One Night Stand With My Husband’s Brother

Chase Axford felt the children fight to free themselves from his grip. His eyes opened, and he looked down at their heads, it was only then he realized he would crush their bones if he didn’t let them be.

He allowed them wriggle free, and Calista, his daughter, staggered backwards. Her gaze rested on his and Chase saw the fear in her eyes.

She didn’t know him, she didn’t want him to hug her.

Her brother grabbed his sister’s hand and planted himself in front of her. He glared at Chase, sending him a warning; don’t touch her, or us, or I’ll scream.

Chase could see it in his eyes.

He was their father, but they didn’t know him. They were…scared of him.

Calista turned to look at Richard. She narrowed her eyes on the elderly man, before pointing at Chase.

“Sir, why does this man look a lot like my brother?”

Richard could not deny he was puzzled by the question. Even as little as she was, she was able to note the striking resemblance between them.

He swallowed hard and looked up at Chase, not knowing what to say.

But Calista continued to stare at him, waiting for her response. Richard knew he could not evade the question, not with the piercing stare he was getting from the little girl.

“It’s because…it’s…it can be that…”

“It’s because he’s your dad!”

The sound of the familiar female voice from behind them, sent all their heads turning in the direction of the voice.

Calista and Cameron both rushed to their mother, grateful for her presence. They spread their arms wide and started running to her. Mackenzie’s heart was squeezed in her chest when she saw her children. Her eyes sparkled with delight, despite the other nerve wracking feeling deep in her gut. The feeling did not let her dare to look at Chase.

She lowered her stance and pulled her children to her chest, locking them in a tight embrace.

Earlier on, when she had seen Chase hugging the children, and Richard by his side, Mackenzie’s entire world crashed to the ground, leaving her frozen on the spot.

He knew. She knew from how firmly Chase gripped the children, that he knew.

So after Calista asked the question, she knew that she had to say something quickly. She had to talk before he did.

“Daddy is finally here, Calista. Just like I always promised.” She said, a nervous chuckle escaped her lips.

The children gasped aloud, their gazes danced from Chase, to Richard, and back to their mother.

“Do you mean our father? Like our daddy? I have a daddy…like…like Emily?!” Calista’s hazel eyes sparkled as she pressed her tiny palms together. Both her eyes twitched, itching to hear the goodnews.

“And Jeremy too! I have a daddy like Jeremy?” It was Cameron’s turn to speak now. Mackenzie looked up at him and noticed how his eyes threatened to pop out from their sockets.

Mackenzie nodded, speechless.

Chase kept his focus on the twins. The more he knelt there, the more his heart sunk into his chest. He placed his hands on his thighs and squeezed the fabric. Hot tears scorched the sides of his eyes, but he fought to keep them in.

He could not believe it. He wished, more than anything, that he was dreaming. But this was a dream he did not want to end.

Chase shook his head, as though all the anger he felt in his heart towards Mackenzie would dissolve. He forced a smile as he watched his children.

“Now that you know, can daddy get a hug?” He called out.

Both Chase and Calista turned their heads to look at him. The fear in their eyes was gone, leaving a glistering innocence, and orbs as bright as the sun.

Calista did not hesitate to run into his arms. The force of their collision almost sent his back hurling to the ground.

Chase laughed. With all the pain in his heart, he laughed.

She flung her arms around his neck, and her brother soon joined in. Cameron held his sister and his father, and struggled to make space for himself between them.

“It’s okay big boy, there’s more than enough room for everyone.” Chase said aloud, laughing to himself.

A wave of happiness rippled through his bones, a form of joy he had never experienced before.

They were his. This time, when he embraced them, they didn’t run. They didn’t try to leave him.

It all still a shock to him, he did not understand anything that had happened in the past three hours, all he knew was that he was a father.

He has been a father for four years, and yet he had no idea. No idea!

“Where have you been, daddy?” Calista mumbled against his neck.

He had been right there, just a phone call away all these years, but he had not known about them.

Calista pulled away from the embrace. A small frown stole her smile away.

“We have been waiting for you. Mummy kept on saying you’ll come soon, and soon, and soon, but why didn’t you come sooner?”

She pouted, her eyes danced around his face, eagerly searching for an answer.

Chase’s jaw hardened. He cupped Calista’s right cheek, and she leaned her face into his palm. Chase could see how much his daughter had craved the touch of her father.

The mix of anger and excitement was strange, even for him.

“I’m so sorry, princess. But I’m here now, okay? I’m here with you and I’m never going anywhere.”

Calista narrowed her eyes on him.

“Really daddy? Never?”

Damn. Did she not believe him?

Chase forced a smile. His tears were tugging at his lids with full force, but he had vowed not to let them fall, not in front of her.

“Never.”

It was Cameron’s turn to ask the questions.

The boy could barely keep his leg firm on the ground. He stood on his tiptoes and bounced, a gesture Mackenzie had noted he did whenever he was bursting with excitement.

“Sooo, does this mean we can get piggy back rides?”

Chase laughed.

“Of course.”

“And you’ll carry us on your shoulders?”

Chase nodded with a smile.

Calista turned to look at Mackenzie. She could swear she had never seen her daughter smile so much, that her ears joined in the smile.

“So daddy would follow us home, right?”

The little girl pressed her palms together and flashed her mother her cute “puppy eyed” face.

“Please mummy?”

God no. Please no.

Mackenzie forced a smile and chuckled.

“Of course, yes.”

As she smiled, the tears she had fought to hide for so long casually streamed down her eyes.

She was in trouble.

“Yes!” Brother and sister exclaimed simultaneously, hugging each other. As they giggled, Chase found himself smiling.

What mattered is that they were happy to see him.

“Daddy would sleep on my bed! And now that he’s here, I don’t need my daddy toy anymore.” The second sentence rolled off his tongue with a deep sense of pride.

Mackenzie watched her son place both hands in his hips and stick his nose into the air, and she laughed.

Chase leered at Mackenzie. He frowned at the ease with which she laughed.

He wished he could make the carefree sound she was, but there was nothing funny about anything the children had said.

If anything, it was heart wrenching for him.

He glanced at the toy Cameron clutched in his left hand.

Daddy toy.

For four years, a toy had stayed by his son’s side, a toy had given him hope.

How was that funny?

Sighing, he rose to his feet.

Little Calista held on to his hand, reluctant to let him go.

“Daddy, have you seen my brother? My new brother?” She asked, pulling him by his hand.

Chase wanted to speak, but Richard was faster.

“Isn’t Cameron your brother?”

“Yes! Cameron is my brother, but Rony…” she pointed at the Pormeranian puppy.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“… is my new brother! And I love him so much.”

The old man laughed heartily.

“That’s really good, Calista. So you know who I am now, right?”

The two children shook their heads, exchanging confused glances.

They did not know.

Richard sighed.

“I am your grandpa.”

Calista gasped, using both her hands to cover her mouth. She and her brother looked at Mackenzie. Both squinted their brows at their mother.

“We already have a grandpa, mum. Can we have another one?”

Mackenzie could only wish the ground would open up and swallow her. How did everything she had carefully planned and plotted manage to blow up in her face in such a way? She was not even given a chance to think of what to say.

“Of course, sweetie. This is your daddy’s dad, so he is also your grandpa.”

Calista held her brother’s hand as they smiled at each other.

Chase enjoyed watching the both of them. He was impressed by how much they loved and supported each other. It was something he didn’t share with his own half sibling.

He was happy to see it between his children.

His Children.

The phrase was still strange to even think about.

How could Mackenzie have kept such a thing away from him? She had not only lied once, but twice!

“Sweet!”

“I like it! Today is the best day of my life, mummy!” Cameron screamed aloud, filled with glee.

“So, why don’t you come give grandpa a hug?” Richard called out to the children, and they rushed to embrace him.

He stole a glance at his son, and another at Mackenzie.

“Why don’t we give mummy and daddy sometime alone? I’m sure there is a lot they need to talk about.”

He gestured to Chase to speak to Mackenzie, and Chase looked away from him. He could not bear to look at Mackenzie once more, not even to spare her a second glance.

What was he supposed to say to her?