by D. Kelly
Connor finally breaks the silence. “Wow,” he says as Daniel comes back inside after dropping off Hailey and Lucas with Misty and Jess so they can watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
“What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” Mike answers. “Just little girls being adorably cute.”
“Come on, let me get you guys a drink and you can tell us what you thought.”
“April, sit and rest, you have to be tired. I’ll be the wench and serve the pirates tonight.” Daniel swats at Kate’s ass as she walks to the kitchen.
“You should have told me you have a pirate fetish, it’s much sexier than a scarecrow.” Kate spins and plants a kiss on his lips.
“I have a you fetish, any way I can get you.”
“Who wants to bet Kate gets knocked up next?” Connor asks, whipping out his wallet.
“Connor Houston! Don’t curse me just yet. Besides, you’re the next one in line. We’ve all had a turn since Jess had the twins.”
“I’d knock her up in a heartbeat if she’d let me.”
“Hey, can we please stop saying knocked up? We’re not eighteen anymore. Besides, can’t we just take some time to enjoy the babies we do have around here before we excessively overpopulate the planet? What’s with you Houston boys wanting to leave your mark on this earth, anyway?”
“Men, babe, we’re Houston men, not boys. What’s wrong with wanting to leave a legacy? This planet can only be a better place with our DNA all over it anyway,” Jake answers me with a sexy smirk.
Connor high-fives him while Daniel and Mike laugh.
“Nothing is wrong with leaving a legacy, but there are lots of kids who need homes. They don’t necessarily have to come from your bloodline.”
“That’s true,” Jake counters, “but once we adopt Mia and Hannah they’ll be part of our legacy. I’m all for adopting, but you can’t blame me for wanting to have some little versions of us running around.”
“Not at all, but April’s right. You guys act like it’s completely okay for us to birth you a football team.”
“Thank you, Kate.”
“Between the four of you, you girls could have a football team. We don’t expect each of you to have one.”
“Quit while you’re ahead, Connor,” Kate warns.
“So,” Mike interjects changing the subject, “Hailey seemed to really love Mia and Hannah. She was trying to plan sleepovers already. They’re going to fit in just fine, you guys.”
Everyone is nodding in agreement. “They really are the sweetest things. I know this is going to make me sound like a dick…”
“Connor, you always sound like a dick,” Jake quips.
“Ha ha funny, asshole. Seriously, I never really thought much about normal kids in foster care. I figured most of them were disabled, crack babies, or just crazy-ass kids. I know that makes me a world class douche.”
“No, Connor, it doesn’t,” I say, patting his hand. “It makes you normal. The fact of the matter is most people don’t think about kids in the system at all. There’s always been such a negative light surrounding the system, almost all anyone hears is the bad stuff and not the good.”
“Yeah, I guess. Honestly, I don’t think I’m the kind of person who ever considered fostering, but I’d love to find a way to help out somehow.”
“I’ll send you some links. I made a shit ton of donations a few weeks ago,” Jake answers.
“You did?”
Why didn’t he tell me?
“I had to do something, April. After meeting the girls, I did some research. The facts were staggering. So I found some reputable places and gave a ton of donations.”
I think I’m going to cry.
Fucking hormones.
“Send us those links, too, Jake,” Daniel tells him.
“Yeah, to me, too,” Mike agrees.
“How much longer now before you know?” Kate asks as she sits on Daniel’s lap.
“It’s all just a waiting game for final approval. It could be tomorrow or it could be next year, but I really hope it’s before Christmas.”
It’s so nice to sit and talk and not have to worry about leaving to be home at a certain point in time. Yawning, I lean back against Jake and let my eyes close as I listen to the banter go back and forth. The next thing I know, Jake is whispering in my ear.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty, it’s time for bed.”
I’m surprised to see everyone is gone. I can’t believe I just fell asleep like that in front of everyone.
“I’m sorry, I feel so bad. I can’t believe I just fell asleep.”
“I’m not sorry, you needed to sleep. It was a big night. After you fell asleep, Kate reminded us of the time she fell asleep at Easter with everyone around. It’s the baby’s way of telling you you’re overdoing it and you need your rest. Come on, let me take you to bed.”
“Tonight was perfect, wasn’t it?”
“It was, babe. Tonight was the first glimpse of the rest of our lives, and I loved what I saw.”
“Me, too.”
The next morning, I wake up to an empty bed with the lingering memory of Jake making love to me last night. Just when I think I know all his tricks, he does something else completely unexpected to spice up our sex life. It will never get old.
As my eyes focus, I notice a note on the bedside table with my name on it.
April,
Sorry. I didn’t want to tell you last night and ruin the moment, but I have to work today. I shouldn’t be late.
I love you.
Jake
Damn it! It’s Saturday and we were supposed to finally decide what to do with the rooms we have set aside for Mia and Hannah. We can’t decide if we want to decorate them and have them ready or let them pick everything. We also don’t know if maybe they’ll want to continue sharing a room for a while, and he promised me today we would finally make a decision one way or the other.
After using the restroom, I throw on a robe and go downstairs to make some tea. I’m agitated and hungry and really don’t like waking up to my husband being at work again for the second weekend in a row.
The doorbell rings right as I’m getting ready to sit down and I debate on ignoring it, but I know I can’t.
“Hey.” I swing the door open and wave Connor inside.
Why isn’t he at work, too?
He follows me inside and closes the door behind him.
“Where’s Jake?” he asks as he sits down at the table with me. I really don’t have any patience for this today.
“Where do you think he is, Connor?” I ask with a resigned sigh.
He laughs. “Well, if I knew I wouldn’t be asking you.”
This is it. I know I’m going to regret this, but I don’t even care anymore.
“Connor, he’s at work, just like he is practically every weekend. Just like he has been every night for almost the last six months.”
The quizzical look which crosses his face proves he has no idea Jake has been picking up the slack for him, but he can’t seriously be this oblivious, can he?
“What’s going on, April? Why is he working so much?”
“Do you really not know this, Connor? Or are you just playing stupid because you don’t want to admit your shortcomings?”
Oh, shit.
That was so harsh, I flinch at my own words.
I’m such a bitch.
“I’m sorry, Connor. That was uncalled for, I apologize.”
“Tell me what the fuck is going on, April,” he demands through gritted teeth.
“Do you want some coffee or tea?”
“No, stop stalling. I want some god damned answers.”
“You need to talk to Jake.”
“I’m pretty sure I can talk to you just fine considering you know more about what’s going on than I do.”
“It’s not my place to scold you, Connor, but enough is enough. My husband has been picking up your slack at work for months. He’s saying he might not be able
to take leave when Jaxson comes because things are so messed up.”
“What? Why didn’t he say anything?”
“Because he didn’t want to hurt you? Because he knows you’re new and you’re helping Kate and adjusting to fatherhood. I’ve been begging him to talk to you for months!”
“He didn’t say a word, but don’t worry because I’m not a pussy. I’ll go to work and talk to Jake so we can figure this out.”
Without another word, he storms out of the house and a sense of doom settles over me. Jake is never going to forgive me for this.
Jake
I’m exhausted and on my third cup of coffee since I got here this morning. Leaving April curled up in bed alone again killed me today. I think it’s going to be worth it, though; I’ve finally got these proposals almost finished.
Once I’m done, all I need to do is finally talk to Connor and get him on board with my idea. If I can do that, hooking my dad should be a piece of cake.
Then I can finally spend some time with my gorgeous wife and get ready for our family to arrive. I’ve got the documents printing so I can give them the final once over when Connor storms into my office madder than I’ve ever seen him.
“Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on? Your wife is so angry with me and up until this morning, I had no idea she had anything to be angry with me about!”
Stay calm, he can’t be talking about work. April wouldn’t betray me like that.
But from the hurt look on his face, I know she did exactly that.
She betrayed me.
“Sit down, Connor.”
He plops down in the seat across from me and crosses his arms over his chest. His rage is evident and I can’t say I blame him. We should have talked about this a long time ago.
“What did April say?”
“Forget what she said. Why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
“Just tell me what she said so I know where to start.” There’s not enough coffee in the world to deal with this today.
“Essentially, she said for the last six months you’ve been doing enough work for the both of us and she’s sick and fucking tired of you taunting her with the chance you can’t take leave because of it when the baby is born. What the fuck, Jake?”
Pushing my chair back, I get up and go to the bar, pouring a shot of whiskey in my coffee.
She betrayed me.
Fucking hell.
“Look, Connor, I was going to come and talk to you about this when I got home. I just finished a plan I think will help and I wanted your help talking to Dad about it.”
“Just fucking spit it out, Jake.”
“Fine,” I snap at him. “I’ve been pissed at you for months because I’ve been working my ass off while you’ve been working half days and working your ass off for Lila’s Place not giving a fuck about what you don’t do here falling into my lap.”
“You arrogant fucking prick! Is that what you really think is going on?”
Sitting back down in my chair, I grab the papers from my printer and put them on my desk. “No, it’s not, and I’m sorry I believed the worst in you for the past year. The truth is, it wasn’t until we decided to move closer to you did I realize you weren’t working half days, you were spending all your time commuting.”
“Damn straight I was.”
“Connor, all the work you don’t get done while commuting is falling in my lap. We need help around here. At first, I was happy to pick up the slack because of Jess and the babies, but then I started to get resentful.”
“Why?”
“That’s such a loaded question. I thought you knew I was picking up your slack and eventually, you started to take it for granted. As you started working for Kate, you brought in a shit ton of new clients. You’re fucking brilliant, Connor, seriously.”
“Thanks?” he questions, and I laugh.
“I know it sounds like a backhanded compliment but take it as a true one. Over the past few weeks, I’ve begun to realize all the work I thought you were ditching out on is really all the new clients. We just don’t have the manpower to keep up with right now.”
“So if you’ve been so pissed off at me all this time, why the hell are you letting your marriage suffer? Why wouldn’t you just say something to me, Jake? I don’t want to cause trouble with the two of you.”
“Honestly, I think April and I have deeper problems than you, Connor.”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
“I mean she betrayed me by talking to you today.”
“Don’t be mad about that, Jake. Honestly, she looked like she didn’t feel very well and I think she had just woken up when I got there. She was pissed, but I also pushed the truth out of her.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll deal with all that later, I guess.”
He cocks an eyebrow, looking like he wants to say something and then thinks better of it.
Smart.
“Alright, so why didn’t you tell me?”
“At first, I thought it was a learning curve because you didn’t exactly get the kind of training I did. That coupled with being a newlywed and the twins, I thought I was helping you. I was happy to help you but the longer it went on, the more pissed off I got. I didn’t want to be the asshole who couldn’t help his brother.”
“So, instead, you sucked it up and let your marriage suffer. Not too smart, Jake.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Look, I know I should be thankful because that was a sweet, brotherly love kind of thing to do, but…”
“I’m listening.”
He leans across my desk and grabs my wedding photo and points to April.
“This woman right here has been the constant in my life since I was twelve years old. You are conceited, arrogant, and a serious fucking douche at times, but she loves you in spite of your personality flaws.”
“Way to make me feel warm and loved, asswipe.”
“See, that’s the shit I’m talking about, Jake. Last night when you were with Mia and Hannah, you were incredible. April makes you happy and when she’s around, she knocks your big head down a notch or two so you’re tolerable to the rest of the world.”
“Nice to know how you really feel about me.”
“Well, it’s my duty as your brother to pull your head out of your ass every now and then. Without April, you’d be a miserable fuck with a serious attitude problem. Do you honestly think she’d betray you in any way that mattered?”
“This mattered, Connor! Fuck! This mattered a lot and she promised me!” My fist pounds into the desk and he leans back in his chair with a cocky look on his face.
“That’s exactly the shit I’m talking about. April makes you better. You fight for her and for things you think will be good for the two of you. When she isn’t around or you’re fighting, you let your anger get the best of you.”
“So you wouldn’t be mad if Jess told me your secrets?”
“About something like this? If it was impacting our marriage negatively? No, I wouldn’t. Or I’d try not to be, anyway. Get over yourself, Jake, this was bound to come out. Anyway, you said you were coming to talk to me.”
“I was, but…”
“But nothing, Jake, don’t be a dick. It took us ten minutes to talk out something that has been bugging you for over half a year. April had every right to tell me. She’s been getting the shit end of the stick for way too long. How do you propose we fix this with Dad so you can get your marriage back on track?”
“I’d like to know the answer to that, as well,” Dad’s voice booms.
Fuck me.
My dad pins his gaze first on me and then on Connor as he takes the seat next to my brother.
“What did you hear, Dad?” Connor asks with his normal curiosity.
“All of it. I walked in right behind you, son. You were just too pissed to notice.”
Connor shrugs an apology to me as I rub my temples with my fingers. I’ve got a massive fucking headache all of a sudden.
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br /> “Look, you two, I’m not going to put you through the ringer about this because I’ve got some things I need to talk to you both about. It’s why I’m here.”
“What’s going on, Dad?”
“I’m retiring.”
“But you’re not even old!” Connor spits out, and my dad chuckles.
“Actually, that’s the point. Your mother and I are ready to see the rest of the world. It’s been our plan all along to retire when we were young enough to enjoy life and spend time with our grandkids while we’re active. We’re excited for this next phase of our life.”
“I’m happy for you, Dad, for both of you. You deserve to enjoy life even more.” Connor pats Dad on the back and they turn back to me.
God, I hope this doesn’t mean I have to take over this company. I just can’t handle it right now.
“Congratulations, Dad. So when is this happening?”
“Well, that depends on the two of you. We’ve got some decisions to make, boys. How about we order in some lunch, have a few drinks, and talk this through?”
Within a few minutes, lunch has been ordered and drinks have been poured and my dad nails me with a question I’m not quite ready to answer. I’m completely caught off guard; it was supposed to be a surprise for them until everything was finalized.
“Jake, who are Mia and Hannah?”
“Busted,” Connor remarks dryly.
“April and I are trying to adopt two girls out of foster care.”
“You think you can take on two young girls, a baby, and a puppy at the same time? All while both working full-time?
“Well, not exactly, and that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Actually, it’s what we wanted to talk to you about.”
“Answer this for me. Does your move have anything to do with these girls?”
“No. April wasn’t happy in our house and she wanted Jaxson to be raised with his family.”
“I see. When I started this company, I did it with the intention of it growing into a family business, which I’m proud to say it has. Both of you boys showed an interest in the company from a young age and it was never my goal to have either of you working here unhappily.”