Page 38 of Cross Check Daddies (Miami Icemen #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Tanner

The sun filters in through the sheer curtain Brooke left tied back.

I’m on my side, arm draped over her waist, her back warm against my chest, and her breathing soft and even.

Cam is passed out on the other side of her, hand curled near her shoulder.

Ace is already gone. Figures. The guy probably couldn’t sleep through the sound of his own watch ticking.

The beach is quiet, just the sound of waves brushing the shore and the occasional cry of gulls. I blink against the light for a few more minutes before I ease out from under the blanket, slipping into jeans and grabbing a hoodie.

I find Ace by the fire pit, barefoot and coffee in hand, poking at the ashes like he’s willing them to spark back up. Cam joins a few minutes later, yawning and scratching his jaw.

No one says anything at first.

But then I clear my throat, slide onto the cooler-turned-seat, and just put it out there. “We need to talk. Real talk. No games.”

Cam nods. “Yeah.”

Ace doesn’t even blink. “Agreed.”

It’s quiet again. But it’s not tense. Not like it used to be.

“We all love her,” I say, simple and true. “And none of us are backing down from that.”

Cam folds his arms, elbows on his knees. “No one’s asking anyone to back down.”

“She loves us, too,” I add. “So, it’s not about who wins or loses.”

“She’s not a competition,” Ace says, voice level.

Cam blows out a breath. “We’re not doing the test, right?”

I shake my head. “No. We cancel it.”

“If the doctor says it’s safe down the line, we talk again,” Ace says. “But this early? No chance.”

Cam looks at me then. Really looks. “Are we all in agreement?”

“Yeah,” I answer without hesitation.

Ace nods once. “All in.”

We bump fists lightly, just three men making the kind of promise most people won’t understand.

A little later, we find Jackson out by the water, throwing rocks and talking to himself, probably mid-conversation with a dinosaur or a superhero. Brooke’s still asleep, wrapped up like a starfish in the bed. I told her we’d handle this part.

He spots us and waves. “Hey! You missed the cool blue crab!”

Cam crouches beside him, smiling. “Hey, buddy. We wanted to talk to you about something.”

Jackson nods, dead serious. “Is it about the babies?”

Ace blinks. “You know about that?”

“Duh,” Jackson says. “Mom said we had to name two now.”

I smile. “She said that, huh?”

“Yeah. I already picked names. Can we name one Lazer?”

Cam coughs into his hand, clearly trying not to laugh.

Ace takes a deep breath. “We also wanted to talk about...us. You’ve seen us around a lot, right?”

Jackson nods again, this time without looking up from his sand pile.

“Well,” I say carefully, “we’re kind of... dating your mom. All three of us.”

Jackson shrugs. “Yeah, I know.”

We all go silent.

“You do?” Cam asks.

Jackson nods. “You kiss her. And bring her food. And hug her when she’s sad. That’s dating.”

I glance at Ace. His face is unreadable, but I swear there’s something like pride in his eyes.

Jackson looks up, finally, squinting. “Are you gonna live with us now?”

“Maybe,” I say. “If your mom says okay.”

Jackson frowns, thoughtful. “Then we need more beds. And another bathroom.”

Cam snorts.

Ace ruffles his curls. “We’ll figure it out.”

Jackson gives a solemn nod, then goes back to digging in the sand.

And just like that, it’s done.

No drama. No confusion.

Just a kid who understands more than we give him credit for.

I walk back toward the cabin with the others, something easy settling in my chest. We’re building something here—awkward, strange, unconventional, but real. Full of a kind of love I didn’t know I was capable of sharing.

And somehow, against all odds, we’re all in.

Together.