Beholden (The Belonging Duet, #2)(90)

“Idiot. Well, first I want to hear your terms.”

My cadets are now doing ring-around-the-rosey. I need a full out boot camp for these two. “Girls … you’re killing me. Killing me.” I look back at Catherine and I need to kiss her.

So I do.

I feel someone little pulling on my shirt. Looking down, I see Erin. Little cock blocker. “Is Uncle Mark coming? He always lets me win.”

“No, because he doesn’t want to lose to your amazing daddy!” I say a little too excitedly.

My beautiful, sweet, perfect daughter laughs at me. “Daddy, you’re silly. Uncle Mark always wins.”

“Do you want to ever get a present again?” I ask her. “Because I’ll make sure you never see another Barbie.” I purse my lips and she laughs harder.

I swear I was drunk when I wished for girls.

“Are you done threatening the kids with things they know you’ll never do and ready to lose?” Catherine asks from behind me, holding Kennedy in her arms.

Arguing with her is a full-time job. “Sure, baby. Let’s set the terms so we’re crystal clear on what I get when I win.”

“Let’s hear it.”

I steeple my fingers and try to make this good. When I win, I want to be sure I really come out with what I want. After the f*cking play from hell, I still had to send her to a spa in Napa when I moved out here—and fly Ashton out. It’s payback time.

“I want a guys’ golfing weekend. In Bermuda. With Mark, Tristan, and Logan.”

“So you want to take all my help?” she asks.

“Fine, you can keep Tristan. He sucks at golf anyway.”

Tristan and Logan live down the street from us. Logan had a breakout role in a major film and now Catherine represents him. Tristan stays home and does … well, nothing.

“Okay,” she agrees.

Immediately my spidey senses kick in. She agreed way too easily.

“That was too quick. What did you do?” I look around and put my hand out. “Give me the stopwatch, dear.”

Catherine’s eyes widen and she smiles. “Here ya go, pumpkin,” she says sarcastically. I almost prefer “Muffin”—almost.

I look at the timer but it’s still at zero.

“I don’t trust you,” I narrow my eyes before turning around. “Erin and Kennedy,” I call them over, “Did your mommy do something?”

They both smile and shake their heads no.

“Fine. You ready to watch me teach your mommy how it’s done?”

They both give me a blank stare.

“Okay, good.”

“Ready, Muffin?”

“Sure thing, cupcake.”

“Go!” Catherine calls out and I sprint off. I get over the logs and halfway to the tunnel when I hear Kennedy start screaming hysterically.

I stop immediately and rush to her. When I get there, she stops and looks up at Catherine. “Like that, Mommy?”

Catherine looks up and tilts her head to her shoulder.

“You’re using the kids?” I ask incredulously. This means war.

“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. You should probably get back to it, old man.”

I growl, “I’ll show you an old man.” I turn and run faster hoping she doesn’t try anything else. I leap back over the logs and get through the tube quickly.

Ha! I’m not even breaking a sweat.

I climb the rope, but when I get to the top of the wall, Erin is sitting at the bottom where I would land.

“Catherine!” I practically snarl her name.

I look at my oldest and give her a knowing look. “Sweetheart, can you move so Daddy doesn’t crush you?”

“Sorry, I was told I would get to go to Toys R Us and pick out anything I want. Grandma Nina also said if I stayed extra long she’d send me money.”

“What? She’s in on this too?”

They’re all out to get me. Next thing Reagan will somehow be involved.

I leap onto the other side and hear Catherine yell out, “That’s an extra minute, babe. You’re clearly cheating.”

I get through the next four parts of the course and make it down the tower.

Now it’s time for my wife to pay for her transgressions.

“What was so important that you wanted to win? You know I’d give you everything.”

She smiles and places her hand on my chest. “You already have.”

“Does this involve a play? Because I really don’t want to sit through that horse shit again.”

“No, but you will get to star in it.” She smiles and my mind starts to race. “I have conditions though.”

“Of course you do,” I shake my head and already regret this.

Catherine smirks and wraps her arms around my neck. “Yes, I don’t want anymore presidents. I just want one thing.”

Now she has me thoroughly confused.

“And that would be, my love?” I question while kissing the tip of her nose.

“A boy.”



THE END