Maddie and Wyn (43 page)

Rearing his head, Wyn looked down at Maddie’s stomach and then back up at her. “Shit. We already know it’s a girl?”

“No.” Her cheeks heating, Maddie admitted with a shrug, “It’s just a feeling I’ve been getting ever since I thought I might be pregnant. I could easily be wrong.”

“I trust your gut.” A wonderful half-smile quirking Wyn’s lips up on one side, he put his hand over hers on her stomach. “Feels like a girl to me too.”

“Hey.” Happiness twining all the way around her heart and into her soul, Maddie poked Wyn in the chest. “You’re glossing over the fact that I finally said yes to you.”

Wyn looked up, and a quick burning inferno blazed in his stare. “Not for one damned second, honey. I homed in on that yes I’ve been waiting for and locked it into my brain.” He moved his hand up from her belly and across her breasts, abrading her nipples through the thin white nightgown she wore, making them pebble under his touch. “I’m just deciding on the most appropriate way to celebrate.” He hooked the straps of her gown under his fingers and drew them down her arms, freeing her breasts. Her nipples pointed up, pouting for him, and he moaned and dipped down to lick her. Before his tongue fully brushed across her tit, he pulled up, his gaze stricken. “I’m not sure what’s okay to do with you.”

His gentle care exploding her love for him even more, Maddie cupped her breasts for him. Plying her nipples, tugging the tips, she gasped as they hardened into even stiffer peaks for him. “Everything is perfectly fine for many more months.” She put his hands back on her breasts, tugged on the belt loops of his jeans, and laid back on his magnificent, sturdy table. “Show me how happy you are, Ashworth. We have about,” she glanced over her shoulder to a farm post that held a weather vane and a clock, “four hours to pack in as much as we can before we have guests and have to be presentable and respectable again.”

Coming down on top of her, the glints of love bringing out the warm brown in his eyes, Wyn nipped a sweetly stinging kiss from Maddie’s lips. “I love a challenge almost as much as I love you.” With that, he showed her a fine time, no holding back.

And when Maddie tore up Wyn’s back and screamed every time he made her come under the morning sunlight on that table, and then the ground, and finally a bench, Maddie didn’t bite her lips or muffle her cries as he lost himself inside her, both of them vowing their love.

It was another perfect—typical—day in Maddie and Wyn’s special garden.

* * * *

The small afternoon gathering was in full swing when, from across the width of the garden Maddie watched Aidan approach Wyn, exchange a handful of sentences, and then extend his hand. From many feet away, Maddie saw the way Wyn’s face lit up, and the strong grip and enthusiasm he put into his handshake with Aidan.

Maddie grabbed Ethan from a few feet away and tugged the blond man to her side. “Are my eyes deceiving me, or did Aidan just now finally let go of the last of his hang-ups about Wyn and fully accept him as someone worthy of his sister?”

The colors of the Caribbean filled Ethan’s warm gaze; he leaned in and gave Maddie a quick squeeze around the waist. “That is what you saw,” he confirmed for her. “It was hard to hold back my opinion about this with Aidan all these months, but I never pushed him. He came to accept that he had true respect for Wyn, and admitted to a desire to give Wyn a full chance and develop a true friendship with him on his own.”

Empathy flooded Maddie’s heart. “You’re a patient man, Ethan. I admire your love and commitment to Aidan, especially since I know how much you love Wyn.”

“No less difficult for you,” Ethan pointed out. “In truth, we both knew that with time they’d work out that alpha thing between them and they would find their correct respective places in our unique family dynamic.”

Devlin sidled up on the other side of Maddie, Garrick at his side. “Talking about that handshake we just saw?”

Maddie grinned at her other brother. “Yep.”

“About damn time it got fixed,” Garrick muttered easily, proving himself a true member of the family.

An idea brewed and Maddie grinned wickedly. “Should we go bust it up and make it all sappy for our bro?”

The answering gleam in Devlin’s eyes was positively mischievous. “Absolutely.”

“Wait.” Ethan yanked Maddie to the table. “Grab drinks.” He handed her two, took two for himself, and let Devlin and Garrick grab their own. “We’ll do a toast.”

Exchanging a look with Devlin, Maddie and her brother nodded and both raced over to Aidan and Wyn. Locked on their handsome, hard brother, Maddie and Devlin dropped in at the crescendo moment of
The Bodyguard
classic theme song, “Aaannnddd IIIIIIIIII, IIIIII, IIIII will always love youuhoooo, ohhhh I will always looooovvvee, yooouuuu!” And then they transitioned to some Gibbs brothers magic, crooning, “How deep is your love, I really mean to learn, cuz we’re living in a world of fools, breaking us down, when they all—”

Aidan reached out and covered both of their mouths, smothering their homage to love, and muttered, “Fuck you both,” but he was laughing, even as his cheeks burned. A wonderful sparkle remained in his pale green gaze, something once upon a time Maddie feared she would never see or know, but that by Aidan grabbing a second chance at love, she now got to have in her life every day.

Wyn took a drink from Maddie, making sure not to take her grape juice, and slipped his arm around her waist. Garrick tucked Devlin against his chest, and Ethan slipped his hand into Aidan’s, the grip obviously strong and sure.

Garrick cleared his throat and held up his glass. “In all seriousness. To the Morgan’s and the Ashworth’s—”

“And a Langley,” Devlin added, reaching back and rubbing Garrick’s leg.

Aidan tagged on, “And the impending baby, whoever she or he ultimately becomes.” He winked at Maddie. “But probably she.”

Garrick finished, “May we all appreciate and cherish the love we’ve found in Redemption. This kind of passion and loyalty and forever doesn’t happen for everyone.” Thickness grabbed his voice, but he went on, “Might we all keep each other safe and tucked close to our hearts, hoping and always cheering for the best, but secure in the knowledge that we always have each other’s backs, no matter what comes our way.”

Wetness filmed Ethan’s eyes. “Beautifully said.”

Wyn rubbed the small of Maddie’s back, “And most definitely heard.”

Aidan lifted his glass. “Cheers to us all.”

Everyone said their hurrahs, while Devlin declared, “Let’s eat.”

A mix of groans and chuckles followed. Within moments, Devlin and Garrick wandered over to the grill to check on the steaks, while Aidan and Ethan refreshed their drinks at the table. Maddie looked at them, the core of her family, and her heart swelled. In a week they would have a bigger gathering and share the news of the baby with the rest of their extended family—the guys at the garage, a few men at the station Wyn called good friends, just as a start. Janet Carson had passed away, and Nico was back in town to collect Jayden for a move across the country, so they would be here for the good news too. Garrick’s unofficial kids Chloe and Shawn, both teens now, and their mother Grace, whom Maddie had become close to also would celebrate this wonderful moment in Maddie and Wyn’s life. They would all be so happy for Maddie, and she knew that no matter the tough days of her childhood she was one very fortunate woman to have such great family and friends now. These five people though, Wyn and Aidan and Devlin and Garrick and Ethan, they were her heart, and right now, it was so very, very full.

Concern filling his voice, Wyn said, “You okay?” He lifted her chin up and brushed her hair behind her ear.

Looking at this man, Maddie could only say, “I’m perfect.” She lifted up and kissed his jaw. “Let’s go get this shindig started.”

“Sounds good.”

Hand in hand, Maddie and Wyn joined the party, her family, her heart bursting for this group and the others who would visit soon. These people all, her people, be they clan members by choice or by blood, all were a family born in Redemption, a place for second chances and love.

The End

Publisher’s Note

Please help this author's career by posting an honest review wherever you purchased this book.

Cameron Dane, who also writes as Jamie Urban, between both names has over twenty erotic romance novels published and at least a hundred more characters demanding happily ever afters too. Embracing stories in the genres of M/M, M/F and Ménage, some with paranormal hints, others with twists of mystery and suspense, or even BDSM kink, this author loves all types of pairings, just so long as acceptance and true love is at their core. Find Cameron on the web at www.camerondane.com