Love & Happiness (Sexy Secrets Book 3)

by Nycole S. Bailey

  “So you wanted to talk to me - so talk,” I say before I taking another swig of beer.

  He looks from the TV - to me - then looks down at his feet.

  “I have gone over this moment a million times in my head,” he starts off. “And every time saying - ‘I’m sorry’ - doesn’t even begin to cover how much I regret what I did to you and your mom.” He looks up at me. “But I will say it anyway. I am truly sorry for abandoning you and your mom. Especially you. You were a little kid and Karen told me you thought it was your fault.”

  I drain my beer, perturbed that my mom has divulged this information to him. Yeah, for the days, weeks and even months after he left, I did think it was my fault. And even after we moved from Alabama to Virginia - all those times he was supposed to come see me and never showed up, those feelings of him leaving - it all being my fault - flared up again.

  “Well, lucky for me I grew the fuck up and realized that you up and leaving your wife and child was your fault and not mine.”

  He looks up and gives me a long searching look. I see several things in his expression, regret being the dominant one.

  “Charlie,” he says softly. “I will say it again. I am sorry. I know you don’t believe me, but I am. We probably won’t have the kind of father and son relationship that I want, but I would like to be a part of your life again.”

  “Yeah? Well you pretty much fucked that up when you left,” I reply - my voice rising. I swing my leg down from the arm of the chair and sit up in the recliner. I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees as I look at him.

  “So you think you can just waltz back into my life, say I’m sorry and everything will be okay, huh? You want me to forget how you left me and Mom. Or better yet - how about all those times you said you were coming to see me, huh? What about that? You really think I want anything to do with you after all of that?”

  I try to reign in my temper as I turn my attention back to the TV.

  “Is everything okay in here?” I hear Zoe ask.

  I turn to look at her; a little bit of my anger leaving as I take in her concerned face. She walks into the room and comes to stand by the recliner. She puts a hand on my shoulder and her touch erases a little more of my anger. I lean a bit to the side and rest my head against her belly as she runs her hand through my hair, lightly scratching my scalp.

  “Charlie? You okay?” she asks again.

  I nod my head against her belly. “Yeah.” I push out a deep breath, feeling more anger leaving my body. I move my head some to look up into her face. “How much longer before dinner is ready?”

  “About ten minutes. The rolls are done; I just need to finish the gravy.”

  “Okay,” I murmur before kissing her belly.

  She pulls away from me, passing the sofa where Elliot is sitting. I watch her lightly pat his shoulder.

  “I’ll come and get you both when dinner is ready,” she states as she exits the room.

  I sit back in my chair and stare un-seeing at the TV. I will admit, with Zoe being pregnant, my Father’s Day exchange with Pop and being there when my nephew arrived into the world has had me thinking more about my impending fatherhood and family. Even though Matt Rossi has been the father-figure in my life for most of my life, there is a part of me that has been curious about my real father - even though he did me and mom dirty.

  I realize that I would not even be thinking about him if Zoe wasn’t pregnant. But let’s be real, I want my daughter to know her grandparents - both sets. Even if one of them is the person who abandoned me as a kid. I just don’t understand how anyone can voluntarily leave their child that they say they love.

  “Tell me something?” I ask abruptly as I turn to face Elliot. “Do you love me?”

  He looks stunned for a second or two, but he answers.

  “Of course I love you. You’re my son,” he says emphatically.

  “Then why in the fuck did you leave?” I hate that my voice breaks with emotion. “How can any parent leave their child. Just the thought of me ever leaving my daughter makes me sick to my stomach.”

  He bows his head and takes an audible deep breath before responding.

  “Because at the time I though it was the right thing to do. I was drinking heavily. Things were getting bad between me and your mom and I just wanted it all to stop. I just wanted to be left alone so I could drink in peace. So at the time, the only solution I saw was leaving. So I left.”

  He lifts his head and I will myself not to be effected by the glassiness of his gaze as he looks at me.

  “When you were older - all the times I said I was coming to see you,” he resumes, “I had every intention of coming to see you, but every single time, I chickened-out because I didn’t know what to say to you - how to explain my absence. So I didn’t come.”

  “And it never occurred to you that you not showing up would do more damage?” I all but yell out.

  The look he gives me is one of regret and pain, but before I can respond, Zoe comes into the room.

  “Dinner’s ready,” she says softly.

  ********

  Dinner is eaten in mostly silence, however, Elliot does praise Zoe on her cooking skills as do I. When it looks like dinner is coming to an end, I do something that I never thought I would do.

  “I know you want us to have some type of relationship,” I say as I look at Elliot. I feel Zoe’s hand on my thigh. She probably thinks I am about to pop off and say some crazy shit. “You and me - I don’t know if we can have a relationship, but I do know that I want my daughter to know her grandparents. Both sets.” I see hope in his eyes as I continue to look at him.

  “I am not going to stop you from seeing your granddaughter, but understand this, the second you promise her anything and you don’t deliver - that is it - no more Grandpa Elliot.”

  “I get it,” he says quickly - his eyes glassy. “Thank you.”

  I ignore that and go back to eating what is left on my plate. Zoe squeezes my thigh and I look to her. She has tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “Hey now, none of that,” I say, quickly leaving my chair and kneel beside her chair. I cup her face and use my thumbs to wipe away her tears. I kiss her lips softly and pull back to look at her.

  “Don’t mind me - these pregnancy hormones are just messing with my emotions again.” She gives me a slight smile and I give her one right back before I sit back in my chair.

  I look at Elliot and I hope that I am not making a mistake.

  Chapter 12 - Time

  Zoe

  Time is moving too fast.

  It seems like yesterday that I was barely showing and now I am less than four weeks away from giving birth and my belly has its own zip code. My back aches, my hips ache - hell everything on my body just aches.

  I shift in my chair, trying to find a comfortable position as my soon-to-be-born daughter jams a foot in my bladder. I am in a meeting with my dad, Mr. Harlan, Wood and Kerry (my replacement while I am out on maternity leave). Wood is sitting in on the meeting as he will be overseeing the construction aspects of the project with Mr. Harlan’s company.

  Although Mr. Harlan and I have spoken over the phone on a weekly basis regarding the project, this is my first time seeing him since the summer. And when we speak on the phone, he is all business; no flirting, no friendly chit-chat - just strictly business.

  I guess my dad chewed his ass pretty good.

  I sigh with relief when the meeting seems to be coming to a close. Technically, I am not supposed to be here as I started my maternity leave three weeks ago, but I have been popping in the office a couple of days a week to see how Kerry is doing.

  I tune out out for the remainder of the meeting and run through my mental list of what I need to do when I get home. My baby shower was last weekend and I am still in the process of putting everything away in the nursery.

  Speaking of the nursery, I finally decided on a color scheme and theme. I supervised as Charlie and Wood painted the nursery walls Eiffel Tow
er gray with a creamy white trim that matches the furniture in the room. On the wall behind the crib is a large white tree decal with a couple of baby owls on the tree limbs. Ivy calls it the ‘owl nursery’ as there are little white owls scattered about the nursery. There is even an owl nightlight.

  And then after I finish putting everything away in the nursery, I will need to start dinner as Charlie’s father is coming over. This will be the fourth time that he will be having dinner with us. And even though Charlie hasn’t told me (his mom did), I do know that he even had lunch with his father recently. Elliot and Charlie are far from being father and son or even friends, but I am glad to see that they are trying to mend their relationship.

  The conference room door opening and then banging closed - loudly - startles me out of my musings. Vic is standing at the door looking not quite like herself. She is still put together; her hair, make-up and clothes are flawless. But it is the look in her eyes that tells me that tells me something is wrong.

  When she smacks Mr. Harlan upside the head with something in her hand, it confirms that everything is not alright in her world and she just might be in the middle of losing her mind.

  “Vic! What the fuck is wrong with you?” Mr. Harlan growls out angrily as he cradles the side of his head.

  He stands to face her and the room goes deathly quiet when we all see the gun in her hand. It is not pointed at anyone, but that doesn’t matter. My dad and Wood move until they are standing in front of me and Kerry.

  “You are what’s wrong with me,” Vic spits out angrily as she shoves an iPad at him. “Play the video.”

  We all look on as Mr. Harlan presses the iPad screen. His skin goes ashen as he watches whatever is on the screen.

  “Vic,” he says in a defeated voice. “I know this looks bad, but it’s not what it seems.”

  Vic lets out a humorless chuckle. “Really? It’s not what it seems, huh?” She starts to pace in front of the door and scratches the side of her head with the gun still in her hand. He starts to approach her but stops when she gives him a cutting look.

  “As I was saying,” she starts pacing again, keeping her eye on Mr. Harlan as the rest of us huddle at the back of the conference room as we watch this cluster-fuck of drama unfold. “It’s not what it seems you say; so tell me, just how in the fuck should it seem? That is clearly you on the video fucking some woman and that woman isn’t me.”

  Oh shit!

  “Vic, what I was doing with her was just sex. That’s all. When I am with you, we make love. I love you.” Mr. Harlan responds.

  Oh my God. This man is so full of shit.

  Instead of answering Vic whacks him across the head again with the gun.

  “Is she the only one?”

  Mr. Harlan doesn’t answer. Almost a minute passes before she asks him again.

  “Is she the only one?” She raises her gun and points it right at him.

  “No,” he says without hesitation.

  “How many more?”

  “Two.”

  She gives him a long searching look and I see so much hurt in her expression. She lowers the gun.

  “Is this your plan? You keep doing shit to try and break me - to make me leave you?” she asks, her voice breaking with heartfelt emotion. “You want to see how much of your bullshit I will put up with until I decide I have had enough? Well you know what? I have had enough.”

  With that, she leaves the room - much quieter than when she entered. Mr. Harlan falls back heavily into his chair, props his elbows on the table and cradles his head in his hands. I allow myself to breathe normally again as my hands start to tingle. I am vaguely aware of my dad on the conference speaker phone with the security desk in the downstairs lobby.

  “Are you two okay?” Wood asks me and Kerry as he turns to us. I see Kerry nod her head.

  “Yeah,” She says shakily.

  I rub a hand over my baby bump. My little girl is kicking like crazy and I think she has her foot permanently stuck in my bladder. I am surprised I didn’t pee on myself when Vic pulled out that gun.

  “I have to pee,” I say, not caring that it is inappropriate.

  Wood cracks a little smile at me.

  “Let Matt make sure that security has Vic before you leave the room, okay?” he asks.

  I nod as I continue to rub my belly, pressing a little bit on the side because her kicking is starting to hurt a little.

  “Are you sure you’re okay Zoe?” Wood asks me again, this time placing his hand on my forearm.

  I nod again as I take deep breath and try to calm myself down. Truth is, I am freaked the fuck out about what just went down. I don’t understand how everyone is looking so calm. Well, everyone except Mr. Harlan

  Mr. Harlan looks a mess. I can see his hands shaking as he continues to cradle his head in his hands.

  I take deep, calming breaths as I listen to my dad on the phone with security. He is giving the person on the other end an account of what happened. When the disembodied voice on the other end states that he will call the police, I am shocked when Mr. Harlan shouts out "No!’

  “Could you hold on a minute?” Dad asks the security guy on the phone and mutes the phone on his end.

  He quickly walks over to Mr. Harlan, grabbing him by the arm before yanking him up from his chair.

  “What the hell do you mean ‘no’. Your woman just came in here, in my place of business and pulled a gun on you. Fuck, she smacked you upside the head with the damn thing - twice!” My dad almost shouts, his infamous, but rarely seen temper starting to make an appearance.

  Wood wisely rushes to get between them because Mr. Harlan has the nerve to look like he wants to swing on my dad.

  “No police,” Mr. Harlan angrily says to my father as he yanks his arm out of his grip. Then in a softer and more emotional tone he says, “I have put Vic through too much…I don’t want to hurt her anymore. Just…no police.”

  My dad looks like he wants to choke Mr. Harlan. He walks back to the conference phone and unmutes it.

  “There’s no need to call the police, but from this point on, she is not allowed in the building. I wanted her banned.”

  A few more words are spoken before my dad disconnects the call. He swings his gaze to me and his angry expression softens.

  “Are you okay Zoe?” he asks.

  “Yeah, a little shaken up, but I’m okay,” I respond as I start to rise from my chair and he quickly helps me up. “I really need to go the bathroom though.” I give him a sheepish smile. I waddle as fast as I can to the conference room door and his voice stops me as I reach for the door knob. I turn to look at him.

  “I don’t want you driving home. I’m going to call Charlie so he can come and pick you up.”

  I want to roll my eyes, instead I just nod and get back to my waddle, but not before I hear him tell Kerry that he doesn’t want her driving either. I want to yell out that we are both grown ass women - who are both quite capable of driving ourselves home, but my dad has an over-protective streak in him that is a mile-wide and then some. So arguing with him would be like arguing with a brick wall. Besides, I have to pee.

  ********

  Later That Evening

  I wake up to something furry patting my cheek. I bat it away. It stops for a moment and then it starts again.

  “Blu,” I say, pushing at him again. If he is able to pat my cheek with his paw that means he is sitting his furry ass on Charlie’s pillow.

  I open my eyes to stare at my cat. The room is almost dark, so his yellow eyes seem to glow. I give him a little rub under his chin before I struggle to get out of bed. I glance at the bedside clock, noting that it is a little after seven in the evening. After making a stop in the bedroom, I make my way downstairs to find Charlie.

  When I enter the kitchen, I see a ton of take-out containers from a nearby Greek restaurant. I open up a container and grab piece of pita bread. I go to stuff it in my mouth, but voices coming from the TV room stop me. One voice belongs to Charlie.
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  Is Charlie talking to the TV?

  I walk a little closer and frown when I realize that it’s not the TV, but another person.

  Elliot?

  When we got home this afternoon, Charlie said that he would call Elliot to cancel our dinner plans. But obviously he didn’t because when I enter the TV room, I see Elliot. Both have TV trays in front of them as they eat dinner. But instead of watching TV and ignoring each other, they are talking - to each other.

  Not wanting to interrupt, I go to back out of the room, but Charlie calls my name.

  “Zoe Baby,” he says, moving his TV tray out of the way and rising. “How long have you been up?” He walks over to me, splaying his hand over my belly as he kisses me.

  “I just got up and came down to get something to eat,” I say before taking a bite out of the pita bread that is still in my hand.

  “Hi Zoe,” Elliot says as he too is now standing next to me. He gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek before going back to his seat to eat.

  I give Charlie a puzzled look, but he gives me a look that says ‘don’t make a big deal out of it’.

  “I’ll be right back Elliot,” Charlie says to his father as he guides me out of the room.

  Once in the kitchen, Charlie pulls out a plate from the cabinet and starts to fix me a plate.

  “I thought you were going to cancel,” I whisper to Charlie. Not that I am mad that he didn’t; I am glad that he and his father are getting along.

  He shrugs. “I did call to cancel and then I ended up telling him what happened with you at the office today. He offered to bring dinner and he we are.”

  I try not to smile, knowing that Charlie doesn’t want to make a big deal - but this is a major milestone for the two. I reach up and pull his head down so I can give him a kiss.

  “I’m proud of you,” I whisper against his lips as I end the kiss.

  ********

  Charlie - Two Weeks Later

  I get the call that Zoe is in labor while I am on a job site. The call comes from Ms. Ronnie. I start to freak out because Zoe’s due date is a week away.

  “I’m on my way,” I tell Ms. Ronnie before hanging up. I pull my keys from my pockets and dash out the construction trailer. When I reach the makeshift parking lot, my truck is gone.