Chapter 106: Nolan

While Bryn takes care of Henry I Strat working on her food. I can’t help the smile on my face. Hearing Bryn tell me she loves me feels like I’ve just mastered an insanely difficult test. Like everything I've been working for has reached its epic end and I’ve won it all.

I can’t believe this is my life now, and I’ve never felt so honored. She’s too good for me and yet she still loves me.

My phone goes off on the island counter and I walk over to grab it while the waffle maker warms up. It's shiny and new like everything else in this kitchen, so it has that odd smell when you warm up a new metal appliance.

A message from Sawyer greets me when I unlock my phone. It’s a photo. I open the message and shake my head at a photo of Jaxon asleep in the back of the van. Half of his short beard is shaved and he’s wearing…lipstick? Seriously, it’s like living with kids around here.

Sawyer: Had a little time on our hands

He added with the picture.

Me: Too much time you mean? Where the hell are you guys?

Sawyer: At some run-down gas station in the middle of nowhere.

Me: Well hurry up, Bryn is going to start worrying soon.

Sawyer: Please, you’re loving having her to yourself don’t lie.

Me: You’re not wrong, but I don’t want her worrying either.

Sawyer: I know man. Just keep our girl happy until I can take your place.

Me: Fuck off.

Sawyer: Damn man, we’ve rubbed off on you.

Me: (middle finger emoji)

Sawyer: lol chill bro. We should be there by tomorrow. How’s our boy?

I hear footsteps on the stairs and I lift my head at the sound to find my girl coming down with Henry against her chest.

Me: Good. Slept like a champ on the way here.

I lift my phone and take a quick photo of Bryn and Henry when she looks up at me and smiles. Perfect. I send him the photo as Bryn walks onto my side of the island and I reach out for her. She walks into my arms and leans into my chest and I wrap an arm around her the best I can with a chubby baby in her arms. Henry makes a sound and blinks up at me. He looks too much like Sawyer which makes me want to punch the guy for having a baby first with our girl.

“He’s wide awake now,” Bryn says with a chuckle. “I guess we’re done unpacking now.”

Henry bobs his head in an odd way, which is normal for babies his age. He’s trying to keep his head up and that’s a good sign. He’s smart. I reach around Bryn and brush a hand over his tiny head messing up the small tuff of hair.

“Stop!” Bryn whines patting my hand away. “Now he looks like he stuck a finger in the power socket!”

I chuckle. “He’s a baby. Who is he trying to impress?”

“You never know. He might meet his baby true love while we’re walking on the beach.” She muses.

“His baby's true love? Sorry love, you might have a way of making everyone fall in love with you at first sight but I’m not sure a baby can wield that kind of power just yet.” I tease her.

“You guys are ridiculous.” She shakes her head. “I didn’t do anything to make you guys want me.”

I kiss her on the head. “You didn’t have to love. It was you, only you.”

She drops her head on my chest and we stand there in comfortable silence looking at Henry.

“I hate how much he looks like Sawyer. We need to get you pregnant soon.” I say.

“Yeah, so you’ve all been saying. We are barely parents and you guys are ready for a whole soccer team. Don’t you want some time when I’m not the size of a whale? I wasn’t exactly sexy with that big belly.” She grumbles.

“Like hell you weren’t. You managed to real in three men while carrying this guy around inside you. Do you think we didn’t find you sexy? You’re crazy if you think that.” I step away from her as she sighs.

“You guys are sweet for saying that but I didn’t feel very sexy. Horny…yes, but I often thought about why you guys would want to have sex with me.”

I stop pouring ingredients into the bowl I took out and turn around to face her. She’s brushing Henry’s hair back down and she has a content smile on her face. Her eyes are soft as she looks at him like she’s never loved anything as much as him. Like he’s the world to her. It makes her the most beautiful woman I know because she looks at all of us the same way. She loves openly and without regret.

“Stop doing that love. You’re insanely beautiful all of the time even when you were pregnant. Do you think we would all be talking about getting you pregnant again if we didn’t like seeing you that way?”

She nods. “I know, but I always want to feel like myself again for a while. I want time with Henry before I have to split it with another little one.”

The look she gives me makes me feel like an asshole. “I get that. There’s no rush. Even if you never want to have kids again we would be fine with it. It’s stupid guy shit that makes us complain about our only kid looking like Sawyer. We all love him like he’s our own.”

She gives me a soft smile. “I know. I just want to make you all happy.”

This is an ongoing fight with her. “You do. Stop worrying so much about everyone’s feelings. If you want to look sexy again in the way that makes you happy then fine. We’ll love seeing our girl feeling confident.”

“Thank you. Now, about those waffles…”

I smile. “They’ll be done in a flash. Go sit and I’ll bring them over in a minute.”

She nods and walks into the living room. I hear her cooing to Henry and smile to myself. God I love her, and seeing her as a mom only elevates that feeling higher every day. She has a heart of gold and sass to whip a grown man's wife her size into shape. Fuck, she’s amazing.

It takes me about thirty minutes before I have a plate of waffles for both of us ready to go. When I walk into the living room I notice the news on, and I freeze when I see all of us on the screen.

Shit.

“Rising star hockey players Sawyer Beckett and Maddox Levine are headed for California! It seems no amount of scandals can keep them from their success. But how long will their unique lifestyle not affect their careers?” One of the anchor women asks.

“Honestly Jill I can’t say I’m familiar with these players since I don’t follow sport much. Explain the situation to me a little.” The other woman next to her says.

“Well, Sawyer Beckett was a rising hockey star almost two years ago before an injury to his leg had him out of the game. He fought his way back and never stopped which gave him the reputation of being a hot head. He was traded to another college where he met his old childhood flame, a miss Bryn Raven.” One of Bryn’s photos pops up.

“She’s pretty that’s for sure.” The other woman says.

“Indeed she is and it didn’t take long for Sawyer to fall for her. Not soon after arriving they took off for a trip home and came back married. A few weeks later they traveled for an away game and Maddox Levine was grabbed up by this beauty too. That’s right, she had snagged the heart of two talented players.” The first lady sounds impressed at least. “But it doesn’t end there.”

Another picture appears of Bryn and Jaxon out together, and then one of her and me eating lunch together. In both photos, she’s being kissed by us. Photo after photo flashes on the screen of her and all of us at various times.

“And is that a baby bump I see?” The second woman asks.

“Mhm. Four guys and a baby. She sure does have her hands full.” The first lady says and they both chuckle. “What does she have that we don’t?”

There is some more back-and-forth banter but I can’t take it anymore. I walk around the couch and set our food down before grabbing the remote and changing the channel. When I flip through the channels and find a movie Bryn likes I set the remote down and hand her the waffles I made.

“Why’d you do that?” She asks, her voice soft and subdued.

“Because I don’t want you listening to that.”

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen or heard of before.” She points out. “It’s going to become even more popular now that Sawyer and Maddox are in the NHL.”

“Forget them. They just need something to talk about, but nothing they say means shit to us. Right?” I give her a pointed look.

“Right.” She says but it’s far from convincing.

When was this all going to be old news?