Page 20 of Regret

“Congratulations, Valor and Savannah,” Judge Paxton says, bringing me back to reality as I look around our group while they smile at us.

All of my girls have tears in their eyes as Judge Paxton walks around his desk and pulls out the papers we’ll need to sign off on. We sign the marriage certificate first with Vault and Annabell as our witnesses. After that’s taken care of, the judge signs off on the adoption papers before turning to face the girls and me.

“Ava, Chloe, and Miracle, I want to congratulate you on your adoption. It takes a special man to take on children he didn’t create, but I think you three already know that. I hope life treats you well and that Valor makes all of your dreams come true,” Judge Paxton says, his voice full of happiness as my girls surround me and wrap their arms around me.

“He already does,” Miracle says before burying her face in my side as her little body shakes with tears.

I hold my girls close and take a few minutes to ourselves as everyone lets us. When we finally pull apart, Slim tells us it’s time to go. We’ve been away from the clubhouse too long and someone might know where we are now. With a nod of my head, I take my family out of the judge’s chambers and head back out where the rest of the guys are waiting for us. I help them all in the truck and know nothing is going to wipe the smile off of my face. Today marks the beginning of the rest of our lives. It’s a fresh start for all of us and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Savannah, Ava, Chloe, and Miracle are my girls and I will make sure every stupid fucker who even thinks he can get close to them knows I’ll burn the fucking world down to protect them without any hesitation.

Chapter Fourteen

Savannah

AFTER GETTING BACK to the clubhouse yesterday, Zach claimed me as his ol’ lady in front of everyone at the clubhouse. Some of the guys were missing because they were out searching for any sign of Conrad or his father. I once again cried because I honestly never thought the two of us would get to this point. Yes, I believe him when he tells me he loves me and that he doesn’t love Kasey. I might be stupid for forgiving him, but that’s my mistake to make. No matter what, I know the girls will never feel pain from losing him because Zach will always remain in their lives even if something happens between the two of us. However, I also know that becoming his ol’ lady means for life. If we were just married, one of us could walk away instead of fighting to make our relationship work. Becoming his ol’ lady means we fight together every single day to prove this is what we want and we’ll do everything to make it work. It’s a fight I’m willing to have because Zach is worth it. Our relationship is worth fighting for and that’s something I’m not willing to ever stop doing.

This situation with Conrad and being apart from Zach for so long has proven to me that life is too fucking short not to live it to the fullest. I want to be happy and have the man I love at my side regardless of what anyone thinks. The girls and I talked about everything and they want Zach in our lives so I’m not pushing my thoughts and feelings on them and just doing what I want without taking into consideration what my sisters want. They were there when we got married and when Zach claimed me. It wouldn’t have been the same if they weren’t involved and at our sides. Zach feels the same way and made sure they were included someway during the ceremony and when he claimed me. That’s the kind of life this man is going to give us moving forward and it’s all the simple, small gestures he makes that fill us with happiness and love.

All the ol’ ladies made sure I sat for the day as they all worked to put together a feast to celebrate our wedding and Zach adopting the girls. There was no way in hell they weren’t going to do anything with us. Shy is adamant that we have a party once everything is taken care of, and I’m not going to argue with her. I’d like to have a party to celebrate marrying the man I love. For now, dinner with everyone we care about is more than enough for me. There will be time later for a true celebration filled with even more people we love and care about.

Vault and Annabell kept the girls at their house last night so Valor and I could be alone in our home. He moved all of my stuff to the master bedroom with his stuff so I have no choice but to share a room with him. If it were up to me, I’d leave my stuff in the guest room I chose when we moved here so the girls wouldn’t see such another large change between the two of us so soon. Zach didn’t feel the same way about the situation. Today, we’re going to talk about it again because I’m not sure this is okay for the girls to see.

Getting out of bed, my body is sore as fuck. It feels as if I ran a marathon and that’s not the case at all. Zach spent all last night worshiping my body and continuing to explore every inch of me. We only stopped long enough to eat, drink, and take short naps before one of us was waking up the other one again. The two of us were insatiable last night and my body is paying the price for that today. Still, I grab my robe and tie it closed around me before heading downstairs where I can smell someone making breakfast already. Since Zach wasn’t in bed with me, I have a feeling it’s him. He’s always trying to feed us and make sure we have enough to eat.

By the time I get to the bottom of the stairs, I can hear him talking to the girls. They’re excitedly telling him about spending the night with their aunt and uncle. About how Annabell made them the largest ice cream sundaes they’ve ever seen because she wanted one. Or the baby wanted one according to Ava who’s laughing as she tells the story to Zach. Then they tell him about Vault letting Miracle put make-up on him and painting his nails while they watched all the chick flicks. Vault didn’t make them feel horrible about wanting to do make-up or watch girly movies. He got right in there with them and let my baby sister put make-up on his face. Not every man would do the same thing, but with these guys, I know they’ll do everything to make my sisters feel like family.

Stepping in the kitchen, I find my family around the island in the center of the kitchen. Zach is cooking a feast while dancing with the girls. Ava just turned on some music and it fills the lower part of the house. I lean against the wall and smile as I watch Zach dance with each of my sisters. Everyone is laughing and having the best time. For the first time, I can almost forget Conrad is still out there and he’ll be coming for us. Nothing else exists but the five of us right now and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Good mornin’, Sleepin’ Beauty,” Zach says when he finally notices me standing and watching them. “We were tryin’ to make you breakfast in bed. Can’t do that if you’re not in bed, Love.”

“Fine. I’ll go back to bed. Did you girls have fun yesterday?” I ask before turning to make my way back upstairs.

“Yes!” they all call out at the same time, breaking into a fit of giggles with how in sync they are.

Climbing back in bed after putting on some pajamas, I cover myself up and wonder how the rest of the day is gonna go. Honestly, I want to spend it in bed, but that’s not feasible with teenage girls in the house. Or almost teenage girls. They’re old enough to realize what’s going on and I won’t ever put them in a position to catch Zach and me in a compromising position. That’s not something they ever need to see.

I grab the remote and turn the TV on, flipping through the channels while waiting for Zach and the girls to bring our breakfast upstairs. Before I can find something worth trying to watch, the door of our bedroom opens and I look up at Zach standing there and the girls nowhere to be found.

“Where are the girls?” I ask, trying to look around him into the hall.

“They’re with Vault and Slim. The kids are havin’ a movie day at the clubhouse. Told them we’d be down after we got done eatin’,” he answers me, entering the room and closing the door behind him with his foot. “You look like you wanna talk about somethin’.”

“I do. I still don’t think it’s the right time for me to move into the master room with you, Zach. Yeah, I know the girls were at our wedding and know you claimed me as your ol’ lady. It’s one thing to watch that happen and a completely different thing for them to realize we’re sharing a bedroom in the house we’re making a home for them,” I tell him as he steps up next to me and places the tray of food over my legs before walking around and climbing into bed with me.

Zach made us pancakes with bacon and sausage. He’s got us both a glass of orange juice and he’s drinking coffee. Yesterday and earlier this morning, he brought a cup in the bedroom and I got sick to my stomach. Right now, it’s not too bad, but my stomach does roll a little bit. No coffee for me if I’ve got some kind of stomach bug right now. I’m okay with that.

“Love, the girls and I talked about it. You and the girls talked about it. They’re more than happy with us sharin’ a room and know that’s what married couples do. No, we might not have a traditional relationship, but I feel they’re overrated. Our relationship is our own and what we choose to do is up to us. Yes, we have to make decisions with the girls in mind and we’ve done that. They’re all old enough and understand that we’ll share a bed and have sex. That was the conversation you had with them, Love. The girls aren’t stupid and we’re not gonna act as if they are. You’re in our bedroom, our bed, and the girls don’t have a single problem with that happenin’. If they do, they know they can come talk to us and we’ll work through it as a family,” he says, sounding so sure of himself and the girls that I have little room to doubt what he’s saying because it’s the truth.

“Okay. I’ll drop it for now. If the girls give one inkling that they’re not comfortable with the situation, we’ll have to fix it one way or another,” I say, picking up my fork and digging into my pancakes because I’m starving.

Zach and I eat our breakfast in silence with only the low volume of the TV in the background. Once we’re done eating, we take a shower together and spend time washing one another as if we didn’t spend all of last night wrapped up in each other. I’ve never been naked around someone so much in my entire life before as I have in the last twenty-four hours with Zach. Still, I wouldn’t change a single second of it for anything else in the world. This is how I want my life to go moving forward with this man at my side. Nothing else will be okay with me. So, I will do everything in my power to ensure Conrad doesn’t get his hands on me or the girls so we can live our lives with Zach where we’re meant to be.

Finding the girls at the clubhouse was easy as hell. All the kids were in one of the large entertainment rooms set up with TVs, gaming systems, board games, and everything else a kid could want. They even have their own pool table so they can play. Hell, I’ve heard the guys talking about putting one of those air hockey tables in the room for the kids. I think it’s more for the big kids instead of the ones currently occupying the space.

Ava, Hope, and Faith are sitting together talking about school and boys. Not a conversation I want to listen to as I walk away from them. Miracle is sitting by herself with a book in her hand. She doesn’t even look up as I squat down in front of her.

“Miracle, you doing okay?” I ask her, finally pulling her out of her book long enough to look at me with a smile on her face.

“I’m good, Vanna. I love you, ya know,” she tells me, closing her book after placing her bookmark on her page.

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