Bestfriend or Best Lover

EPILOGUE 1

Arden's POV

"One, two, three, four..."

"Dad, why are you counting?"

I grit my teeth because Blair is sitting beside me while holding our youngest little princess we named Blake whose four and I don't want to cause a scene. We're at Adi's soccer game and I don't want to embarrass him.

"Nothing, baby girl," I say to Blair through a clenched jaw. Instead, I watch carefully as Adi's coach talks to Belle on the sidelines, leaning in a little too closely for my liking. He's always smiling at her, acting all friendly, but today it's getting obnoxious. He's leaning in and laughing at everything she says, and it's pissing me the fuck off.

Adi's our almost-eight-year-old son. He's currently on the field tackling the other kids, but he's having a blast.

The only problem seems to be coming from his over-friendly coach.

Belle mentioned in passing the other day that the coach sends a lot of emails and it was a little annoying to her. When I logged on to see Belle's emails, I noticed that she was the only recipient of the emails. Belle kept blowing it off, saying he was just trying to help Adi focus.

I started watching him around her and making an effort to always be by Belle's side whenever the games were going on. I trust my wife, and I know that she would never cross a line, but this motherfucker needs to watch himself.

He reaches out and places his hand on her upper arm, giving it a squeeze, and I glare at them when I see it happen. "Blair, baby, can you do dad a favor and hold your little sister for a minute?"

"Sure, Daddy." Blair took Blake from my hands and lets her sit on her lap.

I'm up off the bench before I know it.

I see Belle take a step back at the contact, and that enrages me further. She doesn't like anyone touching her but me. And neither do I. I'm the only one who gets to touch her, even in the most casual way. She's mine. In every fucking sense of the word.

"Touch my wife again and you'll be writing letters to your mom with your toes."

His look of shock on his face should be comical, but I'm seeing too much red to appreciate it. I feel Belle put her hand on my lower back, and I relax a little, but the anger is still boiling inside of me.

"Excuse me, Mr. Langley. I didn't mean to offend—"

"Keep your hands, and your email, to yourself."

Another man comes up from the sidelines and steps in front of the coach, getting between us.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd step back from my husband before there's a scene these children don't need to witness," the man says.

I look over his shoulder to the coach, who's now blushing violently.

"Arden," Belle says from behind me, "This is Tony and his husband, Kyle. They invited us over for a cookout this weekend. I was just telling him that we'd love to attend."

I'm unable to say anything, so I just nod. I feel Belle peek around me and wave to Tony and Kyle.

"We'd love to get the kids together if you're still interested. Let us know."
Before I can apologize or say a single word, Belle is pulling me back into the stands with Blair.

"Well, that went great," she says, letting out a little sigh.

"He shouldn't touch you," is all I'm able to grumble as Blair and Belle fall into fits of laughter, our youngest joins in mimicking her mother and sister, like she understand what we are talking about.

She leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek and all's right with my world. How is it that this woman can give me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it?

"Wrapping my arms around her, and Blair and we watch the rest of Adi's game and I offer a wave of apology to her coach after the game. He may not have wanted my Belle, but I'm not taking any chances. She's mine.

***

Bella's POV

Two years later...

I'm sitting back on the lounge chair in the backyard watching our kids run around. Caleb and his wife, Lizzie, just got here and came out back to sit down beside me.

Their two kids, Callie and Camden run out to play with their cousin in the tree house and we laugh as our four kids, Adi, Blair, Ardie and our youngest Blake tell them they have to say the password.

Our two girls give us a run for our money, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Arden is so patient with all of them, especially with our girls, he even braids their hair, let them paint his nails and do his make up. I don't know how he puts up with all that, but I suspect he likes it. He says I'm the reason they are so beautiful, and I love hearing that. Even though I think the girls look like him, he says they look like me.

"I still don't know how you manage with four kids," Lizzie says, sitting in the lounger next to me. "Callie and Camden for me is a handful."

"I wouldn't know what to do sometimes, to be honest," I confess. "I'm just thankful for Arden."

"Talking about how wonderful I am?" he says, bringing me a glass of lemonade.
He leans down and kisses my neck, and I get that warm feeling low in my belly. His lips always make my toes curl, even after all these years.

"So we all set for next week?" Caleb asks, looking at us.

"Yes, the kids are really excited. Are you sure you can handle all four of them for a week?"

Caleb waves his hand like I've got to be kidding him.

"Please. Two kids is the same as four kids. We got this."

"I hope you have fun in Cleveland making another baby," Lizzie says, laughing.

I give Arden a wink. "I asked my doctor if he was a boy scout."

"Why?" Lizzie asks confused.

"Because I wanted to make sure the knots he put in my tubes were extra tight when I got them tied after our youngest, Blake was born. We're done with the baby-making business."

We all laugh and spend the afternoon grilling out and having a relaxing day. While waiting for the rest of our family and friends.

But a few months later, when we're back home from Cleveland, two little blue lines appear on the test, and Arden is cockier than ever.

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