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We went to pick Peyton up and by the time we got home, Sylvia had wine breathing and soft music playing She met us at the door, held Peyton for a minute, gave me a quick kiss and melted Addie with a smoking hot one. I tucked my baby in bed, read two chapters of her book to her, kissed her and we talked for a minute.

"Are you okay, Dad?" she asked.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready to come out of my room now," I grinned at her.

"Good," she said. "I was getting worried there for a minute. I know Mom and Aunt Addie are sorry for whatever happened. Did you tell them you're sorry?"

"Yes, baby, but I'll tell them again, okay?" She sat up and pulled me down for a kiss, smiled that beautiful smile at me and turned off her light. I was closing the door when I heard her say, "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Angel," I told her.

I closed the door and leaned against it for a minute, just taking a deep breath. Everything was looking up. When I got downstairs, the two hottest women in the southeast were waiting for me. My best friend since the fifth grade, and my wife, the most loving, smartest woman on earth.

The only problem we had was Lucas. I knew the guy was an asshole. He started calling Sylvia and Addie and harassing them. They were perfectly capable of handling him, but he was a persistent son of a bitch. I heard he'd been bragging around about bedding them, and how he was going to move into my bed and take over. I had a couple of my guys follow him and figure out his habits.

He hung out at a Ray's bar and I was waiting outside when he left. I followed him to his place and when he pulled into his parking spot, I blocked him in. I got out and waited for him. He noticed me, and tried to get back in his car. He was fumbling around in the console and I slammed the door on him. He dropped the gun he was frantically trying to get out, and I pulled him out by the hair. We went at it, fist and skull. I'd like to say that I kicked his ass and didn't break a sweat, but the truth is, he was a tough bastard. He beat the hell out of me, but I had something he didn't: rage. I was boiling with rage. I remembered every sound he had wrung out of my wife, every arrogant word he had said and every phone call or text he had made to the women in my life and I was going to kick his ass or die.

I wore him down and proceeded to stomp him into the ground. I'm not a Navy SEAL or an MMA fighter, but I was a man with a righteous anger and there's no stopping a guy like that without killing him. I left him a groaning wreck. I pulled him up by the hair and he looked at me out of his swollen eyes. Mine weren't much better. "Listen good, asshole," I snarled out of my sore mouth. "When I heal up and you heal up, I'll be back. Every time you get better I'm coming back to stomp a mud hole in your ass. I'm going to keep doing this for the rest of your life. Call the cops if you want. Have me arrested. The girls will bail me out and I'll come back here and do you again. The only way to stop me is for you to head for parts unknown. As soon as you can crawl out of here, you better get going, because I'll be back in a couple of weeks."

I spit in his face and gave him one more shot in the nose. Blood spurted and my hand hurt like hell. I slammed his face into his car, got in mine and drove home. The girls were horrified and babied me around for a week until I was better. I didn't have to go back. I heard he'd moved to Phoenix. I don't much care, as long as I never see him again.

We did make it work. After two years, I came home from work today. Addie is taking a leave of absence. She's eight months along and complaining about being fat and her ankles swelling. Sylvia treats her as if she's a priceless china vase. We found out last month that it's a boy. Peyton is going to have a little brother. Addison moved in with us just over a year ago and our life has been amazing. I had to replace that bed in the spare bedroom. About once a week, they kick me out of my bed and have some "girl time." I haven't held them to the "anytime I want" promise. About as often, one or the other of them spends the night in there and leaves me alone with the other one. Addie is careful to let Sylvia and me have alone time, too. She'll take Peyton and go somewhere for the weekend. I love my wife more than ever.

Dinner was ready and my three girls met me at the door. The chubby one was groaning a little, and the other two helped her into the dining room. Sylvia is planning another baby, too, after this one gets a good start. Peyton has taken the changes in without a blink. I think she knows it's unusual, but she doesn't seem to care.

Sometimes a guy needs a two-by-four alongside the head to wake him up. I never thought I'd enjoy the experience. Life surprises you.