Rock Hard Boss: A Single Dad, Boss Chef Romance

by Rye Hart

  The tears fell, from both of us, as we talked.

  “I didn't mean for this to happen,” I said. “It just did. And I wouldn't take it back for the world, but I also don't want to lose you. You're the only family I have left.”

  “Do you love him, Violet? Truly love him?”

  “Yes,” I said, not even taking a moment to question that. “I do. With all of my heart. And he loves me, mom.”

  She sighed. “He's right, you know.”

  “About what?”

  “I heard what he said to you as you were leaving. How you were done coddling me. He was right. All these months, you were the one taking care of me, when I should have been the one taking care of you.”

  “I wanted to do that, mom,” I said.

  “I know, honey, but you weren't supposed to. I'm the mother,” she said. “And when I kicked you out, it was all over my own feelings again. I was so caught up in how I was going to lose you, and I pushed you away.”

  “I'm still here, mom,” I said. “I always will be.”

  “And I'll always be there for you too,” she said. “And if it means I have to come to terms with accepting Sebastian, well, I guess I'm the one with some growing up to do. It's just hard to imagine my baby girl with someone old enough to be her father.”

  “He makes me happy, mom,” I said. “And treats me very well.”

  My mom was silent for a few minutes. “I don't doubt that, Violet. Sebastian is a good man, I have no doubt about that.”

  Hearing her say that filled me with hope.

  “Maybe you two should come over for dinner soon,” my mom said. “I'd really like to see you again, Violet.”

  “I'd like that,” I said. “And I bet Sebastian would like that too, mom.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - VIOLET

  As I stared down at the pink stripes, the answer was clear. This was the second test I'd taken that day and had gotten the same results. Sebastian sat beside me as I stared down at the test then back up at him.

  “Positive. I'm guessing two false positives in a row isn't likely.”

  I was shaking. Sebastian and I had never talked about having children together. After all, we were just getting started on living together. It became something of a necessity after my mom had kicked me out. A necessity that became a blessing in disguise.

  Tears welled up in my eyes. Yes, I wanted kids, and the idea of having kids with Sebastian seemed nice, but things with us were still relatively new. And I had no idea how he felt about any of it.

  “Shhh,” he said, pulling me into him, kissing my forehead. “It's going to be okay.”

  “I need to talk to my mom,” I said.

  For some reason, finding out something big like that – that I was pregnant – made me yearn for my mother even more. We had dinner scheduled later that evening, but I wasn't sure that would be the best time to make the announcement that she might be a grandma. She was just beginning to try and accept us as a couple, so there was that. That was a lot for her.

  But as I stared up at Sebastian, I feared maybe he had other plans; plans that didn't include keeping the baby. I tried to get a feel for his thoughts, but without him saying much, it was more than a little difficult.

  “Sebastian,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I don't know how you feel about being a father, and I understand if you don't want to be a dad. But whatever happens between you and me, I can't – ”

  Before I could finish, I broke down in a fit sobs. The idea of aborting our child filled me with dread. It was weird ,before I even knew for sure I was pregnant, when it was just a matter of my period being late, I knew I wanted the child. Part of me was so happy to see the results, but of course, I was also fearful of what it might mean for my relationship with Sebastian.

  I continued, “Whether you want to be in the child's life or not, I'm still going through with it.”

  I was strong. I could do this. Even if it meant being alone, I could and would do it. Sebastian stared at me, a serious look on his face, but then he smiled at me. And in that smile, there was so much hope.

  “I was hoping you'd say that,” he said. “I didn't want you to feel obligated though. You're so young and have so much life to live still. But I don't have as much time to be a dad. And well – ”

  “So you're happy about this?” I asked, suddenly feeling my pulse racing and a sense of genuine joy spreading through my body.

  “Yes, I am actually,” he said, appearing surprised at his own answer. “Very much so.”

  “So this is it,” I said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. “We're going to have a baby.”

  “We're going to have a baby,” he said, taking my hands in his.

  ***

  “Wouldn't you like some wine, sweetie?” my mom asked, pouring a glass for herself and Sebastian. I looked over at Sebastian and he looked at me. I wasn't sure if we were going to tell her tonight or not, even though I was bursting at the seams to share the news. I was afraid she might not take it too well. Things were moving a little fast.

  “No thank you,” I said, sipping my sparkling water. “I'm trying to drink more water.”

  “Good girl,” she said, smiling at me. “You were always such a good influence on me.”

  I tried to keep my mom eating healthy, even after what happened to dad. She sunk into a pit of despair and often turned to wine and chocolate to soothe her feelings, and I was there to convince her to replace her wine glass with bottled water, her chocolate with something that might better fill her stomach.

  I looked down at my hands, not wanting to look at either her or Sebastian, afraid I might give something away by the guilt written on my face. I hated keeping anything from my mother, and this was something huge. Sebastian reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. As I looked up into his eyes, I couldn't help but smile.

  We were having a baby.

  Such joyous news, and I was dying to share it with my mother. More than anything.

  “Go ahead, if you'd like,” he whispered to me.

  “Now?” I mouthed.

  “What are you two lovebirds whispering about?” my mom said, obviously trying to show she was okay with our new relationship, but it still came out awkward and stilted.

  “Uhh well, Sebastian and I have some news to share,” I said. My hands were shaking, but Sebastian kept them still and calm in my lap by holding onto them for dear life. “I know it seems really sudden, but sometimes, things happen and well, we're having a baby, mom. You're going to be a grandma.”

  My mother dropped the wine glass to the table with a loud clank and stared at me slack jawed. She looked between Sebastian and myself, and I feared the worst. She was going to flip out and kick us out again, I just knew it. I had to prepare for the worst, but this time, Sebastian was here for me. He would take care of me and we'd leave, if it came to that.

  “You're pregnant? But-- How?” My mom cringed at her own question. “No, don't answer that. I really don't want to know. Are you sure?”

  “Yes, mom. We're sure. It's unexpected, but were happy,” I said.

  My mother looked at Sebastian, then back at me. I watched the wave of emotions cross her face, and I feared the worst. But she kept her cool, and I had to commend her for that. “Wow. So I'm going to be a grandma? Well, I didn't expect this, but congratulations, honey. That's great news.”

  Sebastian cleared his throat, and both my mother and I turned to him.

  “I just wanted to say,” he said, turning to me, “That while things have moved incredibly fast between your daughter and I, that I fully intend to keep my promise to you, Angela.”

  “What promise?” I asked, turning to look at my mom. She looked as confused as I did.

  Sebastian pushed the chair back from the table, and before I knew what was happening, he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. My heart pounded in my chest as I started crying before he even said the words. “Oh God.”

  “Violet, I intended to ask you anyway, but afte
r what we found out today, I figured there was no time like now,” he said. “Will you marry me?”

  I stared into his eyes, and it took me a moment to realize this was real. That he was really asking me to marry him, and I barely managed to mutter, “Yes,” before we embraced, kissing and nearly forgetting about my mom sitting across from us.

  As soon as I remembered where we were, I looked over and she was also crying. For the first time in I don't know how long, she was crying happy tears.

  “Thank you,” I whispered to my mother.

  “I just want you to be happy, sweetheart. And obviously, he makes you very happy.”

  And in that moment, I realized something very important, something I never thought possible.

  Yes, Violet. Dreams can come true.

  The End

  Heart Off Limits

  Chapter One

  I wasn’t exactly Miss Goodie Fucking Two Shoes. It was more like Miss Wild and Reckless. Highschool suspensions became a norm and it never even phased me. Mom said I carried a big heart, but a hard as hell shell. She tried hard to be patient and deal with my wild antics but I guess everyone has their boiling point. She didn’t want me back after all the trouble I got into on my last year of high school. Looking back, I can’t really blame her; it was a miracle they let me graduate.

  She put up with me for another year and then she shipped me off to live in Altanta with Dad. Dad? It was so weird to call him that. I hadn’t seen him in almost a decade, and he was practically a complete stranger until the day I was loaded onto a bus and sent to live with him. It wasn’t the best parenting decision on my mom’s part but she didn’t know what else to do with me.

  Soon after moving ship, I dropped the name dad and referred to him by his first name, Mike. Mike preferred it that way. He said dad made him feel old. He was crude and I was pretty sure he was involved in some illegal shit, but he was never home so I didn’t know the details. I preferred it that way.

  I’d been here for about two years now and the relationship between the two of us hadn’t gotten any better. We were still estranged since we spent little to no time together, though I learned to expect nothing less from him. He proved to be the type of guy who didn’t care about anyone but himself. It was better that way though; at least he never got my hopes up anymore.

  Mom sent me to live with him to show me that life could be worse. She wanted me to experience the hard life my father lived and she expected I would call her crying and begging her to take me back, but that little plan backfired. Here I am two years later. My family situation may be far from the Brady Bunch, but atleast I liked it here. To be honest, I liked my freedom here and I was too stubborn to go back. I had freedom like I’d never had with my mother. Mom could be a real hard ass. She became tougher as I reached the age of maturity and I assumed it was because she was afraid of losing another person in her life. I loved her with every fiber of my being but we never seemed to get passed our screwed up communication. We were two stubborn women under one roof and it was a bad combination.

  I missed her everyday. If only I could tell her that.

  I’m just a few months from my 21st birthday now. Mike managed to remember all my birthdays, leaving me a cupcake on the dining room table and a weird gift I never really understood. Alteast he tried when it came to my birthdays, even if it was half ass.

  He had a habit of buying me presents that I’d never use. For the longest time it was nail polish, all kinds of nail polish, mostly in baby blues and pinks; colors I would never dream of wearing. He finally got the hint at some point and he bought me black. Now it was black everything, which I didn’t really mind.

  I rolled onto my stomach and glanced down at the hard wood floor, running my hand over it for a moment, almost wincing at the heat that emanated from it. I liked the south, but I didn’t like the heat. Not one bit.

  The sun was high in the sky now, and I figured I ought to get out of bed. I was up all night cramming for finals the night before and luckily didn’t have to be to work today but that wasn’t an excuse for me to lay in bed. I changed into black skirt and a shirt that I got at some concert I could barely remember. I threw on some boots and then I placed a black beanie over my blonde hair.

  Just as I was grabbing a Pop-Tart from the sparse pantry my phone began to buzz. I pulled it out of my back pocket and answered without looking at the screen.

  “Yo,” I gave my standard greeting.

  “Alex?”

  “Hey Gina! What’s up girl?”

  Gina was my best friend. A Southern girl through and through with a kick-ass punk attitude. I loved her dearly. Being around Gine made this heat almost bearable.

  “Are you working today?” she asked.

  “No ma’am. I actually just got out of bed,” I hummed, popping my breakfast into the toaster. “Why?”

  “There’s a big biker rally this weekend! People are coming from everywhere, even as far as Nashville. How fucking rad is that?”

  “A biker rally? What would be so fun about a biker rally?” I grumbled.

  I had an aversion to bikers as it were. In my mind bikers represented a community of bad news. They were dangerous, unpredictable, and had no redeeming qualities as far as I could see. I had goals of paying my way through college and graduating on time. That meant going to community college at night and working full, so I wasn’t stupid enough to get tangled with bikers. Not like my mom in her wild years. She ending up regretting every minute of it and that made a lasting impression in my life.

  “Don’t be such a baby, Alex. It’ll be fun,” Gina whined.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “God, you’re such a downer. Fine, let’s go grab lunch and hit up some bars? That sounded like a better idea. I could use a break.

  I grabbed the Pop Tart as it popped from the toaster and stuffed it in my mouth. “Where are we going to meet?”

  “Did you really just ask me that?” she drawled.

  “Majestic?”

  “Duh. I want a milkshake. See you soon boo.”

  I chuckled and hung up the phone, tucking it away in my pocket. Let’s see where this takes us.

  Chapter Two

  It was just as hot outside as I expected it to be. The air was oppressive and sweat was already starting to bead on my forehead. I brushed my fingers through my blonde hair, secretly thankful to Gina for talking me out of dying it a dark color. She warned me that it would attract the sun and get way too hot and I was grateful to her for the warning, though I’d still acted petulant about not having dark hair.

  The streets were as busy as you’d expect on a hot summer afternoon. A few people were walking up and down the street in shorts and tank tops, but most people were holed up in the mall or at home where cold AC units offered relief from this fucking heat. It was the one thing I hated about Atlanta. I hated the heat. I hated the way that even the branches on the trees seemed to droop in utter defeat against it.

  Luckily I didn’t have to walk too far. I lived close to a tram station and hopped on happily. I sighed with delight as the cool air hit my face. I collapsed into one of the seats and stuck headphones in my ears, not really interested in talking to anyone. People had a tendency to think that public transport was a place to make friends. They would talk your ear off if you didn’t have headphones in. It was the most annoying thing I’d ever experienced in my life.

  I’d grown up in a small town just outside Boston and I wasn’t used to people poking around in my business for no reason. Folks in small towns do love to gossip but they have a tendency to do it behind your back and never to your face, so it was less invasive than what I faced here in the big city.

  I got off in the heart of downtown Atlanta and walked through the street, taking in all the people. One of my favorite parts about living in a big city was people-watching. Coming from a small town where everyone looked the same, and there was little to no variation, Atlanta people-watching was like hitting the jackpot. I couldn’t go more than five
feet without seeing a new look. There were Goth kids, glamour moms, and even the occasional drag queen. I loved taking in all the colors and looks.

  I took evening classes at a local community college because it was all I could afford with my retails job and financial aid. I never talked about my hopes much, but I had hopes of being a fashion designer. It was my dream since I was a little girl, nose deep in Vogue and Marie Claire magazines. It was the story of my life, really. I had a tendency to curl inside of myself and block the world out. I was always good at being on my own and making things work for myself.

  My mother loved me in her own way, but she loved me at a distance. She was always a guarded woman who struggled to express herself in a healthy way. Her fling with my father and subsequent marriage was her attempt at shaking things up. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out too well.

  Growing up with a woman like her made me clam up just like she did. I didn’t want to be around people - I wanted to watch from a safe distance so no one could hurt me. It had affected my life in a way I hadn’t really noticed until I got into high school and really started to try and make friends. I was suddenly very aware of how isolated I was and how alone I felt.

  I sighed and frowned, looking up at the brightly colored diner. The Majestic was Gina’s favorite restaurant and I couldn’t really blame her. It was an Atlanta staple and they made the best damn milkshakes.

  The second I entered the diner I heard a distinct voice call for me through the relatively small building.

  “Yahoo!”

  I laughed and crossed over to the booth where Gina had already made herself at home. She was leaning against the wall with her feet kicked up in the booth while she sipped on her orange milkshake.

  “Took you long enough,” she teased.

  I shrugged and smiled as I settled across from her and stole a few fries. “You know I take the tram.”

  “Subway?” she asked.

  “Tram,” I corrected.

  Gina was an Atlanta native and considered the monorail system a subway. I did not, seeing as how it was above ground. It was an argument we’d never solve. She smiled and turned to face me, putting her chin in her hands. Her grin was infectious and I couldn’t help but return it.