I stare at my beautiful wife in awe. “I’m going to be a father?”
“Yes. Are you happy?”
“Am I happy? The second you called me Daddy, all I could think of was getting my cum inside you so I could get you pregnant even though you’re on the pill.”
“I stopped taking it when I got the book deal and you went back to the department full time. You said you wanted me to make that choice, so I made it. I’ve always wanted your babies, Whit. I just wanted you to heal some more before the babies would come.”
“I love you, Lydia.”
“I love you more. Now, let’s get inside so I can shower and change for our guests. We have a lot to celebrate, Daddy.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a father.”
“A sexy one at that. Especially with that hint of gray coming in.” She brushes my temples where a few hairs have started turning. “It’s so damn hot.”
“Luckily I got a young little wife.”
“Damn right. Now, we better get a move on because we took a little too long out here, and I can’t have my husband attacking my guests because I’m not wearing panties.” Giggling, she hurries into the house.
“Damn it, woman. Don’t run.”
“I’m fine. Don’t start being overprotective now.” She winks and blows me a kiss. “I still plan on earning some serious punishments and thorough fuckings, Sheriff.”
“I’d expect nothing less.” Shaking my head, I follow her inside.
Ten years later
Lydia
“Sheriff, we have a disturbance upstairs,” I call out from the kitchen.
“I’ll handle it.” He takes the stairs two at a time after a long day.
“What is going on up here?” he booms with his large voice, opening the kids’ playroom.
Shouts and squeals sound from the room. They’ve been making a mess, building a fort and playing cops and robbers—well, mostly robbers—waiting for the sheriff to come home and make arrests. This is a weekly thing, and the boys love it. A houseful of testosterone has been insane and wonderful but coming soon, we’re changing that. I’m giving birth to our first little girl.
An hour later, the rabble comes down the stairs. I turn and see Whit carrying Felix on his shoulders with Grayson and Miller strolling in behind him. “So who won?”
“The sheriff, of course,” Whit says, bending down to let his little one get down.
“We let him,” Felix says as he slides down.
“Well, you boys are just in time for dinner.”
“See, I told ya. My nose never lies.”
“Mom sent you a text, Dad.”
“That one is going to be trouble,” Whit mutters, pulling me into his arms to steal a kiss.
“He’s sharp like his dad,” I insist as I pull away, serving the plates of homemade spaghetti.
“Nah, like his brilliant mother,” he says, taking the other plates.
“Hardly. We’re both pretty damn awesome. Now, sit down and relax, handsome. You’ve had a long day arresting criminals.”
“You two, little mama. You’ve been dealing with these hooligans all day.” He pulls me onto his lap. “I love you,” Whit growls in my ear.
“I love you more.” I kiss his nose and try to climb off his lap, but he tightens his grip.
“Never.”
“Dad, Mom needs to eat her food.”
“Fine, but you’re going to pay for that later, wife,” he whispers in my ear. I wiggle my butt before sliding into my seat next to him.
“Sorry, boys. Daddy is just so in love with Mommy.”
“I love Rebecca.”
“Oh, really?”
We all look at Miller, who is staring at his plate. She’s a girl in his class. Her father is a deputy at the station. “I mean…she’s just a friend.”
“Okay.”
“You’re going to marry Rebecca.”
“I’m not.”
“Fine, then I will.”
“I’ll kill you, Gray.”
“Stop fighting, you two. It’s okay. You have a long time before you can start going out with girls, and that goes for all of you.”
“It’s okay. I don’t like anyone yet. They’re all silly.”
“Good boy. Now, everyone, eat your dinner before it gets cold. No woman will ever love you if you let her hard-cooked dinner go cold. That’s grounds for divorce.” The boys dig in, and I laugh at how serious they take their father’s words.
“I love all of you, and your daddy’s exaggerating.”
“Well, we love your food, Mommy. It’s good.”
“Yep.”
“Thank you, boys.”
We eat our meal and as soon as we’re finished and they help load the dishwasher, Whit sends them on their way. “Mrs. Marlowe, you and I need to have a little talk.”
“Oh yeah?”