“‘Cause I’ll come home and you’d probably be fuckin’ some bitch on my couch while she’s having a nap.” I laugh as I see his eyes glaze over.

“Fuck off.” He shakes his head, clearing whatever was running through his mind. “Laugh all you like, but one day you will need me, and I’ll fucking remember this.”

“Don’t hold your breath, Uncle Jesse.” I shake my head, walking to the bar to get one of Harlow’s bottles. “Don’t forget, dinner next Saturday night, seven. Don’t be late,” I remind them without a backward glance as I head out to my truck.

After buckling Low in, we drive out of the compound with Sy following. Five minutes later, we pull onto Main Street, a few blocks away from the spa the girls spent the afternoon.

“You okay, bud?” I ask Z when I realize how quiet he’s been on the drive over.

“I’m good, Dad.” He looks up and gives me a grin, and I relax. After all the shit with his mom and the stress over Kadence, I’ve been worried. But with the help of Kadence’s parents and Red, we’ve been able to keep him feeling all the love around him.

“Thanks for helping me out today with Low.”

“Not that I did anything, anyway. Jesse and Beau just hog her the whole time,” he complains, and I chuckle at how true that is. The kid is pissed that he has to share his sister. But he’s right. Jesse and Beau are taken with her. If Sy let anyone touch X, they could share, but that fucker has a lock on him that no one is touching. Except when Holly is around to tell him to pull his head out of his ass.

“Get used to it, bud. She is kind of cute.” I smile as we pull up at the spa where the girls are waiting out front. Once we come to a complete stop, Z jumps out of the front seat as Kadence waves goodbye to Holly and walks to the passenger side.

“Hey, Mom.” Z throws his arms around Kadence.

“Hey, bud. How are you?” She kisses the top of his head as she looks up at me and smiles, one of her fucking amazing smiles. Z started calling her mom around the time things got heavy. He never asked and we’ve never talked about it. I’ve given him plenty of opportunities to open about it, but he won’t. It’s something we will keep an eye on, but at this point, we aren’t concerned. He seems grounded, happy.

“Did you have a good time?” Z asks, letting go and moving to the back seat. Kadence holds the door open for Z, before leaning in and kissing Low on the forehead.

“Hey, Low baby,” she whispers before closing the door and moving back to the front. I keep my eyes trained on her waiting for her answer.

“Yeah, we did.” She smiles and climbs up into the truck.

“Did you guys have fun?”

“Jesse and Beau hogged Low.” Z tattles on his uncles, pulling a laugh from Kadence. The sound causes me to close my eyes and savor the joy in it.

“You know your sister has them wrapped around her little finger.” She reminds him of what I’ve already said.

“Yeah, yeah. But she’s my sister.” He reaches over and touches her head. Harlow giggles at the contact from her brother.

“How was your day, baby?” she asks, but instead of answering, I lean over and wait for her to lean in the rest of the way and give me her lips.

She gets the hint, her lips finding mine in a light kiss. Before I can take the kiss deeper, Z interrupts. “Ewww, get a room,” he complains, halting our kiss.

Kadence smiles against me, but I’m not about to let my eleven-year-old tell me what to do.

“Later,” Kadence whispers when I don’t move and my brows find my hairline.

“Yeah?” I ask as she sits back and buckles herself in. She looks up, a small blush finding her cheeks. If she’s saying what I think she is saying, then my straining cock is in for a fucking good surprise tonight. Last time I touched Kadence, hell, saw her fucking naked was when she was pregnant with Low. I close my eyes and try to keep my raging emotions in check.

“Let’s go, Dad. Come on,” Z says from the back seat, oblivious to what is happening in the front.

“Day was good. You have a good day with Holly?” I ignore Z and put the truck in reverse.

“I did, thank you, baby.” She rests her head back, moaning slightly. The sound going straight to my dick, excited at being woken from its hibernation. It’s been a long time, and hearing that sound come from her lips does things to my cock that I have no idea how to contain. It’s something Kadence and I need to talk about, just not right now. So instead of feeding her some line about her being relaxed and what her moan does to me, I take my family home, ready for an early night.

***

“She okay?” I look up from the TV when Kadence comes in from putting Harlow down later that night.

“Yeah, she’s asleep. Hopefully settled for the night.” She climbs into bed, pulling the blanket up to her waist.

I flick the show off, and roll over to face her.

“You okay?” I ask, needing to know where she’s at. She doesn’t like it when I ask too many times, so I check in with her at least once a week. Something that I won’t budge on. Even if she gives me attitude about it.

“I’m okay. Doing really good.” She smiles and I don’t doubt her for one second. I can see the truth reflected in her eyes.

“I love you.” I pull her closer to me.

“I love you, too.”

“I’ve missed you.” I move my lips down to hers and pray she doesn’t tense—something that has been a normal occurrence these last few months. She sinks into me and my body lets out a soft sigh. I move my lips from her mouth, slowly working down her neck.

“Hmm,” she murmurs as I lightly nip at her throat. Inside, I’m high fiving myself.  My cock strains in my boxers, standing to attention, ready for some affection. My hand moves to her stomach, finding an exposed piece of skin between her pajama top and bottoms. Her head rolls to the side as my mouth sucks a little harder. Fuck, this is what my body has been craving for so fucking long. Slowly, I slide my hand up her side, lost in the softness of her skin. It’s been too fuckin’ long, I hate that I can’t remember the feel of her tits in my hands. My thumb grazes the swell of her breast, but at my touch, she tenses.

“Is this okay?” My head comes up, praying she doesn’t pull away.

“Yeah, I think so.” She nods carefully, giving me the go-ahead. My heart is racing and my hands are shaking. I feel like a teenager, eager and fumbling. My hand moves back to her breast and on contact, she tenses again. Only this time my confidence takes a blow.

“I’m sorry. Don’t stop.” She sighs when I move off her.

“You’re not ready.” I try to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but I know I fail.

“I am. I want to so badly. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She shakes her head and I feel her frustration; my cock feels her frustration.

“I know things have been all over the place, Kadence, but I don’t want to push you. I miss you, and as much as I need to sink my cock inside you, I’m not gonna do it while you tense at my touch.”

“I miss you, too.” She sits up beside me. “I’m just nervous.”

“You don’t need to be nervous, baby. You have nothing to be worried about.”

“That’s okay for you to say, Nix. Your body hasn’t changed. I’m not the same person I was before Low and neither is my body.”

“No, Kadence. You’re not. And I wouldn’t expect you to be the same person after our year. But do you think that bothers me?”

“Come on, Nix. Don’t tell me you enjoy this Kadence? The one afraid of fucking up, of failing again.” She pulls the blankets up and I know I’ve lost her tonight.

“I’m not going to lie. Not being able to touch you, be with you, has been fuckin’ hard. I’m horny as fuck, but this is all about you. I’m followin’ your lead, baby. You tell me what you need. I’ll give it to you. I’ll be there for you.”

She looks apprehensive, as if the thought of being truthful will only make the situation worse.