Page 23 of Havoc's Fox

“Thank you, Daddy! Merry Christmas,” both girls answered at once, going to hug him and kiss his cheek.

“Breakfast ready?” he asked, walking into the kitchen to hug Everly and kiss the side of her neck before going to the fridge to get out the half-n-half he liked in his coffee.

“Just about. Bacon’s done, and one more waffle, we’ll be ready,” Everly answered.

“Alright. Girls get everything else on the table for your mom,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” they both answered and immediately did as he said. They were grown, but this was still Mama and Daddy.

“Don’t forget the powdered sugar, and the syrup,” Everly added. Three minutes later Everly was carrying in a huge platter of Belgian waffles to place in the middle of the table. Bam was already seated and Analise was right behind her mother carrying in the fruit she’d sliced up. After they were all seated, they served themselves from the heaps of bacon, waffles and all the fixings.

Bam made a show of putting his fork and knife down on the edges of his plate, his hands flat on the tabletop on either side of his plate. Analise and Emmalyn both stopped spreading butter on their waffles and looked at him.

“There’s a thing called respect that I thought we’d taught you both about. What you do when you are off living your own lives, I have no control over, though I hope you treat yourself with some kind of respect. But when you’re here, in the family home, you will treat us with respect whether you like it or not. Showing us respect does not include traipsing out at all hours and staying wherever is it you happened to land. We deserve better, and so do you. If that’s how you treat yourself in your day-to-days, I hope you figure out you’re worth more. Now, I don’t wanna know where or what. In fact, I don’t want to talk about it again, and I will not tolerate it happening again while you’re here. Clear?” Bam asked.

“Yes, sir,” Analise answered, crushed that she’d disappointed her father.

“Yes, sir. It’s clear,” Emmalyn said.

“Good. Now thank your mother for this delicious breakfast, and when we’re done go and get changed. We’ve got some presents to open and a Christmas day to enjoy.”

Everly smiled to herself as she enjoyed her waffle. Bam very rarely got onto the girls about anything. He didn’t need to. So, when he did, that made it even more devastating to them. She raised her gaze to him and found him smiling at her.

She puckered her lips and sent him a kiss.

He grinned at her and took another bite of his waffle.

They were still as in love as they’d been in their first days of bonding, and even happier than they’d ever been. It was all they’d ever wanted for their own kids, and both hoped one day, their daughters would figure it all out.

When breakfast was over and Analise and Emmalyn had both gone to get cleaned up and dressed, Bam helped Everly clean up the kitchen and get all the gifts out from under the tree.

“Where was Analise?” Bam asked, his voice a whisper so his daughters wouldn’t know he was asking.

“She was with Christian. Swears it’s just because they are best friends and she needed a shoulder because Havoc surprised her by being here,” Everly said.

“I didn’t scent anything on her. So, she’s probably telling the truth,” Bam said.

“I think so. She did say some nice things about Havoc, though.”

Bam nodded.

“I know you don’t like the idea, but it’s the only way she’ll have what we do,” Everly said.

Bam nodded again, and kept stacking the gifts by name for when the girls were finished getting dressed.

“Did you scent Emmalyn, though?”

“No, I did not. I was trying not to,” Bam said, looking queasy. “Do I want to know?”

“It’s him. I’m not sure it’s finalized, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.”

“I just don’t understand what we did to have two of them that can’t do things the old-fashioned way,” Bam said.

“Analise was destroyed by her mate once, she’s got serious trust issues. Emmalyn is just so damn headstrong it’s her way or no way. You know that.”

“It was rhetorical. I wasn’t really looking for an answer,” Bam said, smiling at his mate. “And I really meant it. I don’t want to know,” he said, looking sickly again, “they’re my little girls.”

“They’re grown women, Bam.”