Finding Forever with You (The Malone Brothers Book 4)

by S. L. Sterling

  She looked around the room, ignoring me. I let out a breath and started slicing the loaf of bread again. "You know I adore you, right?" her soft voice questioned.

  I looked up at her, pausing from cutting the loaf of bread. "Yes, of course, and I you." I winked, trying to lighten the mood, but she completely ignored me.

  "And you know I'm not getting any younger, right?"

  I frowned. "Neither am I."

  "And historically you've always come through for me." She swallowed hard, setting her bread down on the side plate. "No matter what."

  "Okay, let’s cut to the goods here, Soph. What's going on? Are you okay? Are you sick? In legal trouble?" The way she was carrying on, I feared she had some sort of terminal illness.

  I proceeded to cut more slices off the loaf of bread.

  "Well, it’s just I want a baby, and I want you to be the father," she blurted out.

  My head shot up. I looked at Sophie, who sat across from me still chewing on her bread as if she had just told me who won the hockey game on Friday night. I swallowed hard, not sure I believed what I had just heard.

  "Did you hear me?" she asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

  "You—you aren't getting any younger, and you...you want my swimmers?" That was all I could get out before I felt a searing hot pain in the hand that was holding onto the loaf of bread. I glanced down and saw blood starting to soak into the white napkin I was using to hold onto the bread with.

  "Shit," I mumbled, pulling my hand towards me.

  "Oh my God, Chase." Sophie jumped up and grabbed her napkin and my hand and quickly pressed the napkin against the cut, gently but firmly squeezing. She held it for a couple of seconds, and then pulled the napkin away to inspect the cut. I sat there not knowing what to say or do, completely shocked at what she had just blurted out. "It's okay. I don't think you need stitches or anything. Just hold the napkin tight, and the bleeding should stop," she said, continuing to examine my hand.

  "You want my swimmers?" I mumbled, completely forgetting about the cut on my hand.

  As the waitress approached our table, Sophie asked for a band-aid, and I raised my glass, signaling for another Crown and Coke. Hell, at this point, they could just bring me the entire bottle of Crown. My appetite had fled after what Sophie had asked, but I sure as hell needed to get loaded.

  I couldn't believe my ears. Sophie, the girl who had told me no all those years ago, now wanted...a baby...my baby. I felt like I was going to faint. I swallowed hard. "Why me?"

  "Well, honestly, I'm thirty, and there is absolutely no one on the horizon for even a date, never mind a relationship that would lead to a baby anytime soon. Second, I've known you all my life. I'm comfortable with you. You have a good work ethic, you’re smart, not to mention attractive. You are caring, kind, and considerate, and I seriously can't think of a better father for my child." She let out a deep breath and brought her glass to her lips.

  "I see."

  The waitress appeared carrying our food and set our meals down in front of us. The craving I'd had all day for bacon-wrapped filet mignon smothered in onions and mushrooms was now long gone. I stared down at the perfectly cooked steak, my mind spinning in circles, while Sophie was busy cutting a piece of steak into bite-sized pieces. She popped a piece into her mouth, the nervous look now gone as she chewed. I didn't know what to say. I felt as if I were in the middle of a very bad dream.

  I had no idea how long I had sat there watching her eat, but the next thing I knew, she had cleared her plate while mine was still full and getting cold.

  "Are you okay? Aren't you going to eat?" she asked, looking a bit worried.

  I picked up my glass of Crown and Cola and took a large drink. I shook my head and set the glass back down. "I'm not really all that hungry," I mumbled.

  She nodded and pulled the napkin from her lap, moved her plate to the side, and placed her arms on the table. "Well, now that I have laid everything out, do you have an answer for me?" Her eyes filled with hope.

  I looked at her. She was expecting an answer right now? It was as if she had asked me to pick something up from the store for her, not give her a baby. I let out a breath, looking down at my plate, and then at my napkin-swaddled hand.

  "I'll have to think about it, Sophie. This is a big decision, and one I am not going to take lightly."

  The excitement in her eyes had disappeared and was now replaced with disappointment, and I certainly didn't like seeing it; however, there was no way I could just commit to something like this.

  "Sir, was there something wrong with your meal?" our waitress asked as she picked up Sophie's plate.

  I shook my head, afraid to speak.

  "Would you like that plate boxed up?" the waitress asked as she dropped our bill on the table.

  I nodded. As soon as she had cleared our plates away, I reached for the check folder, but Sophie grabbed it first. "I'll get this," she said and opened the folder.

  "No, give it to me please," I insisted, holding my hand out, but she shook her head and slid her credit card into the slot and set it beside her at the edge of the table. She kept her head down, ignoring me, and sifted through her purse.

  We sat in silence, Sophie going through her purse, and me thinking about how I could have done things differently. It seemed to take forever, but finally the bill had been paid, and I now sat with my takeover package in front of me. Sophie quickly put her credit card back into her wallet and stood. "When can I expect to hear from you?" she questioned.

  I thought for a second. I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship, so I answered with the first thing that came to my mind. "Next week?"

  She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, smiled shyly at me, and turned and walked away. I sat back down at the table, trying to grasp what the hell had just happened. I was at a loss for words and really wasn't sure I should get behind the wheel.

  I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Hunter's number. It was almost eight. I knew he was probably putting the kids to bed, but I needed my brother. The phone rang five times before an out-of-breath Hunter answered. "Hey, man, what's going on?"

  "Hey, listen, can you come pick me up?"

  "Ah, why? Is everything okay?"

  "I'll explain when you get here."

  "Where is here?"

  "The Manor House," I choked out and hung up the phone before he could refuse.

  5

  Sophie

  I left the restaurant and walked across the parking lot, feeling completely and utterly defeated. The whole night had been an utter disaster. Not only did I make a complete ass of myself, but I also injured my best friend. That cut looked pretty bad. I crawled into the driver’s seat of my car, threw my purse on the floor, and started the engine. I sat there for a few moments trying to center myself and finally pulled out of the spot.

  I blew out a breath as I pulled up to a stoplight. The feeling of humiliation continued to sink in. There was no coming back from this now. Why hadn't I really thought through the entire conversation? I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel, annoyed with myself. I really didn't know what I was expecting. Had I expected him to be like he had always been: eager to help me with whatever dilemma I had been facing? Perhaps that was just it. Perhaps I had expected him to turn around and instantly agree. Instead, he had cut his hand, hadn't eaten dinner, and barely said two words to me the entire time we had been at the restaurant. He also had drank one too many Crown and Cokes, and I just left him there to fend for himself.

  I should have turned around and went back to get him, make sure he got home safe, but instead I turned the radio on and proceeded through the green light, the guilt of the night sinking farther into me. What if I had just ruined our lifetime friendship? My stomach sank at the thought of no longer having Chase around. The thought of not having him in my life nearly made me sick.

  A blaring horn pulled me from the thought, and I immediately noticed I was driving into the oncoming lane. I quickly righted my
vehicle and drove a ways down the road to my apartment.

  I locked the door behind me, turning on lights as I entered my condo. I kicked off my shoes, dropped my purse on the floor, and slipped out of my coat, hanging it in the small closet. My mind was still racing a mile a minute over how I could have done things so differently.

  I grabbed the remote from the table and turned the TV on, drowning out the quiet of my apartment, and wandered down the hall to my bedroom. I looked at myself in the full-length mirror, my makeup slightly smudged now from the few tears that I hadn't even realized had fallen on my way home. I turned away from my reflection and unzipped my dress, letting it fall to a pile in the middle of the room. I slipped out of my bra and panties and put on my sweats that were lying on the bottom of my bed. I needed to relax. I quickly washed my face, put my hair up in a messy bun, and shut the light off.

  Time had passed once I had found something on TV, and I now lay on the couch trying to get lost in an episode of Friends; however, the only thing on my mind was how I had foolishly proposed my bright idea to Chase. Over and over, the words I had so casually dropped ran through my mind like a bad nightmare. Perhaps I should have been more prepared than I was. Perhaps I should have written them all down to present to him in a more business-like way. He may have been more receptive if I’d had everything in a nice presentation folder, like one of his legal briefs he had shown me numerous times. Nevertheless, the damage was done, and it was out in the open now, and all I could do was wait. Wait for his answer, either yes or no, or perhaps he would say “Get away from me, Sophie, and don't bother coming around again.” Honestly, I wasn't even sure what it was I expected him to say. Was I really expecting him to drop everything and say yes? Or was the answer he gave me more the one I was expecting?

  I reached for the phone and relaxed back against the pillow behind me and debated calling Chase and apologizing. I dropped my head back against the pillow and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to gather up the courage to dial Chase's number. Instead, I let out a sigh and called Jenna. I needed to talk to her, but the phone just rang and rang. I was just about to give up when I heard her answer completely out of breath.

  "It’s about time you called me!" Jenna blurted into the phone. "You said you would call by seven."

  "Yeah, sorry, I lost track of time. What were you doing? You're all out of breath. Oh my God, I didn't...I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" I questioned, my face heating.

  Jenna broke out in laughter. "Good Lord, girl, Matt isn't even home from the office yet. Besides, if you think I would answer the phone in the middle of that, you are crazier than I originally thought. If you must know, I was running on the treadmill. Get your head out of the gutter. I'm trying to be good this month. I fell off the wagon last month going to Aroma Mocha almost every weekend, and my waistline is showing it."

  "Girl you are crazy. You're perfect!" I glanced at my watch. "Besides, it’s almost ten. You should be in your sweats relaxing."

  "Ha, tell that to my jeans, and I'm in my sweats. Also, running is a form of relaxation I guess." She giggled. "So what took you so long to call me? You could have saved me from all this torture tonight, and we could have gone and gotten ice cream."

  I let out a small laugh. "I had somewhere I needed to be after work."

  "You had somewhere you needed to be? Where? You basically live at the office, and when you aren't there you are at home."

  "Well, I had something to do after work. I just got home about a half an hour ago."

  "You had something to do after work. Why are you being so vague? You tell me everything. So, do you care to share with your good ol’ friend? Stop making me have to try and guess."

  I giggled. This was just like Jenna; she always had to know where I was. "I had dinner plans."

  "Oooh, anyone I know?"

  I let out a deep breath. "If you must know, I had dinner with Chase." We both grew quiet until I cleared my throat. "I did it." I couldn't hold back any longer.

  "You did what?" she asked curiously.

  After that afternoon at the coffee shop, and after my breakup with Roger, we had talked at great lengths about me asking one of our close friends to be the father of my child. I had been adamant at first, but she had been totally supportive and kept telling me to just go for it.

  "I asked Chase to be the father of my child."

  I heard a gurgle and a cough on the other end of the phone as Jenna choked on whatever it was she was drinking. "You did what?"

  "You heard me."

  "Well, what did he say?"

  I let out a little laugh, remembering his face as I had asked him. "Well, it didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would. First, he sliced his hand open."

  "What? No, I mean, what did he say to your question?"

  "He said he would think about it."

  "Oh my! And you told him everything, right?"

  I let out a sigh. Perhaps if had I told him everything, his answer might have been different. "Well, if he hadn't been bleeding all over the place I might have, but no, I didn't. Do you think I should have told him everything?"

  Jenna started to laugh. "Sophie, it may have helped your case if you had. Don't you think?"

  "Perhaps. I don't know, maybe this really is a bad idea."

  "Why do you say that?"

  I laughed. "If you had seen his face, you'd be thinking the same thing. I can only imagine what the other guys would have said if I had asked one of them."

  "Girl, you are crazy."

  "No, I'm serious. I also keep thinking that if I had just gone in there with everything written down and in a true proposal style, he may have looked at the entire situation differently. Maybe more like a business deal."

  "Perhaps if you had delivered all the goods, then he might have jumped at the chance. Listen, I've got to go. Matt just walked through the door. Call me later and we will talk, okay?"

  "All right, night."

  "Seriously, Soph, talk to him, give him all the goods."

  "Good night, Jenna!"

  I hung up the phone and turned the TV off. Shutting the lights off, I grabbed my cell phone and headed to the bedroom. I crawled into bed and lay facing the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the lights of the city like I did every night. My mind was still running over everything that had happened tonight. Jenna was right. If I had given him all the details up front, perhaps his answer might have been yes. However, I was glad I had held back because he might have cut his hand off too. I giggled at the thought. I grabbed my cell phone from the side table and quickly opened a text message to Chase.

  I typed feverishly at first, then decided to delete everything and began again. I couldn't just come out and say it like I was planning to. I had no clue where he was. He could have been behind the wheel of his car, God forbid. Besides, I didn't want him to get the information through a text either.

  ME: Would you be able to meet me tomorrow for lunch. At the risk of sounding like those infomercials we used to watch as kids...but wait! There's more…but wait, there is more, and I want another chance to discuss this with you.

  I blew out a breath and placed my cell phone on the table, closed my eyes, and tried to fall into a deep sleep.

  6

  Chase

  I sat on the hood of my car and looked up at the dark sky in utter shock. I still couldn't believe what had transpired tonight. My best friend had asked me to be the father of her child. I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair. I glanced down to the bag of cold food that sat beside me, my stomach letting out a loud grumble. I wasn't sure if I was hungry or if I was going to be sick.

  I let out a huff and pulled my phone from my pocket. I checked the last text I had received from Hunter and saw it was over an hour ago. I was just about to message him to find out where he was when a car I recognized pulled into the parking lot and in beside mine. I hopped off the hood of my car, grabbed the bag of food, and pulled the passenger door open on Hunter's car.

  "It's about
damn time!" I said, crawling into the front seat and pulling my seatbelt across my body.

  "Yeah, well, Autumn needed help getting the kids to bed. It was bath night. It’s not like I can expect her to deal with them all on her own. What the hell happened to your hand?" Hunter questioned, staring down at my napkin-wrapped hand. "And what's wrong with your car?" he asked and nodded towards my vehicle.

  "Nothing."

  "You called me out here for nothing? What the hell you do to your hand?"

  "Not for nothing. I had a little too much to drink, and this..." I said, raising my hand. "I cut myself while slicing a loaf of bread." I shrugged.

  "Jesus," he muttered under his breath as he watched me place my leftovers bag between us.

  "What?" I questioned.

  "Leftovers? From the sounds of things, the portions are small there. Carter said he was still hungry when he left, and you come out with leftovers? Was it at least a good meal?"

  I shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea!"

  "What do you mean you have no idea? You were just there for dinner."

  "If you must know, the bag contains my meal. I couldn't eat. I totally lost my appetite after I cut my hand. Here, if you want you can take it home and share it with Autumn. She'd probably enjoy it," I said holding the bag out to him. I glanced over at my car and locked my doors with my remote fob.

  I didn't even need to look at my brother because I could feel him staring at me as if I had lost my mind. "Are you feeling all right? You're acting strange."

  "Can we just go?" Hunter continued watching me for a second, not saying anything. "Please?"

  Hunter didn't argue. Instead, he revved the engine and put the car into reverse and sped out of the parking lot. We had driven about two blocks and were stopped at a stoplight. He was tapping his thumb on the steering wheel and watching a lady walk across the street when he cleared his throat. "Care to talk about it?" he asked once the light turned green and he started driving through the intersection.