Justice Falling (30 page)

Hank stopped me as he was heading out the door. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did.” I put my fingers against the dewy hair of Hannah’s head. She snuffled towards her Dad’s chest rooting around.

“You’re welcome.” I laughed, watching the little face, mouth opening and closing against her Dad’s chest. “You better get her to her mother. She’s a hungry girl. Check in with the office when you have a chance. I’ll text you anything crucial, but I think we can hold down the fort for a while.”

Hank nodded and left. Two arms circled my waist and tugged me back into a hard wall of muscle. “Precious, are you ready to go home? You look dead on your feet.” I closed my eyes and let his words rumble through my taxed brain.

I nodded. “How’s Tanner?” I leaned against his chest. The labor and delivery reminded me of my own experience having Tanner. I missed my little man.

“Enjoying his time with Jin and Zach. They’ll keep him again tonight so you can rest. Come, my love. I need to get you to bed.”

We started to leave, but were stopped by a heavy hand on my shoulder. I turned and stared into the green eyes of my brother. I took a deep breath and looked at the ground. My shoes the most interesting things ever.

“We have to talk.” Tripp said. “I know this is weird. It’s beyond strange for me, but Nate updated me on the investigation he had done into your family.” Tripp shoved his hands into his pockets and looked around the room. Anywhere but at me. My heart thudded in my chest.

“Tripp, I don’t know what to say. I meant to tell you privately in a setting a little less…dramatic, but I’m glad it’s out. At least now you know. I’m your half-sister. We share the same father.” I exhaled the breath I was holding.

Nate squeezed me to his side and released me when Tripp grasped my hand and tugged me into his chest. His arms came around me. His hand held the back of my neck. All the tears I’d been storing, the misery of my childhood, the lack of family tumbled out. As I sobbed, my brother held me. He whispered “It’s okay,” into my hairline, over and over. What he said next blew me away. “I’m so happy you found me.”

I leaned away from him. “What do you mean?”

“Our Dad’s a drunken philanderer. One night when he was three sheets to the wind, he confided in me. Said he lost the love of his life when she gave birth to his daughter. He was back with my Mom for a spell then. I was twelve or thirteen. He said his daughter would have been nine or ten. Then, he passed out.” His eyes were haunted by the misery of that memory. It didn’t sound like his childhood was all roses and rainbows either. Later, I hoped he would share more with me.

I cupped his cheek and looked into the misty eyes that matched my own. I smoothed his hair with my fingers. Our hair was also similar, not exactly the same, but the eyes didn’t lie. The shape, color and intensity were the same. Our noses were, too. “I always wanted you. A big brother,” I whispered. He swallowed hard, then put his forehead to mine.

“I want to know you better. Spend time together. Would that be okay?”

“That would be,” I choked and shuddered, overwhelmed with the feeling of finding my family for the first time. Nate’s warmth permeated the back of my shirt as he put a hand on my lower back.

“It would be amazing. You know you have a nephew now.“ Tripp’s eyes widened and a huge toothy grin split his face. “Tanner will be ecstatic to meet his Uncle Tripp.”

Tripp placed one last kiss on my cheek as London came to our little huddle. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Collier was close behind. “Everything okay, mate?” he addressed Tripp. “Brother?” he questioned Nate.

“Never better. I was just meeting my sister for the first time.” Both Collier and London’s face sported matching shocked expressions. “Can I call you?” Tripp pulled out his phone.

“Anytime you want.” I smiled and gave him my number. He tapped several buttons on his phone and I heard a buzzing in my purse.

“That’s me. You have my contact information now. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he added excitedly.

Nate grumbled and pulled me into his chest. “How about you call her in a couple days, mate? We’ll have you over for supper. My girl is tired, needs a good night’s sleep, food, and time with our son.”

Tripp’s eyes widened and he ran a hand through his already messy hair. “Okay, yeah. You’re right. Sorry.” He grinned. “I got a little ahead of myself. This news, it’s probably…” He took a huge breath and stared at me. “It’s probably the best news I’ve ever gotten.”

I melted and flung myself back into his arms, hugging him tight. He returned the hug and spun me around. “My brother,” I whispered against his ear. “I have a brother.” I laughed when he put me down.

When we finally pulled apart, we both were beaming. “See you soon…sister,” he quipped.

“After a while, brother!” I called as Nate tugged me away, chuckling. I waved goodbye one last time and then hugged my fiancé.

“My life is perfect!” I said as he whirled me around and kissed me long and deep against the hospital wall.

“It’s only going to get better,” he promised.

“You’re right, because I’m marrying you.”

***

Camille slept for half a day and was still zonked. I picked up Tanner and brought him home.

“Okay, son, I’m going to teach you how to make breakfast for your mum.”

Tanner dragged a stool, the legs grated along the expensive pine wood floor before he hopped up. I shook my head but figured I’d let it go for now.

“Alright, you crack an egg like so.” I cracked the egg tapping it on the edge of the stainless steel bowl. I tossed the shell in the sink. “Now you have a go of it.”

Tanner’s little tongue came out of his mouth as he focused. It took him awhile to crack the egg. Finally I covered his hand with my own and wacked it hard enough to break the shell.

“Now pull it apart here,” I pressed his thumbs into the middle, opened it and let the egg drop into the bowl. His eyes lit up.

“I did it, I did it! Did you see that, Dad? I’m so a good chef!” His little chest puffed with pride.

“You are doing a brilliant job!” I cracked the rest of the eggs and let him mix them up. He enjoyed that part immensely, though I think he got more on the counter than was left in the bowl.

For good measure I cracked a few more and finished pouring them into the pan. I fried some bacon and potatoes and let him add the fruit I’d cut up to the plate.

“Mom is going to love this breakfast!” he squealed, running down the hall.

“No, sport, wait!” I tried to whisper loud enough for him to hear but not to wake Camille. He stopped just at the door. I handed him a bright yellow sunflower. The rest of the bunch was in a vase on the kitchen table. One thing I learned about Camille, she loved flowers. She seemed to adore them all, but her favorite were sunflowers. I had flowers delivered every week to our flat so she could enjoy them every day. Seeing her lean her delectable arse over the table in her tiny bed shorts and sniff them each morning was thank you enough. I loved starting my day with a shot of Camille-cheek with my tea.

I held my fingers up to my lips, mimicking quiet. He giggled and held his hands over his mouth. The boy could hardly contain his excitement. We entered as silently as possible for a four year old who couldn’t be quiet. He crawled along the side of his mum and held the flower to her nose. I chuckled and she smiled, obviously aware of our sneak attack.

“Mmm, something smells divine.”

“It’s this flower Mommy.” Tanner shoved the flower into her nose. Her eyes opened and she tried to move her face as he continued to press it against her nose. “Smell it! Stop moving so you can get a good sniff,” he said seriously.

She stopped and noisily sniffed the flower, then pushed it away and sat up.

“It’s great, baby. Thank you.” Her sleepy eyes caught mine and the tray I held. “What’s this?”

“Breakfast in bed, my love. You deserve it.”

Tanner jumped on the bed. “I helped, I did it. I cook-did and cracked up the eggs!” he said with pride.

“You did? Well I’m starving and I will eat them all up!” she assured him.

“Okay, little man, stop jumping. I can’t set down mummy’s food.” He jumped down and crossed his legs.

“Can I have cartoons and cereal?”

I laughed. “We just made breakfast. You don’t want that?” I asked completely astounded. He normally ate everything.

“Today I want Lucky Charms and Batman!” He ran out of the room screaming the batman theme. We put the cereal and bowls at a low level in the kitchen so he could serve himself. He actually did a great job not spilling the milk.

I set the tray over Camille’s lap and watched as she ate. She was ravenous, not having eaten a proper meal in more than a day. Once she was done, I moved the tray and snuggled into her side, kissing her sweet lips. She tasted of tea and butter.

“Mmm that kiss was the perfect ending to my meal.”

“Is that right? Well, I’ll just have to kiss you after every meal, my love.”

“You promise? Every day?”

“I do. And that brings me to something we haven’t spoke of.”

Her eyebrows knit together. “What’s that?”

“The wedding. Mum called and wants to make travel plans to the States.”

Camille bit her lip. “We could always just do something really simple. Like Justice of the Peace? I’m sure you know a couple judges who could marry us. We can pick any ole day and it would be fine. I don’t really care. I just want to be your wife.” That answer, sandwiched with ambivalence and lack of excitement, were not what I expected from a soon-to-be bride.

“Do you not want a wedding?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really have any friends or family, besides Jin and now Tripp. What’s the point really? There’s no one to walk me down the aisle. We could just elope like Collier did. That would be fine.”

“My Mum would have a heart attack if we did not have some form of ceremony. How about this? We have a small wedding with close friends and family? We’ll each have one attendant. You could have Jin. I’ll have Colly. Tanner will be our ring bearer. Wouldn’t you like to see him in a little tux that matches mine?”

A huge smile lit her face. Now that was the excited bride I needed to see. “I do love when you boys are twinsies. He’d love that, too.”

“And you could pick the dress of your dreams. No budget. Which reminds me.” I hopped out of bed, pulled out my wallet and handed her two cards. One was a new debit card, the other was a Visa with her name on it.”

“What are these?”

“The new cards to our banking accounts. I had your name added. You can keep your own account or merge it with mine. We’re getting married soon. I want everything in both our names starting now.”

“But, I figured you’d want a prenup?”

My head swung around to hers. “Whatever would give you that sodding idea? What’s mine is yours, Precious. And what’s yours is mine. Just like Tanner. When you’re officially a Walker, he will be too. We’ll sign a wedding license and the official adoption papers at the same time.” She needed to understand that there wasn’t ever going to be anything between us ever again. No lies, secrets, no broken pasts, just the three of us making our life and home together.

Camille flew out of bed and into my arms. She wrapped her legs around my waist and sat in my lap. “I love you, Nathaniel Walker. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me or Tanner. We will wear your family name with such pride.” She kissed me for all she was worth. I pressed my arms to her back, surrounding myself with the thing that made me the happiest man on earth.

Epilogue

One year later…

I stared at the wedding photo of Nate, Tanner and me. It sat in a position of honor on my desk at Jensen Construction. Thinking back to that day six months ago filled me with incredible joy. Our Caribbean cruise ship wedding was utterly magical. Nate and Tanner wore matching tuxes, as promised, each with a dark eggplant colored vest and tie. Jin wore a stunning strapless, purple tea-length gown that matched. Collier looked handsome in a similar tux standing as best man. The helm of the cruise ship was decorated with hydrangeas and a white metal arch was fashioned with ribbon and filled in with giant bursts of sunflowers. Hank walked me down the aisle wearing a dark grey suit with a lavender tie. I could have had Tripp walk me down but I didn’t want Marcus to feel slighted. Besides, Hank had been there for me from the very beginning and we shared a deep care and respect for one another. The same way a father and daughter would, even though he was only eleven years my senior.

The sky had been a pristine blue and the ocean waters calm as we vowed to love, honor and cherish one another all the days of our lives. We added a section to the ceremony where Tanner officially accepted Nate as his father. We signed our marriage certificate and Tanner’s adoptions papers in front of God and everyone.

All the people we loved and cared about were in attendance. The Jensen’s, the Stone’s, Dean and Oliver and my two brothers, Tripp and Marcus. Nate’s family flew in from England.

After the ceremony, we spent ten days with our friends and family cruising along the Caribbean islands. After the ten days, everyone went their separate ways, and Nate and I spent an additional week in Jamaica for our private honeymoon. It was the first time in five years I had been away from my son, but Jin and Tripp assured me they had it covered. We received text messages and funny pics of Tanner daily. My brothers and I had gotten to know each other pretty well. Marcus had another year of college, but kept in touch. He had a lovely girlfriend he was smitten with and planned to marry one day. When school was over, they agreed to move to New York to be closer to Tripp and me.

Tripp still lived in London’s condo and offered them a home with him. He said he hated being in the apartment alone.

Tripp and I were now the best of friends. We lunched every Wednesday and he attended family dinners every Sunday night at my home with Nate. Dinners were a standing invitation to whomever could make it. That included Collier, London, Emma, as well as our extended family of friends; Hank, Aspen, little Hannah, Dean, Oliver, Jin and Zach. Tanner adored Hannah and treated her like his cousin. We left it that way. In my world, friends were the family you chose.