Page 25 of Up in a Blaze (Polished P & P #4)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

BLAZE

O nce again, Henri and I walked into the compound common room hand in hand.

Only we didn’t stay that way since, as soon as we entered through the door, our names were shouted, and an eleven-year-old ran at us.

Arlo wrapped his arms around my waist and Henri’s, squishing us together. I patted his back a couple of times.

Laughing, Henri cupped the back of his head. “Good afternoon, Arlo.”

He pulled back. “Hi.”

“Did you sleep well?” Henri asked.

“Better than I have in a long time. So did Sawyer, I heard him snoring.”

“I was not,” Sawyer said as he approached. Henri held out his arms, and Sawyer moved in to hug him.

Reaching out, I messed with his hair. “Hey, kid.”

He quickly brushed his fingers through his hair, fixing it, and smiled. “Hi. You know we don’t have to go shopping. We don’t?—”

“Please, chéri. I need this time with you both after everything. I like spending money. It makes me happy, and I want you both along for the trip.”

“You’ll probably have to carry bags,” I told them.

“I’m good at it,” Arlo announced.

Henri smiled. “Perfect, chéri. Are Miss Cora and Loyal coming?”

Sawyer glanced over to Loyal, who was talking with Country, but Loyal’s gaze was already on the boy.

Sawyer blushed and faced us, shaking his head. “Miss Cora stayed at the unit, which she thinks is amazing, and Loyal has some things to do around here.”

Henri curled an arm around Sawyer’s waist. “This is good. it will mean more room for bags.” The kid chuckled. “But first, I promised Rommy I would see her today. Have you noticed her around here?”

Before he could answer, the kitchen doors flew open, and Rommy walked out with Saint. “I’m telling you, if you just tried doing it the way I said, your baby will run smoother.”

“I ain’t no mechanic. You got time to show me what you mean?”

“Hell yes. I’d be glad to get my hands on her.

” She noticed us and smiled brightly. “Hey, hi, hello.” She grabbed Saint’s arm and shook it, announcing, “It’s Henri and his big man,” as if Saint hadn’t already seen us.

She skipped over as everyone watched her.

Hugging Henri, she said, “It’s so good to see you.

My family should be arriving later. Will you be here to meet them?

” She moved over to me, and I stiffened when she embraced me.

I caught Tech and Country snickering. Even Henri was grinning at me.

She pulled back and added, “Sorry, I’m a big hugger.

I think I scared Eve earlier from it. But I’ll get her to warm to me.

Anyway, I’m gonna try to get my parents to stay around for a while.

Like a little family holiday. It’ll be so cool.

You’ll love my family; they’re the best. I wish you could meet everyone, though. ”

This woman needed to breathe more.

“So do I, chéri. And we may not be here later, but if they do stick around, I will have the pleasure of meeting them another day. Blaze and I are taking the boys shopping.”

“These your boys? I remember you on the ship.” She quickly hugged Sawyer and then said to Henri, “But I didn’t pick up that he’s your son. And who are you, little man?”

Arlo wasn’t looking at her. He stared up at Henri and me. “Are we?” he asked.

“Arlo, you can’t—” Sawyer started to say until Henri placed his hand on his arm, stopping him.

Henri stepped closer to Arlo. “What are you asking, Arlo?”

His jaw clenched. The kid was fighting his emotions as he briefly glanced around at everyone while a blush rose.

“Kid, don’t look at them.” I moved to his other side, blocking him from the people in the common room. “Just talk to us. We’re always gonna listen no matter where we are or who’s around. If you’ve got something to say and want to, you just say it. Yeah?”

He bit down on his bottom lip and sniffed but nodded. In a whisper, he asked, “Are we your boys? You and Blaze?”

Christ.

In that moment, I fucking knew I would move fucking hell if I had to for them.

Henri’s eyes welled, and before he could say anything, I did.

“Yes. Fuck yes,” I told him and then looked to Sawyer.

“Know it’s fresh and new, but we already know that if you and Arlo would have us, we’d like to be the ones to help you through life.

I’ve already looked at some houses this morning.

They’re close to Arlo’s school and the Playhouse, so once we check them out, and if you both agree, this shit is happening.

It’s real. You belong with us, and we’re a fuckin’ family. ”

“Mon amour,” Henri uttered, tears running down his cheeks. Sawyer and Arlo also sported wet and red cheeks.

“Do you agree?” I asked, and all right, it did come off a bit snappish, but I was fucking pissed at what these boys had been through.

Obviously, their parents were crap ones to begin with, if they left the boys to deal with that much debt.

And I doubted their parents showed them an ounce of care in their lives.

“Yes,” Sawyer whispered.

“Please,” Arlo cried before he pushed his face into my gut and hugged me.

I patted his head. “Good.”

Rommy nervously shifted on her feet near us. “Sorry if I said something wrong.”

“You didn’t,” I told her. “We’re just working things out.”

She smiled. “I can see that, and I think it’s amazing.”

With a grunt, I looked at Loyal. “Text me your address. We’ll drop them there later.”

He tipped his chin up. “You got it, brother.”

I glanced to Country, who met my gaze. “No work for the next week for you and Henri, brother.”

There it was again.

Brother.

That word, along with his intense stare, told me the past was forgiven, and I was club. We were a part of the family he’d built. And Christ, that shit hit me right in the gut in the best kinda way.

I nodded, jaw clenching, and he grinned before walking over to his woman, who was misty-eyed from watching us.

Henri pulled Sawyer with him as he cried out, “Family hug.” He and Sawyer stood at Arlo’s and my side and wrapped their arms around us. Sawyer let out a watery laugh, resting his chin down on his brother’s head.

Henri puckered his lips at me. I dipped and kissed him.

“Shopping is calling me, boys,” Henri announced.

* * *

In the mall, Sawyer moved closer to me in the store and asked softly, “Is there any way I can get Henri to stop buying us things?”

Snorting, I shook my head.

Sawyer sighed.

“Does it really bother you?” I asked. If it did, I would put a stop to it. But Henri was having the time of his life finding things for Arlo and Sawyer.

Sawyer scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip as he thought about it. “I guess… I just never want you two to think we’re taking advantage.”

“We never would, kid.”

“I’m nearly nineteen, Blaze, and I work full-time. And now I won’t have people breathing down my neck, so I can afford stuff for us.”

“That’s good you can. You buy whatever you want, but we’ll still want to get you two things, and it doesn’t matter how old you are, Sawyer. You’ll be a kid to us even at twenty-fuckin’-five. But the difference is, now that you’ve accepted us, you’ll be our kid. You and Arlo.”

His gaze dropped to the carpet in the store. He stayed like that for a while. Henri glanced over, brows drawn.

I tipped my chin, telling him I had this situation, and my firecracker went back to showing Arlo things.

“You know,” Sawyer whispered, sniffing a bit, “I’ve heard people talk. Usually, you’re the quiet one, who doesn’t like to talk.”

Chuckling, I rested a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t talk much, kid. I am better at listening. But I’m finding that I like speaking to you and Arlo. But don’t fuckin’ tell anyone I said that. Everyone will try to have a chat with me.”

Sawyer grinned up at me, even with misty eyes. “Your secret is safe with me.”

I grunted. “Good. But serious, there could be days when I don’t have anything to say. Just don’t think you or your brother have annoyed me in some way, because it’ll never be that. Some days I just need to watch and listen.”

“Okay, Blaze. I’ll tell Arlo too.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Mon amour,” Henri called. He and Arlo were walking our way from the register with the boy holding another new bag. I already had three. “We have decided we need food.” Arlo stood beside him nodding.

“You’re done with shopping?”

Henri grinned. “For now.”

“Guess it’s lucky this mall is open late. I’ll message Loyal that we’re having dinner here.”

“Can I have a burger and fries?” Arlo asked.

Henri rubbed a hand over his hair. “You can have anything you like.”

The boy’s eyes rounded. “Anything?”

“Oui.”

“Can I add an ice cream too?”

Before Henri could readily agree, I said, “How about we see how full you are after your meal?”

“Deal,” Arlo said, then at Sawyer, he said, “Look at this.” He stopped and pulled out the winter jacket.

Henri sidled up and leaned against me while the brothers talked. “I love you, my beast.”

I stared down at him, gaze flicking over his face and stopping on the bruise. He’d already received a few looks for it, but he always did get attention everywhere we went anyway.

“You’re my heart, firecracker. Now kiss me so we can go eat.”

He grinned and rocked up to his toes, kissing me.

After, Henri pecked at my jaw before we turned to the boys, who were watching, both softly smiling.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yep,” Arlo replied, and together, we walked toward the closest burger restaurant in the mall.

I pulled the door open and waited for everyone to enter. At the front counter, the waitress asked, “Table for four?”

“Oui, please.”

“That means yes,” Arlo said with a big grin.

The waitress smiled politely and nodded before she took us to a booth. Arlo and Sawyer slid in on one side, and Henri moved in first before I did. I tucked the bags under the table and picked up the menu.

Only I didn’t look at it. Instead, I watched the others as my chest warmed.

This felt good.

Made my throat thicken at the realization of always wanting this with Henri. We hadn’t talked about kids, which was probably for the best since I didn’t think babies would be our thing. I doubted Henri could handle all the shit and spew.

However, it did seem that older kids were for us.

They were ours even when they weren’t staying under our roof yet. We’d claimed them, and they’d accepted. There were no take backs, and even if they tried to walk away now, I wouldn’t let them.

I already had a perfect partner and a fucking good life with him that held so much goddamn love. But I believed that our life would be richer with them in it.

“Mon amour, what are you having?”

I unlocked my jaw and swallowed thickly. “Whatever Arlo is.”

Arlo beamed over at me. “Really?”

“Yeah, kid.”

“Awesome. We’re gonna have the deluxe burger and medium fries.”

I nodded. “Sounds good. What about you, Sawyer?”

“Um.” His eyes traveled over the menu. “Maybe a salad.”

“He never eats much because of work,” Arlo said.

“Arlo,” Sawyer snapped.

“Hey,” I said, tipping my chin at Sawyer. “It’s okay. We’re all working things out between the four of us on what to share and what not to share.”

Sawyer nodded.

“Chéri, you can have more. You should ask for some time off?—”

“I don’t need time off. I need the money.”

“Do you?” Henri asked softly. “Blaze and I wanted to talk to you about work anyway.” Sawyer looked away, glaring. “Chéri. Eyes please.” The kid drew in a deep breath but didn’t shift his gaze from out in the restaurant.

“Sawyer,” Arlo said, slightly panicked.

Was the kid worried we’d get upset with Sawyer?

“Arlo, it’s cool. Sawyer can take his time. And even if he doesn’t want to talk about this now and here, that’s okay too. He’s just gotta tell us what he wants.”

Arlo nodded, looking from one person to another.

“Chéri, Blaze is correct. You won’t have to talk now or at all.” Henri lifted the menu. “I think I’ll have the grilled chicken sandwich.”

“I’m sorry, Henri,” Sawyer said softly. “What did you want to know?”

Henri placed the menu down. “I would like for you to think if you enjoy your job and want to continue there until the Playhouse is opened or if you wish to have a break from Polished. If you want that break, chéri, Blaze and I will support you.”

His jaw clenched over and over.

The waitress suddenly appeared and asked, “Are you ready to order? I can take your drinks first.”

“Two Dr. Peppers,” I said. “Kids?”

“Can I have an orange soda?” Arlo asked.

“Sure can,” the waitress replied, noting it down on her iPad.

“I’ll have a cola,” Sawyer said.

“For food, Blaze and I are gonna have the deluxe burgers with medium fries, please,” Arlo informed her cheerily.

Henri ordered his meal, and Sawyer looked down at the menu quickly and then up. “I’ll have the cheeseburger and large fries, thanks.”

“No problem. They won’t be long.”

When she walked away, Sawyer looked at Henri and me. “I would like to quit Polished and only work at the Playhouse.”

Reaching over, I knocked my knuckles against the top of his hand. “You got it.”

Henri smiled softly. “Thank you for telling us. You don’t worry about anything, okay? You have Blaze and me. Just come to us when you need something.”

Henri and I had talked about it earlier that we thought Sawyer wasn’t happy at Polished. He just always had to work. Now he had us, so he didn’t need to. Made me proud that he was confident enough to tell us.

Henri gasped. “Imagine all the things we can do together. You can help me get the Playhouse up and running.”

Sawyer grinned, even with a tremble to his bottom lip. “I’d like that.”