Page 49 of The Devil’s Detail (The Greystone Family: Greystone Brothers #2)
Carter
Never again shall Christmas be a heartbreaker of a holiday for me. It’s a time for celebration. For love.
For family.
It always was, but I never had any family left to share it with.
Now, I’m overrun.
Greystones everywhere.
Jackson stays with me in Italy, and not as my security, but as my lover. My boyfriend. The man I want to spend my life with.
The moment Jackson lays those gorgeous, firm lips on me in a cosy restaurant, we’re besieged by the paparazzi. I panic, of course. I don’t want him to leave.
And he doesn’t.
We manage to carve out our time together. Finding places, spaces, and reasons to retreat without attention, while also giving the paps enough to leave us alone occasionally. Of course it helps that my man is built, packing serious security muscle, and has unlimited resources to keep people away.
All I ever seem to do is apologise for being famous, when it really isn’t all my fault. But I can see he’s all in. And he doesn’t give a flying fuck who knows it.
I propose to him in a karaoke bar. In front of a whole host of drunk, crazy skiers. Who, like the rest of the world, all shout yes at me. Along with the only man I’ve ever wanted to hear that word from.
Then he simply plucks me off the stage, lugs my ass all the way home in a honeymoon carry, and takes me straight to bed.
The next morning, over copious cups of coffee, he points out in the recording—that is already circulating on every social media platform and gossip site—where he agreed. In case I forgot.
As if.
I’m inundated by calls from Greystones. One after the other.
Never have I felt so loved, so accepted.
Evie can’t stop crying. She claims her hormones are running rampant, but is so incredibly happy for us.
Even Marcus and Xander call nonstop. If Evie’s happy, they are.
Upset her, I’m told, and I’m dead meat. James, Bucky, Jonno, Jude, even Pete Greystone calls, mock telling me off for not asking his permission to ask his son to marry me.
I apologise and agree we’ll visit as soon as we can.
Jake and Pat Greystone are the best, with Jake howling with laughter at my singing on the recording, telling me not to give up my day job.
On our return to LA, it’s a constant round of TV shows for me, all the usual interviews and soundbites. Jackson ignores pretty much everyone and just carries on as before. That’s my man.
And every night when I return home, I can’t believe he’s actually there. Every night he cooks. Every morning we work out. And in between, we fuck. The man is insatiable, and I love it. I up my workout, as I’m clearly not as fit as I thought.
I glow, my work continuing on the Bonney franchise, and my acting is off the charts. I knew in my bones that this film was going to be epic.
I visit Kasey, who’s pleased as punch I’m ‘joining the family’. He clearly thinks he’s already an honorary Greystone. I regale the story to Jackson, who just snorts in laughter.
“That man is as deluded as it gets. Kell and Xan only suffer him as Evie feels sorry for him and his boy. The minute he pisses her off, he’ll be toast,” Jackson predicts.
To be honest, that’s probably the case for any of us. It’s always been very clear who the queen in that family is. I have no intentions to upset any apple carts. And besides, I loved my new niece and nephews.
So when a chance to babysit for the day pops up, I jump at it.
“Jesus it’s hot out there,” Jackson huffs out as we arrive at Marcus's Malibu home. “Are you off now?” Jackson pats his brothers-in-law as they’re hugging their sons in the doorway.
“Carter, why the fuck have you invited Kasey?” Kell spits out at me. “Don’t you think Evie has enough on. He lets her run around after him. And his boy. If she lifts a finger to get him a drink, I’m blaming you.” Shit, he’s actually pissed at me. I can see they both are.
At least Xander is more tactful. “She’s had loads of back pain,” he confides in me. “She should be being looked after. Jackson, make sure that happens.”
“Do you know what? We shouldn’t go, Xander. Let’s fuck the meeting off.” Kell doesn’t give a shit about anyone other than his family.
“I don’t think we can. But we’ll get it done in record time and come back.” He blows out a breath, and I can tell they’re both worried.
“I’m sorry guys. I just feel sorry for Kasey’s boy. He loves it here. He gets to play and be a kid.” Evie waddles into view, looking determined, her stomach large and protruding. I gravitate towards her, placing my hands on the babies tucked up inside.
I know exactly what she’s talking about, too.
I’ve seen the difference in lifestyles. It's stark.
Cole Becker is not on the right side of it.
His mother shows him off as a prize toy.
To be available for the highest bidder. Kasey, as much as he loves the kid, is more interested in his own career.
Compare that to the Greystones, who would happily chew you up and spit you out if you hurt or neglected one of their family members.
Evie having spoken, and her word being law, plus knowing Jackson and I are here as backup, Kell and Xan jump in the car and away they go.
Kasey and Cole turn up as we’re just about to head out for a walk on the beach. But we don’t get far before there’s another knock.
“Kitten. Look who’s here.” Jackson has answered the door, and there’s no concealing the surprise and excitement in his voice.
“Where is my daughter? And where are my beautiful grandchildren?” Tarron Barclay, Xander's dad, pushes his way into the house, and the clan chief certainly doesn’t need his Scottish castle to be the life and soul of any room.
His boundless energy hits us all, and the kids seem to react to it, becoming more rambunctious by the second.
Evie has tears of love in her eyes as the older Barclay wraps her and all the kids into huge hugs.
I’m not really shocked he’s here, not with Evie so close to her due date.
“Shall we go for a walk on the beach?” Evie asks us all, a little more relief in her voice and joy on her face.
The kids are already running down the sand path towards the water’s edge.
It’s a pretty significant walk, and their little legs are tired halfway there.
They flop down into the sand, and every time I see Jackson pick one of them up, my heart flutters.
The love pours out of him, and I’m sure I fall in love a little bit more with each sack-of-potatoes child he tosses over a shoulder.
Just like I fall in love with him a little bit more every day.
“We’re trying to set a date for the wedding,” Jackson tells the assembled crowd on the beach once we’re at the water's edge.
“I hope it’s after Jonno’s,” Evie says. “I want as many weddings as I can, but can you wait until I've finished feeding all my babies? So I can have at least one drink of champagne.” She rubs her stomach, which is huge, as Jackson goes and rubs her back.
“Is it still painful?” he asks, his dark eyes clearly full of concern. I’m sure he’s feeling the pain secondhand, too.
“We will, Evie,” I assure her. “Jonno’s is in the summer, so we might go for a winter wedding, but we’re not sure where.
” I smile at Jackson, watching his eyes change from pain to stunning orbs that hold so much desire and promise for me.
I can’t get any more words out. He steals them daily.
He soothes my soul, and stokes a fire in my heart.
We continue to discuss logistics, with Tarron trying to talk me into having the wedding in Scotland.
“If he offers a wee trip over to the island on the loch, be afraid, Carter,” Jackson states.
“Of course Carter will have to go. He’s family,” the older man states matter-of-factly, and I have to blink back tears. The way this family has embraced me…I feel ten feet tall.
Especially when Kasey pipes up. “I haven’t been asked yet. When should I come over, Tarron?”
We all look at him in surprise. He’s dead serious.
I muffle the snicker trying to escape my brain, my inner petty bitch just a wee bit excited at my elevation to family status while Kasey is still friendzoned.
Evie just shakes her head. “We’ll sort out a date, Kasey.”
He gives her a blinding smile. No wonder Marcus and Xander get annoyed with him. He is as subtle as a brick.
Then the fun really starts. A scene of total chaos unfolds throughout the afternoon. One that would never have made it into a film script. Everyone would say it’s too far-fetched.
We’re walking back from the water’s edge—Tarron carrying Rio, the boys being carried by Jackson and yours truly—when Evie stops dead. “My waters just broke.” She looks down, and sure enough, her skirt is darker, wet. And her face shows real pain.
“Can you walk?” Jackson puts down Sorley, and I place Lachlan on the sand next to me in case Evie needs extra hands. Tommy comes and stands next to them, calling Valentina—who stayed back at the house—to come and collect the children.
Evie starts to giggle. Clearly she’s lost her mind.
Jackson looks at her in amazement. “We need to get to the house. Evie, let’s go.” He tries to give her a gentle tug, but she hangs onto his arm and breathes in a pattern.
“I know what to do,” Kasey states with a sense of authority he has absolutely no right to. And I roll my eyes, loudly, as he proclaims, “I did a movie about a doctor. I helped the actress give birth.” He moves to the other side of Evie and starts to breathe with her.
“Kasey, that wasn’t real,” I state in amazement, trying so hard to hold in my laughter at his audacity. I mean, is he serious right now?
He starts to coach Evie on breathing techniques, and I can tell Jackson is a whisker away from committing murder, but at least she starts moving again.