We make it through the clearing and I guide us away from the spot where I proposed to McKinley. We set up our chairs, bait our hooks, and kick back for some male bonding. Aaron and I have been fishing more times than I can count over the years.
“What was that this morning?” Aaron breaks the silence.
I play dumb. “What was what?”
“You asking my sister for permission to go fishing.”
Oh that. “She’s my wife.”
“I know that, but this was supposed to be for Lexi,” he counters.
“Plans change.”
“Really?”
“You really want to have this conversation?”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
“Yes, my plans changed, but hers have not. This is still an agreement with amended terms.”
“I see.” I can tell my answer aggravates him, but what can he say? Like McKinley said, we’re both consenting adults—married consenting adults.
“We got your gift,” I say, putting it out there. If he wants to talk about this shit, then we can talk about it. I’d rather do it now than when McKinley is around to hear it.
“I went back to the room three times before I actually left it there. I fought with myself over and over. I knew the two of you weren’t planning to spend the night anywhere else and by the way you kept looking at her…I just thought better safe than sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s weird for me, seeing you with her like that. I mean, I’ve watched the two of you grow closer, but since Lex was born, it’s just different between the two of you.”
“It’s been happening for months, man. She’s…amazing.”
Aaron turns to look at me. I can feel his stare, but I keep my gaze on the water.
My phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket. It’s a text from Kinley, a picture of Lexi curled up on her chest sleeping.
“That my sister?” Aaron asks.
“My wife,” I reply. The words falling from my lips. I should have just said yes.
“You told her.” It’s not a question. I have to tear my eyes away from my girls to answer him.
“No.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, shame washes over me. I wanted to tell her, almost did.
“I think you’re making a mistake.”
“I just…can’t tell her okay.”
Aaron throws his head back and laughs. Probably scaring all the fish, fucker. “It’s easy to see, man. You think I would have left you a box of condoms in a hotel room with my baby sister, marriage license or not, if I didn’t know you loved her? She knows me better than that. I’m sure she can see right through you just like the rest of us.”
“You can’t tell her.”
That sobers him up. “No, you need to tell her.”
“This is different for her. She cares about me, but she loves my daughter. She reminds me daily that we both will be walking away from this. Until then, I want to hold on tight to every moment she’s my wife. Moments like kissing her goodbye and asking if she’s okay with me leaving. I don’t need her permission, but I want to share it all with her. That all comes with it,” I explain.
“I get it, but I think you’re wrong. She loves both of you.”
How I wish that were true. We could drop this agreement bullshit and just be…us. “She’s adamant, man. She constantly says that this is just temporary.”
“I call bullshit.”
I shrug. “I won’t pressure her to change her mind. I want her happy. More than anything, that’s what matters to me. If leaving me once this shit is worked out with Misty’s parents is what she wants, then I have to live with that.”
My phone vibrating in my pocket breaks the silence. Digging it out, it’s another text from McKinley. This time it’s her and Lexi both wide awake, lying on the bed, smiling up at the camera. The caption says, “We miss you.”
“Your wife?” Aaron smirks.
“Yes.” I hold the phone up so he can see the picture.
“Like I said, I call bullshit. Let’s pack up and head out. Fish aren’t biting and I really just wanted to get you away from your wife, so we could talk.”
“Yeah,” I say, saving both pictures and then sliding the phone back in my pocket.
We pack up and are back on the road in no time. “Never thought it would be my little sister, man, but I’m happy for you.”
I grin at him. “You do realize we are now officially brothers?” I ask him.
He laughs. “Never thought about it, but I guess we are.” Reaching over, he claps me on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family.”
Family. My foot presses a little harder on the pedal in a hurry to get back to mine.
Chapter 49
McKinley
This week has been a little crazy. In between shoots at the studio, I’ve been packing up my clothes and bringing over a few boxes at a time. I’m not bringing everything, because, well…I’m just going to have to move it all back when it’s over.
Luckily, today I have nothing scheduled in the studio, so Lexi and I are hanging around the house. I’m working on getting my clothes unpacked. Thankfully, we have a furniture delivery coming around eleven. We decided to go ahead and buy a bed for one of the extra bedrooms as well as another dresser to match the suite in the master. Evan insisted I have a place for my clothes. “I don’t want you living out of boxes,” he said.
“Honey, I’m home,” I hear Evan yell from downstairs.
“Daddy’s home, Lex,” I say as I finish changing her diaper. “He’s home early.”
“There you are.” He stands in the doorway of her bedroom. “How are my girls?”