Dear Bella: A Family Justice Novella Read online

  “Maybe because he’s been pursued by bar sluts from the moment he turned up? No girl with any sense should put up with such nonsense.”

  Tori and Meghan looked at each other and roared with laughter over sardonic Lacey’s bullseye.

  “They didn’t have a picnic in the desert by the way.” Lacey’s statement shut down the laugh fest in a single heartbeat.

  “Meaning?” Meghan demanded.

  Lacey snickered. “My wonderful husband natters on like a talk show host to distract me when our belly princess,” she drawled with a pat to her tummy, “makes life difficult. I’ve learned all sorts of things.”

  Tori rocked back on her butt and laughed. “Why Mrs. Cameron. You minx! What juicy tidbits are you privy to that we know nothing about?”

  “Well for starters,” Ponytail wheezed with snorting laughter, “to quote my hubby, Remy is a piss poor liar. Plus, he figures Finn relies too much on son-of-a-cop arrogance to keep him out of trouble.”

  “Idiot,” Meghan drawled. “The Justice Brothers practically invented the authority ruse.”

  “Word,” Tori snickered as they fist bumped.

  “By the way,” Lacey said with her mouth stuffed with biscotti, “these things are the bomb.”

  “We’re so fucking spoiled,” Meghan murmured. “Homemade biscotti,” she said holding one of the crunchy biscuits up. “A yoga studio with a no boys allowed sign out front. Babysitters. Housekeepers. Good lord, ladies.”

  “Jesus, Meghan,” Tori drawled. “I sure as shit hope that isn’t guilt we hear in your voice. All those things? Pfft,” she grunted with a dismissive wave. “Small potatoes next to the care and handling of a Justice alpha, which falls squarely on us. The way I see it? These guys owe us. Big time.”

  Their shared laughter bounced off the walls.

  Lacey got half serious. “Hey, I wasn’t complaining about the changes. It’s just been hitting me more and more every day how very different things are from when I first got here. Cameron likes to joke that now with all of us in the mix, the guys have to actually wear pants.”

  Meghan barked with glee and popped out of her seated pose when she reached for Lacey and gave her a huge hug. “Oh my god,” she wheezed out between laughs. “I don’t think he’s kidding!”

  Tori snickered. It wasn’t difficult to conjure up a visual of her hot-as-fuck secret agent husband swaggering around the former Justice compound with his dick literally wagging in the wind. When ya’ got it, ya’ flaunt it, right?

  She stopped the visual with Draegyn because no way did she give a shit about anyone else’s junk. To each their own, she figured. Which reminded her, time to poke Big Daddy’s wifey for no other reason than it was fun and generally led to some sexy shares.

  Arching a knowing eyebrow, she finished off her tea, set the cup down and openly smirked in Meghan’s face. Lacey knew the signals and instantly perked up.

  “Draegyn told me a certain absent minded professor altered the security protocol for the studio room. Nobody gets into the inner sanctum without Alex’s express permission.”

  Meghan’s face shot with color. Chewing on her biscuit, she made a little snorting sound but offered nothing.

  “And apparently,” she continued smoothly, “the studio got a makeover. A bathroom, right? He says the Major driveled some nonsense about there already being a crew working on an office for you, and that it was too tempting to pass up the opportunity.” Pausing for emphasis, she winked at Lacey then smiled knowingly while Meghan squirmed. “Whatever do you need a washroom in a studio for, hmm?”

  Now probably wasn’t a good time to elaborate on her husband’s filthy mind or what he said about Alex’s penchant for taking that old world gentleman crap too far. It tickled her to death that Draegyn’s nose was out of joint over something so simple as running water and a toilet but she knew perfectly well what he was referring to. Of course Alex would clean up his mess! Not to would be the height of crudeness. None of them doubted Major Marquez kept his manly coarseness private, but it went without saying that taking care of Meghan was his top priority. If the private, soundproof studio was ground zero for their kinkiness, it just made sense that eventually all sorts of practical modifications were necessary.

  Tori wondered what Angie’s playroom looked like. She’d been unusually close-mouthed about it. Hmm. Perhaps Draegyn was right. Maybe there was something they could do out in the barn. There was an empty, upstairs loft that might be worth checking out. And there was already a washroom at the rear of the wood shop so there’d be no problem running the plumbing to the second floor.

  Completely lost in decadent thoughts she missed Meghan’s response about the studio but Lacey’s wails of laughter told Tori it must have been a great comeback.

  “And of course he’s all sorts of freaked out about the real possibility of stumbling on his parents getting their baby-booming freak on. Don’t even try to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. Alex and I heard plenty of stories about what went on here after our wedding. Naked cannonballs in the pool and the aroma of, well… you know,” she said with a comical eye roll, “ring any bells?”

  Tori perked up. “Stop ‘yer bitching, lady. I’ve had my mom hovering about for a whole year! And don’t get me started with the whole how freaky can a senior citizen be? Remember, I had Calder and her right over my damn head when they hung out at her in-law suite.”

  “Ewww,” Lacey sniggered. “Me? I’m totes fine with no in-laws.”

  Meghan made a face and drawled, “Should we hold her down and unleash the tickle monster?”

  “No joke,” Tori replied. “But while you’re busy congratulating your bad self on avoiding the in-law pitfalls, the least you can do is feel sorry for us. Lacey,” she pithily growled. “My fifty year old mother is pregnant and her ridiculously hunky baby daddy won’t let anyone forget how she got that way.”

  “I love you guys,” Meghan giggled.

  Tori could feel their quiet time winding down. All the presents were finally wrapped and neatly stacked by the door with corresponding post-it notes so Ben would know where to deliver everything.

  Tomorrow was Christmas Eve and after that would come a week of gatherings and get-togethers straight through New Year’s Day.

  Jeez. It was nearly inconceivable that a new year was upon them and holy crapballs what a year it promised to be with a couple of weddings and a baby explosion penciled in.

  Before they broke up their impromptu tea party she inquired about the elephant in the room.

  “Um, is anyone going to say anything about Sophie and the fact that she’s miraculously inseminated with a baby boy on the way?”

  Meghan groaned and covered her eyes.

  Lacey tut tutted and shook her head.

  Well, she thought. That really did pretty much sum things up.

  It was Lacey who eventually said something. “Is it just me or is that happy, smiling, obviously preggo woman the same person we met at the wedding, because seriously girls! The Sophia Marquez I remember was dour, bitchy and just this side of needing a serious spanking.”

  Tori studied Meghan’s expression as the other woman decided what to say. Having her other sister-in-law turn up pregnant was one thing but when you did the math, Sophie was sure to beat Alex to the delivery room. She couldn’t help wondering how that little bombshell went over after the surprise wore off.

  “The Major thinks she must’ve had a come to Jesus moment. And while I don’t care for the expression, it makes sense when you consider how different she seems.”

  Tori had to agree. “Ashleigh and Cristián seem totally cool about the whole thing.”

  Meghan looked her straight in the eye. “I think they’d be okay with anything that blasted Soph from the hole she was in.”

  “Even a test tube grandbaby?” Lacey asked in her quiet way.

  Quiet descended. Each of them lost in their thoughts.

  “I’m taking my cues from Angie and my husband. After the initial
shock they seem really happy for their sister. Alex has commented several times that he doesn’t remember the last time he saw his middle sister smile so much.”

  “I know all about that,” Lacey assured them solemnly.

  “It’s hard for me to imagine Cam without his smile,” she confessed. “Draegyn says you’re like the magic unicorn where everyone who’s ever known him is concerned. He says Cam was on a one-way road to being a grumpy old man until a blonde ponytail put him in his place.”

  Meghan grunted. “Maybe that’s what’s happening with Sophie.”

  “What do you mean?” Tori asked. “Are you saying there’s a magic unicorn lurking in Sophie’s backstory?”

  “Jesus Tori, I have no idea. She kind of threw us with the whole sperm donor thing. I’m just wondering out loud, ya’ know? Maybe opening her heart to a baby means she’s ready to at least entertain the possibility of magic unicorns.”

  “Why don’t we invite her to our prenatal yoga time? Cameron thinks we should go out of our way to include her.”

  Tori nodded at Lacey. “That’s a really good idea. And I know what you mean girlfriend. The Sophia Marquez who showed up with quite the holiday surprise is nothing at all like the person we knew in Boston. This lady I like! She has brass balls to do what she did.” Putting her hand out she declared, “All in favor of bringing Sophia Valleja-Marquez into the Justice Ladies Squad…”

  Lacey’s hand shot out and dropped on top of hers. They each looked at Meghan expectantly.

  “Absolutely,” she hooted with glee. “I had a feeling at the wedding that there was a shit ton more to my new sister-in-law than anybody realized. This is awesome!”

  Her hand joined theirs. They hollered Justice and shot their fingers into the air with a volley of sound effects.

  Standing up Tori planted her feet firmly and reached out so each of her more pregnant sisters could grab a hand for assistance.

  “We should totally fuck with her though,” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe have Angie go to the house and kidnap her. Put on a blindfold. Make her hold a watermelon wrapped in aluminum foil.”

  “What are you going on about?” Lacey asked with a husky chuckle.

  She rolled her shoulders. “Draegyn had me cracking up one time with a story about some of the truly evil shit they used to do to their recruits. In the early days when Justice was a small boys’ club and not the behemoth it is now.”

  “Aluminum foil covered watermelons?” Meghan’s interest felt more conspiratorial than chiding.

  “Yep. And there was something about Vaseline too but I think we can leave the icky part out.”

  “Hmmm,” both women murmured in perfect unison.

  “Oh, and she’ll need a hat.”

  Lacey was out the door and headed for her cart when she stopped and asked, “A top hat okay?”

  “Wait,” Meghan said. “You have a top hat?”

  “Yes,” Lacey giggled. “I have lots of one-off things, as you well know,” she drawled to Tori with an added wink. Then she climbed into her Ranger, waved, “Toodles,” and headed for home.

  “As you well know?” Irish sniggered. “Explain Mrs. St. John.”

  She wrapped her arm through Meghan’s and walked her to the three-wheel bike that was her current mode of transport for zipping around the villa.

  “She’s talking about the naughty game she plays with Cam. You know what I mean. It’s that thing they do where she can only wear one piece of clothing or an accessory. Girl’s got some wicked creativity packed into that innocent face and blonde sweetness. She told me that one time she walked into his study completely nude and when he asked what her one article of clothing was, she covered her boobs and told him it was a hands-bra.”

  “God, I love that girl.”

  They hugged and Meghan climbed onto her turquoise colored Schwinn with the cute basket and handlebar bell. “So I take it the top hat qualifies as a piece of clothing?”

  Tori laughed heartily. “You like how she thinks! I can see it in your eyes.”

  Meghan blew her a kiss. “I like how all of us think!”

  Well, ain’t that the truth she thought with a chuckle. When it came to filters off, no holds barred sharing and fuckery planning, the ladies of Justice had that shit covered from all angles.

  Bringing Sophie into the fold had the potential to be shit-tons of fun and promised some very interesting times ahead.

  “Mom, I gotta go. It’s almost time,” Heather hurriedly told her mother. Picking the phone up, she switched off the speaker and held it to her ear.

  Jennifer Clarke’s soft laugh connected mother and daughter across the thousands of miles between them. “Let me guess—you two synchronized your watches.”

  Chuckling, she had to hand it to good ol’ Mom for hitting the nail on the head.

  “It’s that Justice influence again,” she told her. “Overnight this thing turned into a military-type operation. I’m serious,” she squealed when her mom laughed. “Got a name for it and everything. Project Red Suit. I keep expecting a Men in Black style clean-up team to pull up at any moment to make sure we haven’t left a bread crumb trail. Bella. She’s a smart one, Mom. Hard to pull anything over on her.”

  “I can’t wait to tell Travis what you’re doing. Your brother is so proud of you, Heather. He love, love, loves the chatty newsletter by the way. I think you may be starting a new thing for our family. A way to stay connected.”

  She heard the wistfulness and swallowed the lump growing in her throat. Even though Trav and the kids moved closer to home, they were still spread out. It didn’t matter that Heather avoided family get-togethers the last few years. Now that she was settled and making a family far from home she was looking at things through different eyes.

  “Mom,” she murmured lovingly. “You were just here for Bella’s birthday and Brody already has a plan for spring break. Maybe next year we can have a reunion of sorts. You all can fly out here for a southwest Christmas. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?”

  Her mom laughed. “Oh my goodness. Listen to you being all motherly and whatnot. Finally figured it out, didn’t you?”

  Heather smiled. She knew where the comment led. “Figured what, Mom?”

  “That family is everything and it doesn’t matter one iota how we come by those families. It’s what’s in our hearts that counts.”

  Well shit. Now she was going to cry.

  “You’re going to have a wonderful Christmas honey. Daddy and I can’t wait to hear all about it. That man of yours has a few surprises up his sleeve.”

  Er, uh… huh? What the hell did that mean?

  “Mom?” she asked.

  “Oh shit!”

  Heather heard the chagrin in her mother’s voice and doubled down on wondering what was going on.

  “Gotta go honey! Talk to you later.”

  And then… nothing. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it, incredulous that her own mother just hung up on her.

  Well, whatever. She had a command performance to put on and after making everyone and their cousin’s mailman get involved it was now down to her and Brody to bring it home.

  Glancing at the clock on the stove, she calculated how much time she had and hurried to get George situated in the laundry room with a chew toy. Pulling the door shut she muttered softly, “Dog secured. Check.”

  What was next? Get Bella’s attention. Right.

  Lounging on the sofa with her head hanging over the edge and her feet straight up, she was watching A Charlie Brown Christmas upside down.

  Sitting down next to her, Heather laughed and fluffed the furry slippers that were where Bella’s smiling face should be.

  The little girl did some Olympic acrobat movement that ended with Bella on her knees, flush up against Heather’s side with both arms around her neck in a ferocious hug.

  “I love my new jammies. Pink!” she squealed.

  Hugging her back, she breathed in the scent of Christmas joy that only an inn
ocent child had. Restoring Bella’s faith in Santa Claus made the whole world seem right again.

  “Daddy looked silly in his Christmas Eve jammies.”

  Ah, she thought. This is how the final act of Project Red Suit begins.

  “I wanted to match,” she said with unapologetic humor. “How was I supposed to know he’d look like a goober in an elf onesie?”

  “Oops,” the cheeky kid drawled. Even at six, Bella understood things.

  Turning the moment into an inside joke, Heather elbowed her and said, “I know, right?”

  “I’m sleepy. Can we put the cookies out now?”

  “Don’t you want to wait for Daddy? He’s in the shower now but he shouldn’t be too long.”

  It was so far past Bella’s normal bedtime that Heather was actually surprised by how long she hung in.

  “He can look after he turns out my light.”

  Bella cuddled on her shoulder. If she didn’t get her moving in a hurry, their grand plan would be lost on a sleeping child.

  “Then cookies it is!” She exclaimed with over-the-top enthusiasm. “You grab the chocolate milk in the refrigerator and I’ll put your Santa cookies on the special plate.”

  Carefully managing the pace at which they moved, Heather was nodding with satisfaction next to a beaming Bella Mia as they snapped a pic of the little wood bench Draegyn made holding the heirloom plate and Santa cookies along with a small tumbler of chocolate milk. It would make a nice picture for the thank you card they’d be writing to Uncle Drae.

  An enormous thump shook the house. Actually, it just sounded that way but Heather made sure to jump out of her skin.

  “Did you hear that, Bella? It sounded like it came from the roof.”

  Grabbing her hand, she pulled her along and ran for the sliders out to the pool patio. “Come on,” she exclaimed breathlessly. “Let’s go look.”

  As they stepped onto the patio, Heather’s hand slid along the wall and flipped the switch to turn off the outdoor lights. The entire patio was bathed in shadows with only the lights inside the house offering any illumination.

  All of a sudden there was a lot of noise from the side of the house. They turned just in time to see a rotund, red suited man with a long white beard wearing a bright red cap burst from the shadows and vault over the back fence.