by Cora Brent
The street where Erin and Conway had lived was only three blocks away. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d passed by here, but Erin’s house looked exactly the same. In fact I decided I had to park and take a closer look because for a confusing moment I felt like I’d fallen into a time warp. Long ago this house had been almost as familiar to me as my own. The driveway was still cracked in exactly the same places. The front door was unchanged. Even the bougainvillea shrubs seemed like they had stopped growing. I stood there at the end of the driveway and almost couldn’t believe Erin wasn’t about to come running out the front door, her long dark hair flying behind her as she laughed.
Conway’s old house was next door but it didn’t look at all how I remembered it. I couldn’t recall ever having been inside but it did seem like whoever the current owner was had cleaned up the exterior a bit, repairing the roof and resurfacing a broken concrete path with pavers. I couldn’t picture Conway here in the same way I could almost see Erin standing in front of the house next door, but I knew he’d been here. He’d probably occupied this very spot on the sidewalk between his house and Erin’s dozens of times. The longer I stood there the more I could feel his presence nearby.
Then I turned around and saw him.
I must have been so lost in my own thoughts that I never heard his car drive up and park across the street. He was leaning against the driver’s side door as if he’d been there all along.
My first thought was that I wanted to run into his arms.
My second thought was the one I blurted out though.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
He crossed the street slowly, his gaze never shifting from my face. He looked tired, unshaven, and positively gorgeous.
“Emily said you were here,” he explained, a little sheepishly. “I dropped by your apartment this morning, hoping to catch you before you went to work and Emily told me you were talking a drive to Emblem. But whenever I called your phone it kept going straight to voicemail.” He glanced over at his old house, then at Erin’s old house. Then he swallowed and looked at me. “I tried the cemetery first, saw you driving away. I followed you. Didn’t you see me?”
“No. Were you shouting my name?”
He looked puzzled. “No. You wouldn’t have heard me.”
“Probably not.”
I dropped my purse on the ground and leaned against the hood of my car. My head suddenly felt a little funny. I hugged my body and bent forward, worried I might fall over.
Conway was at my side instantly, one strong arm sliding across the back of my waist for support. “What’s wrong, babe? You sick or something?”
I lifted my head. “Or something.”
“What?”
“I’m pregnant.”
There was no gasping. No cursing. His arm did not budge from my waist.
“Did you hear me, Conway?”
“I heard you,” he croaked.
I spoke louder. “I’m pregnant. And just so there’s no confusion, I’m sure it’s yours. Remember that pill I took after our careless episode of wall banging a few months ago? Well, that pill’s not as great as I thought it was. They should really make the warnings on the box bigger so that it’s not such a shock. Because I was shocked. Are you shocked? I’m due on Christmas day which is nice because I know I won’t forget my due date. You won’t forget it either, will you?”
“Roslyn,” Conway said sternly. He gripped me by the shoulders and turned me around until I faced him. His eyes were strangely ablaze and I wondered if he was angry. He tipped my chin up and looked at me for a moment that seemed to last forever. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I shook my head out of his grasp and backed away. “You really should. Go somewhere I mean. So should I. This is not a good place to do this.”
Conway looked around and frowned. Perhaps it was just now really hitting him where we were. He shrugged and advanced a step. “No, we’re not going anywhere just yet. This is as good a place as any to talk.”
I sat down on the curb beside my car. Conway dropped down next to me.
He took a deep breath. “How long have you known?” he asked gently.
“I took the first test the day of Jackson’s funeral. But the doctor only confirmed it yesterday.” I pulled my knees up and rested my forehead against them. “Conway, I’m sorry.”
“What the hell are you sorry for?” he asked.
My tears were back. Damn them. They had a mind of their own these days. “This wasn’t planned.”
“For God’s sakes, Roslyn, I know that. We were both careless. We’re both responsible.”
I shook my head. He wasn’t understanding my point. “You didn’t sign on for this,” I whispered miserably. “Being stuck like this…it’s not what you want.”
“How do you know?” he said sharply. Then he sighed and pressed his palm to his forehead for a second like he was in pain. “You don’t know what I want because I don’t tell you. That’s not your fault, it’s mine. But I spent the morning trying to catch up with you because I can’t let another hour go by without telling you.”
I took a deep breath. “Well here I am. What do you want to tell me, Conway?”
“I love you.”
He’d said it so quickly, so matter-of-factly. As the seconds passed I stopped being sure I’d even heard him right.
“I love you,” he said again. He shifted positions, kneeling in front of me, holding my face in his hands. “I love you and I want to be with you. I don’t just mean at this moment. I mean I want to be with you tonight, on New Year’s Eve and two years from next Saturday.”
This wasn’t making sense. Conway didn’t say things like this. When we were together I never doubted that I had all his attention but I also understood that he was the kind of guy who lived in the moment. He’d even told me so.
I shook out of his grip. “I don’t get it. You can hardly bring yourself to discuss plans for tomorrow and now you’re talking about where we’ll be years from now? Remember what you said? ‘Maybe today is all we get.’ You don’t like to think beyond today.”
He ran a gentle finger across my cheek and I closed my eyes. When I opened them I saw those deep blue eyes that always left me weak. This time they were begging to be believed.
“I was wrong. I’m going to have faith that today is not all we get. By god, I’m demanding all of the tomorrows too and I want to live them with you.”
I took his hand and pressed it to my stomach. “There’s more than just me now. There’s more than just us.”
As Conway spread his palm across my stomach I watched his expression grow tender and determined all at once. “Roslyn, this is us.”
“I do love you,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”
He shut his eyes and when he opened them I saw the tears. “Could you say that again?” he asked.
“I love you, Conway Gentry.”
He took me in his arms, pulling me right into his lap and burying his face in my neck. I held him. I breathed him in and felt the strength of his heartbeat. If someone were observing us from a window they probably would have wondered what kind of tragedy had reduced us to squatting on the curb in the middle of Emblem, Arizona and sobbing in each other’s arms. There was no heartbreak here though, not today. There was only love and understanding.
Eventually Conway gingerly lifted me to my feet. He took my hand almost shyly.
“So what do we do now?” I asked.
He grinned. “For starters, you can kiss me.”
I smiled back and slipped my arms around his neck. “I have a better idea, Gentry. Why don’t you kiss me?”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CONWAY
“Why Creed?” Roslyn asked when I told her where I was going today.
The toaster dinged. I grabbed the two whole-wheat pieces of toast, put them on a plate and set the plate before Roslyn. She groaned and made a face.
“None of that,” I told her firmly. “You know you’ll feel bett
er if you get a little something in your stomach.”
“I’ll try but you’d better steer clear of the sink in case I need to barf.”
“Just a few bites,” I coaxed. “And drink your ginger tea.”
Roslyn scowled but she picked up a slice of toast.
“Quit hovering,” she grumbled. She took a dainty bite, chewed slowly and swallowed with a grimace, chasing it with a sip of tea as I watched.
“Good girl!” I exclaimed.
She set her mug down, still cranky but with a trace of a smile playing on her lips. “I’m not a dog, Con.”
“Of course not. You’re a gorgeous, glowing mother-to-be.” I bent down and kissed her cheek. “Now eat a little bit more. You’ve got to leave for work in about fifteen minutes.”
“Are you still going to look at rentals this afternoon?” she asked as she nibbled her toast.
“Yeah. Deck put me in touch with an agent friend of his and he’s got some good leads in decent neighborhoods. I’ll send you pics if I come across anything worthwhile.”
Roslyn nodded and looked around the apartment. She sighed but it sounded like a happy sigh. We were kind of living in limbo right now. After Emily moved to San Francisco last week I abandoned the Hotel San Gabriel for good. I ditched the few pieces of furniture I had and almost everything else was occupying a handful of boxes in Roslyn’s living room. There was no point in unpacking because her lease was up here next month and we were looking for a place together. Somewhere with a yard and enough space for a kid. Babies might be small but I’ve heard all their accessories can take up a lot of space. I was still adapting to the idea of being a dad but the more I thought about it the more excited I got.
“Conway?” Roslyn said. She was watching me in the curiously cute way she had where she tilted her head slightly and played with a lock of hair. “You still didn’t answer my first question. Why go to Creed instead of Chase or Cord? From what you’ve told me it seems like you get along with them much better than Creed.”
I considered that. Even though I’d already given the matter some thought it was tough to put it into words. “Actually I thought about getting the three of them together and telling them all at the same time but I don’t know, the whole grandiose reveal thing seems tacky.”
“It is quite a revelation though. You think Creed will be mad or something?”
“No, not mad. I mean, I guess he might be annoyed because I’ve known for years and haven’t seen fit to tell them. Still, I kind of doubt that will bug him. But Creed is a straight talker. If he doesn’t want me as a brother then it’s going to be hard for him to hide it. And that moment ought to be a private confrontation between the two of us, rather than something that’s going to get between him and Cord and Chase.”
Roslyn stood, walked over and slid her arms around my waist. “In that case, here’s a hug for good luck.”
As she pressed close my body responded instantly. She felt it and leaned in for a kiss. It didn’t take long to get real worked up; my tongue in her mouth, her hand stroking my dick, my fingers sliding inside her panties.
Then she pulled away with a groan and glanced at the oven clock. “Damn, I’ve got to go.”
I held on to her stubbornly. “Can’t you be five minutes late?”
She smirked. “When do you only take five minutes?”
“Not for me,” I murmured, turning her gently until her sweet ass was pressed against my dick. “I want to make sure you start your day off right.”
“What-“ she started to ask but I stopped any further inquiries by hiking her skirt up and pushing my hand between her legs. I didn’t waste any time getting to the right spot and I enjoyed every second as she moaned and squirmed and shuddered and came under the spell of my fingers.
“That was nice,” she breathed as I helped her get her skirt back in place. She turned her head and grinned at me. “I really do have to go but I promise to return the favor tonight.”
“Believe me, honey, I know you will. And you’ll fucking love every second.”
She shouldered her purse with a blush. “You’re so cocky, Conway.”
“You’re so amazing, Roslyn.”
She paused at the door. “I’ll miss you all day.”
“I’ll miss you too. Here, don’t forget your lunch.”
I kissed her one more time and then let her go. Tonight would be something worth looking forward to but right now I needed to take care of this pesky urge so I could have a clear head. I visited the bedroom, indulged in a pleasant jerkoff session with a pair of Roslyn’s black panties, then showered off and left.
When I talked to Deck yesterday he said he thought that Creed arrived to work at the club he was managing by around ten, although he wasn’t sure. If he was curious about why I wanted to talk to Creed alone he didn’t ask. I’d give Deck all the details soon enough. Stone and I were already meeting him for a lengthy strategy session tomorrow afternoon to discuss the garage venture. When I’d mentioned the idea to Stone he was enthusiastic and wanted to be part of it. Of course Stone would have been enthusiastic about just about anything that would put me on a lawful road but he seemed genuinely thrilled at the idea of working with me.
I was thrilled too. The Gentry brothers, together again.
There was enough cash for initial startup but I’d need a cosigner to lease a space because in the legitimate world I wasn’t all that good looking on paper. Deck had stepped in and offered to do whatever he could to help. Cord pretty much ran Scratch these days and Deck had been looking for another business opportunity. At least that’s what he said. I knew it was probably just one more favor he was doling out but I planned to work as hard as I could to make it worth his while. I still mourned the fact that my friend wasn’t here to help make this happen, but the thought of working with Stone and Deck was something to get excited about.
A weird surge of nerves overcame me when I pulled into the parking lot of Creed’s club. There was no reason to be nervous. This was just Creed Gentry, just a man who’d always assumed he was my cousin. And he might not have any solid reason to like me at this point, but he didn’t have any reason to hate me either.
I remembered that he was driving a blue Ford pickup these days and sure enough there was one sitting in the lot with a handful of other cars. The back door of the club was open and no one was manning it so I just walked right in. A few burly guys were moving furniture in the bar area. When I stopped one of them to ask if he knew where Creed Gentry was he squinted at me for a second, then called to the other side of the room.
“Hey boss, looks like another interview is here.”
Creed emerged from the shadows. “What interview? I don’t have any interviews lined up this morning.”
“Well, I don’t know what the hell this guy wants then.” The big man turned to me with suspicion now. “Hey, what’s your business here, buddy?”
“It’s okay, Jerry,” Creed said quickly. He was looking at me now, with an expression that managed to fall somewhere between curiosity and shock. “I know him.”
“Hey, Creed,” I said, extending a hand.
He looked surprised but shook it. “What’s up, Conway?”
It was always slightly intimidating to stand beside Creed Gentry. He was huge and he was all muscle. Plus he carried himself in a way that declared a low tolerance for bullshit.
“I was wondering if we could talk real quick,” I said quietly.
I thought he’d be skeptical but he shrugged agreeably and jerked his head, indicating I ought to follow him. He pointed to the man I’d talked to a moment ago.
“Jerry, why don’t you and the guys take ten?” he said.
Jerry nodded. “Kind of early, but sure.” He whistled sharply and led three other men out the back door.
“Have a seat,” Creed said as he settled himself on a barstool. He watched me as I climbed on the seat beside him.
“Sorry to drop in on you like this,” I said. “How’s club business?”
&
nbsp; “It’s good. On live talent nights we have to start turning away at the door by nine o’clock.”
“That’s great. I’ll have to bring my girlfriend here to check it out one of these days.”
“You do that. Just let me know when and I’ll leave word to let you in. Now how can I help you, Conway?”
He didn’t ask the question to be rude. I couldn’t really blame him for being guarded. There’d been a time when I was something of a thorn in the side of the Gentrys. Since Stone got out of prison I’d started to make amends with Deck and the triplets but there was still a complication that we never mentioned. At one point they’d all straddled the edge between the shadows and the sun but every one of them had crossed over to the good side.
I hadn’t, not yet, not until now.
“I don’t know how to say this, Creed, so I’m just going to spit it out. I’m your half brother.”
Creed didn’t respond right away so I kept talking to fill the silence.
“Hell, everyone probably knew my mother ran around on Elijah. He raised Stone and me as his own but he always knew we weren’t. My mother got herself plastered and blurted out the whole truth one night before she kicked me out. She’d had an affair with Chrome Gentry. I guess she thought they were in love. She thought if she got pregnant that it would be enough to keep him around. But after Stone was born and Chrome wasn’t real interested in being a daddy, she turned to his brother, Benton, in revenge. So like you, and like Cord and Chase, I’m Benton Gentry’s son.”
Creed stared straight ahead and nodded slowly. “There was always talk,” he said quietly. “We never knew if it was true though and you never came to us.”
“I know.”
“So why didn’t you come to us sooner?”
I swallowed, trying to figure out how to explain this properly. “You guys have always been kind of like my idols. I’d made a habit of fucking up my life for so long I guess I didn’t believe I had much to offer you. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d want me as a brother.”