House Of Payne: Scout (28 page)

Coco Eliane Fournier.

His daughter.

Just when he’d thought his life couldn’t get any better, it granted him gifts he probably didn’t deserve, but cherished with all his heart.

“Hello, Trouble.”

His head came around, and he had to blink away the blurriness to find both Coco and Scout watching him with identical beaming smiles. Caught in the act, he opened his mouth to ask how she was, but what came out was, “I love our family so much.”

All three women made little cooing sounds, which instantly made him want to disappear. Should’ve kept his damn mouth shut. Then Coco left Scout’s side to come to him, arms out, tear tracks clearly visible on her lined face.

“You did it, cutie,” she whispered as he took her in his arms and carefully hugged her fragile frame. “You broke the one-kid-only curse of the strays. And you did it by giving my girl so much love and security she knew she was safe enough to give the same to her children. I’m so grateful to you, son. So, so grateful.”

Damn, the blurriness was back again. “She gives me just as much, Mama Coco. And even more than that.”

“I know she does, because we’re all strays in some form or another. That’s why it’s so important for our kids to have someone in their lives. It means that they’re secure enough to open themselves up to another person. And as for settling down and having kids… well, I wouldn’t have made my family if I hadn’t felt safe in the care of my Bolo, and you wouldn’t have started your family if Theresa hadn’t made you feel safe, too.”

His arms tightened for a moment before he let her go, and in that time he managed not to choke to death on the knot clogging up his throat. “Started? You make it sound like we are not done yet.”

“Who knows what the future will bring? Now that you’ve named your little girl after me, Bolo’s gonna be hell to live with until you make a boy so you can name it after him. You have been warned.” With one last blown kiss to Scout and a smitten little kiss for her namesake, Coco departed along with the doula, who promised to be only a button-press away.

Quiet settled in the room as he came to sit carefully on the edge of Scout’s bed, situating himself between her and their daughter so he could have a hand on each. And as he did, one hand clasped so lovingly with his wife’s while the other rested on the warm bundle of life that was his little girl, his mind reeled at how lucky he was.

“I do not know how you managed to avoid having our little Coco on the same date as your foster parents’ anniversary,” he said, smiling into Scout’s eyes. She looked tired from five hours of labor, and her sable brown hair—currently streaked with shocking pink—was pulled back in a plain ponytail that she’d usually turn her nose up at in favor or something far more elaborate. In his eyes, though, this woman who was his world had never been more beautiful. “But it is official. Coco Eliane came into this world two minutes after midnight. Well done,
ma
trésor
.”

“It would’ve sucked to have her birthday eclipsed by an already-established special day,” Scout said, smiling up at him. “When she’s old enough, I’ll regale her with wild tales of how I struggled and strained to make sure she had her own special day, thinking only of her happiness while sacrificing my poor, exhausted bod just to hold her birth off long enough for a new day to dawn. Because that’s what good mothers do.”

“She will be grateful, I am sure.”

“It makes for a good guilt-trip story, anyway. Time will tell if we’ll ever have to use it.”

“If she is as perfect as her mother, then I doubt we ever will.”

“Ivar. Sweetheart.” Her eyes softened with a look he never tired of seeing, because he knew what it was. That look was love, and he could recognize it because it was something he felt every moment of their life together. “That’s the sweetest, most deluded thing you’ve ever said. If our little Coco Bean is anything like me, we should consider getting her microchipped just so we can keep tabs on her.”

“Coco Bean?” He laughed, then turned their daughter’s way when she snuffled. “I think she heard you, Mama.”

“See? She’s a handful already.”

“Yes, she is.” Very carefully, he picked up his little girl and settled her in the crook of his arm. Good God, she was tiny, this perfect little human being. As he settled himself back beside Scout, he looked down at their daughter’s sleeping face and knew he’d never forget this moment with his wife, son and daughter all within reach for the first time. “I love our life so much, my Scout. I never knew it could be so beautiful.”

“Neither did I, sweetheart.” Her smile was exquisite, and as he leaned over to caress her lips over his, he watched happy tears sparkle like diamonds in her eyes. “It’s so good to finally know there’s a place for me in this world.”

“Your place is by my side, and our children’s.” He rested his forehead against hers and let the sense of being complete wash through him. “No matter how many other things in this world change, that is one thing that will forever stay the same. Yes?”

“Yes,” she whispered, smiling.

Author’s Note

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There’s more lust, lies and love to be had in the House that Payne built. Look for these titles in the coming months:

House Of Payne: Twist

House Of Payne: Rude

About the Author

A competitive figure skater from the age of eight, Stacy Gail began writing stories in between events to pass the time. By the age of fourteen, she told her parents she was either going to be a figure skating coach who was also a published romance writer, or a romance writer who was also a skating pro. Now with a day job of playing on the ice with her students, and writing everything from steampunk to cyberpunk, contemporary to paranormal at night, both dreams have come true.

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