Are You Ready? (Everlasting Ink #3)

Chapter 5

CHAPTER

FIVE

Forrest

I was fourteen when Emerson turned four. I was a kid with no money, so spoiling her at that age wasn’t possible. Our deadbeat parents didn’t even make an attempt with a birthday cake, homemade or otherwise. I did what I could. When I got older, I made sure Emerson had everything she needed. Including celebrating her birthday.

That’s why I’ve been in the toy aisle for far longer than I can admit, trying to decide on the best gift for River and Rayne for their birthday.

At Sunday dinner last week, Monroe mentioned they don’t have any family. Apparently, it’s just Briar, Brogan, and the twins, and when she and my sister suggested we all go to the twins’ fourth birthday party, everyone agreed. I barely know them, so I don’t know them. I don’t know what they already have or don't have, so this is proving to be more difficult than what I first thought.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call my sister.

“Hello? ”

“Hey, what do I get River and Rayne? I’ve been at the store for an hour and still can’t decide on something.”

“They’re little girls, Forty. They’ll love and appreciate anything you get them.”

“That’s not helpful at all, kid.”

“Ugh. I’m a grown woman, a married woman, and a mother. We can drop the kid.”

“You’re always going to be my kid sister, no matter how old you get, how long you’re married, or how many nieces and nephews you give me.” I can hear her sigh, and I know I’ve got her.

“Fine. Let me text Monroe.”

“Thank you. What did you get them?”

“They each got a Barbie doll and some clothes.”

“Right, Barbie dolls.” I walk over to the next aisle and stare at the shelf. That’s when I see them. “I think I found what I’m getting them. But what if they already have them?”

“Don’t stress. If they have them, Briar can return them and let the girls pick out a gift. It’s the thought that counts, big brother.”

“Right. Okay, I’m getting them.” I pick up a pink and a white Barbie Jeep and toss them into my cart.

“Just make sure you get a gift receipt in case they need to return them.”

“Will do. Thanks, Em.”

“Anytime.” I end the call, sliding my phone back into my pocket.

Looking at the Jeeps in my cart, I’m still not sold. I’m going to give it one more go down the aisles to make sure nothing else stands out to me. I turn to the next aisle, and there’s a woman with a little girl who looks close to River and Rayne’s age.

“Mommy, I want this!” She points to a camera.

“We’ll make sure to add that to your birthday wish list for next month.”

“I’ll be this many.” She holds up her hand, showing five fingers .

“That’s right.” I hear the mom say before they push their cart down the aisle.

I stop in front of the cameras. There are a few different types. I pick up the one that says it instantly prints the pictures. I smile, because I think the girls would love this. I grab a pink and a purple and toss them into the cart. Then I grab three paper refill kits for each and toss them in as well. Making my way back to the Barbie Jeeps, I pull the two from my cart and place them back on the shelf.

Satisfied I’ve made a good choice, I push my cart out of the toys. I need to grab a few things for the house. As I pass home goods, the photo albums stick out to me. I reverse and walk down the aisle. I grab two albums, one pink and one purple, which have a spot for a frame in the front. I know exactly what I’m going to put there.

It doesn’t take me long to grab the few things I need for home and wheel toward the checkout. Just as I’m getting in line, I remember I’m going to need birthday cards and a gift bag. I feel like I’ve been in this store all damn day. I trek back to that side of the store and grab what I need, and finally, I’m able to check out.

As soon as I get home, I unload everything and get to work with wrapping gifts. The party isn’t until tomorrow, so I have plenty of time.

Monroe has the address, so we all decided to just follow them to Briar and Brogan’s place. Lachlan and Maddox met at my house. The three of us are taking my truck, while Roman, Legend, Emerson, Maggie, Monroe, and Lilly are going in Emerson’s SUV.

“No shit,” Maddox says, as we pull into the driveway. “They live at the old Pearce place.”

“I always loved this house. I wonder how they bought it. I’ve been waiting for it to go on the market for years. I heard they passed, but I know it’s never been for sale.”

“That’s not morbid or anything,” Lachlan jokes .

“You know what I mean. I’m sad Mr. and Mrs. Pearce are gone, but this property butts up to Ashby Lake. Perfect for summer boating, fishing, and all that. The house is a cabin I’ve never seen inside, but it wouldn’t matter. It could be remodeled if needed.”

“Well, you’re about to see inside,” I tell him as we file out of my truck, grabbing our gifts. I don’t know what anyone else bought the twins, but I’m hopeful they like what I chose.

In a collective group, gift bags in hand, we make our way to the door. Emerson, with Lilly on her hip, and Monroe in front of us, Emerson knocks on the door. Brogan opens it, all smiles, and then gasps.

“Holy wow,” she says. “I—come in.” She steps back and allows us to enter. “River! Rayne! You have someone here to see you.”

Cheers and the pitter-patter of little feet echo through the house. When the girls reach us, they stop and stare.

“Girls, say hello,” Brogan coaches them.

“Hi,” they say at the same time and wave.

Emerson bends down with Lilly still on her hip. “Happy Birthday. We thought we would come and celebrate you turning four.”

“This many.” River, I know it’s her because her hair is a little darker than her sister’s, holds up four fingers.

“That’s right,” Emerson says.

“Who was at—” Briar stops in her tracks as her eyes take us all in. I imagine it’s a sight. Five big guys covered in ink, with three women and a baby, all holding gift bags, standing in the entryway of her house.

“We’re here to party.” Monroe holds up the two gift bags in her hands.

“Are those for us?” Rayne asks.

“Of course. It’s your birthday,” Monroe replies.

“Come on in,” Brogan says. She motions toward the living area, and we start to move.

It’s obvious they were not expecting all of us to show up, even though we were invited. I follow everyone into the living room, and we place the gifts on the fireplace, where there are a few others. The twins are bouncing on their feet. They’re so excited .

There’s a knock at the door, and Briar and Brogan share a look. “Are you expecting anyone else?” Brogan asks her sister.

“No. I—no. Everyone who was invited is already here.” Briar shrugs and moves toward the front door. I stand to follow her, because I know who it is. She opens the door and smiles. “I’m sorry, you must have the wrong house.”

The kid looks down at the piece of paper in his hand. “Says delivery for Forrest Huntley.”

“That’s me.” I step up beside Briar and hand the kid his tip. I paid for the food over the phone. “Thanks,” I tell him.

“You’re welcome. Um, where do you want these?”

“We can unload here. I’ll take them.” He’s just a teenage kid, but I’m not about to invite him into their home.

The kid shoves his tip into his pants pocket, picks up the first insulated bag, and starts unloading pizza boxes. I’m certain I went overboard, but I know that the guys and I can put away some pizza, as can my sister and Monroe. Besides, I wanted to make a splash. I wanted this party to be one the twins will always remember. At least, I hope they will. Since they’re only turning four, it’s hard to tell. Either way, I hope they talk about it for weeks to come.

“Thank you,” I tell the kid once I have all ten pizza boxes in my arms. “Can you point me toward the kitchen?” I ask Briar.

“Sure.” Her voice sounds funny, but I can’t do much about that with my arms full of pizza boxes. Tilting my head to the side, I follow her to the right, which is the opposite of the living room, and place the pizzas down on the island.

“I did half pepperoni and half cheese. Our gang will eat anything, and I wasn’t sure what you all liked, or the girls, so I thought cheese and pepperoni were a safe bet.”

Briar stands on the opposite end of the island. Her hands are at her sides, and tears shimmer in her big green eyes. Have I upset her? My gut twists, thinking about how what I hoped was a nice gesture turned into making her upset. I don’t think, I just walk around the island and pull her into my arms. To my surprise, she comes willingly.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “I didn’t mean to upset you. ”

She shakes her head but doesn’t speak. She makes no move to pull away, so I hold her a little tighter, letting one hand run up and down her spine to soothe her. I can’t help but notice how well she fits in my arms. As if she were made to be here. My heart beats like a drum at a rock concert. She’s not mine. I know that, but why does she feel like she could be? I push those thoughts down deep and focus on the task at hand. Soothing her, letting her know I’m here. When she finally pulls away, she wipes at her cheeks and offers me a quivering smile.

“I’m not angry. These are happy tears, which I know sounds insane, but this—” She points to the stack of pizza boxes.

“I know we’re a lot, and I assumed you never thought that the guys and I would show up with Emerson and Monroe. I wanted to make sure we weren’t an imposition.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“Nope. This is my gift to the girls for their birthday.”

“Forrest.”

My name, softly whispered from her lips, is something I could get used to hearing. “I wanted to do this, Briar.”

“It’s just been us for so long.” She’s staring at my chest when she voices her confession.

Placing my index finger below her chin, I lift so her eyes meet mine. “Not anymore.” Setting these crazy feelings she’s stirring inside me aside, I know my sister and her best friend are invested in their friendships with both Briar and Brogan. They’re family now, and we take care of our own.

“Now, we have a party to get to.” I don’t know why I do it, and I wouldn’t take it back even if I could. I press my lips to her forehead. Her quick intake of breath tells me I’ve surprised her, just as much as I’ve surprised myself.

I have to force myself to drop my hold on her and step back. “Come on, Momma.” I grin. “We have two very special little ladies who need to be celebrated.” I nod toward the living room. Briar stands tall, wipes her cheeks again, and leads us back into the room.

“Everything okay?” Brogan asks .

“Yeah, this one”—Briar points to me over her shoulder—“ordered pizza.”

“Pizza!” River and Rayne cheer. They climb to their feet where they were playing on the floor with Lilly and rush toward me. Their little arms wrap around my legs, and just like with their momma, something inside my chest tightens.

I smile down at them before meeting Briar’s gaze. “You ready to eat?”

“We might as well before it gets cold.”

I nod, offer each of the twins a hand, and lead them into the kitchen. “You have two choices. Plain cheese or pepperoni.”

“Cheese!” they say at the same time.

Fuck, these two are cute as hell.

“Here are some plates.” Briar sets a stack of paper plates on the counter. “We’re going to just have to spread out.” She laughs nervously.

“That’s the great thing about pizza. It’s basically a finger food, and you don’t need a table to sit down and eat,” I tell her. “Let’s get the girls set up, and the rest of us can fend for ourselves.”

“Girls, go get in your seats.” I watch as River and Rayne scurry off to the dining area that’s part of the kitchen and climb into what I assume are their seats.

“I’m starving,” Lachlan says, entering the kitchen.

I look up at Briar and mouth, “I told you so.” She gives me a beaming smile in return, and I wish the girls had already opened their gifts so I could have them sneak a picture of their momma for me.

“Pepperoni and cheese,” I tell Lachlan, shaking out of my thoughts.

“You’re a rock star, Forrest. Don’t ever let anyone tell you differently.” Lachlan places a few slices of pepperoni on his plate, grabs a napkin and a bottle of water, and heads back toward the living room.

There is a flurry of activity while everyone makes their plates and finds a seat. The dining room table seats six, so we let the ladies and the kiddos take those seats while me and the guys spread out around the living room .

“What made you think of ordering pizza?” Roman asks as he takes a seat next to me.

“There are a lot of us. I assumed Briar would never have dreamed that five grown men would take the invite to her four-year-old daughters’ birthday party seriously.”

“Way to think ahead,” Maddox says.

“The contractor wants to meet with us again next week. He’s got the revised plans ready for us to take a look at,” Legend tells us.

“If we keep making changes, the new building is never going to get built,” Lachlan replies.

“Yeah, but it’s a lot of money, and this is our dream. We want it to be right,” Legend counters. “Besides, he’s getting paid for his time. This is his job. We need to make sure we think of every possible scenario or event moving forward to make this the exact space we envision it to be.”

“We already have extra rooms in case we ever decide to hire more artists or have guests come in. We have a piercing room, a break room, a waiting room, and a meeting room. What else do we need?” Maddox asks.

“I was thinking about a room for the kids. Maybe a playroom where we can have some toys and a crib or Pack ‘N’ Play in case we need to have them with us at any time,” Roman suggests.

Legend nods. “Mo and I were talking about that last night. It would be nice, even when our wives come to visit, to have a place we know the kids can roam and play freely and be out of harm's way.”

“Do you two plan on having more than just Lilly and the one you and Mo have cooking?” Lachlan asks.

“Yeah, and I’m sure all of you will have kids of your own at some point,” Legend answers.

“We gotta be wifed-up first,” Maddox tells him.

“You better get on that.” Roman laughs.

“Trust me, if I could find her, I’d be working toward what you two have.” I point to Roman and Legend. I quickly glance toward the kitchen, but I force myself back to my friends and our conversation .

“You never know when she’s going to appear. Mo was right in front of me for years.” Legend shakes his head. “How I didn’t know she was mine all that time, I’ll never understand.”

“I knew Em was mine, or that I wanted her to be,” Roman adds.

We talk more about the new shop and things we think it needs. Legend is going to set up a meeting with the contractor later this week. Once we have a final draft and stop making changes, they can start the build. I’m pumped to see it. Of course, Legend is making this happen for us, but we’ve all busted our asses to make a name for Everlasting Ink. Having a new state-of-the-art facility is only going to bring in more clients to our sleepy little town of Ashby, Tennessee.

We finish eating and help clean up before Briar asks for everyone to gather around in the living room to watch the girls open their presents. They’re giddy with excitement as they sit on the floor with all the gifts in front of them.

There isn’t a single person in this house that’s not smiling at their enthusiasm. The grins on their faces and the happiness radiating from them is palpable. I’m glad my sister and Monroe orchestrated this. These ladies, all four of them, big and small, deserve more people in their lives who care about them.

Today is their first look at what it means to be a part of the Everlasting Ink family.