Be Mine (Jackson Boys 2)

“Daddy.” Cassidy rolls her eyes. “Obviously, I’m standing right here.”

“Nah, Cassidy’s a little girl.” He holds his hand up to his hip. “About so high. I used to carry her on my shoulders. You’re…you’re not a girl.”

She flushes, lifts her full ball gown skirt slightly and swishes it back and forth.

“Cassie’s still a girl, Daddy,” Thane says.

Nick reaches up and ruffles his hair. “Is that right?”

“Dad was being fascist,” Gray interjects.

“Facetious,” I correct.

“Whatever,” Gray replies with a scowl.

“Ha!” Thane points at his brother. “You missaid a word.”

“Missaid isn’t a word! And it’s mispronounce!” Gray yells back.

I move in between the two arguing boys before fists can fly again. “Cassidy, you look amazing. Greta did a marvelous job with you.”

“Thank you,” my daughter says. Her eyes sparkle like dark jewels. “And thank you for letting me go to the dance.”

Nick grumbles under his breath about boys and hormones and how a fifteen-year-old at a prom is too young, but Cassidy and I ignore him.

“Go stand by the fireplace,” I instruct. “We’ll take a few pictures there before Ryan comes.”

“Ryan’s a terrible name,” Nick says. “Do you know how many successful quarterbacks there have been named Ryan? None.”

“That’s fine, Daddy, because Ryan’s an engineer. Not a football player.” Cassidy flounces over to stand in front of the unlit fireplace.

“Don’t remind him,” I advise. “Your dad can’t believe there’s a guy out there who doesn’t love football.”

“Ryan says real football is played with your feet,” Gray says.

Nick nearly crushes the camera between his hands. “I can’t believe we’re letting Cassidy go on a date with a boy who doesn’t even appreciate real sports.”

“Take the pictures, darling,” I say, running a soothing hand over his shoulders.

Outside, the sound of a car pulling up has the boys running to the door.

“It’s Ryan!” cries Thane in excitement. He throws open the door and races out.

Cassidy rushes after them, forgetting both of her parents in her haste to get to her boyfriend before her brothers do.

“You sure I can’t punch him in the nose before they leave? Kind of as a pre-dance warning?” Nick asks, taking his place beside me. He snakes his arm around my back and I lean into him, grateful for his support.

“No, not even a friendly tap.”

“You’re no fun.”

“You didn’t say that nine months ago,” I tease, as I watch Ryan climb the steps. He high-fives the boys before stumbling to a halt.

“I was too busy sticking my tongue in your pu—uff!“

I elbow him hard in the stomach. “Pay attention. Your daughter is slaying a man right before your eyes.”

“C-C-Cassidy,” Ryan stammers. “You look beautiful.”

Cassidy ducks her head. “Thank you. You look amazing, too.”

The two stare at each other for a long moment until Gray makes a gagging noise. The teens break eye contact and start chattering with the boys. My soul swells so big at the sight of my children talking together that I nearly expire.

Nick’s fingers curl around my waist. “Do we have to let her go?” he whispers. “She’s so young.”

“Today prom. Tomorrow college.” I stroke a hand over the top of my stomach. “But we’re always going to be a family. No matter how many dances she goes to, or how many boys come and sweep her away. No matter what, she’ll always be ours.”

His hand slides over to join mine.

“Ours,” he echoes.

It was a word I hadn’t thought I’d ever use in connection with Nick Jackson, but it’s the one that describes us best. We’re a unit—strong, indestructible, and everlasting. It’s a state of bliss that I hadn’t imagined that I deserved, yet, here I am married to the best man in the world with the best kids in the world.

At the age of twenty, I’d made enough mistakes for a lifetime, but somehow, those mistakes all lead me to this moment and this life and this family.

Ours, indeed.