Always (Family Justice Book 1) (14 page)

THE GANG WAS ALL IN place by the time Alex and Meghan wandered, hand-in-hand, out to the enclosed patio where cocktails and trays of munchies had been laid out. Actually, Alex amended, not quite everyone. Calder was missing, as was Drae. He wondered briefly where the fuck those two were as shouts of greeting filled the air.

The minute his well-loved fiancée spied baby Dylan being passed around like a hot potato from female to female, she dropped his hand and got pulled in that direction like metal to a magnet. He couldn’t help the smirk or the way his eyes drank in the sight of his beautiful Meghan swooping in to get her share of baby-loving. Poor Dylan. He wondered what it was like for the infant who was being pressed to one set of boobs after another. No wonder men didn’t stand a chance when they got older where breasts were concerned.

Catching Cam’s eye, he crooked a half grin and ambled over to where the guys were standing. Grabbing an ice-cold beer along the way, he drank half of it in one slug then chuckled. Nodding toward the women he quipped, “Your son looks happy as a pig in shit.”

Cam laughed good-naturedly and smirked at him. “As do you, Major.”

Choosing to ignore the well-placed comment alluding to the obvious fact that he’d just made crazy passionate love to his fiancée, he went with, “Lacey’s a fabulous mother, dude.”

Hearing the deep rumbling chuckle from the man beside him, it still made Alex marvel whenever Cam smiled and laughed. Finding his true love, marrying her, and starting a family had certainly changed the former brooding loner’s life.

“Damn right, she is. The woman was made for the role, and let me tell you something, Dad—there’s nothing in the world that compares to having a happy, fulfilled woman in the house.”

“Or the bed,” Alex smirked.

“Something you’re obviously discovering all on your own, I should add. Meghan looks great. A far cry from the wasted, wretched, unhappy woman we found in Boston. Good job,” Cam added with a jovial elbow nudge.

“Hey, Boss,” Brody wisecracked when he ambled closer to him and Cam. “How’s it feel to be retired?”

“Shit, Jensen,” Alex barked. “I am not retired! Just taking a step back is all.”

The good-looking canine master sniggered at Alex’s reaction—not that he blamed him. Until Meghan had burst into his life, he’d been all about the agency, twenty-four seven. But now that he was settling down, things had changed. The agency was still important to him, but Cam had more or less hit the nail on the head when he mentioned how they’d found Meghan after invading Boston and worked diligently to bring her home where she belonged.

Alex knew he’d done a number on her when he’d pushed her away, but seeing how she’d suffered during the weeks they’d been apart had been a slap upside the head for him. Never again would he be foolish enough to not put his woman’s needs before his own tired crap. She was his everything.

When he’d made the decision to ask Calder to come to Arizona and handle the day-to-day agency stuff, it was the smartest thing he could have done. Freeing his time, he’d been able to focus on his fiancée and the life they were creating—even though he knew his actions had probably shaken up the troops under him.

“You’re due to head out of here soon, aren’t you?” Alex asked.

Brody took a slow pull on his beer and hesitated a good long time before he answered. What in the hell was that all about, Alex wondered.

“Yeah. Probably the first week of December. I’d like to wait until the St. John baby arrives. But if I do, I’ll have to fly home instead of ride the bike, and I’m not sure that’s what I wanna do.”

Alex nodded thoughtfully. “Cross-country trip clears the head, huh?”

“
Humph
. Something like that.”

Okay. Something was definitely up with the guy. “You do know we can have the bike shipped to you if that’s how things go down, right? You’re family, man,” Alex added with a hand on Brody’s shoulder. “I know Drae and Tori would like you to be here when the time comes.”

“Not only that,” Cam added, “but Dylan will miss you, too. Don’t mind telling you that it comes as something of a surprise to discover that of all the guys around here, you were the one with mad baby skills.”

Jensen laughed—a brief smile lighting up his face before a shadow obscured it. “Dogs, kids—pretty much the same thing.”

Turning to face Alex, he murmured, “Um, Major—maybe if you have some time we could talk soon.”

Alex knew his face registered surprise, so he quickly covered with a half shrug. He was picking up a strange vibe from the man that was curious to say the least. “Sure thing. Anytime, Brody. Just come on up to the house and I’ll make time, okay?”

“Thanks, Boss. Uh, I see Gus getting that frantic look on his face. Better go figure out what crawled up his shorts.” Chuckling, he told Alex and Cam with a conspiratorial grin, “I do believe Carmen has the old fucker dancing to her tune these days.”

The three of them bellowed some hearty laughs, smacked each other on the back then drifted apart—Alex in Meghan’s direction while Cam fake punched Ben in the gut and challenged him to a game of chess. Typical Justice Family banter.

On his way to Meghan’s side, Betty motioned him to where she and Ria were sitting. He seriously loved the older woman who so deftly handled all the business affairs for the agency. Betty was a gift from heaven and Alex wasn’t sure what he’d do without her. She was part grandmother to them all, part paper pushing drill sergeant.

Ria was scribbling something on a sheet of paper and grinning like a loon.
Oh great. A list
. Women and lists always meant a headache. She’d been working just part-time the last month after he, Cam, and Drae had given in and allowed her to hire full-time helpers in the cookhouse. With more and more groups using the agency compound for a training facility, it had gotten to be too much for her to handle feeding the army of folks, who were always on hand, by herself. She’d agreed, however, to keep on managing the cooking duties and kitchens for the Justice core group, but she’d had enough when it came to the crowds of others.

“What’s up, ladies?” he asked, pulling out a chair and plopping down. “You’re up to something—I can tell.”

“Of course, we are, big guy,” Betty chirped happily. “Two somethings as it happens!”

Groaning and shaking his head, Alex pretended to be long suffering. “Okay. Give it to me one at a time.”

Pushing the piece of paper at him, Ria pointed at what was most definitely a
long
list. “We want to have a bridal shower for Meghan and were wondering if you’d look over the plans we’ve already made. Carmen and Betty thought it’d be cute if we used a lottery theme considering that your fiancée made more money in one day than all you guys will make in a lifetime. It’ll be just ladies, of course, and we’re hoping to get Meghan’s mom and sister-in-law to come from Boston.”

A bridal shower? Sounded good to him.
Bitches like romance
. He’d come to love that off-color expression. Wasn’t an over-the-top bridal shower part of that?

Betty chimed in then. “We’ll wait till after the holidays so Tori has a chance to get back on her feet after the baby, but these things take time to plan so we’re getting started now. Any objections?”

“Fuck, no!” he chuckled. “Plan away, ladies, and whatever is on this list is fine with me. Do whatever you have to. Betty, you’ve got full authorization to spend whatever you need. I take it this will be a surprise?”

“We hope so and that’s where we need your help. I know it’s asking a lot but would it be possible to send the agency plane to Boston when the time comes? Will make getting her mom and sister-in-law here a lot easier. And if that’s okay, then we can ask Maggie O’Brien to bring along a couple of Meghan’s closest friends.”

As usual, Betty had all the bases covered.

“Instead of plane tickets, we’ll make mock lottery tickets for everyone. It’ll be awfully cute. I know you probably have no idea what we’re talking about, but at most bridal showers the ladies play games—we were thinking about having one of those big wheels you spin…” She chuckled and shook her head. “Your eyes are glazing over Major Marquez! Too much detail?”

“Huh? What? Were you still talking?” he joked.

“Okay, okay—I get the picture,” she smirked. “Do whatever we want, right?”

“Exactly. And yes, of course, to the plane. Now, I think you said there were two things. What’s the other?”

He watched while Ria and his intrepid office manager exchanged looks.

“Tori was robbed,” Ria drawled with a scowl.

“Excuse me?” he barked. “Robbed? What the fuck does that mean? This is a secure compound. I’ll murder anyone who…”

“Ria!” Betty snapped. “Jesus. Remember who you’re talking to.” Shaking her head and glaring at Ria with a stern expression, she put her hand on his arm to calm him down. “Bad choice of words, Alex. Sorry. She didn’t mean ‘robbed’ in the usual sense. What we mean to say,” she quietly said, “is that Victoria never got any of the fuss and bother that Meghan will. No bridal shower—hell, she didn’t even have an actual wedding. So, yeah—in a sense she was robbed.”

“Oh,” he growled suddenly remembering Stephanie’s jibe about her daughter’s lack of a wedding ring.
Shit.
They were right. He hadn’t seen it that way until just now. Meghan was planning a goddamn cathedral wedding with all the bells and whistles. Even sweet, unassuming Lacey had been fêted with a beautiful wedding celebration—something Tori would remember.

In lieu of the baby shower, since Lacey didn’t have any relatives, nor did Cam—the indulgent husband he had sent the ladies into Sedona for an all-expenses paid weekend at a spa. Only Meghan had missed out on the occasion since it occurred during the time she and Alex had been separated. Little Tori hadn’t had any of the usual fuss a bride or mommy-to-be enjoyed. Damn.

“I’m listening,” he told them with a slight frown. Fuck, man. He hoped they had a good plan because he was suddenly feeling guilty as shit that his trusted assistant and wife of his brother had missed out on so much.

Betty nodded, seemingly satisfied with his reaction. “Draegyn St. John is a horse’s ass,” she mumbled. “That little lady has had a helluva time being pregnant. He should be down on his knees every minute of the day thanking his lucky stars that Victoria is willing to put up with his clueless bullshit.”

He couldn’t agree more, but his sense of absolute loyalty to the man being subjected to the harsh assessment of a pissed off brigade of women compelled Alex to support his friend and brother.

“Now, now ladies. A horse’s ass he may be, but he fucking adores Tori. Just because Drae has zero experience when it comes to all this female shit doesn’t mean he’s a dick. Obviously, you think we need to do something, and I quite agree. It’s gotta be hard watching Meghan plan the wedding of the year during what’s been a tough time for Tori physically.”

“Glad you’re on board,” Ria answered.

“Always,” he quickly assured them. “So give me the four-one-one.”

ALEX’S HEAD WAS SPINNING AFTER his conversation with Betty and Ria.
Man.
Those two were good. And Carmen, too. The plan the three had come up with was nothing short of perfect. Folding the sheet of paper they’d left him with and slipping it into the pocket of his slacks, he finished off the beer in front of him but didn’t immediately rise.

Bridal shower for Meghan and a surprise party for Tori. Lots to take in. Two soft arms came at him from behind, sliding over his shoulders and quickly stroking his chest before crossing under his chin.
Meghan
. God, she smelled good. When she pressed her voluptuous tits into his back, he shuddered.

“Everything okay?” she murmured close to his ear. “You look so serious, my love.”

Alex reached for her hands where they rested on his chest. Fingering the beautiful pink and white engagement ring he’d given her, he was overcome with emotion at how damn blessed his life was. Yeah, everything was great.

Tilting his head back into the pillow of her breasts, he smiled up into the eyes he planned to get lost in for the rest of his life.

“I love you,” he told her. He very much liked the way she smiled at his simple declaration.

“Come give kisses to your nephew,” she whispered as she pulled on his neck to make him stand.

Goddamn but he loved this woman with all his being. She always knew what he needed. Rising, he wrapped an arm possessively around her waist and kissed her briefly on the lips. As they walked arm in arm over to where Lacey was holding court, he saw Cam watching his wife from the other side of the terrace. They were a lot alike it seemed, because the man rarely, if ever, took his eyes off his woman or infant son. Cam flashed him a surreptitious thumbs-up then went back to what he’d been doing.

“Where’s that beautiful nephew of mine?” he gleefully boomed, drawing Dylan’s attention and a huge smile from his mama.

Swooping in to grab the baby from Lacey’s grasp, he smooched the boy loudly on his bald head and cradled him to his chest while Meghan stood by and beamed.

“That’s a good look for you, Alex,” he heard Tori drawl with a giggle.

“Agreed,” Stephanie chimed in. “There’s nothing quite as appealing as seeing a big man cuddling a small baby.”