SWNOVELS Redeeming: Part 3 – Chapter 26
Dad
Your mom wants to have everyone over for a party this weekend.
Nattie
Everything okay?
Murphy
He said to celebrate, Nat.
Cooper
They just won the Super Bowl. Pretty sure it’s safe to celebrate, Nat.
Carys
I mean, it was three weeks ago.
Declan
You have the attention spans of an ant.
Dad
Our house. Sunday night. Think you can make it?
Nattie
We’re in.
Murphy
Us too.
Carys
We should be good.
Declan
I’ll see if Nix and Leo have a game that night and let the rest of the kids know.
Callen
I’ll check with Caitlin. But I think that should work.
Dad
Glad you got your head out of your ass, son.
Murphy
Yeah. Now it can be lodged permanently up her ass.
Carys
Aiden Murphy!
Nattie
Eww, Murph.
Cooper
At least she’s got a great ass.
Callen
Stop looking at my woman’s ass, Coop.
Cooper
Make her your wife and I will.
“Thanks, Amelia. I owe you one.” I stand in front of the counter in Sweet Temptations with a box of Caitlin’s favorite chocolate chip cookies in one hand and a stupid fucking smile on my face. “I would have never gotten a single thing right if I had to pick it out myself. I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome, and I’ll save that favor for later.” Amelia folds her arms over her chest with a knowing smile, and I remind myself that I didn’t make a deal with the devil, but I did just make one with his wife.
Not like he’s an actual devil . . . But I’m sure there are some people in this town who think so.
Cait still isn’t speaking to her father or Maddox, but Amelia has been at the house helping Caitlin get everything together for the baby. Hard to believe we’ve only got ten weeks left until we meet our baby girl.
“She’s pregnant and probably changes her mind more than any woman you’ll ever meet, Callen. Don’t beat yourself up.” She cocks her brow and smiles. “You know her coffee and cookie order. That’s a love language for Caitlin. The rest will come eventually. Nonna and I will be over at the end of the week to help her get things set up.”
She looks past me and takes a deep breath. “Do not fight in my shop.”
With that warning setting off alarms in my head, I turn in time to see Maddox walking up to the counter and groan.
“Let’s not do this today, man.” It’s been a good day, and I’d like to keep it that way.
Maddox shoves his hands in the pocket of his peacoat. “I didn’t come here to fight.”
“Out of my shop, Maddox. I don’t want this here, and neither of you want it anywhere anyone can hear you.” The look she gives him speaks volumes. Enough that Maddox shakes his head and looks at me. “I heard Cait’s out of town. Want to take this to your place?”
“Sorry, man. You’re not my type.” I push past him until Amelia calls out my name.
“Callen . . .” She looks between her oldest son and me. “This is my favor. Talk to him. You can use my office.”
I shake my head, and she smiles, knowing she won.
I’m not sure she and Caitlin have ever looked more alike than they do in this moment.
It’s eerie, and I smile, hoping my daughter looks just like her mother.
When I said I owed Amelia one, I didn’t know today would be the day or this would be the one.
Fuck me.
“Fine.” I fucking glare at Maddox. “But let’s make this quick. I’ve got shit to do before Cait and the girls get back from their spa day.”
I follow him into Amelia’s office and am immediately flooded with memories of us doing our homework back here in elementary school while Amelia brought us cookies and chocolate milk. I manage to push it out of my mind as I turn and face my former best friend with no clue how this is going to play out. “If you’ve got something to say, say it. I’ve got shit to do.”
Probably should have just paid someone to put together the furniture that’s waiting for me back at the house, but I convinced myself it would mean more to Caitlin if I did it.
Probably not my best decision.
“How is she?” Maddox asks as he eyes a picture of him, her, Rome and Lucky hanging on the wall. Matching devilish grins, covered in cupcake icing, stare back.
“You’re going to have to ask her. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.” I hold tight to my anger, even though it’s dulled over the three months since our fight.
“Has she forgiven you?” He pushes, and I don’t bother answering. I don’t think he actually expects me to, so he changes tactics. “You should have told me.”
Now we’re getting to it.
“You’re right.” I shock the piss out of him with my admission, but I never thought I was faultless in this whole fucking mess. “And I was going to. Would have if I hadn’t talked to your dad first. Madman, you gotta understand if I hadn’t promised you a fucking lifetime ago that I’d stay away from her, I’d have been with Caitlin for years by now. The only reason I wasn’t was you.”
“You had a funny way of showing it, man. You weren’t lacking the ladies’ attention,” he snipes back.
Fuck.
“You wanna hear you’re right? Fine. You’re right. I wasn’t a fucking saint before her. But I’ve been loyal since the minute I touched her. Christ, I’ve basically been loyal since the day you moved her into our condo. You didn’t ask. You just did it. You put the one person I wanted under my nose for years, and I still stayed away out of respect for you. And you know what? I hurt her in the process. So fuck you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but your dad dicked us both over when he told me to stay away and keep this shit to myself.”
Shit.
That felt better than I expected.
Maddox and I have never been feelings friends. He’s been my brother. We helped each other through shit, but it’s never been shit that’s built up between us before.
“You’re right,” he agrees, and my head spins. “I told her it wasn’t fair to be pissed because you did what Dad told you needed to be done. Most of us would have done the same thing. Maybe not Rome, because let’s face it, he’s a fucking psycho who loves drama, but the rest of us . . . We would have done it too. Fuck, man. My sister. You wanted my fucking sister for years?”
Maddox drops down on the mint-green couch along the wall and rests his elbows on his knees. “Do you love her?”
“I’ve loved her for a long damn time, man,” I tell him without hesitation. “She’s it for me. She’s everything. She and the baby are my world.”
He tilts his head and looks up at me with tired eyes. “You gonna marry her?”
“Yeah.” I smile. “She doesn’t know it yet though. So keep that to yourself.”
Maddox grabs the box of cookies from my hand and steals one, like he’s an alcoholic dying for a drop of whiskey instead of a chocolate chip cookie. “You think you can get her to talk to our dad?”
“You asking me or telling me?” I push back, tired of being told what to do when it comes to Caitlin.
“Asking. Help her the way she helped me.” He breaks off a piece of the giant cookie and pops it in his mouth. “And while you’re at it, can you tell her we fixed our shit?”
“How did she help you?” I know she hasn’t forgiven Maddox. What I don’t know is what he’s talking about. “And when did we fix our shit?” I look around the room to make sure I’m not missing something, then wait.
“I came to her last month, wanting to make things right. But she wasn’t willing to do that until I made things right with you first.” He blows out a breath. “So I guess I’m sorry for being a dick. I should have trusted you, and I shouldn’t have said what I did. Caitlin was right. And you should have trusted me. Man to man, if you tell me you love my sister and you’re not going to hurt her, then I’ll admit I was wrong. You’re a good man. Treat her right and don’t fuck up my niece.”
“I’ll accept your apology on one condition,” I tell him and hold out my free hand to help him up from the ancient couch.
“What’s the condition?” Maddox asks, careful not to agree to something crazy.
“Come back to the house and help me put together baby furniture. I need to get it done before the girls get home from the spa.”
“What the fuck, man? Can’t you hire someone to do this shit? You’ve got one of the biggest contracts in the NFL.”
I shrug a shoulder. “But think how great it will be to tell my daughter that Daddy and Uncle Maddox put her furniture together.”
“Dude, you’re gonna have a daughter . . . That’s fucking nuts.”
“I know,” I agree as my heart beats faster, just thinking about it.
“You know we can never let her date, right?”
“Fuck, man . . . What the hell? Don’t make me think about that shit yet.” I grab the cookies back and shove him forward. “Shut the fuck up and help me put together the furniture.”