Ink Ever After Read online

  It had just been a long day, and apparently, they were looking for any reason to fight. Boomer, their dog, was currently asleep under Cliff’s feet, his head resting on her son’s backpack.

  She sighed, wishing Luc were home, but she knew it would be a couple of hours before that happened. Since she worked for the family and with Luc, taking time off because of the pregnancy had been easy. While she hadn’t wanted to take time off so soon, her current predicament of being the size of a house wasn’t really conducive to her job as a landscape architect at Montgomery Inc.. She still did some of the paperwork, but even that had been mostly taken over by their administrative assistant, Tabby.

  The noise grew louder, and she knew she needed to step in and stop it.

  “What is going on in here?” she asked, fully aware why the kids were fighting.

  “I want space, and she’s in my way,” Cliff pouted. Not an attractive look for an eight-year-old.

  Sasha sniffed, using her big, six-year-old eyes to their best advantage. “He’s the one in my way.”

  Meghan rubbed her back. “Just be nice to each other, okay? I’m tired, and I know you guys want to fight, but I honestly don’t have it in me.” She hadn’t meant to blurt that out just then, but apparently, her being truthful worked. Her kids swallowed hard before getting up to hug her.

  Tears filled her eyes, and she did her best to kiss the tops of their little heads.

  “We’re sorry, Mommy,” Sasha said softly. She kissed Meghan’s belly, and Meghan fell that much more in love with her daughter.

  Cliff kissed her belly, too. “We’re done with our homework. I can check Sasha’s if you want.”

  Meghan wiped away tears. “I’ll check it. Thank you for being so good to me.”

  “We love you,” Sasha said with a bounce.

  The kids could make her feel as if she were on top of the world even when she was exhausted. They were such good babies.

  And soon, she’d have a third baby to join the fray. She wasn’t as young as she had been with the others, but she figured she could do this again. It would be different, but she’d be ready.

  And at that thought, Boomer vomited on top of Cliff’s backpack.

  “Gross!” Sasha squealed.

  “I told you not to eat grass,” Cliff admonished and reached down to pet his beloved dog.

  The scent of dog vomit was too much, and Meghan waddled to the kitchen sink to empty her stomach. Her children petted her back, and she washed out her mouth and the sink.

  “I’ll clean it up, Mom,” Cliff said solemnly. “Go take a nap.”

  “We have this,” Sasha said with a nod. “Daddy will be home soon to take us to my recital and everything.”

  “A dance recital,” Cliff sneered.

  “Don’t make fun of my dancing!” Sasha screamed.

  Meghan’s eyes blurred, and she took a deep breath. “Cliff, please take care of Boomer, okay?” She looked down at the dog, who had sad eyes but honestly looked like he’d just eaten too much grass outside. Silly dog. She’d be sure to keep an eye on him, though. Just in case. “Sasha, darling, go get ready for your recital. I’m going to take a quick nap so I’m ready for it tonight.” She couldn’t believe she was actually taking a nap just then, but she needed to if she were going to make it through the night.

  Her kids led her to the couch, and Cliff even put a blanket over her. She fell asleep before she’d even hit the pillow.

  In her dreams, she heard voices, her babies’ and Luc’s deep drawl. Soft lips kissed her forehead, and she drifted off again.

  When she woke up, a small light was on in the kitchen, but it was dark everywhere else. Panic seeped in, and she forced herself to sit, ignoring the dizzy feeling that passed through her.

  How was it night?

  She couldn’t hear her children, couldn’t see her husband, but Boomer sat patiently by her on the floor next to the couch, and she knew one thing.

  She’d missed her baby’s first dance recital.

  And the others had let her.

  Meghan put her hands to her face and wept.

  TWO

  Three Hours Earlier

  Luc knew something was off as soon as he walked into the house. The children were remarkably quiet, and even the dog hadn’t greeted him when he’d opened the door. Panic slid up his spine at the familiar feeling of an unknown, but he pushed it away as soon as he saw Cliff and Sasha in the foyer, their fingers pressed to their lips.

  He frowned and softly closed the door behind him. He was about to ask the kids what was going on when he spotted Meghan sleeping on the couch. How he hadn’t heard her snoring like a freight train was beyond him. Maybe he’d just gotten so used to it during her pregnancy that it just blended in with the background noise.

  God, he loved his wife.

  Boomer lay on his bed near the couch, sleeping away, as well. Apparently, one of the kids, or even Meghan herself, had put a blanket on top of her.

  He ushered the kids back toward the kitchen, trying to keep quiet so Meghan could sleep. She didn’t sleep well these days, so any shut-eye was a blessing.

  “Hey you two,” he whispered before hugging and kissing each of the kids hello.

  “Mommy is sleeping,” Sasha said softly even as she bounced. The kid always bounced, and he loved it. She wore a tiny pink set of tights and a tutu with some kind of onesie thing. He was sure Meghan knew the name of it, but he couldn’t remember it for the life of him.

  Damn it. That’s right, he needed to take them to the recital.

  “I see she’s sleeping,” he said after a moment.

  Cliff shifted from foot to foot. “She’s been sleeping for a while, and we didn’t eat dinner like we were supposed to.”

  Luc held back a curse. He should have taken the afternoon off, but Meghan had told him not to. He hated that he put so much on her shoulders.

  “I don’t want to wake Mommy,” Sasha said suddenly.

  Luc’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted Mommy to watch you dance.” Sasha had been talking about nothing but the fact that she wanted Meghan there for months. Even with the new baby coming.

  Sasha shook her head, her eyes wide. “Mommy needs sleep. I want her to sleep because the baby needs it.”

  Hell, these kids broke him more each day.

  “I made Sasha and me sandwiches,” Cliff added, his chest puffed. “And I made you one, too. And Mom. They’re in the fridge. I know how to make them since Mom asks for my help with school lunches.”

  Seriously, these kids were the best kids ever. They’d taken him in without a second thought, even though he wasn’t their real father. Since their actual father was an asshole who was going to spend a long time in prison, Luc was happy as hell being their father. But now they were taking care of each other and him and Meghan when they hadn’t been able to do everything themselves.

  “Mom might be sad she missed it.”

  “You can record it,” Cliff said with a nod. “We have to sit in back, though because some of the dance moms get cranky.” Luc was pretty sure those words had come from Meghan, and Luc had to hold back a smile.

  Meghan was going to kill him, but she needed the sleep. The doctors had told her so. He’d leave a note, Boomer, her phone, and anything else she’d need right by her side, but he was pretty sure she was going to miss Sasha’s recital. There was just no way he could wake her up when she was finally sleeping.

  “Okay then,” he said after a moment. “Let’s get this done.”

  And, hopefully, Meghan would forgive him.

  The lights were on when they pulled into the drive. That meant Meghan was up, and she wasn’t going to be happy he’d let her sleep through the recital. In fact, he had a feeling that was an understatement. Sasha had passed out in the back seat, exhausted from her day, and Cliff was silent, as well, probably lost in his head as he was prone to do.

  Luc squeezed the steering wheel before forcing himself to take a breath. Meghan would be oka
y.

  “Mom won’t be mad, will she?” Cliff asked from the back seat.

  Luc turned off the engine, cut the lights, and turned in his seat to study his son. Cliff looked like a Montgomery, though he had a little Warren in him, as well. But now Cliff was a Dodd. The kids had formally taken his last name a few months ago when the adoption had come through. Their jackass of a birth father had lost all rights and signed them over when he’d been put in prison on attempted murder charges.

  Luc’s shoulder ached at the memory, but he pushed it aside. Cliff and Sasha were his, just as much as the child growing in Meghan’s womb right at that moment.

  He never thought he could love as fiercely as he did right then, but these kids surprised him more and more every day.

  “She probably won’t be too happy at first,” Luc answered truthfully.

  “She was really tired.” Cliff played with his fingers, looking like such a little boy that Luc wanted to hug him.

  “Let’s get inside and get ready for bed. I’ll make sure your mom is okay.”

  “She wasn’t this tired when she was going to have Sasha.”

  Luc reached out and tugged on Cliff’s foot. The little boy had been far too young when Sasha had been born to remember anything about the pregnancy. It was far more likely that Cliff had heard one of Meghan’s family members mention it in passing.

  “Your Mom is fine,” Luc said truthfully. “Just a little tired.” And a little older, but not that much older. “And now we should go inside because I’m tired, and we’re probably creeping out the neighbors sitting here like this.”

  Cliff grinned. “We shouldn’t creep out the neighbors.”

  Luc rolled his eyes. “Only on Halloween, bud. Now let’s go. You get the bags, and I’ll get your sister.”

  Sasha rubbed her eyes. “I’m not tired, Daddy.”

  Luc leveled her a look. “Well, I am. Let’s get going.”

  He got the kids in the house and tried not to wince at the look on Meghan’s face. Oh, his wife wasn’t happy, but the dark circles under her eyes weren’t as shadowed. The nap had helped, and now he just prayed he hadn’t hurt his wife in the process.

  Meghan didn’t glare at the children, though. In fact, he wasn’t sure the kids knew there was anything wrong at all. It was all in the eyes, and that look was just for Luc.

  Well, hell.

  “You’re home!” Meghan opened her arms, and both kids hugged her close. It wasn’t the easiest thing with her large belly in the way, but she had practice. “Did you have fun? You need to tell me all about it, okay?”

  Sasha pulled away and did a little twirl as if she hadn’t just been sleeping minutes earlier. Meghan’s eyes watered, and Luc felt like an ass for forcing her to miss her daughter’s play.

  “Daddy recorded it,” Sasha explained. “And you were really tired. I’m the one who said it was okay for you to miss it. I’ll dance again and again and again and you can come to those. Okay? I love you, Mommy!” And with that, Sasha twirled her way up the stairs with a smiling Cliff trotting up the stairs behind her.

  Luc watched Meghan’s face as she watched her two children go up to bed and sighed. “I’m sorry, Meghan. You needed the sleep.”

  The sound of a door closed upstairs, and Meghan whirled on him. “You don’t get to decide things like that for me.”

  He moved forward and cupped her face. That she didn’t move away from him made him think he might not have screwed up everything. “You needed the sleep,” he repeated. “You haven’t been sleeping for more than spurts for weeks, and you know the doctor was worried you weren’t getting enough sleep to begin with. I came home and you were out. Sasha wanted you to sleep, as did Cliff.”

  “Don’t blame my babies for this.” It was a whisper, and Luc pressed his lips together.

  “I’m not, and I’m sorry. I was just explaining things and I’m doing it wrong.” He kissed away the tears that slid down her cheeks and she nuzzled into his hands. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so freaking sorry. You’re tired, and you need sleep, and I know it sucks but we’ll get through this. You’ll see Sasha’s other dances, and I even recorded this one.”

  “It was her first one, though.”

  “She’ll have others. And Sasha is so excited about this baby that she’ll dance for you anytime you want, as long as you take more naps.”

  Meghan sighed and the baby kicked, nudging Luc’s stomach. He couldn’t help but grin and put his hand over where the baby had moved.

  “This pregnancy is so much harder,” Meghan whispered.

  “I’m here.” What was left unsaid was that her first husband hadn’t been.

  “I’m still mad,” she pouted, but he didn’t believe her.

  “You can spank me later,” he mumbled, and Meghan laughed.

  “I think spanking is how we got into this trouble in the first place.” She rolled her eyes, and Luc kissed her hard.

  She would forgive him, and that was all that mattered for now. Their child would be born into a family that cared so much about others they couldn’t help but give parts of themselves up in the process.

  Only a month or so to go, and the next step would be here.

  Only a month…and Luc was afraid he wouldn’t be getting sleep now…or then.

  THREE

  Meghan thought she loved being pregnant but after seeing Maya and Miranda prance around with their baby bellies and all that freaking energy, Meghan wasn’t sure that was the case anymore.

  She put her hands over her stomach, the feel of each kick and elbow jab from their little soccer player reminding her that while she might not enjoy this stage of physical pregnancy, she was going to have another baby soon. Another gorgeous infant to cuddle and feed and change and have around to keep her up at night. She couldn’t wait.

  She’d loved being pregnant with Sasha and Cliff, and if she were honest with herself, she had sort of pushed away the bad days from her memory. No, they hadn’t been as stressful as the current ones, but this was a different pregnancy, and she was quite a deal older than she had been with the other two.

  So she’d take the swollen ankles, the sleepless nights, the heartburn, the acne, the fact that she was already missing important times in her children’s lives. She’d take it all and learn to like it, because soon, Sasha and Cliff would have another sibling, and she would be able to see the look in Luc’s eyes when he held his child for the first time.

  Her husband had never once held back with his love for Cliff and Sasha. He’d considered them his from the moment they were engaged. And she was pretty sure it had been even before that. He loved them more than her ex ever had, and while that killed her inside that the man who had fathered her first two children hadn’t been a father at all, Luc had more than made up for that.

  Cliff and Sasha would never doubt they were loved. Never doubt someone would be there for them. And this baby would be born into a family that truly cared for one another, even if they were a little tired.

  She honestly couldn’t wait to have this little one.

  And she couldn’t wait to not be pregnant anymore.

  She missed being the Meghan who could stay awake throughout the day and not resemble a duck.

  And this was probably why she resented her two younger sisters as much as she did at the moment.

  “Do you need more water?” Sierra asked.

  Meghan shook her head, holding up the bottle she carried around everywhere these days. No wonder she always had to pee. “I’m fine for now. Thank you. And you should sit down and enjoy the afternoon. You have to be exhausted.”

  Sierra gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes and sank onto the couch beside Autumn. “Leif had a little cold but is fine now.”

  “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Sierra pressed her lips together and shrugged. “Adoption takes time.”

  And from her sister-in-law’s tone, that was all she was going to say about that. Having Colin had almost
killed her, and though Sierra and Austin wanted more children, the adoption process wasn’t the easiest.

  Meghan could only imagine what it must feel like to watch her three sisters-in-law pregnant at the same time, but Sierra was stronger than any of them put together.

  Instead of dwelling on it, though, Meghan changed the subject to Sierra’s shop and tried to ignore the fact that the baby was currently dancing along her bladder.

  She loved the women in her family, she really did, but her body was ready for a nap, and her baby ready to do more summersaults. Sierra had turned to her phone to catch a Pokémon thanks to Leif’s love of the game she had become addicted to. In turn, Miranda, Maya, Holly, and Tabby each took out their phones to catch the high-level rare thing that had apparently shown up in Maya’s living room.

  Autumn met Meghan’s eyes and laughed. The other woman was dating and living with Meghan’s brother, Griffin. Meghan had a feeling Griffin was going to pop the question any day now, though he was sure taking his time. She had a feeling Autumn didn’t mind, though.

  “You don’t play?” Meghan asked.

  Autumn shook her head. “Between working for Griffin and the shop, I don’t have time. I mean, I think I’d end up spending the whole time trying to hatch the eggs and not work. I get a little distracted.”

  “Everyone at the shop is playing except Autumn,” Maya said as she danced around, belly and all. “It’s okay, though, since one of us has to be an adult.”

  Meghan snorted. “Even Austin?”

  Sierra scowled. “He’s beating me right now at it. Jerk.”

  Meghan threw her head back and laughed, ignoring her bladder for just a little bit longer. “Now I’m sad I haven’t played yet.”

  “You still can,” Miranda said as tried to flick a ball at a little fake Pokémon. “Just download the app.”

  The baby took that moment to kick her rib, and Meghan gasped. “No time.” She sighed. “And now I need to pee.” Her eyes filled, and she blinked away the tears. It wasn’t fair that Miranda and Maya were doing so much better than she was, but she wouldn’t wish her symptoms on anyone. “I need to head back home. I promised Sasha I’d be there to watch her practice.” Since she’d missed the recital, she refused to miss anything else.