Redeeming (Red Lips & White Lies Book 2)

Leo

Bitches be crazy.

Nixon

That’s because they don’t like being called bitches, asshole.

Leo

Nah . . . they were crazy before that.

Maddox

You know you’re a fucking idiot, right?

Callen

I’ve been saying this for years.

Killian

They’re not all nuts.

Leo

I beg to differ.

Maddox

Someone help him. They don’t like when you beg, man.

Nixon

You don’t tell people you’re my brother, do you?

Callen

I’ve been acting like we’re not related for years.

Killian

Can’t help you.

Leo

You can all go eat a dick.

My sisters, brothers, and I sit around Mom and Dad’s dining room table with everyone’s significant other by their side, including Caitlin, and I guess I’m more old-fashioned than I ever realized because having her here by my side tonight only solidifies my earlier decision.

“Dad.” Nattie grabs Brady’s hand in hers and looks between us all. “What’s going on?”

The rest of us sit silently and let her talk because she doesn’t know how to be quiet.

He picks up Mom’s hand in his, and Murphy groans. “You’re not gonna tell us you’re pregnant again, are you?”

“Aiden . . .” Mom chastises him, and just about everyone laughs.

Everyone but Cooper and Dad.

Shit.

I take Caitlin’s hand in mine under the table and hold it against her leg. Needing to feel her. Needing her to help ground me as I prepare for the worst.

“No.” Dad looks at me and smiles. “The only baby Sinclair being born soon belongs to Callen and Caitlin.” He looks between us and winks at Cait. “Sorry. Sinclair-Beneventi.”

She rubs her belly. “We settled on Sinclair.”

And okay, yeah. I’m pretty fucking happy she came to that conclusion on her own, but if I have to say anything about it, she’s going to be a Sinclair too, very soon.

“Really?” Mom asks with excitement shining back at us, and I nod and look at Caitlin.

“Yes,” Cait confirms. “Anastasia Sinclair.”

Annabelle gasps, “After your mom. Oh my . . .”

Caitlin leans in to me as the table quiets, and all eyes go back to Mom and Dad. “I had my ninety-day scan last week, and we got the results back.”

He looks at each of us, and my stomach sinks.

“It’s not gone. But it will never be gone. We knew that. I’m living with cancer. And before any of you get upset, I need you to look at it this way. How lucky are we that I get to live with cancer when so many people don’t? I’ll have to stay on a strict treatment plan. But I get to live. I get to have a life with all of you.” He lifts Mom’s hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles.

“A long life,” Mom adds. “There’s no reason to think we don’t have years and years of living left between us.”

“Exactly,” Dad agrees. “And in light of that, we’ve made a few decisions. We’re going to spend the next year traveling to all the places we’ve always dreamed of going. We considered selling the house but couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. We have too many amazing memories locked in these walls. So if any of you or any of your children want to live here, let us know. They can take care of it for us. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll want something smaller. But right now, we want to enjoy this next part of our lives.”

I’ve never been in a room with my family as quiet as this.

It’s like I’m in a vacuum, and all the oxygen has been sucked from the room.

Fuck . . . I’m so happy for him and for Mom. Happy they’re getting this time. Happy we’re not losing him. But I guess I’m a little heartbroken, too, to know that they won’t be ten minutes away like they’ve always been.

“Guys, this is good news,” Dad reminds us all. And it is. But it’s also heartbreaking.

“Daddy,” Nattie finally breaks the silence as she lets go of the grip she has on Brady and moves to Dad. “We love you.”

“You kids are everything to us. And I can’t tell you all how grateful we are for the life we have and the family you’ve all given us,” Dad tells us as he pats Nat’s back.

“And we’ll be back all the time between adventures,” Mom adds. “But like your father said, we’re thinking about getting something easier to maintain. Smaller.”

She locks her eyes with mine. “Raising you has all been the greatest adventure of our lives. But like Dad said, the adventure isn’t over.”

I wrap an arm around Caitlin and pull her to me, trying to be happy for my parents while I’m also sad my kids won’t get the same experience with them my brothers and sisters’ kids got. But I know I need to be grateful they’ll have them at all. Not everyone is so lucky.

“So does this mean I’m stuck with Declan again next season too?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood. Because we knew going into this thing, the odds weren’t good, and no matter how sad it makes all of us to think of them not in Kroydon Hills, this was really great news tonight.

Best-case-scenario kind of news.

“Because seriously, I’ve invested well. Maybe I should just come with you guys,” I add, joking, and Caitlin kisses my cheek.

“We could raise the baby in Europe and teach her what real football is,” she says as she looks up at me adoringly, knowing exactly what I was doing.

Every man at the table groans, and Murphy throws his napkin. “Say it with me, Caitlin. Soc-cer. Soc-cer. It will never be real football.”

I look around the table and catch Dad smiling at the way I’m holding Cait’s hand and shake my head.

Yeah . . . Not everyone gets to be this lucky. But we are.

After dinner, I grab Coop and pull him aside. “Hey, man. You still good to go with me tomorrow?”

“Where you going?” Murphy asks as he walks around the corner with a drink in his hand and a curious look on his face.

“Keep it down, asshole. I’m picking out Caitlin’s engagement ring.” I look around to see if anyone else is about to surprise us. Thankfully, no one is.

“No shit,” Murph laughs and squeezes me in a big bear hug. “Look at you.”

“Shut up, Murph. She doesn’t know.” I shove him away as Declan joins us. And fuck. I know Murphy’s about to tell him.

“Dude, Callen’s gonna propose to Caitlin tomorrow.”

“What?” Declan asks, confused, and I shake my head.

“You’re a moron, brother. I’m getting the ring tomorrow, not proposing tomorrow. Way to keep your mouth shut,” I lecture Murphy, not at all surprised, before I fill the guys in on my plan.

“You’re going to ask Sam for his permission, right?” Declan pushes, and I know he’s right. I just haven’t been ready to think about it yet. “I know you don’t need it. I know she’s her own woman. But as a father of daughters to you, little brother, who’s about to have a daughter of his own, I’m telling you, it means something when they ask. You might hate him right now. Hell, she might hate him right now. But one day, it’ll be fixed, and he’ll still be her father. Ask.”

I guess when you put it that way, I don’t have much choice.

Especially when I realize I haven’t even met my daughter yet, and when her future husband asks, I’m telling him no.