Page 30 of Exhale (Out for Justice #8)

Two weeks later…

J ordan lifted the tray of cookies and danced as Dylan Kellum hollered that he was a transformer and raced through the living room with Elliott in hot pursuit.

Dylan, Kellum’s brother, was six years old and the closest in age to the twins. After meeting the twins, the three had become almost inseparable. It was a good thing that Kellum and Creed didn’t live all that far from them.

“I’m Optimus Prime!” Weston yelled, racing after the other two little boys.

“Sorry!” Aaron said, jogging after the three whooping boys.

“No problem,” Jordan told Kellum’s other brother with a chuckle. “The cookies were saved.”

“And…” Aaron grinned, snatching two from the plate.

“It’s a good thing, too.” Aaron laughed and hurried after the boys, and Jordan shook his head.

Fifteen-year-old Aaron sometimes seemed like he was twenty, but Jordan knew it came from having to grow up very fast in some horrifying circumstances.

The shadows that had been in Aaron and Dylan’s eyes had all but gone over the past three years.

The boys seem thrilled that Kellum had met and married Creed.

Which did verify that time healed all wounds.

He hoped that happened to Micah. His friend was still struggling after the overdose of Lucas. Micah was supposed to stop by today at some point.

Jordan had spoken to Black, who told him that yes, Nix was involved in the assassination attempt on Dave and agreed that it was a small world. The conversation had been brief but nice, and Black promised to keep in touch.

Toeing open the screen to the slider, Jordan walked down the wide back porch and over to one of the six picnic tables.

The tables were filled with people from Pegasus and some family and friends of family.

“Let me help you with that,” Owen said huskily, snaking his arms around him from behind. The man snagged a cookie, and Jordan snorted.

“You just want my cookies,” he teased.

Owen’s lips roamed the side of his neck. “Why yes, yes I do.”

“Oooooh, they’re doing it again,” Weston said.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss!” Elliott yelled at the top of his lungs.

Elliott had become a ton more vocal over the past month, and everything was said pretty much at full volume.

“Inside voice, buddy,” Owen reminded Elliott.

“But Daddy, we are outside,” Elliott pointed out with wide blue eyes.

“He’s a mini you,” Creed said with a deep booming laugh.

Owen groaned and released him, but did manage to snag a cookie from the plate.

It was Sunday, and rather than go to Owen’s mom’s house, Owen decided to have the guys over to thank them all for everything they’d done for the boys.

Jordan thought it was a grand idea and had everyone bring a side dish and whatever they wanted to drink. He and Owen had invested in the main course, which was currently cooking on the barbecue.

Jacob and Ace, both armed with spatulas, were flipping burger patties and hot dogs on said grill.

Owen’s mom was watching the little boys and organizing them at the Play-Doh table. She absolutely adored them, and they loved the idea of having a grandma. She was a wonderful woman and had welcomed him into Owen’s life.

“You’re spacing out again,” Owen murmured, closing his arms around his waist.

Jordan turned around and gazed up into Owen’s brilliant blue eyes.

“Have I told you how happy I am?”

“No. How happy are you?”

“More than I ever thought possible,” he said, his voice tight with emotion.

He loved Owen with a depth that sometimes scared the hell out of him. But his days of running from that feeling were over.

Owen was it for him, and he wanted nothing more than to forever stay by the man’s side.

Owen saw the love in Jordan’s eyes and emotion clogged his throat.

“I love you, baby.”

He could never say those words enough and made a point to tell Jordan all the time that he loved him. And he didn’t do it to hear it back, he did it because he never wanted Jordan to forget he and the boys were his world.

“Burgers and dogs are ready!” Jacob announced, and Owen and Jordan hurried over to each grab a tray and take it to the long food table that sat on the porch out of the sun.

Everyone crowded around, piling plates high amidst laughter and ribbing.

Owen gazed over his family, team members who were all his friends, and thanked the powers that be that he had come to work for Pegasus.

Once everyone was seated, Owen cleared his throat.

“Shush,” Hunter said from his spot near Seven.

Since Hunter and Seven had gotten together, they were seldom apart, as well as the other couples. He saw Parker with Oliver, Ace with Jacob, Link with Eagle, and Creed with Kellum.

There were a few who had retired from Pegasus over the past few years but had made the trip out for the barbecue.

Dalton and Adam had made the trip over. Along with Gage and Mason, the four men had gone out to Colorado to work at a training facility Dave owned, and were talking about retiring there.

Cooper was there. He still wore an eye patch, and beside him sat a lovely lady he introduced as his fiancée, Lilly.

All eyes were on him, and Owen took a deep breath.

“I consider every single one of you family. You came to my aid without hesitation; you had my back when my world was falling apart.”

He reached out and wrapped his free arm around Jordan’s waist, and lifted his can of sparkling water.

“I’ll forever be in your debt and so very grateful to my core. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much,” he finished, raising his can.

Everyone raised their drinks.

“You’re ours, there’s no getting out of that,” Creed’s big voice boomed out.

Everyone broke out in laughter.

“So, kiss the man,” Kellum shouted.

“Yeah, when are you two going to tie the knot?” Oliver added.

“Soon, I hope.” Owen looked down at Jordan. “Will you marry me?”

Jordan blinked, looked at him and then the group, and then laughed.

“Yes, I will marry you.”

THE END