Chapter 6

“When did my house turn into a brothel?” Garrett demanded as he and Cassidy entered the kitchen.

Gavin and Grace had called the entire family and those close to them together, and the room was crowded. Ivy, Derek, and Garrett were gathered, while Ella and her new fiancée Chris sat together in a chair. Kayla and her boyfriend were kissing while she sat in his lap, and Garrett was talking quietly to his girlfriend.

“Daddy, we did keep growing up while you were away,” Ella pointed out.

“Well you could all at least pretend to be as happy as Gavin to see your father.”

“We *are* happy to see you, Dad,” Kayla said, prying herself away from her boyfriend to give her father a hug. Ella and Ivy both did likewise.

“You’re all so grown up…” He told his daughters. “You girls are really something.”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause Ivy and Kayla look like Mom,” Ella commented, squeezing her father.

“No…all three of you are beautiful young women.” Garrett replied. “Even you, Ella.”

Ella laughed a little bit at that and kissed her father’s cheek. “Is Garrett a beautiful young woman too?”

“Is there something you know that I don’t?”

Ella laughed.

“I heard that!” Garrett called indignantly.

“Well maybe you can untangle yourself to give your father a hug.”

Garrett set his girlfriend down on the chair and then got up to collect his hug.

“How does it feel to be seventeen?” Garrett asked his son.

“Good… weird… I don’t know.”

“You’ve been taking care of your mother and sisters I hope.”

“The best I can…”

“We are still here, aren’t we?” Ivy asked, picking up her two year old son. “Dad…this is your grandson.”

Garrett took the toddler from Ivy. “Hey kid.”

“Dranpa?” The child asked.

Garrett laughed and raised his grandson in the air. “That’s me. Garrett, I’m your grandfather.”

The child laughed in delight at finding himself up in the air. “Mommy I’m flying! Dranpa made me fly!”

“I see that sweetie.” Ivy replied.

Grace leaned over to Chelsea. “Don’t get any ideas.”

Chelsea made a face. “Do you know how hard it is when everybody else has someone besides my little brother and my second cousin?”

“Sorry, sweetie…but I don’t want to think of the idea of you having somebody until you’re married.”

“Gamma? Are you gonna marry Dranpa?” The toddler asked suddenly.

“We are married, little man. Just like your mom and dad.”

“Oh. Do you kiss too?” He made a face.

“As a matter of fact we do. So tell me, do you have any little girlfriends?”

He nodded. “But I forgot her name.”

“I’ll give you a piece of advice. Girls get mad when you forget their names.” Garrett told his grandson.

Ella looked at Chris. “I want one.”

“Okay…” Chris replied. “Now?”

“After the wedding.”

“You bet your ass after the wedding, or your father’ll kill him before there *is* a wedding,” Cassidy warned.

“When’s there going to be a wedding, and who is getting married?” Garrett asked, turning his attention to his wife and middle daughter.

“Ella and Chris… a month from today, right?”

Ella nodded.

“Chris…?” Garrett questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Chris Robinson, sir. It’s nice to finally meet you.” The young man extended a hand.

Garrett shook it firmly. “I shot Ella’s first boyfriend because he ditched her at a school dance. I didn’t kill him, but let’s just say he’s the last of his family. You hurt her, you can only imagine what I’ll do to you. Welcome to the family, son.”

“Dad!” Ella yelped.

Chris simply nodded. “Thank you, sir. I think.”

Garrett turned around to hear a small giggle. “Get your hands off my daughter!” He practically barked at Kayla’s boyfriend.

The boy looked up, alarmed.

“Are you deaf, boy? I said let her up!”

He did so, but Kayla did not move. “Oh come off it, Daddy, you were way younger than me when you were laying Mom!”

“Wrong answer!”

Kayla grabbed the boy by the hair and kissed him intensely.

Garrett the younger winced. “That… wasn’t too smart.”

Garrett pulled Kayla off the boy. “What are you doing?” He said, his face was almost purple.

“I’m kissing my boyfriend.”

“And *who* is this boy?”

“His name is Greg.”

“Greg. You even *think* about my daughter in anyway less than honorable, I swear I will make sure your head is the newest addition to my office wall.”

“Think that’s her decision, Mr. Spencer.”

“I think you should get your ass out of here before I rip your dick off and feed it to you.”

Greg fairly fled the room.

“Dad! You…. you’re a really big jerk!” She snapped, stomping one foot.

“That guy’s bad news, sweetie. I’m only trying to keep you from getting hurt.”

“It’s none of your damn business!” She shrieked.

“IT IS MY DAMNED BUSINESS!” Garrett roared. “You are my daughter, therefore, it’s my business.”

“Don’t give me some yarn about how we were all so carefully planned for and you want us to be safe and perpetually happy. I was supposed to be a boy, and the only reason there’s four of us is because one, you needed a son and two, you couldn’t keep your pants zipped when you got near Mom!”

“That is *enough*.” Garrett replied. “I guess I expected too much from you. I thought you’d be glad your father isn’t dead. Thank you Kayla, for showing me how wrong I was.” Garrett told her coldly before storming out of the kitchen.

“Way to fuck up,” Ella snapped.

Cassidy followed her husband. “Baby, they’re glad to see you. Kayla’s just got a stick up her ass – god knows most eighteen year olds do – but they love you, Garrett, our kids love you. And I love you.”

“And who gave her permission to turn eighteen?”

“Trust me, I wish she were still four too.”

“Why couldn’t all of them just stayed little? Ivy got married? And Ella’s engaged?”

“And our boy was poised to take over for you. I know, baby. And I sort of wish we had little ones still, but we don’t, and I still love them dearly. And they still love you.”

“I know…Although, I don’t miss Ella’s cold-blooded friends everywhere.”

“Remember when she gave the fish she got from the pond an alka-seltzer tablet because her little brother told her it had a stomach ache? God, she was so upset when it exploded… That plaintive little ‘Daddy I didn’t mean to!’” Cassidy laughed a little bit. “Or the period of time when Michael would eat nothing but red Jell-O…”

“Or when little Ivy kept stealing your makeup to wear…I guess none of them are very little anymore…”

“Yeah… they aren’t. I really *do* miss having babies… well not so much the having them as there being babies.”

“Well the making the babies is always fun.”

“Agreed.”

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