The Prophecy
Page 66
The corners of my lips tipped up. “Yeah.”
Deacon lifted his gaze as the swaddled bundle started to wiggle around. “I think he wants his daddy.”
Smiling, I walked over to Deacon and bent, picking up my son. My son. Those two words never failed to rock me to my very core. I cradled his wiggling body to my chest, and he immediately settled. “I think he wants his mommy.”
“Can’t blame him for that,” Deacon teased as he leaned back against the couch. “How is Josie doing?”
“She’s doing perfect.”
And that was true. They’d only gotten to visit with her a little last night. When the whole labor thing started, I had to keep telling myself that Josie was going to be okay. That she had survived so many crazy things that labor was going to be breeze for her. The first real contraction though? I about passed the fuck out seeing how pale she got. Watching her go through the labor and not being able to do anything other than hold her hand hadn’t been easy. It actually scared the shit out of me.
And I wasn’t the one delivering a baby.
Josie was my hero.
Brushing my lips over the dusty blonde head of my son, I closed my eyes and mentally thanked every freaking deity there ever was for bestowing this gift upon me. When I opened my eyes, both men were watching me, their stares soft.
“I better get him up there to her,” I said, clearing my throat. “Help yourselves to whatever you want.”
“We plan to,” Deacon replied, and I rolled my eyes.
I started to turn.
“Seth?” Luke called out, and I faced him as I gently shifted my son in my arms. “I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but I just want to tell you that we love the name you picked. Apollo… he would approve.”
In that moment, my son opened his eyes. They weren’t the brilliant shade of blue like his mother’s and grandfather’s. They were the same color as mine. A tawny, amber color.
My son had my eyes.
“Yeah,” I said. “It is the perfect name. See you guys in a little bit.”
Leaving the room, I passed Basil in the hall as I made my way to the stairs. He bowed even though I shot him a look of warning against doing just that.
At this point I thought he was just doing that shit to get on my nerves.
“Let’s go see your mom, little man,” I said, climbing the steps. “She’s probably missing you.”
I got an incoherent baby gurgle in response, which made me grin. The little man was a happy baby so far. Well, until he was hungry. That was a different story.
As I entered the hallway, I saw Erin coming my way. Things were… better between us, as in she wasn’t trying to kill me, but we weren’t going to be best friends anytime soon.
“I was just about to start looking for you,” she said, stopping to curl her finger around a baby fist. “I think it’s almost feeding time.”
“Sounds about right.”
And that was about the extent of that conversation.
Like I said, things were getting better between Erin and I, but we were by no means friendly with one another.
Nodding at Erin, I made my way to the bedroom, opening the door without touching it. I immediately saw Josie.
She was sitting up, her fingers making quick work on the thick braid. Gods, she was beautiful. Just sitting there, her chin tipped down and her face marked with concentration, she was the most stunning person I’d ever seen.
Josie looked up and a smile raced across her face as she secured the braid. “Hey you.”
“Brought you something.”
“Is it my child?” she asked, wiggling her fingers at me.
“Maybe.” I sat beside her and carefully handed over our son to her. There was a pressure in my chest as I watched her entire face light up as she smoothed a hand over our son’s head.
“Is it just me or does he seem to already have more hair?” she asked, glancing over at me.
Planting my hand in the bed near her hip, I leaned in. “He does have a lot of hair. Seems to be growing faster than him.”
She laughed. “He’s going to have a little man bun before long.”
I shook my head, grinning as our son curled his hand around Josie’s finger. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.” She lifted his hand to her mouth, kissing those tiny fingers. There was a happy, little giggle that came from the crook of her arm. “Perfect, really. You know? I just… everything just feels perfect right now.”
It really did.
Leaning over, I kissed her cheek and then stayed there. “Deacon and Luke approve of his name.”
“I figured they would.” She turned her head toward mine, and kissed me. “I think Alex and Aiden will like it too.”
“They will.” I kissed her back and then pulled away just enough to see our son staring up at us, his gaze steady and sharp. The kid seemed to know exactly what we were talking about. “I want you to do me a favor, little man,” I said to him. “The first time Aiden holds you, I want you to take the biggest crap—”
“Seth,” Josie laughed. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”
I chuckled. “Your mom is a life-ruiner.”
“And your dad is going to be in a lot of trouble if he keeps it up,” she said, widening her eyes when our son let out another gurgle, as if he were responding. “Oh, yes he is.”
I kissed her cheek again and then I moved my hand close. Our son immediately reached for my fingers. He gripped both of our hands. “Leon,” I said, lifting my gaze to Josie’s. “Leon is the perfect name.”
Deacon lifted his gaze as the swaddled bundle started to wiggle around. “I think he wants his daddy.”
Smiling, I walked over to Deacon and bent, picking up my son. My son. Those two words never failed to rock me to my very core. I cradled his wiggling body to my chest, and he immediately settled. “I think he wants his mommy.”
“Can’t blame him for that,” Deacon teased as he leaned back against the couch. “How is Josie doing?”
“She’s doing perfect.”
And that was true. They’d only gotten to visit with her a little last night. When the whole labor thing started, I had to keep telling myself that Josie was going to be okay. That she had survived so many crazy things that labor was going to be breeze for her. The first real contraction though? I about passed the fuck out seeing how pale she got. Watching her go through the labor and not being able to do anything other than hold her hand hadn’t been easy. It actually scared the shit out of me.
And I wasn’t the one delivering a baby.
Josie was my hero.
Brushing my lips over the dusty blonde head of my son, I closed my eyes and mentally thanked every freaking deity there ever was for bestowing this gift upon me. When I opened my eyes, both men were watching me, their stares soft.
“I better get him up there to her,” I said, clearing my throat. “Help yourselves to whatever you want.”
“We plan to,” Deacon replied, and I rolled my eyes.
I started to turn.
“Seth?” Luke called out, and I faced him as I gently shifted my son in my arms. “I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but I just want to tell you that we love the name you picked. Apollo… he would approve.”
In that moment, my son opened his eyes. They weren’t the brilliant shade of blue like his mother’s and grandfather’s. They were the same color as mine. A tawny, amber color.
My son had my eyes.
“Yeah,” I said. “It is the perfect name. See you guys in a little bit.”
Leaving the room, I passed Basil in the hall as I made my way to the stairs. He bowed even though I shot him a look of warning against doing just that.
At this point I thought he was just doing that shit to get on my nerves.
“Let’s go see your mom, little man,” I said, climbing the steps. “She’s probably missing you.”
I got an incoherent baby gurgle in response, which made me grin. The little man was a happy baby so far. Well, until he was hungry. That was a different story.
As I entered the hallway, I saw Erin coming my way. Things were… better between us, as in she wasn’t trying to kill me, but we weren’t going to be best friends anytime soon.
“I was just about to start looking for you,” she said, stopping to curl her finger around a baby fist. “I think it’s almost feeding time.”
“Sounds about right.”
And that was about the extent of that conversation.
Like I said, things were getting better between Erin and I, but we were by no means friendly with one another.
Nodding at Erin, I made my way to the bedroom, opening the door without touching it. I immediately saw Josie.
She was sitting up, her fingers making quick work on the thick braid. Gods, she was beautiful. Just sitting there, her chin tipped down and her face marked with concentration, she was the most stunning person I’d ever seen.
Josie looked up and a smile raced across her face as she secured the braid. “Hey you.”
“Brought you something.”
“Is it my child?” she asked, wiggling her fingers at me.
“Maybe.” I sat beside her and carefully handed over our son to her. There was a pressure in my chest as I watched her entire face light up as she smoothed a hand over our son’s head.
“Is it just me or does he seem to already have more hair?” she asked, glancing over at me.
Planting my hand in the bed near her hip, I leaned in. “He does have a lot of hair. Seems to be growing faster than him.”
She laughed. “He’s going to have a little man bun before long.”
I shook my head, grinning as our son curled his hand around Josie’s finger. “How are you feeling?”
“Good.” She lifted his hand to her mouth, kissing those tiny fingers. There was a happy, little giggle that came from the crook of her arm. “Perfect, really. You know? I just… everything just feels perfect right now.”
It really did.
Leaning over, I kissed her cheek and then stayed there. “Deacon and Luke approve of his name.”
“I figured they would.” She turned her head toward mine, and kissed me. “I think Alex and Aiden will like it too.”
“They will.” I kissed her back and then pulled away just enough to see our son staring up at us, his gaze steady and sharp. The kid seemed to know exactly what we were talking about. “I want you to do me a favor, little man,” I said to him. “The first time Aiden holds you, I want you to take the biggest crap—”
“Seth,” Josie laughed. “Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”
I chuckled. “Your mom is a life-ruiner.”
“And your dad is going to be in a lot of trouble if he keeps it up,” she said, widening her eyes when our son let out another gurgle, as if he were responding. “Oh, yes he is.”
I kissed her cheek again and then I moved my hand close. Our son immediately reached for my fingers. He gripped both of our hands. “Leon,” I said, lifting my gaze to Josie’s. “Leon is the perfect name.”
