“What up, Maxipad?” Hudson throws his arm around me and hands me a bottle of Johnny Walker King. “Don’t let Cade see this. I’m in training mode and not allowed to drink before the next fight.” He looks around for Scarlet’s boyfriend, Cade The Saint St. James, the former MMA champion, who also happens to be Hud’s trainer, and grins when he’s nowhere to be found.
“You’re an asshat, Hud.” Sawyer smacks the back of Hud’s head, then holds up a magnum of champagne. “Congratulations, brother. This place is perfect for you.”
“Thanks.” I nod as Scarlet walks in with Cade, his arms full of grocery bags.
He shifts them to his side and looks around. “Anyone see which way Brynlee ran?”
Hudson moves to stand in front of the Johnny Walker, like a kid afraid to get caught by his teacher. Brynlee comes running back into the room, headed straight for Hud. He grabs her mid-run and throws her on his shoulders. “Let’s go see what kind of trouble we can get into, Brynnie.”
Little-girl giggles echo around the room, and I watch them take off to explore.
A pang of jealousy hitting me in the chest.
A silent wish that Daphne was here too.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Okay, Maximus. Where’s the kitchen?” When I stare at Scarlet, she waves her hand in front of my face. “Hello? Earth to Max. We’ve got food for your fridge.”
“Straight through there.” I point in the direction Lenny went earlier. “Thanks, Scar.”
Becks moves around all of us with a case of beer in his hands. “I win. I brought the beer.”
Scarlet groans. “And thankfully, you left your girlfriend at home.”
He ignores her as we all enter the kitchen, and my sister instructs everyone on what needs to go where, just like the general she was born to be. Before long, the food is put away. Takeout’s been ordered. There’s a cupcake smashed on Jace’s face, and I’m not sure who did it. And laughter is filling the house.
I take it in.
Everything.
All of them.
The noise.
The love.
The complete chaos.
And goddamn, I’m so grateful.
I sit down at the kitchen island next to Scarlet, who passes me a piece of paper. “What’s this?”
She points at the names and numbers with her pen. “The first one is the food service I use. The second is the cleaning service, and the third is the staffing service you need to call to find someone who’s going to do it all for you once you’re ready. Use one and two for now while you’re looking for three.”
I fold the paper carefully and put it in my jeans pocket. “Thanks, sis. For everything.”
Scarlet regards me with a tilt of her head. “Like we were going to let you do this alone. You’ve taken care of us all for years, Max. It’s our turn to take care of you.” She rests her hand over the top of mine for a minute, then moves my hand to her baby bump and pushes down.
My niece kicks me. Hard. And it blows my mind a little.
“You’re the glue that holds us together, Maximus. You always will be. But it’s your turn to be happy. And don’t try to tell me you have been because content and happy, truly happy, are two completely different things.” She watches Cade squat down to talk with Brynlee and Madeline, and a serene smile plays over my sister’s lips.
“I guess they are.”
She takes a deep, soothing breath, then holds me with her eyes. “What are you going to do about it, Max?”
“I’m working on it, Scar.” Getting out of the shadow of Dad has been the first step. Finding my footing with the Revolution and building the foundation for them to be an even greater team than the Kings is another. But getting out of his house has been the most freeing. I guess it’s the real start to finally working on my own life instead of worrying about everyone else’s.
And I think I’d like to explore this thing with Daphne.
I have this sense the two of us could make each other happy.
Brynlee runs to us, holding her hands behind her back. “Daddy says to give you this.” She hands Scarlet a dandelion she must have picked from the backyard, then runs off with Madeline.
Scarlet watches wistfully, then turns back to me, holding the weed in her hand as if it were the most precious gift she’d ever been given. “Happy, Max. You’ve gotta try it. It’s pretty amazing.”