Page 38

Ace

A double knock, or rather, pounding on the front door, knocks me out of the haze of the perfectly thoughtless moment I just shared with my wife .

Hadley was just in my arms, and if we hadn’t been interrupted, she would have been naked with my cock buried in her cunt in a matter of minutes.

I practically groan, having to pull away and put her down.

It’s too good kissing her; it feels effortless getting lost in her.

The way her body molds to my touch, like her skin craves mine.

How she submits to me even without realizing it.

Fuck! I’m making this more complicated every time I indulge.

“Shit.” I blow out a breath and let her slide out of my grip. Standing back from her, I don’t say anything and move toward my office. I need a minute.

“Oh my gosh, Lincoln has the biggest mouth, doesn’t he?” Hadley asks with a clipped laugh, like what we were just doing isn’t the bigger issue.

“You already know the answer to that,” I say as I run my fingers through my hair.

Her eyes rove down the front of me, mouth tipping up to the side. “We should change. Looks like it’s time to play husband and wife.”

As she steps closer, I stupidly take another small step back. I know the roles we need to play, but right now, I can’t determine what’s real and what’s not. My head isn’t sorted after that kiss, and it needs to be.

A low bark from one of my brothers’ dogs snaps us both out of our stare-off.

The front door swings open, and with it comes the entirety of my family, just as Griz shuffles in from his side of the house.

Great, he’s already here, probably eavesdropping on all of this.

Echoes of congratulations come pouring inside, my nieces practically tackling Hadley as she moves toward them.

Julep and Kit jump up with the same level of excitement, like they know what the hell’s going on.

Hadley has always been more than a part of my family or my brother’s best friend. I’d never admit it, but I’m looking forward to seeing her folded completely into our chaos.

“There’s no fucking way we weren’t showing up to celebrate,” Lincoln says, holding up two trays.

“Dad!” Lark shouts at him.

“He paid ahead, Lark,” Lily sing-songs, likely referring to their lucrative hustle known as the curse purse, where all their adults are obligated to pay up for their swear words.

I give them a preemptive hundred-dollar bill each month.

I’m not even mad about it; I’m impressed by those two little hustlers .

“You two wanted to go ahead and get married without us and,” he pauses to look at me, “Not your finest decision, but I suppose love might make people stupid sometimes.” He smirks at Hadley, points his finger at her, and says, “Best friend turned sister is the kind of upgrade I can get onboard with, though.” Her eyes water as she hugs him.

A part of me feels guilty for not having all of them with us.

But another part, a more selfish one, likes that I didn’t have to share her.

That it was just the two of us. When Linc moves toward the kitchen, he shouts, “Peach, did you bring my Grill Daddy apron?”

Faye follows him down the hall, rolling her eyes at me, patting my chest as she says, “Congratulations, Ace.” She gives me a smile, like she knew it was coming.

And maybe she read between the lines. My sister-in-law is very good at figuring things out; we’re similar in that way—always thinking six steps ahead of the rest. She wraps her arms around Hadley and says something in her ear that makes them both laugh so hard that Hadley snorts.

“This isn’t what I would’ve pictured for your wedding day attire,” Laney says, holding up Hadley’s arm. “Though I do love the commitment to the Foxx legacy.” She smiles as she takes in the damp T-shirt.

“We, uh, got caught up...” Hadley says, glancing at me before she continues, “in the rain. Come help me pick something to change into.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, Faye, Hadley, Laney, and my nieces make their way back to the impromptu party.

“What do I tell them?” she whispers, voice panicked.

“They want details, and I don’t know what’s off limits to share.

” With a heavy exhale, she rubs along her wrist, looking on at the busy and loud kitchen.

“What the hell are we doing? I should’ve just told them before when I told Linc, but I couldn’t get myself to lie.

And now, everyone’s here at the same damn time, and this is way harder than I thought it would be. ”

Whenever she gets nervous, she rubs along her wrist. I don’t like the idea of her being anxious about this, but I don’t have an answer.

Without thinking, I reach for the same place she’s soothing.

Her eyes find mine, surprised by my touch.

The hell am I doing? I shove my hands into my still-damp suit pockets and watch as my youngest niece hangs a sign that says : Ace + Hadley .

Taking in how easily this just worked and has been accepted, I clear my throat and tell her, “I’m going to go and change. ”

As I turn away and down the hall, I hear Lincoln call out, “She’s finally a Foxx!

” He’s going to play this up in all the ways that are going to push my limits.

I didn’t lie to him about any piece of it—I couldn’t.

If I’m lucky, Griz will call this a win, and then I can focus on building out what I’m intending to.

And drown out Wheeler Finch in the process.

Like my thoughts have summoned him, Griz comes up beside me, gripping my shoulder. The strong squeeze is as good as a hug in our family. We aren’t ones to carry on with long embraces or unnecessary sharing of feelings, but a long handshake and a shoulder squeeze are the more meaningful equivalents.

“Tell me you’ve just married that woman because you love her.

That you’ve finally gotten your head out of your ass.

” We live in the same house; he’s watched both Hadley and me dance around each other for years, so I never thought he’d believe that I’d just marry her all of a sudden.

But right now, the look on his face isn’t one I see often anymore.

He looks...happy and content. Only, as the seconds pass without a confirmation from me, his smile falters below that bushy mustache.

He sighs, head shaking while crossing his arms. He moves his hand from my shoulder and that small shift in body language makes me feel like I’ve fucked up. “You’re somethin’ else. The hell are you doing, Ace?”

“I should be asking you the same thing, old man,” I say quietly. He’s making a lot of changes lately. Trying to tie things up in a way that’s starting to make sense to me.

He steps away, but not before he looks me dead in the eye to say, “Being selfish for once in my goddamn life.”

Laney smacks my chest with the back of her hand as I watch him sulk off.

“You’re a good man, Ace.” She smiles at me and tilts her head to my shoulder.

Laney fell hard for my brother, and I watched them become each other’s most important people.

“I know you’re going to treat my best girl the only way she deserves.

And if you’re curious or don’t already know.

..” She stands taller and then whispers, “That woman deserves the kind of respect she doesn’t expect and the kind of love you’re still unsure if you’re capable of.

Anything less puts you on my shit list.”

“Understood, Laney.” I smile at my sister-in-law, looking over at my brother, Grant, who hasn’t said much other than smiling at what he’s overhearing.

She grips onto my arm. “Like a queen, Ace. Treat her like a goddamn queen.”

I give her a tight-lipped nod as I watch Hadley smiling, holding champagne flutes while Lincoln double-fists bourbon and prosecco. When her eyes meet mine, I feel it at the base of my spine, in my gut, and in the tingle along my lips.

It should be like any other day with the family—grilling steaks and drinking bourbon, catching up and laughing.

It all feels...easy. As the hours go on, I realize it might be the same, but it’s also wildly different.

It’s the first day in a long time when I don’t field calls about problems, or touch base with the team at the distillery.

I’m fully present, taking in each moment, not wanting to miss any of this impromptu wedding reception—my wedding reception.

I’ve witnessed Hadley’s reactions thousands of times before today, but never so openly or while not being worried she’ll catch me looking.

Every time she laughs with her full body, her head tipping back, eyes crinkling, mouth open.

When she tells Lark and Lily about her newest combination of Pop Rocks flavors.

How she talks comfortably and animatedly with my brothers and their wives, my grandfather, too.

Or how she glances at me and smiles every so often.

I’m not sure if it’s because she’s feeling that same sense of easiness or if she’s embellishing our lie.

There has never been a time in my life when I wanted to settle down with someone and fold them into this life.

But, then again, the one I just married had been folded into it a long time ago.

There’s no learning curve or disapproving family members—she fits in here better than I do sometimes.

I let myself get lost in how easy it would be to allow it to play out—finish what we started earlier and just. ..see.

“Why am I just noticing this now?” Grant says with a mischievous grin, looking right at me as we sit around the firepit.

But it’s Lincoln who answers. “It’s been like that for at least a decade, maybe more. You’ve just been too into your own bullshit, little brother.”

Grant flips him off, looking back at me when he says, “You gave Linc all the reasons why this is happening, but you forgot to mention the part where you’re obsessed with her.”

I run my hands along the lacquered wood arm of the Adirondack chair. “Obsessed is a little aggressive. I’m merely looking at the woman I just married and thinking...”

Lincoln chimes in, “That you’re an idiot.”

Grant adds, “That you’re not as smart as you thought?”

Lincoln carries on, “That you should quit listing off all the reasons why this isn’t real.”

I don’t finish the thought, because they’re both right. For as many times as I’ve watched her laugh the same way, never, until today, have I thought... mine .

“Alright, I brought out the 1923 and a Cowboy,” Laney says as she winks at Grant, coming out to the back patio. “Who wants what?”

Hadley spills through the double doors behind her, along with Faye seconds later, holding rocks glasses. Her hair is piled in a messy knot on her head, wearing a simple white tank top cropped just at the waist of her jeans.

Jesus Christ. I grip the arm of the chair, trying to filter my attention elsewhere.

Laney moves toward my brother, pouring out his blend without him needing to answer.

“Here you go, husband.” Hadley passes me a glass, then says to Laney, “I’ll take the 1923.” She pours into the glass I’m holding, watching me as it starts to fill, and smirks when it hits the center of the rock. “Mind sharing, darling?”

Darling? No.

She tips her chin at me and looks at my lap, just as she takes a sip.

I know what she’s asking, and while it’s good for show, the last thing I need right now is her ass rubbing on my dick.

And in typical Hadley fashion, she doesn’t wait for a response.

She turns and perches her ass along my left thigh, keeping her eyes locked with mine as she takes another sip.

Here we go. I move my arm from the chair to around her lower back and rest it along her thigh, letting my fingers grip onto her in a way that seems natural to anyone else looking, but for us is entirely new.

And fuck, does it feel good to have her close to me.

Clearing my throat, I try not to get lost in this.

Laney’s been talking about something while I’ve been so focused on my wife taking up real estate on my lap that I haven’t been listening.

“We have just over twelve-hundred ticket holders, and then down on the main lawn, there will be space for walk-ins. I think the locals are going to love it, but you bet your ass when people catch wind of something exclusive happening here, after the race, people will hop in a rideshare from Churchill Downs and wind up drinking bourbon and listening to music at our place.”

If we wanted tourists to turn their attention back to Fiasco, we needed to do so when plenty of people were already in Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby was the perfect catalyst, and it’s been a massive undertaking, mainly for Laney, who’s done the majority of the planning.

“I’ll catch the tail end of it, if I’m lucky.

I’m hoping Midnight Proof will be packed.

” She glances back at me, knowing the little detail she shared about the downturn in business she’s been experiencing.

She plucks the bottle of Cowboy Edition bourbon and adds another splash into the glass that we’re apparently sharing now.

Her pocket buzzes, and with both hands full with a bottle and a rocks glass, she gives me a half smile. “Go ahead,” she whispers. “Take it out.” Her tone is playful as usual, and it’s hard not to smile back at it. But when I see the screen, my mood instantly changes.

HAWK

Thinking about you.

With a slight wince, she puts the phone on the firepit’s edge. I move her off of my lap so that I can stand. But before I move away, I lean into her.

There are eyes on us, so I kiss the top of Hadley’s head and mumble into her hair, “Make sure that’s over now, sugar.” And without looking back—no matter how much I’d like to—I head toward the distillery to clear my head.

I need to focus on what our marriage is going to put into play, so I voice note a series of text messages to my people who need to be aware of what I’ve just done, before the rest of the town, including her father, catches wind of it.

When that happens, we need to be ready.