The Will (The Magdalene Series) (Volume 1)(210)

Ethan led them to the family room.

That room looked no different. Neither did the living room, dining room, kitchen, light room, den, greenhouse or the guestrooms.

However, since they moved in after Christmas, Amber’s room, Conner’s room and Ethan’s room had all been changed to be precisely what they wanted. Josie saw to that.

And Jake and Josie’s room at the top floor had not one single f*cking flower in it. It was decorated in gray, cream and a beige color Josie informed him was taupe. It was stylish. The sheets f*cking heaven. It felt every night like he was climbing into bed with his woman in a five star hotel. And with his kids a floor away, the house built sturdy and strong, if they closed the door, they could get as loud as they wanted when he f*cked her.

Jake loved it.

Josie did too.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Ethan demanded when they all stopped, huddled close and Jake didn’t move.

Jake looked down to his son, held his eyes and said quietly, “All right, bud.” He handed him the envelope and finished, “Do it.”

Jake watched as the excitement leached from his boy’s face and anxiety replaced it.

Conner saw it too, and being a good kid growing into a good man, but definitely a good brother, he stepped in.

“Okay, Josie, we talked, all of us”—he indicated his sister and brother with a jerk of his head—“about what to get you and Dad for your wedding. It was Amber’s idea. She talked to me. We talked to Eath. Eath was all for it in a big way. So then we had to talk to Dad so he knows about it.”

Josie, her hand held tight in his, had her eyes glued to Conner through this and when he stopped speaking, she said, “All right, sweetheart.”

“Dad had to talk to attorneys,” Amber put in and Josie looked to her, her eyes widening. “And, well, someone else.” His girl looked down to his son and then back to Josie. “She agreed.”

“So here it is,” Ethan butted in verbally at the same time jerking the envelope to Josie.

Josie stared down at the envelope before she took it, asking softly, “What is it, sweetheart?”

Jake gave her hand a squeeze before letting it go and encouraging, “Open it.”

Her eyes came to his before they slid through his kids and then she turned her attention to the envelope.

He felt his chest get tight as he watched her open it. He felt his children get tense as they watched her do it. And then he saw Josie’s entire body go still when she slid the papers out and saw what was written at the top of the first sheet.

“It’s me,” Ethan whispered, his voice now croaky, and Jake felt his own throat scratch as he looked down at his son. “We’re givin’ you me for your wedding.”

Josie said nothing. She just stared down at Ethan.

When this lasted awhile, Jake put his hand to the small of her back and got close.

“Adoption papers, baby,” he said something he knew she knew because it was right there on the papers for her to see. “Sloane agreed. She’s signed them. You just have to sign them and Ethan’s your boy.”

As beautiful as this was, Jake was conflicted about it.

It was truth that in the last nine months Josie had been more mother to Ethan than he’d had in eight years from Sloane.

But it still stuck in his craw remembering his call to Sloane to broach the subject of her giving up all legal claim to her own son. It stuck in his craw the memory of her trying to hide the relief in her voice through the fake uncertainty she used to ask, “Are you sure, Jake?”

In the end, he knew down to his bones it was her loss and he knew precisely how huge that loss was.

And her loss was his wife’s gain.

And his son’s.

And Amber’s and Conner’s.

And last, his.

He knew Josie felt this, all of it when Jake saw the pink move into her cheeks, her throat convulse, the wet hit her eyes, eyes she didn’t tear away from Ethan.

Finally, her voice husky, she whispered a question, a question that Sloane didn’t ask. That being how Ethan felt about it.

“Are you sure, honey?”

Ethan’s reply was, “Can I call you Mom?”

It was then Jake knew his son knew what he’d been missing.

And was happy with what he got.

So maybe it wasn’t so bad when a kid got put on this earth with a shit mother that he got to choose the one he wanted.

Josie knew Ethan was happy too and Jake knew that when the papers fluttered to the ground as Josie covered her face with her hands and almost went down when her legs went out from under her.

Jake caught her and hauled her into his arms, hers closing around his shoulders as she shoved her face in his neck and her body shook against his with her tears.

He held her close and stroked her back as he heard Ethan ask in confusion and some fear, “Does that mean she likes it?”

Amber’s breath hitched so it was Conner who answered.

“Yeah, Eath, bud, she likes it.”

Josie jerked out of his arms and turned to Ethan, dropping down to her knees and taking his face in her hands.

She yanked him close and said, “No, I don’t like it, sweetheart. I love it. Because I love you. So it makes me very happy. I’m delighted it makes you happy too. And I’d be honored if you’d call me Mom.”

Ethan lips quivered then he fell forward, Josie caught him in her arms and Jake had to reach out, claim his daughter and hold her close because she was now sobbing loudly.