This Time Around (26 page)

“All done, sweetheart. Go and take a look,” he gestures towards the full wall of mirrors. I help her off the chair and hold her while she gets her balance. Sitting in one position for a long time plus being in pain, makes the body off balance. She goes up on her toes and kisses my cheek and walks towards the mirrors. Dex and I follow her as she stops and tilts her body so her right arm is facing the mirror. She gasps and covers her mouth with her hand. Tears run freely down her cheeks, but a smile is plastered on her face. We leave her to soak it in. This is a big moment for her.

“Dex.” A sob breaks free. I step forward and pull her to me. “I can never thank you enough for this. This… makes my heart sing.” I see his face break out in a wide grin, but I also see pain in his features. He rubs the space above his heart and my heart cracks for him. He misses Fiona.

“I am honoured that you asked me to do your first tattoo, Pen. I love how it turned out. Okay, fucker, you are up next. Let me set everything up for you and we can get started.” He turns and walks back into his room.

“Baby, it is fucking perfect.” She nods against my chest but never takes her eyes off her newly decorated arm. I tug her back to Dex’s room, so he can wrap up her arm and start on my own tattoo. I am having Knox’s name and Connie’s name added to my wrists, where I have left two blank spaces. Also I am having my spine tattoo finished off. I have a nautical theme tattoo. It starts at the space between my shoulder blades and almost touches the small of my back. I have an arrow running down my spine, with a compass down a little from the arrow tip. A few swirly lines that look like rope leads down to the anchor that I never got added, but today I will. I also have coordinates running alongside the rope, the coordinates are Knox’s date of birth.

“You are all set,” Dex’s voice brings me out of my thoughts

“I am here for you, babe. You can squeeze my hand if you need to.” She winks at me.

“Cute.”

“So what are we doing first?” Dex asks. I look from him to Bambi.

“My wrists mate, please.” Bambi looks confused, she knows about the empty spaces there, but she thought I was just getting my anchor done and my piercings. Dex pulls my left arm over to the side of the chair and presses the piece of transfer paper to my wrist.

“That good?”

“Yeah, mate.” I drag my eyes from Bambi and see my son’s name in a simple script.

“Perfect,” I say. Bambi nods her head in approval and Dex gets to work. It takes minutes to complete, and before I know it we are adding the second name but to my right wrist. Again he places the transfer paper there and presses down. I keep my eyes locked on Bambi and watch as he peels it away. Her eyes go wide and she gasps. She snaps her eyes to mine and back down to my wrist. I smile at her, hoping and fucking praying she is okay with me doing this. On my right wrist, in the same script as Knox’s name, is my daughter's name.

“Fuck this day is full of tears. I need to get laid.” Dex’s voice breaks our moment. I slap him upside the head. “Fucker.”

“Just finish up, so we can get my back started. I need to text Addy, and tell her to get her sexy arse back here.” I wink at Bambi and I know she knows what I am doing.

“Brother, I know you haven’t been checking her arse out,” he barks out.

“Why, what’s it to you?” I goad him. He needs to pull his head out of his arse and step up. We all see that he loves her, but he is too bull headed to admit it. He ignores my question and tattoos Connie’s name on my wrist without another word.

“Done. I will wrap these two and then start the anchor. Text Addy, she needs to get back here,” he demands. Grouchy fucker. I pull my phone out and send her a text, reminding her that she has to pierce me today. She instantly replies with a ‘Oh fuck yeah. I forgot. BRT’.
Dex wraps my wrists and I take my t-shirt off. I wink at Bambi and she licks her lips.

And there goes the hard-on.

“Like what you see, Bambi?”

“Always, Liam. Always.” She winks at me. Fuck what is this woman doing to me?

Dex turns the chair around and I straddle it, leaning forward but keeping my face towards Bambi. I feel Dex placing the transfer on my lower back and then wait until he peels it off. He holds a mirror out for me to check the placing and it looks fucking epic.

“Perfect, mate. Fucking, perfect. You like, baby?” I ask Bambi.

“I love it, Liam.” Dex gets stuck in. The anchor only takes thirty minutes. It doesn’t take Addy long to arrive either. She comes bouncing up to the room and makes a grand entrance. With a big arse smile on her face, she ignores Dex and looks at me and Bambi.

“So is my victim ready for me?” She claps her hands together and adds an evil cackle. Fuck she scares me at times.

“Oh he is more than ready, right, babe?” Bambi tells her. She is happy to see me in pain. Witchface.

“Fine, I guess I am ready.” I climb off the chair, and Dex finishes adding the tape that keeps the wrap in place. “Thanks, man. This is fucking epic, it looks amazing. So it's from one torture chair to another.” Dex is now staring at Addy, but she is looking everywhere except him.

“Addy, can I talk to you for a quick second, please?” Dex asks her. She finally looks at him, but again her mask is in place. With Bambi and me as a barrier between them, she speaks up.

“Maybe tomorrow. I have to get this stud, studded up, then home to get ready for my date tonight,” she says proudly. I cheer in my head, she has done me proud, if Dex’s face is anything to go by.

“Date? Since when?”

“Yes, date. I called a guy who had been asking me out for a while. I am not waiting around anymore. I am taking my life by the balls and leading it my way.” She shrugs her shoulders and walks out. I turn to look at Dex who is bright red in the face. He is angry, I get that, but he has had plenty of times to step up.

“You had a chance. Hell a fucking thousand, dude. You threw every one of them away and now you might have lost all future chances.” I pat his shoulder and lead my girl out of his room.

Let's hope, that he mans the fuck up and gets his girl back.

It is BBQ day. At the end of every summer we do a big family BBQ. All the family is here, plus a few extra friends this year. Addy and the Castle brothers are here also. I love it. We have way too much food, my mum and dad like to cook enough to feed an army. But what we have left over my parents take over to the homeless shelter. We have spent all day decorating the garden, with lights and tiki torches. Dad says it is to keep the bugs away. We have coloured paper lanterns all over the place along with other brightly coloured decorations. Mum really went all out this year. I think it is because we have new additions to the family.

“Dad, can I have a drink, please?” I turn to see Knox standing by Liam. I smile at the two new guys in my life.

“Me too Dad, please?” My head snaps to the table where Connie is sitting with Rachel and Darla. Tears spring to my eyes and I cover my mouth with my hand. I swing my gaze to Liam, who is standing stock still, looking at CJ, who seems completely unfazed by what she just said.

“Umm, Con?” Liam asks, tentatively.

“Yeah, Dad?” Again with the ‘dad’. I can’t stop the smile sliding across my tear stained face. Liam looks at me and I see he has tears in his eyes, also. He clears his throat trying to act all manly like. Trying and failing epically to hide the fact the he is about to burst into tears. He swallows a few times and coughs before he answers her.

“Nothing, sweetheart. Everything is perfect.” He shakes his head a few times and clears his throat for the umteenth time.

“I will get the kids their drinks, you two go and talk.” Matt says from beside me. I nod my thanks. Liam nods his head to the corner of the garden where my mum's bench sits. My dad had it made for her for their wedding anniversary. I follow Liam over and sit beside him. We sit shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh. He lifts my hand and laces our fingers together and lays them on his thigh. We sit there in silence watching the kids run around the garden, having fun; enjoying the last of the summer holidays. I smile as Connie helps Knox catch and take down Justin, tickling the poor boy. It fascinates me how kids can bond over the smallest of things. All the children in my family have made sure that Knox is one of them. Matt and Adrian join in the big pile of kiddie wrestlers. Arms and legs are flailing around. Giggles and manly laughter fills the garden. The women just stand around and point and laugh. Ahh my happy family. I laugh when I see Connie stand at the edge of the group, she claps her hands three times and yells ‘big splash’ and then jumps on Matt’s back, who doesn’t move an inch. Damn my brother-in-law's body is built like a rugby player.

“You okay?” Liam asks and squeezes my hand in his.

“I’m good. You okay?” I return his question and turn slightly to look at him.

“Over the fucking moon, babe.” I smile at his words. I knew he loved Connie but I had always had a lingering doubt in my head that he wouldn’t want her to call him ‘Dad’, but his reaction just made the last bit of doubt evaporate.

“Good. Good,” I say. My words are jumbled in my head. My heart is beating at my inner chest, fighting to break out. My daughter just called my boyfriend ‘Dad’. That in itself is a huge step. This is something I have always wanted, but now that it is here it is still a shock to the system.

“Baby, it is more than good. It is fucking phenomenal. She just called me ‘Dad’ like she has been doing it since the day she was born. Bloody amazing. I feel on top of the world, right now,” he says, and kisses the side of my head.

“We never talked about it. But I am happy that she did. She needs a ‘Dad’ in her life, and I am very happy that it is you. Yeah, she has always had my father, Matt and Adrian in her life, but they never fully took a father role for her. You have done brilliantly with Knox, I have no concerns about you being in Connie’s life, it will be good for her. I am happy, so happy that I have you and the kids.” And I am telling him the truth. I am happy that Connie has him to call her ‘Dad’. I look back at Knox and I have to wonder if he will call me ‘Mum’. I know that Shelly is back in the picture now, but I still feel in my heart that I am more his mother than she is.

“Mum,” Connie yells across the yard. I look in her direction and see her and Knox running towards us. Liam puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me tight to his side. I smile up at him and he kisses the tip of my nose. My man is such a sweetie.

“Mum, quick question.”

“Okay, hit me,” I joke. But in true Connie fashion, she leans forward and gently punches my arm. I rub and fake pain. “Oh you are packing a bloody good punch there, young lady,” I joke.

“Anyway, back to what we need to know.” I notice that Knox is looking down at his trainers, kicking the grass. “Soooo, now that I am going to be calling Liam ‘Dad’, does that mean that Knox is my little brother and he is allowed to call you ‘Mum’?” I blink away the tears that are threatening and swallow the emotion. My body vibrates with love for this little boy. This man. I reach out one of my hands for Knox and one for Connie and pull them closer.