Mark (Next Generation Carter Brother #9)

CHAPTER NINE

Mark

The sun beats down on me, warming my flesh as I carry my niece to the bigger pool. I throw her up into the air, giving her what she’s been begging me to do since we parted with her parents. Hearing her laugh as she splashes into the pool is a welcome delight and so worth the bollocking I’m going to get from my mum. I jump in after her, chuckling when she brushes the water out of her face. Her smile is so wide it’s contagious, and I can’t help but smile with her.

Bailey and Aiden went back to their cabin for an hour over an hour ago. Whilst they never announced what they were doing, it was obvious. Before Mum and Dad could steal Sunday away, I offered to play in the pool with her since Lily and Jaxon were inside, keeping Rose out of the sun.

It’s very rare I get moments like this with Sunday lately and I miss her. It took ages for Aiden to let one of us hold her as a baby, and even longer for us to watch her whilst he was out. Then I got so busy with the extra work I took on, I barely had time to see her before it was her bedtime.

She’s freaking cute with her bright pink life jacket and florescent green swimming costume. The ship has a little splash pool for the younger kids inside, but once she got bored of being in there, she demanded to come to the big pool.

“Again!” she demands, smacking the water.

Feeling someone staring at me, I glance to the sun loungers and find Mum watching me. She shakes her head in warning, killing my fun.

“Maybe later, squirt,” I reply.

“Come on, Sunday, it’s time to get you dried off,” Mum orders.

“Can’t we have five more minutes?” I ask, clutching my niece to my chest. Maybe if my mum sees all the cuteness, she’ll take pity on me.

She glowers down at me with that mum stare, and I shudder, feeling like a teenager all over again. “She needs some more sunscreen on, and she didn’t have lunch,” Mum points out.

I lick my lips at the mention of food. It’s well after lunch time and I’ve not eaten anything since breakfast. “Did you get me something?”

She rolls her eyes. “Of course I did.”

“Come on, Squirt, we are going to grab some grub.”

Sunday pouts. “No swim?”

“We can swim later.”

“Wove you.”

My lips tug up into a smile. “Love you too, bug.”

I lift her out of the pool, where Mum immediately unclasps her life jacket and wraps her in a towel.

I heft myself up out of the water, when I hear a gasp. I glance over to see my neighbour drop her book, her gaze on me. I should look away, but for the life of me I can’t. She has on a white bikini, the cups on the top pushing her generous cleavage together, but it’s that fucking arse that has me wanting to jump back into the pool before I embarrass myself. It’s perfectly round. She’s just as gifted in the arse department as she is the tits.

Before I can get caught staring, I turn away, gulping. There is no way I’m going to imagine fucking her. But now the thought is in my head, I picture her on all fours, her arse bouncing as I drill into her.

“You okay?” Mum asks.

I shake myself out of it. “Um, yeah.”

I glance back over at my neighbour, and for a moment, I think about going over and asking if she’s okay after what we all witnessed this morning.

It’s so screwed up what’s been done to her. Only Liam and Aiden have fucked the same girl before, but even they were weirded out by it when it became known. I can’t imagine sleeping with anyone who has fucked a family member, let alone a sibling.

Yet, not only is her sister with her ex-boyfriend, but they are getting married too. If it wasn’t for wanting to sit outside to eat breakfast, I might not have heard them arguing. Her sister was goading her the entire time. It wasn’t until the guy showed up and Freya’s sister clocked him that she turned the tables. She wanted her fiancé to think Freya was the problem. Her calculated move didn’t go unnoticed though. Hayden had been seconds away from intervening, but then Freya’s nan showed up, putting them all in their place.

Instead of going over though, I sit down on the lounger next to Mum, taking the sandwich she pulls out of her bag.

“Where’s Dad gone?” I ask before taking a huge bite out of the sandwich.

God, that’s good.

“He’s dealing with Max,” she replies, handing over a small piece of a sandwich to Sunday.

“What did he do now? Is it about breakfast?”

I grimace thinking about this morning. Max went back for thirds at the buffet—it could have been his tenth but I stopped counting after his second time going up. Another guest was late arriving for breakfast, and when Max took the last sausage, he didn’t say anything. Not until one of the cabin crew approached Max and told him he had already had breakfast. Multiple breakfasts. The guest overheard and tried to take his food.

I walked off once the guest threw his egg at my uncle.

She meets my gaze. “No. He won’t let anyone on the mechanical bull in the games room and kids started attacking him.”

“Rather Dad than me,” I mutter.

Her gaze drifts over my shoulder. “You should go see if she’s okay.”

“Who?”

Her lips twitch. “Freya. Your neighbour.”

“We aren’t friends,” I mutter. “You shouldn’t be friends with her either. She spent all my money remember.”

“I was the one who pushed her to do it,” she lies. “She didn’t want to spend it.”

I snort. “Yeah right.”

“It’s true. If it wasn’t me who talked her around, then Hayden must have. Because I promise you, she didn’t want to spend your money.”

I glance over my shoulder, my gaze running over her long legs. She’s back to being engrossed in her book, a look of pure concentration on her face.

“Still doesn’t change anything. I told you she tried to break into my flat. Her cat actually did and then she had the nerve to accuse me of stealing it. She’s obsessed with me, Mum.”

“Sweetie, she already explained she was moving furniture when she fell into your flat. As for the cat, it could have gotten in when you left that morning. What else was she meant to think when she found him lying on your sofa? And you did steal her doormat.”

My lips open and close, then open and close once more. “Oh my god, you’ve been speaking with her,” I accuse. “She’s gotten into your head.”

“She’s a lovely woman, Mark. Maybe if you stopped accusing her of being obsessed, you would like her too.”

“I doubt that,” I growl.

“Doubt what?” Madison asks, sitting down beside me.

“He doesn’t think he’ll like his neighbour,” Mum replies.

“Why?” Madison asks, her nose scrunching up. “She’s pretty cool.”

“Not you too,” I groan.

She snorts. “Admit it, you are attracted to her.”

I grab the other half of the sandwich. “Not likely.”

Madison lets out a wistful sigh. “We’ve been hanging out with her nan, Maya, in the casino. She reminds me so much of our nan.”

My lips twitch. “I said that too. They could have been sisters in another life.”

“Well, Maya already has a sister, who sounds crazy as hell. Apparently, she killed husband number three,” she reveals.

My eyes widen. “And you don’t think crazy runs in the family?”

She rolls her eyes. “She’s with Liam and Maddox playing poker right now. I’m pretty sure her crazy fits in with ours. She isn’t the one who killed a husband.”

Mum reaches over, rubbing Madison’s knee. “You okay?”

I glance over, seeing Madison’s eyes water. “Yeah. I just wish Nan and Granddad were here. Being with Maya just now reminded me of them and it still hurts.”

“Your nan and granddad lived a long and beautiful life, Maddy. They might not be here in person, but they are always with us. I truly believe that. Your grandparents loved you all.”

“I just wish we had more time with them,” she whispers. “I hate that they never got to meet Sunday, Rose, Asher or Jasmine. And they will never know them.”

“Of course they will know about them. Aiden tells Sunday about them all the time, so does Maddox with Asher and Jasmine. And I know Lily will do the same with Rose. Secrets die with people, but memories live on with those after we are gone.”

Thinking of them brings an ache in my gut. They were the glue in this family. Every week, we would spend a day all together, but it doesn’t mean they were ever alone. One or more of us were always with them. But for Madison, it was harder. She lived with them for a few months before they passed away.

“She would love Beau for Faith,” I announce.

“I think Drew would be her favourite,” Madison declares, a smile in her voice.

“Oh no, I totally think she would pick Jaxon,” Mum adds.

“Oh God, do you remember the time when she caused that fight at the party in the park just so she could see the Hayes brothers strip off their shirts?” Madison asks.

I laugh because I do. “We all knew what she was doing but we fell for it anyway.”

“It was their last family outing with us,” Madison whispers. “God, I wish they were here.”

I sigh. “Same.”

“Your nan wouldn’t want you to be sad. She’d probably force a few drinks down you and tell you to get it together if she could.”

Madison laughs. “Yeah, she really would.”

“Dad, I will hold your head under water if you don’t give that back!” Hayden screams.

We all turn at her shout to see her chasing down Max, who is shoving down one half of a sandwich whilst holding the other half in the air.

“I haven’t eaten all day,” he mumbles, his mouth full of food. He races around the swimming pool, and the people who were sitting on the edge dive in to avoid being hit. Mums and dads grab their kids out of the way for the same reason. “Are you really going to make me starve?”

“Yes. Yes, I am. You stole my sandwich out of my bag. I was saving it for a snack for right about now,” she screams.

“Losers weepers,” he cries.

Hayden tackles him to the ground when she catches up to him, and climbs up his body to take a huge chunk out of the sandwich in his hand.

“I licked it. It’s mine,” he yells, trying to buck her off.

“It’s mine,” she snaps, reaching for it. But he shoves the rest into his mouth, chewing fast.

“I hate you!” she growls, pushing at his shoulders. She gets up, glaring down at him. “You had, like, a million breakfasts.”

“So did you,” he points out, licking his fingers.

“You are going to get us kicked off this boat,” Dad bites out, materialising out of nowhere. “I swear to God, Max, I will throw you off this boat before that happens.”

Max points to his chest. “Me? She was the one who chased me like I was a goddamn criminal.”

“You stole my sandwich so the shoe fits,” she snaps.

“You weren’t eating it,” he argues.

“I was just about to get it out of my bag and you goddamn well know it.”

“You should have been quicker,” he continues.

“Stop!” Dad barks, holding his hands up. “Max, you are an adult. Act like it.”

Hayden gives her dad a smug smile. “Yeah, Dad, act like an adult.”

“No,” Dad warns. “We are not doing this. Go your separate ways before I remove you both myself.”

“Well, I fancy soaking in some sun,” Hayden remarks, then wiggles her fingers at her dad. “Bye, Dad.”

“I’m going to find my two favourite children,” Max utters, storming away.

“Keep lying to yourself. I’m always the favourite.”

“Not after you stole a bite of my sandwich.”

“It was mine,” she cries, stomping her foot.

Mum sighs. “Your uncle was an adolescent when I first met him. I always thought he would mature as he got older. But he’s still as crazy as he was back then.”

I grab my towel off the back of the sun lounger. “You do realise she will get him back at dinner.”

“Oh, I know. Your dad will probably lock Max in his cabin to avoid the drama.”

Madison snorts. “Not Hayden?”

Mum smiles. “He would never do anything to upset any of you.”

“How’s my girl?” Dad asks when he joins us. He swings Sunday into his lap before leaning over and kissing Mum.

“I splashed in pool,” Sunday tells him. “We go in again?”

“Once your food goes down,” he promises, before turning to Mum. “You okay?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“I’m good. Nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” he assures her. “Where did Faith and Beau go?”

“Faith is feeling a little bit sea sick so she’s gone to lie down. I gave her some of those sea sickness tablets. Beau is going to stay with her.”

“We will go check on her in a bit,” he promises. “What about Lily and Jaxon? I didn’t run into them on my way up here.”

“Lily is with Jaxon inside. They wanted to get Rose out of the sun for a bit, but they’ll be back out once she’s fed and gone back to sleep.”

When he glances mine and Madison’s way, I give him a bright smile. “I’m great, Dad. Thank you for asking though.”

He rolls his eyes. “I can see that for myself. Why aren’t you with the others in the casino?”

“Because I wanted to spend some time with Sunday in the pool.”

He nods and drops Sunday on the seat between him and Mum. “Then you won’t mind watching her whilst me and your mum go and check on Lily and the baby.”

“Not at all. I’ve got this,” I assure him, reaching for the sandwich Mum is picking apart in a container.

“There will be no one for you, one for me with this sandwich,” she warns.

“I did it once, Mum. Once .”

“And your bites are ten times as big as hers,” she points out.

I thought it was a thing everyone did with their kids to get them to eat. The whole one bite for me, one bite for you, worked.

“On that note, I’m going back to the casino,” Madison declares.

I glance at Sunday when they leave. “What do you think? Want to give your favourite uncle a bite of your sandwich?”

“No!”

“Just one tiny bite?” I plead.

“Mine!” she growls, scoffing it down.

I can’t help but smile at how adorable she is. She’s always been an easy child, but recently she has begun to love her food like a true Carter.

I can’t wait until the day I have a child of my own. Kids never factored into my mind, but seeing Maddox, Aiden and Lily with their kids, it’s made me open to the possibility.

I just need to find someone to have them with.