Stripping Callum (Last Hangman MC Book 6)(73)
Elijah loved the attention he got from all the girls, having six of us give him cuddles and kisses. He was in heaven, although he kept asking when Callum could come home. He really took to Callum and loves him. I’m so happy about that. I was dreading that he would hate him in the beginning and I’d have to stop seeing him.
That’s always been a big rule for me. In the eventuality that I found someone, if Elijah didn’t like them, I would break up with them because Elijah’s happiness comes first to me.
Gabe and Jase are picking up Callum from the hospital. There was no point in me going even though I really wanted to. Callum still has to be careful and lie down as much as he can. With him being so tall, he’d take the whole backseat, and the two front seats would be taken so there would be no space for me.
Elijah wanted to come too, so it would have been too much of a trouble, which allowed me to help with the food preparation. The MC always goes all out when it comes to any kind of celebration, and this one isn’t any different.
Food lines the kitchen counter and the dining room table. Josie made enough cakes and donuts to feed an army, and the drinks are ready.
I’m excited to see Callum back in our home. It’ll be the first time we will be here together since he asked me to move in with him. It may not seem that important, but it really means as much to me as if he actually asked me to marry him. It means he wants to live with me and spend as much time as he can with me. I don’t need a ring to display that, but living together is pretty special to me.
What bothers me is that it’s the house where he lived with Alina and Billy. The house where they were killed. A house his father knows about and could come here at any given time and f*ck things up for us. I’m not worried that I’m filling a gap, but with all that’s been revealed about how Alina came to meet Callum and what happened between them in the beginning, I’m still wondering if Billy was his kid, if she actually loved him, how he feels now knowing it. Surely, it’s affecting him in a way. I want to talk to him about it, but I don’t want to bring bad memories, or new memories for that matter, back to the surface and mess with his head. I know we’re going to have to talk about it at some point, but I want him to start the talk, not me. He has to be ready and willing to talk about it of his own accord instead of me prompting him to talk about it.
“They’re here!” a very pregnant Nancy squeals clapping.
We all hide as Elijah squeals excitedly, bouncing around. There was no point in asking him to hide to surprise him as he’s too excited. I know the second the door is open, he’ll run to Callum and jump in his arms, or at least try to as he would struggle to pick him up.
Instead, Elijah is standing by the door with a big sign he made saying ‘Welcome home, daddy Callum’. I wasn’t sure about the daddy part. We haven’t talked about it, but that’s how Elijah feels about Callum when he knows he’s not his biological father. He doesn’t seem to care. He loves Callum as his own father, and I hope Callum won’t shut off because of it. That’d be heartbreaking for Elijah.
The door slowly opens, and I can see the excitement in Elijah as he’s bouncing on the spot. As soon as he sees Callum, he squeals loudly. The looks of sheer happiness on Callum’s face is a sight to be seen. I’ve never seen him this happy.
“Hey, little man.” He kneels as best as he can and wraps his arms around him. Elijah climbs in his arms, and Callum stands up. “What do you have here?” He takes the sign Elijah made for him, and for a second that seems to go on for forever; Callum is quiet. He looks at Elijah and lets out a shuddering breath. “Thank you, son,” Callum says, and I’m pretty sure all the women in the room start tearing up at the same time, starting with me.
“I missed you, Daddy,” Elijah says, wrapping his little arms around Callum’s neck.
“I missed you, too,” Callum says through the tears he’s desperately fighting holding back.
We all come out from our hiding spots, and Callum smiles at us holding his free arm out for me. I walk to him and wrap myself carefully on the side he has stitches in.
“Way to make me look like a softie to all of them,” he whispers and makes me laugh.
“That wasn’t the plan, we were supposed to surprise you. This little one wanted dibs on the first hug so we let him have it. Didn’t expect you to tear up.” I shrug and kiss his chest.
“This is the best welcome home ever, suck on that, all of you!” he says looking at his friends.
“Yeah, you win,” Jase says, chuckling, picking up his and Nicole’s son.
“How do you feel?” I ask him as he gives me Elijah. He still isn’t supposed to lift much weight.
“Exhausted and I’ve been doing fu—. I haven’t been doing anything for ten days,” he groans and goes to the couch. “Not that I’m trying to be rude, but I’m still in a lot of pain so you can all be my slaves for the day.” He sprawls on the couch and motions for me to give him Elijah again. I place him on the couch, and he cuddles into him.
“What do you want?” I smile, kissing him properly.
“Anything, you know I’m not picky.”
“Okay.” I smile and go to the kitchen to make him and Elijah a plate.
Everybody starts getting food and chatting to each other, the party a lot quieter than what I’m used to from the compound, but it’s better this way; at least he’s not tempted to do anything crazy.