Sophie Oak: Sirens in Bliss

Stef shook his head.

“All right then.” Rachel and Callie and Nell took one last glance at the baby before saying their good-byes.

And then she was alone with her boys. With her husband and her son. God, she had a son—a little piece of her and Stef—someone totally unique in the world. She wanted her boy to have her sense of humor and his dad’s intelligence and talent. She wanted him to have his namesake’s bravery and Stella’s enduring loyalty. She prayed the universe gave her son Rachel’s stubborn will and Callie’s deep tolerance.

And that the world around him would give him such bliss.

“Hey, you’re crying.” Stef’s voice had softened and his hand came out to cup her cheek. “Are you in pain, love?”

She shook her head. “No. I’m just so happy.”

“Scoot over,” he commanded. “And get rid of the blanket. It’s warm enough in here.”

Such a bossy man. She moved slightly, and Stef climbed on the bed and wrapped his arm around her, cuddling her close. The blanket fell away and she lay naked from the waist up. Baby Logan’s body moved as he sighed, his eyes opening and his mouth starting to move. She moved her nipple to his mouth and he started to suck. “I thought I was supposed to be modest.”

“Not around me,” Stef said, his eyes going straight to where his son was nursing. “And that is a beautiful sight.”

“Stef, I don’t want you to think of me as just a mom.” She remembered how Callie had worried that her hubbies hadn’t wanted her sexually. She didn’t want to get into the rut they’d been in before one long night in the guesthouse had proven to Callie that she was still a woman.

Stef chuckled a little and moved against her, pressing on her thigh. “Love, does that feel maternal to you?”

Nope. That was an erection. “God, I’m so glad you’re a complete pervert.”

“I’m a pervert who loves his wife. Jennifer, I love you. I love our son. I can’t thank you enough for him.”

“So no more pulling away? You should know that I’ll just pull you back.” She had no intention of ever losing her husband.

“I live in fear of it.” Stef touched his mouth to hers in a sweet kiss. “I’ll never leave you. Either of you.”

Logan kicked and started to cry.

“I think he wants his dad.”

“His dad is right here.” Stef gently cradled the baby. “Come on, son. Let’s let your mom get some sleep.”

He took Logan to the rocking chair and unbuttoned his shirt. He cuddled the baby to his chest and started to rock. “Well, Naomi said skin to skin, right? She said it would soothe him. I assume she meant my skin, too.”

Sweet tears pricked at her eyes. “Yes, absolutely.”

Logan settled down again and Stef was watching their son.

Jen laid back and dreamed of their future.

The Wedding of Leo, Shelley, and Wolf

Leo pulled at the bow tie of his tux.

“Don’t, son.” Mel was suddenly in his space, standing in front of him. “You have it too tight. Let me.”

Mel knew how to tie a bow tie? He moved his hands away, allowing Mel access.

Mel quickly worked the tie into something that allowed Leo to breathe. He looked at himself in the mirror. It was damn near perfect. “Thanks, Mel.”

The older man smiled. He was in a tux, too, but he was also wearing a trucker hat that sported a tinfoil lining. “You’re welcome. Oh, and I took care of the problem with Robert, though I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention it to your momma. I had a little help from your boss. I told you that one would make a good hunter.”

“If I ever decided to rid the world of aliens, I could certainly do it,” a low voice said.

Leo felt his eyes widen. He turned and Julian was standing there looking resplendent in his tux. “Is he still alive?”

“Of course,” Julian replied steadily. “I wouldn’t kill anyone right before your wedding, Leo. I’ve heard the sheriff around here is quite unreasonable, but Danielle told me not to replace him.”

“Replace him?”

“You know, with a more reasonable man. Apparently the town is happy with him. Danielle thinks I should just pay the tickets he’s written us, but I told Finn to do whatever it takes.”

Oh, god. “I’ll have Wolf talk to Nate. We’ll get it cleared up. So what did you do to Robert?”

Mel smiled. “Julian just talked to him.”

Julian smoothed down his jacket, looking into one of the mirrors and checking his already perfect appearance. “I pointed out a few irrefutable facts of life to Mr. Meyer. It’s very likely that he will end up in jail again, and despite the fact that he’s always been in minimum security prison, accidents can happen there, too.”

So Julian threatened to have him killed. That wasn’t so surprising. “So you and Mel found him and just talked to him?”

A tiny shake of Julian’s head indicated his negative response. “I simply talked to him. Mel gave him a very sound thrashing. Apparently he’s quite up on all the alien fighting techniques. He’s quite good in a fight. A mean fucker. I like him.”

Mel tipped his trucker hat. “A man has to stay in shape. I’m going to go see how Wolf and Jamie are doing. I doubt either one of them knows how to tie a bow tie either.”

Mel shut the door behind him, and Julian’s lips curled up in a little grin. “This place is completely insane. I have to admit, I’m looking forward to the sanity of Dallas.”

Because Julian controlled his world in Dallas. Julian preferred to control everything, but he’d learned to bend in all the right ways. When Leo had first met Julian, he’d been cold and shut down to everyone except Jack Barnes. Over time, Julian had become more than Leo’s friend. Julian had mentored Leo, taught him how to blend into high society, gave him a place to stay, a job to do, while he sorted through his life.

Julian Lodge had been a real father to him. And now Julian was standing beside him on his wedding day.

He would never tell Julian that he thought of him as a father. Julian would very likely punch him in the face or pay someone to do it.

But he suddenly felt an overwhelming need to do something he’d never done before. He stepped close and put his arms around his mentor.

Julian was perfectly still. “Leo, there’s seems to be something wrong. You’ve fallen and you don’t seem to be getting up.”

“It’s called a hug, Julian. Give me a minute.”

Julian sighed a little, and then there was a little pat to Leo’s back. “I’m very proud of you, Leo.”

Fuck. He was not going to cry. He stepped back and took a long breath. “Back at you, man.”

The door opened again and Wolf stepped in. “Hey, brother, I believe it’s time. Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet.”

His feet weren’t cold. They were eager. Eager to begin his new life. Eager to see the whole world again, this time in the right way, with his family by his side.

Leo stepped out and joined his brother on the most important day of their lives.

The day they truly became a family.

Wolf felt his heart clench the moment she stepped into the church on her brother’s arm.

This was why people spent god-awful amounts of money on weddings. This was why they waited and went through all the trouble. They did it because there was something deep and meaningful about standing at the end of the aisle and watching the woman he loved walking toward him.

Shelley was choosing them. She was forsaking all others.

And he had his brother beside him. Oh, Jamie was his best man and Julian was Leo’s, but at the end of the day, his brother had become his best friend, his partner. His brother was the one he could count on. They shared a life. They shared a past and a future. No one would ever know him the way Leo did.