Three years later.

N A T H A N

Balloons, streamers and lanterns add colour to the living room in Drayton and Dallas' Hermosa beach house. Halsey drifts from the sound system, the aroma of barbecue comes in from the deck, the living room windows pushed open to create a large entrance.

Celebrating Dallas' twenty-sixth birthday and my thirty-fourth wasn't meant to be a big event, but once she and Spencer put their heads together, one thing led to another and while there aren't a huge amount of people, the decor is extravagant.

I sit on the living room sofa watching the triplets — a nickname given in attempted simplicity — while they run in and out, chasing each other on to the deck which was encased with secure fencing once the three of them started walking.

The three of them are often confused for triplets, all of them sharing almost white blonde hair and green eyes. Abby, being a little girl and four months younger than the boys is smaller but it's still hard to tell that there's an age gap. Unless it's a need to know, Dallas and Drayton introduce them to people as triplets. It saves a big long explanation every time someone stops to coo over them in public.

My gaze moves around the room, glancing over my shoulder and into the kitchen so that I can assess all of the guests and make sure that no ones standing because Lydia and Johnny are sprawled out on the other sofa reading a sea life book. That hasn't changed at all. Johnny is still fascinated with the animals of the water and Lydia still pretends that she's listening to his profound teachings.

A few new people arrive in sunglasses with gifts in one hand and I watch Dallas push the deck gate open to let them in. It looks as though it's Lennon and some girl but I don't focus for long when Abby comes bounding towards me with a small doll in her hand.

"Bubby!" She holds the doll up and shakes it, her curled pigtails wobbling as she jostles on the spot.

"Barbie," Lydia slowly corrects her.

"Bubby!"

My stepdaughter rolls her eyes, refocusing on the book that's set between her and Johnny. He's a good kid, polite and intelligent and he seems intent on schooling Lydia on anything that she doesn't understand. It's amusing.

Abby lifts her arms when I reach out and pick her up, setting her on my lap while she continues waving the doll around. The twins come racing through a moment later, throwing handfuls of sand at each other and I watch in alarm, wondering if I should tell Dallas that her living room is turning into a sandbox or pretend as though I haven't seen it.

"Boys," I get their attention with a firm but quiet voice. "Sand stays outside. I'll have to tell Momma."

"Snitch."

My eyes widen in the direction of Lydia who grins at her smart ass remark. She starts to laugh and I soon join her. She's a little shit but we give each other a hard time and have a chuckle while we do it.

"Snitch," Lucas copies her, the braver and more outspoken of the two. His voice begins to raise an octave each time he says it.

"Snitch, Snitch, Snitch!"

"Hey," Drayton's loud voice comes bellowing through the room as he comes in from the deck, slipping his sunglasses onto his head. The triplets whip their heads towards him, abrupt silence settling like a blanket. "What's going on in here turd one and two."

Lucas and Max share a brief glance, it's almost too mature for their age. But it's something that they've been doing for a long time and we'd put it down to twin telepathy. "Get him!" They shout in perfect sync before their little legs start off in a sprint towards Drayton.

Abby giggles, watching her brothers run at their Dad with full force, 'knocking' him down on to the floor right in the middle of the entryway. The three of them wrestle around, Lucas and Max attacking with fierce battle cries and grunts while Drayton pleads that he's released from their attack. Priya steps inside with a plate of barbecued steaks and steps over the match, raising her hands above her head in order to protect the food. I'm more worried about the large baby bump that she's protruding. But she makes it past the drama without falling face first and Cooper follows not far behind with another plate.

"Abby," Drayton cries from the floor where he lays on his back, receiving hit after hit from the twins' tiny fists. "Daddy needs help."

She doesn't hesitate for a moment, she jumps down and runs straight into the middle of the mix, pushing her brothers back so that Drayton can sit up and defend himself. He wraps his arm around her and pulls her close so that she's protected and the two of them wave their hands in front of them, fending the twins off with amusement.

"It's okay princess," Drayton assures her. "I won't let them hurt you."

"They not hurt me." She smiles a toothy grin at her brothers while Drayton continues to hold a twin back with each arm, their energy is abundant, never faltering.

"No, we get Dadda!" they shout, until Lucas takes over the announcements. "We loves Abby. We just don't hurt Abby. Abby, wanna be on our side?"

She starts to nod when Dallas appears with a few guests trailing behind her. It's getting harder to hear over the noise coming from the kitchen but I laugh when Dallas scoops Abby out of Drayton's embrace. "She's on my side. Right? Abby's on Mommy's side?"

Without missing a beat, the toddler grins from ear to ear and nods. She's a little suck up, she likes to have us all on side. It's cute, albeit concerning that she has everyone wrapped around her little finger, but still cute.

Spencer, who's been manning the barbecue switches it off and comes inside, fanning at her sheen coated face. She stops at the threshold and pinches the front of her sundress, pulling it in and out to create a little airflow. "It is hot."

"You're hot," Dallas whistles and saunters off towards the kitchen with Abby still in her hold.

The twins seem to be taking a quick breather and Drayton remains sitting, holding his ankles while he takes a few deep breaths. Spencer laughs and makes a few remarks to Dallas as she comes over to sit beside me on the couch. She's soon tucked into my side, her head rested on my shoulder, her arm draped across my middle.

"Max, Lucas, go and have a water. Hut hut," Drayton orders, getting to his feet so that he can clap his hands together and chase after the loud and boisterous children.

"You look beautiful," I tell Spencer with sincerity, my eyes sweeping up the length of her long smooth bronzed legs. She moves her head on my chest and stares up at me with a loving smile.

"Thanks babe, where did that come from?"

"I was thinking it, so I thought I'd say it."

"Wanna know what I'm thinking?"

"Of course."

"That we should go for a swim soon." Her finger moves down the length of my chest as she sucks in her bottom lip and speaks at barely a whisper. "So that we can get this shirt off."

She's been at a new level of 'in the mood' recently. I'm not complaining because I could never get enough but while my head remains down, I lift my gaze and do a quick sweep of the space to ensure that no one's watching because she has 'fuck me eyes' right now and it's a good thing that her back is to her daughter.

I stand up and lace our fingers together, leading her past the kitchen where the half a dozen people are engaged in conversation or tending to the toddlers. As we reach the bottom of the staircase, I ponder giving Lydia an explanation for our departure, but she hasn't even noticed our move so I continue with Spencer up the wooden set of stairs.

The second that we reach the guest bathroom, she pushes me inside and shuts the door, flicking the lock. She shoves me against the door and begins kissing me with no hesitation. Of course it doesn't take long before I'm overcome with desire and the need that I have for this beautiful woman blinds me, the animalistic passion causing us to become frenzied as we rip at each other's clothes.

"I feel kinda dirty," she pants as she leans back to grip the button of my jeans. "Are we about to do this in their guest bathroom?!"

"I sure hope so," I breathe loudly, my hands wound in her hair as she discards of my pants.

Her lips are back on mine, her tongue sliding and moving with sensual perfection. I slide my hands up her thighs, under the loose sundress so that I can hoist her up and rest her on the vanity.

Her hands graze through the hair on the back of my head as my fingertips slide further and further up, past her underwear and on to her hips. I can feel the indents of her stretch marks, another reminder of what an incredible woman she is. She's carried three children and she still bounces back to perfection. Her scars serving as a reminder that she'd performed a miracle out of selfless intention.

"You're fûcking beautiful Spencer," I murmur against her throat as my tongue trails down her soft skin, sucking and biting my way down to her collarbone. Her legs tighten in response, a whimper sounding from between her lips. It's impossible not to react to her arousal and my fingers grip her hips under the sundress, almost scratching her skin which causes her to moan a little louder.

As if she can't wait another moment, she takes my face between her hands and brings our mouths back together. She's frantic and heated and for a moment I wonder if she's taking some kind of supplement to enhance her libido. Whatever the fuck it is, I'm into it.

• • •

"Hey, we've been waiting for you two." Dallas throws her arms up as we slink into the kitchen fifteen minutes later. Spencer and I throw each other a knowing glance. "It's time to eat."

We follow her through into the dining area where everyone is seated around the large dining table. The French doors which open on to a second smaller deck has a picnic table for the children so that the mess of small people eating, can be kept outside.

Spencer's hand tightens in mine as we shamefully take a seat at the head of the table. Dallas and Drayton sit at the opposite end. Cooper and Priya are to the left and Lennon and her girlfriend are to the right. I'm grateful for the conversation that's passing between the couples, distracting from our entrance. Of course, there's one person who knowingly smirks at us with devious intention.

Drayton.

He better not—

"I hope you cleaned my bathroom after you were done in there," he declares with a loud voice, getting the attention of the entire party as he begins to laugh. "Damn, happy birthday to Nathan huh?"

Spencer buries her head in her hands. The rest of the table keep their glances downcast with tight smiles, as though they're trying not to laugh. Dallas gives him a backhanded slap in the chest and he clutches the spot that she'd smacked him, laughing and wincing at the same time.

"Don't even stress." He gives us a wide smile as he massages his chest with his fingertips. "Dallas and I have had a quickie on your couch when we've stayed."

Dallas drops the salad fork with a sharp gasp. "I'm going to pull out your damn tongue in a minute!"

"Mom," Lydia calls for Spencer who's managed to go a bright red despite her caramel coloured skin. We both take the distraction and ignore the cackling from the guests who are having a hard time feigning oblivion.

"What's wrong?" Spencer leans over so that she can hear Lydia's response from outside on the deck.

"I want to sit inside with the big people. These two—" she points at Lucas and Max —"keep throwing their vegetables at me."

Dallas gets up with a loud sigh, pushing her seat back so that she can go and give the twins a talking to. Her timing is perfect because as soon as she steps outside, Lucas hiffs a piece of carrot straight at Lydia's forehead. It's like a domino effect with those three. Once someone starts something, the next two follow suit. So despite my sister's attempts to keep the kids from throwing their vegetables around, a food fight soon breaks out.

"Drayton! Drayton, get out here and help me."

Drayton, who was mid-bite of his bread roll, glances towards the doors with a stiff pause before his shoulders go slack and he drops his food back on to the plate. His incoherent mumbling about being a starved animal continues until he gets outside and pulls Dallas back from the children's picnic table. He jabs his thumb over his shoulder and orders Dallas to sit down because it's her birthday and she should be relaxing.

"Listen here," he claps his hands together, getting the children's attention and uses 'Dad voice'. Dallas gave it that name and I cringe when she walks towards her seat, staring back at him with googly eyes. "If you two throw one more piece of food, it's upstairs, it's lights out and it's nap time. Guess what that means. No birthday cake, no ice cream and no bedtime book! Understand?"

The twins nod in agreement and turn back to their plates without argument. I'd always imagine Dallas would be the tough cookie, but she's soft as. I have to admit though, their threats always work because they always follow through. It didn't take the kids long to realise that Mom and Dad aren't playing.

"So Priya." Spencer picks up the conversation about ten minutes into our meal. There was a brief pause in chit chat so she took the chance, giving the pregnant woman a warm smile. "How are things with the pregnancy and all that?"

"Good." Priya gives her bump a caress, holding her fork in the other hand. Cooper smiles as well. "We're having a little girl."

"Oh that's so nice. One of each."

"Yeah. I'm excited that she'll have a big brother to look after her."

"And her Dad to look after her," Cooper adds with a grin.

"Better bulk up then Coop." Drayton leans back in his seat. "Dallas could whoop you right now."

The two of them engage in a light bicker that's all in good humour while Spencer continues talking to Priya over the top of them. "So do you guys have plans to get married or anything like that?"

"I have to get a divorce first," she responds with a frown. "Sai was here for a while and I was cautious but I heard that he left to go back to India some time ago. I think he's just going to make it difficult for as long as he can."

"Oh." Spencer pouts, lifting her chilled water to her lips. She sets the glass down and lifts her palm in question. "I'm surprised that Drayton didn't offer to get rid of him or scare him or something like that."

"Oh he did." She gives us an exasperated smile. "But Dallas talked him out of getting arrested and ruining their lives. As much as I appreciated his offer, I agreed with Dallas."

The two of them laugh at my brother in laws impulsive nature. He's great though. I couldn't ask for someone better to be with Dallas. All I'd ever wanted for my sister was to be appreciated, to find the right man and to be treated with respect and love. It was obvious from the get-go that he was obsessed with her. I remember watching him around her and knowing that I would look at Spencer the same way before she knew how I felt.

After the meal, Dallas and I are pushed into the living room with the children, ordered not to help with clean up. It's the honour of being our birthdays. So we sit on the living room floor and entertain the triplets while we simultaneously talk and catch up on the going's on of here and back in Colorado.

"Gift time!" Lennon announces as she walks hand in hand with the pale brunette named Kimmy. "Come on, I want to see some presents being opened. Except Drayton's gift to Dallas. That can wait until you're in private because it's the same every year and no one wants to see that."

"Na, not this year," Drayton informs everyone as the girls sit on the sofa and he plonks down beside Dallas and the kids on the floor. Abby immediately crawls into his lap and snuggles in with a wide yawn. "I gave her that gift last week, on her actual birthday."

"That's all they need to know," Dallas warns her husband as she builds a mega block house with the twins. "Do. Not. Elaborate."

He makes a big show of sealing his lips before he readjusts Abby so that she's more comfortable as she drifts off to sleep. How she can just fall asleep amongst the chit chat and noise is an unsolvable mystery.

"I'll go first," Spencer offers, she comes in from the kitchen with a gift box and a breathtaking smile as she sits beside me on the floor. "This is from Lydia and me."

Lydia glances up from her spot beside Johnny on the sofa and nods with excitement, now offering all of her attention to the scene before her. Spencer plants the box in my lap and I lean over, giving her a quick kiss as thanks.

When I lift the lid, there are a few things inside. Some of my favourite candies, a framed photo of me and Lydia. A brand new football and at the bottom, a folded t-shirt, that reads

'Best stepdad ever'.

I pull the shirt out and let it unfold, smiling at the thoughtful gesture as I hold it up and glance past it at Lydia who's wearing an enormous grin.

"Thanks Lyds. I love it."

I put the shirt back in the box and give Spencer another kiss, just noticing how she looks a little unsettled before our lips meet. She chuckles nervously when I lean back and glances around the room with a fast speed before her gaze lands back on me.

"Hey, pass that shirt bro." Drayton lifts his hand, keeping one wrapped around Abby. "I wanna get a better look. You didn't show us what was on the front."

With a small shrug, I lift the shirt and turn it over, holding it up for him so that he doesn't have to disturb Abby. And that's when I see the bold black print on the back of it that reads.

'Soon to be the best DAD ever. Baby Bryan, coming in February.'

The entire room bursts into a fit of laughter and loud awws when I drop the shirt with my mouth agape. It's all tuned out though. All of it becomes white noise as I stare into the face of my beautiful wife, her hands are clasped in front of her mouth, her exquisite brown eyes are curled up at the edge, tears starting to pool.

"For real?" I question with a racing heart. "We're having a baby?"

"For real." She nods, a tear sliding down her cheek when she laughs.

I wrap a hand around the back of her neck and kiss her. I kiss her like she's a lifeline because no matter how many years pass, it's still a dream to have her as my own. It's still as precious as it was when I first kissed her, first made love to her. When I asked her to marry me and we exchanged vows. It's all of those firsts, all of the time. I can never get enough. And now, she's pregnant with a child of our own. I'm more grateful than I could imagine I would ever be.