A Kade Christmas

“Loga—” I started.

He dropped to his knees, his hands raising my shirt, and I took it, holding it for him. He stared at my stomach, his hands catching my hips and pulling me closer to him. Finally, he spoke, staring straight ahead, “I don’t care.”

God. My heart split open. He sounded so agonized.

“I only care about this one and you. I care about my family, I do, but I’m done. I’m tired of being the fighter. I—Mason has his family. Nate has his, and I’ve been waiting. Not anymore.” He turned his head up, his eyes fierce.

Oh, man.

I sank to my knees, cradling his face. “Baby.”

His eyes shuddered closed.

I leaned forward, my forehead touching his, my hands falling to catch his, and I held onto him. “You can handle your dad’s stuff. I’m not going anywhere. Our baby isn’t either. I don’t know where this is coming from, but we’re here. I’m not leaving you.” I moved our hands, going to his chest. I could feel his heartbeat going so hard, so fast.

I didn’t understand what was going on here.

“We’re married.”

He laughed, his heart slowing a tiny bit. “I don’t know what’s going on with… I, just, I just want to hold you. I don’t want to deal with real life. I want someone else to do it.”

Okay.

I knew what I needed to do.

“Do you trust me?”

He lifted his head, his eyes finding mine. They were clouded over, just a bit. “Yeah…”

I cupped his face. “Let me handle this. You stay here. I’ll do what I need to do, and I’ll come back to you. How about that?”

He frowned. “You serious?”

I nodded in one quick clipping motion. “Let me do the work right now. I can handle shit and come back to you. But you need to give me a bit of time. Okay?” I hesitated, then asked, “I will need to tell one person about the baby. Is that okay?”

“Who—” He shook his head. “It’s fine. I trust you.”

I pressed my lips to his before standing, and as he shifted, still frowning, watching me the whole time, I walked out into the hallway. Then I took a minute.

Okay.

He wanted his family, not to handle someone else’s family issues. Totally understood that. So okay then.

I could make that happen.

Nate was waiting halfway up the stairs, standing to one side. He saw me coming and raised his chin. “What’s going on?”

His tone was no-nonsense, straight to the point.

I stopped, knowing I was wearing a slight frown. “He—real talk?”

Another quick nod. “Nothing else right now.”

“Logan needs someone else to handle this fight for him. He needs a time-out.”

Nate’s nostrils flared. “A time-out?”

“Yeah.”

He cursed. “Why?”

I was getting this. I understood. I mean, my God. I’d been front row to see so many years of friendship and family love between him and Logan, but Logan wanted time with his family. This was coming from concern because Logan had never shown this side before.

Because of that, I kept my tone calm and held out my phone. “I need to make a call, and then we can go from there.”

I got one step back before he said, his tone grinding out, “I want to know what the fuck’s going on with my brother.”

I held my phone up higher. “One call.”

I hit the button, and the phone was ringing by the time I hit the hallway again.

Mason answered, “Taylor?”

24

Logan

I didn’t know how or what Taylor did, but ten minutes later, she was back.

Coming to stand by the bed, she held my gaze a moment before she came to some decision.

She reached up, taking her shirt off. Her pants. Her bra.

I was in a race now, yanking my clothes off, and by the time she was naked and sliding under the covers, I was ready for her. I sank in and paused at the feel of her, being inside of her, knowing our child was growing inside of her too.

I used to use sex not to feel anything. Now I felt everything.

I leaned up, looked down at Taylor, saw her watching me right back, and began to move.

Her. Me. Our baby.

Perfect.

25

Mason

The call ended, and I had to sit there for a moment.

Holy shit.

Holy shit!

I got on the phone.

To Sam, “Book our flights. For everyone. We’re going to Fallen Crest.”

Her, “What?”

To my coach, who was sitting across from me, “I need a day.”

Him, “You just had a day.”

“It’s family.”

“You just had family issues.”

“I need another day.”

“No, Kade.”

“I’m taking a day. Maybe two.”

“Goddammit. I said no!”

“It’s my brother.”

“Logan?”

“Yeah.”

Silence.

Him, “Well, fuck. I love that asshole. Fine. Take a day. Watch your tapes there! And do your workout. You can train there.”

I was up and moving. “Thanks, Coach.”

He hollered after me, “One day, Kade! One. Day. Do your workouts. You got me?”

I raised an arm. “I got you, Coach! Workouts. Tapes. One day.”