Undefeated (Unexpected Book 5) (36 page)

I raise my eyebrows, staring at him with admiration.

He smiles, kisses my hand and then my cheek. “Everything will work out, but I need you to have faith. About Harper’s little issue, I’m sorry. Maybe Thea can help me think of a way to explain my past to the kids in a positive way.” My breath hitches when his hand caresses my face.

“It’s time for me to go, but I’ll see you soon.”

“T
oo fucking early,” I grumble closing my eyes. “Thank fuck we flew and thank you for this coffee. That crap your dad prepared me earlier was decaf. Shit, that’s what I drank. This is why you’re my favorite. I love you, sweetheart.”

“You’re welcome, Papi. Just don’t tell Dad,” AJ responds. “He’ll have a conniption. Do you think you’ll be ready to face the children?”

“Have I ever had trouble facing my grandchildren?” I open my eyes and give her a stern look, feigning insult. “No. I’m a professional when it comes to handling kids. Your children adore me—they like me more than they like Arthur.”

She laughs, shaking her head.

“We agreed that there wouldn’t be any sort of competition, Christian,” Thea calls out from the front seat. “Everyone get ready. Remember first impressions matter. We don’t high five the seven-year-old girl for punching a boy’s face, Chris.”

I laugh for the last time, before I have to gather my shit and be a responsible adult. AJ smirks at me. We both are proud of Harper for standing up for Porter. “Yes, Doc, I’ll behave like a responsible adult. Now let’s meet my new grandchildren.”

“Please don’t scare her, Pops,” Porter warns me. “Mac isn’t there just yet, so don’t introduce yourself as their grandfather.”

I pat his back. “Don’t worry, kid. I have this.”

Calling me Pops is one of the big steps between us. He’s working hard to show how much he has changed. I’ve seen my sons tempt him with beers, but he doesn’t even look at them. Porter fights daily against his demons and he has no problem calling Gabe or me in the middle of the night if he’s having a bad dream. Not like when he first moved in with us, when he tried to show that he was strong and could do everything by himself. Maybe if we had looked into it closer, shit wouldn’t have happened.

But the past is there for us to learn from. He is working hard not only to show the family that he has changed, but also that he wants to be one of us. Gabe and Porter are working on their relationship too. My boys are watchful, but they changed their attitude the moment AJ welcomed Porter into the family. Our family is almost complete; he just has to find his happy ending.

“Porter!” a small girl flies out of the house in front of us, jumping into his arms. “You came back. Are we going back with you? Do you have a big house where all my dollies can live?”

“Harp, meet part of my family.” He moves closer to us. “This is Pops, one of my fathers—”

“Harper Elise Brooke, come back here or I swear you’ll be in time-out for the rest of your natural life.”

“She’s at it again,” Harper sighs, resting her head on Porter’s shoulder as she hugs his neck tightly.

“What happened, Harp?”

“Mom called the school to tell them that Finn wouldn’t be there today. Then, the principal of my school phoned her about . . . she told her that I called a boy names. They claim I’m terrorizing the school.”

Thea shakes her head, biting her lip. AJ drops her eyes and shakes in laughter but she’s silent enough not to drag attention to herself. Harper is adorable and funny.

“Great, I’ll have to schedule your death sentence for later, as we have company.” My attention is drawn to the front door again, where a woman who looks a lot like Harper appears, wearing a frown. “Put her down, Porter Kendrick, or you’ll be the next one.” She fights the smirk back when their eyes connect. “She’s in so much trouble.”

“Chris Decker.” I extend my hand. “You must be the lovely Mackenzie. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“AJ Decker-Bradley,” AJ introduces herself, waving at the little boy peeking out from the door. “This is my sister-in-law. Thea.”

“Sorry, I thought you’d be here later.” Her voice softens and she tries to fix her hair with both hands. “Please come inside, sorry for the mess. It’s been a chaotic morning.”

“Chaos?” I laugh because she hasn’t been by my house when there are four babies and a toddler. That’s pandemonium, which I love. The little boy with amber eyes hides behind the couch, holding a small guitar and glancing at everyone. “He’s your boy?”

“Yes, that’s Finn,” she confirms.

“Good morning, Finn,” Porter calls out to him and the little boy runs toward him. With ease, he scoops up both kids, who are squeezing him hard. “I missed you too, sport.”

Thea tilts her head slightly toward Mackenzie, who stares at the picture perfect family in front of her. She pulls on her sweatshirt sleeve and bites on it. We discussed Mackenzie during the week, as we searched for a family counselor around the area for her and the children. Porter is weary about taking this step, because I explained to him maybe once she’s past the emotional vacuum, she might not want to be with him. I hope that’s not the case, because I can see and feel the love he has for them.

“Well there’s nothing like the present, let’s get started.” Porter sits the children down. “Finn, I’m going to introduce you to my friends. They’re here to play with us, would you like that?” Finn nods.

F
rom the couch, I watch Thea and AJ playing with Finn. They’ve been doing that for the past couple of hours. From puzzles, to board games and flash cards they’ve been keeping him busy while asking him questions and directing some to me. Porter and Chris have been spending time teaching Harper music.

“There aren’t any delays,” AJ informs me, sitting next to me. “If you can forward the hearing study, I can combine that with what I have for today. Would you agree to come to Seattle for a few days?”

“Seattle?”

“I run an academy,” she explains. “I also have a therapy consult. My entire team can work with him for a couple of days and come up with a plan to find his voice. Thea believes that it can be a combination of several factors. Grief, change, loss. Did you guys visit a counselor after your husband died?”

I shake my head. “Once, but the doctor wanted me to talk and I . . . I’ve met with one a couple of times after Christmas. But without my aunt in town it’s been hard to keep up with the appointments. I guess I have handled everything the wrong way?”

Is there a wrong or right way to handle loss?

She pats my hand. “Understandable. Losing a loved one sucks. Some stuff happened to me and I handled it by behaving bat-shit crazy, or that’s how my brothers described it.” I try not to laugh, but when she does, I join in. “We can suggest many things for you and your family, but we’re not here to impose anything.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because that’s what we do for our family,” she answers, looking up at Porter who is setting Harper’s fingers on the chords. “Porter cares for you; he loves your kids and worries about Finn.”

Porter stands up, setting the guitar on the pedestal and walking to where I sit. “Mac, will you be okay if I take the kids to the park with Pops?”

“Harper is grounded.”

“Just a few minutes, so she can burn off some of that energy inside her,” Chris adds. “I promise not to let her have too much fun.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

It takes me longer to say the sentence than for them to get ready and leave the house.

“Have you ever gone to a grief counselor?” Thea asks from where she sits, piling the toys and putting them on the boxes they brought.

I let out a big breath. “I’ve gone a couple of times, but with my aunt of town, and the cost,” I repeat what I told AJ, adding the second problem I have with the therapies. Fitting the fee into the budget is hard.

Thea stands from the chair she’s been sitting on and hands me a folder. “There’s a list of counselors who will work pro bono. Call them; find the right fit for each one of you.” She takes a seat next to me. “I think you’re doing great, but there’s nothing wrong with asking or accepting help from others. My card is inside the folder, next to AJ’s. Pria, our other sister would love to meet you and help. No matter what you decide, we’re a phone call away.”

“Even if I choose not to be with Porter?”