“I know,” I mumble into his muscled pecs. “I’m sorry.”
Ah, there it is.
He tilts my face up to his with his finger. “We’re in our mid-thirties, love. If we aren’t thinking of adding to the family now, then it’s not likely going to happen. If you want my opinion? Our boys are enough. The four of us are a perfect family. You are my honey. You will always bemyhoney.”
“You’re not mad?” I throw my arms around him. Squeeze.
“Aye. I was. Still am a little.” He kisses my head. “Not because you went on birth control. Not because you’re done having babies. Not because I don’t love you. I’m upset you wouldn’t talk to me. I’m upset you didn’t think I’d have your back no matter what. It feels a little like déjà vu. I most definitely don’t want to go back to secrets. Secrets areshite.”
I disentangle myself from him. “I don’t either. I was wrong to do it without discussing it with you. I knew I was being inappropriate. I just couldn’t seem to stop myself.”
“Okay. Thank you for saying that.” He watches as I freshen myself up.
“I really do love you, babe.” I sling my purse over my shoulder. “There’s not much else to say.”
He follows me from our bedroom to the nursery. “Ireallydo loveyou,Mae. I know you’re stressed about not having a nanny. Put that worry away. I don’t have much going on for a bit. I love taking care of our sons.”
My God, this man reads my mind. I’ve got to remind myself when I’m wound up that I can trust him. I. Can. Trust. Him. He loves taking care of me. Would it kill me to let him do it every now and then?
Now that the weight of keeping the IUD secret is, at least, over, I’m ready for our sex life to get back to normal.
* * *
As usual, traffic sucks. It takes an hour to get from Malibu to Ty and Zoey’s house. Her parents, Mike and Olivia, greet us at the door and lead us into the living room.
“They’re getting so big!” Olivia makes googly faces at the boys, who stare up at her. “It’s only been a month since the wedding, and I swear they’re twice the size.”
Zoey joins us, kneeling next to her mom. “May I?” She waggles her fingers at Tristan. Then at Torin. “You always dress them in the cutest matching clothes. I never asked how you tell them apart.”
“It’s easy now.” I unbuckle the boys, who wear matching ugly Christmas sweaters, and hand Torin to Zoey. “Torin has a little freckle on his temple.” I touch the tiny spot.
Zoey snuggles Torin to her bosom, clearly at ease holding a baby. Some women are born to be mothers, and my bet’s on Zoey. It wouldn’t surprise me if she and Ty start popping them out, one per year. Ty watches her intently as she strokes Torin’s head. My little guy grips her red-tipped finger. She wiggles it. Kisses his rosy cheeks about a hundred times. “Ineedone of these, Ty.” Zoey beams when she catches Ty gaping.
“You’re more than welcome to take one of these lads off our hands for the night.” Connor slaps Ty on the back. “They seem calm and sweet now but get ’em both going and holybejeezus.”
I lift Tristan out of his carrier and snuggle him to me. Stick my tongue out at my husband. “You aren’t giving my babies away. No matter how hard you try, Connor.”
“Damn.” Conner swoops over and plucks our son from my arms and hands him to a dumbfounded Ty. “Here, Ty, don't listen to her. He's yours.”
I dash the two steps to where Ty’s holding Tristan like a sack of potatoes. “Just support Tristan’s neck and place him against your chest.”
As awkward AF as Ty is, Zoey’s smile lights up the room when she sees her husband with the baby. “You’re doing great, babe.”
“Um, I gotta check on dinner.” Ty’s veins bulge in his neck.
I take my son back. “You did great. You’ll be a great dad, Ty.”
A look of bewilderment washes over his face before Ty turns on his famous rockstar charm and hurries back the kitchen. “I’d stay, but it’s time to baste the turkey.”
Connor catches my eye. Raises an eyebrow at Ty’s inadvertent sexual innuendo. I stifle a giggle.
Not long after, we sit down to eat. Ty’s and his mother-in-law Olivia’s dinner is fantastic, as always. Connor and I feed the boys and put them down, refraining from shagging this time. Olivia and Mike head to their room, leaving the four of us to visit. Ty and Zoey both sip cups of tea. Connor and I each finish a glass of red wine left over from dinner.
“What are the others up to for the holidays?” Connor sits opposite from me on the couch, my feet are tucked under me. “I haven’t talked to them in a couple of weeks.”
Zoey, who is snuggled in Ty’s lap, lifts her phone to show us a darling picture. “Alex and Fee did a holiday photo shoot with Lena, Mia, and the horses. They want all of us to do it next year as a new LTZ tradition.”
“I loved spending Christmas in Seattle. It was nice to be around family.” I unfurl my legs and nudge Connor’s thigh with my toe. “I think Seattle should be our tradition.”