Baewatch - Xavier Neal Page 0,72
hope he’s right.
The four of us take another step away from a, seemingly, empty bedroom when there’s a faint floor cracking sound from somewhere behind us.
Harrison whips his head around, lowers to a squat, and checks underneath the door. A puzzled hum out of him is followed by the light pushing of the door. When resistance is met, he shouts, “He’s in here!”
Ax darts from behind the door with his hands behind his back pretending it’s his turkey’s tail and starts gobbling around the room as if he’s the wild animal. His niece and nephew squeal in joy that they found him while his brother gains an impish grin. Harrison charges into the room like a linebacker on a mission and dive tackles his brother onto the bed. My boyfriend gets caught mid gobble and is knocked completely backwards. I cover my mouth in shock at the same time Harrison encourages his kids to tackle the “turkey”, too. The turkey that he has his extended arm wedged to the throat of. They stampede into the room to jump on Ax. They wiggle their fingers near his ribcage and armpits. He pretends their actions are all too much and that he just can’t take it, which is an adorable dramatization. I grin on in admiration at how much not only they love him but at how much he loves them.
He’s going to make an amazing dad to our kids someday.
And, I know they’ll be our kids.
Even if I have to wait another couple of years to have them.
“Alright,” my body leans against the doorframe, “let’s set the turkey free into the wild like we agreed.”
Ax’s older brother tightens his arm hold. “He’s gotta tap out first.”
“Harrison.”
The scolding tone successfully unleashes my boyfriend who enjoys a large gasp of air. He sits up, shoots me a look of gratitude, and gives his neck a soothing rub.
I get the feeling he could’ve gotten out of that but maybe didn’t want to hurt his brother’s pride in front of his children.
“Go on,” I softly encourage to the kids. “Push the turkey past me into the wild.”
Ax stands to his feet only to be immediately assisted out of the room by the butt from the pair. He crosses the threshold and leans over to plant a warm kiss on my lips. Fighting the instinct to deepen the kiss grows difficult when a soft groan is given.
Before things can get too hot and heavy, he pulls back and proclaims to all of us. “Tadah! True love’s kiss turned me back into a prince!”
Harrison’s sneer is instant. “Prince?”
“They’re two and three, bro,” Ax chastises between chuckles. “Easy to relate to.”
“Can’t teach them rules of hunting and killing wild birds, but monarchy is totally on the table?”
“Anty Book,” Autumn thankfully interrupts. “I want pincess Elsa baid like you!” Her tiny pale arms extend upwards for me to pick her up. “Pwease?”
I tuck a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “Of course!”
“We actually have to get ready for dinner with the Brewers,” Harrison announces as he loosens his tie. “Do you mind making it look…acceptable for that?”
The question furrows my brow in confusion yet clearly rubs his brother the wrong way. “What would be ‘unacceptable’, Harrison?”
“I don’t know,” he grumbles out on a shrug. “If it looked like Olaf had done her hair instead of a human being who has real hands to work with instead of sticks?”
“Not a problem.” Autumn’s head hits my chest in tandem with my inquiry, “You sure April won’t mind?”
His response is presented in stunningly sarcastic tone. “It’s cute you’d think she’d notice.”
“Margret!” April abruptly shouts from somewhere else in the house. “Margret! My glass is empty!”
Harrison presents me an arrogant smirk that’s proceeded by Ax suggesting something to his nephew. “What do you say we go mess up your dad’s ties while your sister gets her hair fixed?”
“Yeahhhh!” Harris exclaims, rushing out of the room.
The objection on Harrison’s face is immediate. “Wait, what?!”
Ax playfully waggles his eyebrows and runs after his nephew.
Aggravated sounds spring from Harrison during his pursuit of the pair prompting me to smile even more.
I love that I’m always smiling when it comes to Ax. There isn’t a day that goes by that he doesn’t get to that self-set sailing destination. Even on ones where we’ve been arguing about Rina or the suspiciously sticky bowls he leaves in the sink, he does something to get me grinning as though the action gives him the air he needs to