Page 74 of Reclaiming Izabel

“Must have cost you a pretty penny to put this in.”

I smirked. “Helps to have a wife who’s well-connected.”

“Is Maddox bragging about his grill?” a voice spoke behind us.

I spun around, my grin widening. I dragged the newcomer into a one-arm hug. “Hank, brother, so fucking glad to see you.”

“Wouldn’t miss the housewarming or the MadDog special,” Hank said. “Must say, you’ve gone all out with the house.”

“It was all Izabel.” Building our dream home evoked an ever-present excitement and happy ache inside me because it marked the many milestones of our way back to each other. The house had a similar design to the Georgian we’d lived in prior to moving. We’d put a lot of thought into the outdoor space, making sure the sunroom could accommodate Izabel’s plants like her orchids. She’d begun collecting them again and the Cymbidium I’d gotten for her became her new favorite. The slate patio had a fire pit that could convert into an area for a hog roast. Which was why a barbecue was the perfect party to celebrate the culmination of our dreams after an unexpected delay.

The delay being the precious bundle that was squirming in Izabel’s arms.

Our one-year-old daughter, Ana Lisa Carmen Maddox, named after Izabel’s mother and a spitting image of my wife.

When Izabel approached, I quickly turned back to the steaks and flipped them before handing the tongs to Brick. “Watch them. These should be medium. I’ll throw on the next batch later.”

“Hey, Hank,” Izabel greeted.

“Look at that little one,” Hank replied. “Thank God, she looks like you and not Drake.”

I pretended to scratch my cheek, but gave him the finger.

Izabel laughed. “Me too.”

“Hey.” I mock-glared at my wife.

“But if we have a son, I want him to look like his daddy.”

Daddy.

Could my heart clench any harder with so much love for my family?

“So where are you off to after this stop?” I asked. “You’ve gone nomad for a while. Still tired of Garrison?”

Hank chuckled. “Nah, I miss his ugly ass and the team. But I got business to take care of in Sonoma and I’ll be swinging by LA first. Then we’ll see.”

“How much longer until the steaks are ready?” Izabel asked, getting back into hostess duty. “I need to tell Cindy to get the sides out of the oven.”

“Another twenty minutes for the next batch.” Cooking steaks for a crowd was no easy feat. Everyone had their preference for how they wanted their meat, but I refused to cook well-done steaks except for kids below the age of fifteen.

“Poor Marcus is on lifeguard duty.” Izabel looked toward the pool at my business partner. “And looks like he needs a beer.”

“Here, let me take her,” I offered. Izabel gratefully handed our daughter over and walked away to check on our guests around the pool who were mostly her coworkers from Stockman and Bose.

Harrelson and I started our own security business a few months ago. Task Force Deadly Spear was disbanded after Mitchell and Tierney were charged with treason.

“Where’s Viktor?” Hank asked. “Heard a lot about him, but never seen the man.”

Brick barked a laugh. “He would never be caught dead at a barbecue.”

“Yeah, he likes living in the shadows if he can help it,” I murmured.

Everyone chuckled, but there was a truth that the AGS boss man had no patience for family get-togethers unless his wife forced him to attend one and play nice.

I hadn’t heard from Viktor since the senate hearing. Though I felt a measure of relief that I got to spend plenty of time with my family…once a SEAL, always a SEAL.

However, after my experience living life as a ghost, I relished this normal life and there was nothing more normal than having a barbecue with family and friends.

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