by Emerson Rose
“Hey, Drake, where’s grandpa?”
“He’s in a black SUV a few houses down, it’s too hot for the old man today.” Tango looks up at him and pants as if he agrees with Drake’s assessment of the weather.
“The other guys?”
“Spread around, I can’t see you know.”
“Sorry, I forget…”
“I’m just messing with you. It’s been quiet, no asshole brothers all morning.”
“How about anyone else?”
“Other than her mother, nobody… why?”
I tilt my head back and rub my neck. Maybe coming to North Carolina wasn’t such a great idea after all. I was happy when I found out about the relocation, it would put us close to Kimber’s family and she adores her family, unlike me.
I honestly didn’t think Caleb would ever be a problem and I haven’t had to deal with any shit from my dad or brothers since I moved to California. They’re making up for lost time now it seems.
“Something else going on, Garcia? You seem tense.”
I drop my hand and wonder how he knows I’m tense when he can’t see me. “Yeah, you’re not gonna believe this but Kimber’s ex-husband, you know the one who divorced her because she was pregnant with his own son? He’s going to file for shared custody of Grayson. He came to my office today to ask me to mention it to Kimber. He didn’t even have the balls to tell her himself, figured he would let me do his dirty work.”
“Sounds suspicious, what do you think he really wants?”
“I don’t know, maybe his girlfriend got smart and left him and now he’s lonely? Maybe he misses Kimber and now that she’s back in the same state he wants to try and get her back? Maybe he’s a motherfucker who wants to mess with our lives? I don’t know, I can’t figure him out.”
“I don’t know him at all, do you?”
“Not much other than the little Kimber has told me.”
“You need to find out what makes him tick, what he’s into, what it is that suddenly made him want to have his son in his life. Would it have anything to do with his parents?”
I sit down in the rocker next to his to get out of the sun. What makes Caleb tick? Fuck if I know, he seems like a shallow asshole who likes to have his cake and eat it too.
“Maybe he wants to play house with his little girlfriend but she doesn’t want to have a baby yet?”
“I don’t even know if they’re still together. I guess I could hire somebody to do some detective work for me.”
“Good idea. You know Max is pretty great at digging up dirt, you should have him do it.”
My grandpa is a professional and he would no doubt have the job done in twenty-four hours flat with no mistakes. But, do I want family doing this job? Kimber may not want my grandfather digging into her past. I’m going to have to talk to her about it, which means I’m going to have to tell her about Caleb. I was going to anyway. I can’t let him drop that bomb on her with no warning but Caleb didn’t need to think he was getting his pussy-ass way.
“I’ll think about it. I better get home; I came home for lunch to check on things but I’m not going back. You guys can get out of the heat and enjoy your day. I appreciate you watching out for them.”
“No problem, that’s what friends and neighbors are for.”
I stand up to go and Tango looks up at me with lazy eyes. “See you Saturday,” I pause and then add, “for barbeque.” Tango’s ears perk up and I chuckle.
“Told ya, he knows about food,” Drake says knowing what I’m up to. I give Tango a scratch and make my way home in the blistering heat. I miss California’s mild temperatures but I miss being thousands of miles away from my family and Caleb more.
Chapter 9
Kimber
The front door opens and my mother and I look at each other. “Were you expecting Julián home for lunch?”
“No, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s here. He’s been calling me every hour all day.”
Mom and I are sitting at the table in the kitchen located in the rear of the house. I can’t see who’s entered the front door but it has to be my Julián.
Mom brought groceries and insisted on making quiche for lunch, so naturally I let her. Nobody says no to India West and why would they? She’s beautiful, successful, charming, and talented in everything she puts her mind to. She makes it all look so easy.
I’m embarrassed to say sometimes I’m jealous of her. My daddy loves her with a fierceness that I’ve never seen in any other couple. He worships the ground she walks on and she adores him, too. Their marriage is exemplary. I always just assumed mine would be the same. I was wrong but I have hope that Julián will restore my faith in marriage.
“Hey, baby, Mrs. West, how are you ladies this afternoon?” he says with a big white-toothed grin stretching across his face. His grin widens when he sees Grayson sleeping my arms.
“Fine, aren’t you a few hours early?” I ask. He strolls across the room stopping to kiss my mother on the cheek and then me on the mouth before stealing Grayson from me.
“Yep, I missed you. Any visitors today?” he asks gazing into Grayson’s sweet chubby face as he takes a seat next to me.
“No. Were you expecting someone?” It’s a weird question. We haven’t had any company other than my mother and Tiana this morning for three weeks. Daddy wanted to stop with mom but he had something come up at work. He’s a lawyer in Jacksonville and there were some problems with the case he’s been working on for months.
“No, just asking.”
“Why are you just asking, Julián?” Something’s going on, I can hear it in his voice. He’s a crappy liar.
“My goodness, child, let the poor man be. It was a simple question,” Mom says, and for the first time since Grayson was born I wish she would just but out.
“No, she’s right, India, I had a reason.”
I cross my arms over my chest and nod my head with satisfaction. I know Julián, and he doesn’t ask random questions. If he says something there’s a reason.
My mother can be old-school about letting men be right. That may be why she and my daddy have such a great relationship. Not that he would ever take advantage of that aspect of her personality but it makes it easier for him when there is an argument.
His eyes dart back and forth between the two of us trying to read the mood. He isn’t sure if I am indeed irritated or playing around. I’m irritated.
“I was worried my brothers might stop by today, they mentioned it recently.”
“Why would you be worried about that?” my mother asks before I can.
“I just wanted to be here if they did. They can be a handful.”
He hasn’t revealed much about his family to me other than he has two brothers and three sisters that he isn’t in close contact with because of the military. Until now I believed that because, why wouldn’t I?
I knew they lived on the East Coast and I figured I might get to meet them when we moved out here but Grayson’s arrival threw a wrench in our plans.
“Maybe we could have your family over for dinner sometime so I can meet them and they can see the baby. I know he’s not really their relation but…”
“He is their relation, you’re going to be my wife and he’s my son,” he says, cutting me off. His tone is serious and his frown is also uncharacteristic. I think I’ve only seen him unhappy a handful of times since we met and most of them were after the earthquake in California last year. His friends were injured and he was worried about the baby and me, perfectly understandable.
But this, this feels off, tense, like I’ve touched a nerve.
“Are you okay, Julián?” mama asks.
He jerks his head up and his expression softens. “Yes, sorry. I didn’t mean to snap, it’s just… he’s my son. I watched him come into the world and I’ve been with him almost every second since. I don’t want anyone thinking that because he isn’t biologically made up of half of my chromosomes that he isn’t mine.”
She reaches ou
t and squeezes his shoulder. “You’re an honorable man, Julián. You’re compassionate and kind and you love my daughter and my grandson unconditionally. No one can doubt that, it’s obvious to anyone who sees you together.”
That’s my mama. She’s a pro at making you feel good about yourself. Something’s not right with him, though. I’ve never seen him get so defensive.
“Thank you, India, that’s nice of you.”
I feel kind of left out of the conversation. One minute I’m asking my fiancé if he wants to have his family over for dinner and the next my mama is reassuring him that he’s a good man.
I push away from the table and the chair makes a sharp scraping sound that startles Grayson. His arms fly out to his sides and they both look at me like I committed a crime.
“I’m going to lie down for a little while. You two seem to have this handled.” I shuffle down the hall toward the stairs. I don’t make it to the landing before Julián is right behind me. He must have passed the baby off to my mother thinking I’m angry.
I’m not angry, though. Confused? Yes, a little, he’s acting weird and I’d like to know why but I have confidence he will come to me when he’s ready. I’m genuinely tired, I wasn’t lying to get out of the room, although, I’m sure it looked that way. It’s been a busy day and I’ve only had a quick forty-five-minute nap that was interrupted by Julián’s phone call.
He takes my wrist when I reach out for the railing. “Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap or be rude.”
“It’s okay, I’m not mad.”
He cups my cheek with his hand and strokes his thumb across my cheek searching my eyes for the truth.
“You sure?”
I lean into his hand and raise mine to cover his on my face.
“Yes, but I feel like we should talk about your reaction to me inviting your family over. Is there something I should know?”
“No, I mean, yes, sort of, but nothing serious. We have never been close that’s all. I’m different then they are.” He shakes his head like he’s chosen the wrong words to describe the relationship he has with his family.
“Different how?”
He pulls me against his chest and sighs. “I don’t know, it’s probably just me. I’ve always felt like I didn’t belong with them. Let’s talk when you wake up, you need to rest.” He scoops me up into his arms and I squeal and wrap my arms around his neck.
“I can walk, you know.” He’s taken to carrying me around ever since he carried me through the hospital when I was in labor.
“I know but I like being close to you. And I like taking care of you, you’re always taking care of Grayson and me. It’s my job to take care of you.”
“Okay, just promise me you won’t do it in public.” He doesn’t respond and I lift my face to his. He glances down at me with an ornery gleam in his eye. “Seriously, not in public.” I say in my best stern mama voice.
“Alright, promise.”
“And we can talk about your family when I wake up?”
“There isn’t much to say but if you want to.”
“I do.”
He lays me on our California king sleigh bed and pulls a fringed blanket I keep folded at the foot of the bed up over my legs.
“I love you more than pudding.” He kisses me on the tip of my nose and I smile up at him.
“I love you more than fuzzy socks.”
Chapter 10
Garcia
Kimber has been asleep for two hours and Grayson is rooting around trying unsuccessfully to find some boob on my chest. He’s getting pissed. I’ve held him off as long as I can. I hate to wake her for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, she needs the sleep. Second, I don’t want to talk about my family. I don’t like lying but this time the benefit outweighs the risk of being caught. Third on my list, is telling her about my visit from Caleb today. I might dread number three the most.
I can hear India in the kitchen cleaning so I take my red faced angry son up to his mother. His grunts and squawks have woken Kimber and she is sitting up with her back against the headboard when I arrive.
“I’m sorry, I tried but I’m missing some integral parts.”
She smiles and piles her hair up into a messy bun to keep it out of the way when she nurses. “It’s okay, I feel great. I’m surprised he lasted as long as he did.”
He’s getting revved up to give us his best feed me now scream when I pass him off to her just in time. He nuzzles into her and quiets after a few seconds. I’ve learned that if you let him get too mad he can’t get settled down enough to concentrate on eating. I also know that he likes to have his arms swaddled when he has his diaper changed and he prefers warm wipes to chilly room temperature ones.
I sit down on the bed and watch. She’s so beautiful, and smart and sweet. I don’t know how a joker like me hooked such a perfect woman. There aren’t very many left out there anymore, I know, I sampled about a million looking for the perfect combination.
The day I saw her on the beach in California with my best friend’s girlfriend, I knew right away she was going to be mine. Her eyes held a certain tenderness and innocence that I couldn’t resist.
She was five months pregnant but she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring so I took a chance and asked her out. She made damn good and sure I knew she was pregnant and not just round in the middle before she accepted but she accepted and that’s all I cared about.
“You’re quiet, what are you thinking about?”
“The day I met you on the beach.”
She chuckles, “Yeah? What brought that to your mind?”
“Thinking how lucky I am to have you.”
“Aw, you’re sweet, come sit next to me.”
I reposition and snuggle in next to them stretching my arm out along the headboard behind her. Her neck is bare and inviting. I can’t resist leaning in to kiss her behind her ear on the spot that sends shivers up her spine.
Her shiver is followed by a moan and I kiss a trail along her neck and delicate jawline until I’ve reached her mouth. Her perfect, pouty pink lips part for me and I steal her breath with a deep, long sensual kiss.
I’ve gotten pretty damn good at kissing the past few weeks. Not that I wasn’t an excellent kisser before but something about not having a finish line to cross has caused me to slow down and enjoy it more.
“Julián… Julián, I need to switch sides.” It takes me a second to pull myself from the magical fog of her kiss before I understand what she’s telling me.
“I should let you feed him, I’m going to change my clothes.” She arches her right eyebrow, it’s her tell. She doesn’t agree but she’s not going to stop me, she knows it’s the right thing to do.
Before Grayson I loved this tell, it meant a night, or day, full of exploring every inch of her silky skin and making her come again and again. Now I have to be strong for both of us and pump the breaks.
I slide off the bed and start toward our en-suite bathroom and she switches Grayson to her other side.
“No, don’t go in there. Undress here where I can watch.”
I turn around and unbutton my shirt slowly watching her take me in like a hungry animal. I shed my shirt and pull my undershirt off over my head by the back of my collar. I flex my bicep and wink and she laughs.
“You’re pretty hot, Garcia.”
“You’re not so bad yourself there, sexy mama.”
“I don’t feel so sexy with a baby attached to my breast.”
“Oh, you have no idea how sexy being a mother has made you.”
Her brows knit together and she cocks her head with disbelief. “No way, this?” she says waving her free hand over Grayson and her round plump breast.
“Yes, that. You’re at least two cup sizes bigger since you had him.”
“You like them this big? I sorta feel like a porn star or a stripper.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Well, neither are very motherly for starters.”
“Po
rn stars and strippers have kids.”
She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “How do our conversations always end up so far from where they began?”
“We’re good conversationalists?”
She laughs, “Continue with my show, please.”
“Now who’s the stripper?” I unbuckle my belt and lower my zipper and she holds up her hand.
“Stop, go ahead and finish in the bathroom, I changed my mind. I shouldn’t have thoughts like this with the baby in the room.”
“You used to have sex with me when he was inside of you. I’d say he was in the room then.” I try to reason with her but she’s not having it.
“That’s different, I hadn’t seen his face yet and that sounds so bad now that he’s on the outside, why is that?”
“I don’t know, it doesn’t sound bad to me. Must be a mommy thing.” I step into the bathroom making sure to leave the door open wide so she can watch me if she changes her mind.
I’m hard as stone after kissing her for so long and my cock is standing tall and proud like a good Marine. I turn to face the bedroom and her hungry eyes are drawn to it like a magnet.
“I’m going to shower and take care of this. Your mom’s downstairs cleaning the kitchen, you should go eat when you’re finished feeding him. She saved you some of that quiche stuff she made.”
Her mouth pops open but nothing comes out. I smile and close the door. I turn on the water and chuckle when I hear a pillow hit the other side of the door.
Only three more weeks.
Chapter 11
Kimber
It’s been five days and I haven’t mentioned Julián’s family and neither has he. I don’t like secrets and he knows it so I’m left to believe there’s nothing more to talk about.
It doesn’t feel like nothing, though. If there’s anything I’ve learned in life, it’s that ignoring things doesn’t make them go away – not permanently, anyway.
Every day he comes home more on edge than the day before and every day he finds a new way to ask if anyone has stopped by the house while he was at work. It’s Saturday and we are going to Drake and Tiana’s for a cookout tonight. I want to relax and have a normal evening with new friends but he’s going to have to spill about who he’s expecting to show up before we go.