by Toni Aleo
Lucas looked over at Fallon, but couldn’t tell if she was looking at him because she had put on some dark sunglasses. He looked at Audrey and saw that she had a big grin on her face. She clapped her hands before saying, “Well I’m gonna go get some food with Mom and Daddy.”
And off she went, leaving Lucas with a very pissed off Fallon. Her anger was radiating off her, and Lucas didn’t blame Audrey for running off. He kind of wished she had taken him with her, but then he glanced at the Fallon’s dad and decided Fallon would be easier to deal with.
“You look good today, Fal,” he said against his better judgment.
Fallon looked over at him. “Thanks,” she said sharply as she turned and started walking off. He shook his head as he jogged lightly to catch up with her.
“Is that your mom and dad?” he asked trying to keep up with her. He would have thought the high heels she wore would have slowed her down.
They didn’t.
“Yeah, why don’t you go introduce yourself?” she snapped, causing him to laugh.
“I’m pretty sure that would mean throwing myself to the wolves, so I’ll pass.”
“Good choice,” she mumbled as she climbed the bleachers.
Lucas followed a little behind her so he could admire her ass as she climbed the stairs. Call him a dog, but Fallon had a fine ass and he loved watching it in motion. She sat down and Lucas sat beside her, resting his arms on his knees as he watched Aiden warm up. When a tall lanky guy with a white curly hair came over to Aiden and started talking to him, Lucas looked over at Fallon.
“Who’s the dweeb?”
“Aiden’s coach,” she answered as the guy turned, looking up at the bleachers. When his eyes settled on Fallon, he waved and Lucas watched as Fallon put on her fake smile and waved back. The dweeb gave her a goofy smile before turning back to Aiden.
“You like that guy?” Lucas blurted out.
“I’m not in the mood, Lucas.”
“What? I asked a simple question?”
“A question that is none of your business,” Fallon warned as she looked down the bleachers. Lucas followed her gaze and saw her parents walking up the bleachers with Audrey. Audrey said something and kept climbing up the stairs, while her parents sat down with their food.
“Um, yes it is, if that dweeb is going to be around my kid,” Lucas replied as Audrey sat beside him.
“Shut up, Lucas,” Fallon snapped as she put her elbows on her knees with her face in her hands.
Lucas looked at her for a moment more before turning his attention to Audrey. “What the hell is her problem?”
Audrey rolled her eyes as she swallowed the bite of hot dog she had just eaten. “Her and Dad got into it about you.”
“Thanks, Audrey,” Fallon mumbled.
“Oh,” Lucas said as he turned his attention back to Fallon, “should I watch my back?”
Audrey started giggling and Fallon’s mouth pulled at the side but she didn’t laugh as she shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t care what you do.”
Lucas smiled as he leaned a little closer to her, and he was surprised when she didn’t move away. “Can I watch yours?” he whispered. Fallon turned her head to look at him.
“You can watch all you want, but you will never touch. Only Chase can,” she said in her snooty little way.
“Who the hell is Chase?” Lucas asked. He leaned back from her, hating that his flirting didn’t work.
Maybe she was becoming immune to his charm?
“The coach, and don’t let her lie to you, she don’t even like him,” Audrey said from his side.
“Shut up, Audrey,” Fallon snapped. Lucas laughed as he leaned against Audrey.
“Thanks, I couldn’t tell if she was lying. She has those damn glasses on.”
“Defense mechanism,” Audrey said as she threw a chip in her mouth.
“True that,” Lucas laughed.
“I do like him, thank you,” Fallon said, but Lucas ignored her as the game started. Aiden’s team took the field first, and Lucas sat on the edge of his seat. He was so excited to see Aiden play, even if he didn’t like baseball. It was just the fact that his boy was playing something that made him giddy with excitement.
“Is he good?”
Lucas didn’t know why he asked though — Brooks’ men were great at everything.
“Sure,” Fallon answered through tight lips.
“She’s lying again,” Audrey whispered. Lucas looked over at her.
“She is?”
“Oh yeah, I love him, but he’s terrible.”
“I so hear you right now and I am telling him you said that!” Fallon said.
Audrey giggled as Lucas looked over at Fallon. “He sucks and you’re still making him play?”
“Shut up, Lucas,” Fallon said for what seemed like the hundredth time.
Lucas rolled his eyes as he looked out on the field. He searched the field for his boy, and found him in right field. Even he knew that was bad, and he hated this sport. Aiden had his hands on his knees, ready for the ball while the left fielder chased a butterfly and the center fielder picked his nose. Why was his kid in right field? Especially with Coach Dweeb trying to sleep his Fallon! Obviously Coach Dweeb had no game.
A very large child came up to bat and Lucas seriously thought about asking for the kid’s birth certificate. He was huge! The little kid on the pitching mound threw the ball with all his might and the kid smashed the ball. It went past the first basemen out into right field. Lucas stood quickly, excited because there was no way Aiden could miss the ball.
But he did.
It went right through his legs and Lucas fell back into the bleachers, smacking himself in the head.
“It had a bad bounce,” Fallon said as Aiden ran after the ball.
“Okay, Bill Buckner,” Lucas laughed.
“Who is that?” Fallon asked.
Lucas looked at her like she was the dumbest person in the world and when he looked at Audrey, she also had the same look on her face.
“I’m gonna act like you did not just say that,” Lucas said as he looked back out onto the field.
Fallon let out a little huff of air but he didn’t pay her any attention. He had a game to watch. Lucas learned quickly that baseball, for a bunch of six, seven, and eight year olds, was not competitive at all. While he wanted to scream his ass off at the little fat kid on second that let the ball go by him countless times, he knew he couldn’t. Moms awed over their little ones as the dad’s played on their phones. Even the coach just stood there, not giving any kind of direction what so ever!
“Oh God, this is terrible,” Lucas mumbled as Aiden made his way to the batting box.
It was the fifth inning and it was Aiden’s first time at bat. Every kid had struck out.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Audrey whispered. Fallon shot her a dirty look.
“One more time, Audrey, and I swear,” Fallon warned but Audrey just giggled as the pitcher got ready to throw the ball. Lucas saw that Fallon held her breath as the boy beamed the ball across the plate at their kid. It even made Lucas nervous. Aiden swung missing the pitch, but it was a good solid swing.
“Kid needs a hockey stick, not a bat,” Lucas observed when the pitcher pitched again and Aiden missed.
“I know, right?” Audrey agreed.
“Whatever,” Fallon mumbled as Lucas watch Aiden strike out. Fallon stood up, clapping her hands. “It’s okay, Aiden. You’re awesome honey.”
When Aiden glanced up at the stands, Lucas saw nothing but embarrassment in his eyes. Fallon sat back down and Lucas looked over at her. “Fallon, this is wrong. The kid hates this.”
“He loves it.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“I think I would know what my son likes,” she snapped, causing Lucas’ eye to twitch. He tried to calm himself down by counting to 10 but he felt his temper about to snap. He hated losing, and watching his son lose was making it really hard to keep his temper under control.
Especially when he knew for a fact that Aiden hated baseball!
Lucas leaned back against the rail with his arms crossed against his chest. He would save Fallon the embarrassment of yelling at her in front of the whole baseball team. But, once they got to the car and Aiden was out of earshot, he wouldn’t hold back.
Chapter 15
Fallon knew she was pressing Lucas’ buttons, but her dad had her on edge. She could feel him watching them all through the game and she hated that he was disgusted in her. Why? She didn’t know. Maybe it was the need to make him happy, even though she knew that he would never be happy with her. Fallon was apparently the biggest fuck up in the world, and nothing she did would ever make him happy.
Fallon let out a long breath as she watched the boring baseball game. Aiden stood in right field, bored out of his mind but acting as if this was the biggest game in the world. He was showing off for Lucas, and Fallon hated that all Lucas could do was bitch about how bad Aiden played. Yeah, Aiden wasn’t the best baseball player, but damn it, at least he was trying.
The Cubs’ lost and Fallon was sure it was because of the 13-year-old pitcher from the other team. Someone should really check birth certificates out here, because that kid was huge. Fallon didn’t believe for a second that that kid was young enough to play in this age group.
Audrey and Lucas stood and started down the bleachers with Fallon behind them. She dreaded going anywhere near her dad. She had no clue what he would say to Lucas, and what bugged her all to hell was that she cared if William was rude to him. She didn’t know why, maybe because it wasn’t Lucas’ fault for her becoming pregnant. Like she told William, they both lay down and made Aiden. Even if it was an accident, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Or maybe, it was because she still felt protective over Lucas. Don’t ask her why because she had no clue.
Fallon saw her parents get up and both of them looked right at Lucas. What surprised Fallon was that he actually stopped and held out his hand to Nora. Of course, Nora took it, placing a fake smile on her face as she shook his hand.
“My name is Lucas Brooks,” Lucas said. Nora nodded as William just glared.
“Nora Parker, this is my husband William,” Nora said sweetly.
Lucas smiled back, holding his hand out to William. “Nice to meet you both.”
William looked down at Lucas’ hand then back into his eyes before taking his hand in his. “Nice for you to finally make an appearance.”
Lucas chuckled. “Believe me sir, if I would have known I would have been here a long time ago.”
“Is that right? So this is all Fallon’s fault,” William said, and everyone turned to look at her. William was glaring, while Nora and Audrey looked at her with their eyes filled with sympathy. Lucas was looking at her as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world, and that bothered her. Why couldn’t he be mad at her, or fight and yell something! Why was he being so nice while she was the biggest bitch ever!
It was so frustrating!
Fallon felt like she was gonna cry, so she quickly passed by all of them, going down the bleachers to meet up with Aiden by the dugout. With every step she felt the tears threatening to fall, but she’d be damned if she let them fall. Yeah, it was her fault that Lucas hadn’t been in Aiden’s life, but what about what he did to her. Sure, she should have had the lady balls to tell him about his child, but how was she supposed to when she couldn’t even talk to him! He broke her heart! And look, everyone is so forgiving, so nice to the man that ripped her heart out of her chest and threw it against a wall.
Whatever.
Fallon shook her head as she reached the other parents that were fussing over their little ones. Aiden stood with a Capri sun and a pack of apples in his hands with all his equipment around his feet.
“You did good, baby,” Fallon gushed as she wrapped him up in her arms. He giggled as she kissed his cheeks and neck. He was sweaty, but she didn’t mind one bit.
“I sucked Mom,” he groaned before he took a sip of his drink. “Is Lucas still here?”
“Yes, he’s with AA and your grandparents,” Fallon answered, wishing that Lucas wasn’t. Why did they already have a bond? It drove Fallon crazy with jealously which was downright disgusting on her part.
“Cool, oh no,” Aiden was looking past her, and when she turned she saw Chase coming over to them. Chase wasn’t really her type, but he was a nice guy. He was extremely tall, six-foot-something, skinny as all hell with a very narrow face. The worst part was the large blonde fro. It scared Fallon, but he seemed to like it. He wore his Cubs shirt with a pair of jeans that did nothing for his ass. Yeah, she had been checking him out during the game, trying to make herself like him in the hopes that she would stop wanting Lucas.
It didn’t work.
“Be nice, Aiden James,” Fallon warned as Chase put a grin on his face and came right over to them.
“Hey Fallon, Aiden did great huh?” Chase asked in a nasally voice.
“Sure did!” Fallon said brightly. Maybe a little too brightly because Aiden rolled his eyes.
“I thought so, too,” Chase said with a grin. “So you’re looking beautiful as ever.”
Fallon smiled. “Thank you Chase, that’s so nice of you.”
“I only speak the truth,” he said and Aiden rolled his eyes again this time while letting out a bored sigh. All of a sudden, his face turn bright and Fallon knew that Lucas was coming over to them.
“Lucas!” Aiden gushed as he ran to him, a bright smile on his face.
“Hey, buddy,” Lucas said as he flipped his hat up with his finger.
“So, Fallon,” Chase said, bringing her attention away from Lucas and Aiden.
“Yeah?” Fallon asked as Lucas came over to them with Aiden’s hand in his.
“We’re still on for tomorrow right?”
Oh shit! Fallon had totally forgotten about dinner with Chase tomorrow.
“Yeah, of course we are,” Fallon said with a grin. She felt Lucas eyeing her but she stood confidently, trying to show that his gaze didn’t affect her at all. She hoped it worked.
“Great,” Chase said letting out a long breath, “I made reservations at the Wildhorse since you like to dance”
“Aw, great,” Fallon lied. Who the hell takes someone to a dance club on a first date?
“I gotta go, so I’ll pick you up from your office tomorrow. Five, right?”
“Right,” Fallon said as he started to walk backwards. As she waved bye, she felt someone’s hot breath on her neck. When she turned, Lucas grinned down at her.
“Going out with Coach tomorrow?”
Fallon rolled her eyes before she turned to pick up Aiden’s things from the ground. “None of your business, Lucas,” she said as she stood up.
She glanced up at him and he had a dazed look on his face. “I think you forgot something on the ground,” he said, pointing to the spot where she just picked up Aiden’s things.
Fallon turned looking down at the ground and nothing was in the grass. “I did not,” she said as she turned to look back at him.
He had a devilish smile on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. “I thought you did.”
Fallon eyes narrowed as she passed by him, smacking him in the chest as she did. His laughter ran down her spine as she made her way to her son and family. Lucas had been checking out her ass.
Before when they were together and she was cleaning the house, if she bent down in front of him, he always said she missed something just so she would bend over again. Fallon tried to be mad at him for his pigness but all it did was turn her on. Knowing that he still thought her ass was hot had her hot.
Which was bad, so freaking bad!
“Ready to go, bud?” Fallon asked as she put Aiden’s things in her bag.
“Lucas was gonna take me for ice cream,” Aiden said from on top of William’s shoulders.
“Okay. Make sure you bring him home early, he’s had a full day,” she said without turning to look at Lucas.
“
You don’t want to go?” Lucas asked. “Everyone is.”
Of course, they were a big ole happy family. Well she’d be damned if she was gonna go have ice cream with one man that was disgusted in her and one that cheated on her.
Fuck that.
“No I gotta get home, have fun,” she said before throwing Aiden’s bag on her arm. She leaned up to kiss Aiden and he met her half way, giving her a sticky kiss. “Bye,” she said with nothing more than a wave as she headed towards the car. Fallon was almost to the car when she heard someone running behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Lucas jogging towards her.
Fallon stopped turning to him. “Aren’t y’all leaving?”
“Yeah, but I needed to say something to you. Audrey is gonna put Aiden in the car.”
“What?” Fallon asked.
“Pull Aiden from his shit-ass sport. He doesn’t like it.”
Fallon rolled her eyes. “He likes it. He’s been playing since he was four.”
“And I bet he’s sucked. He doesn’t want to play.”
“I don’t care, Parkers don’t quit,” Fallon said before turning back around and walking towards her car. As far as she was concerned this conversation was over, but Lucas didn’t seem to think so.
“Well he is a Brooks, and we don’t suck at things. Pull him.”
“No,” she said, throwing her things in the back on her car.
“Fallon, I’ll find another sport for him,” he pleaded.
“Like what? Hockey?”
“Yes!” he yelled as his arms went up in the air. “I’m glad you’re finally seeing the light here.”
“I’m not and I’ll be damned if my child is gonna skate around on the ice running into people and slapping a rubber disk with a stick.”
“For your information, hockey is the greatest sport ever, and my boy will play.”
“Listen here Lucas Brooks,” she said getting right into his face. She could feel his breath on her lips, and she begged her body not to react, but when did it ever listen to her when it came to Lucas? She pushed past her lust for him and poked him square in the chest. “Just cause you are playing daddy right now doesn’t mean you get to start making decisions. I’m not pulling him. He started this damn sport, he’ll finish it.”