by Meg Ripley
“Where do you want me to start?”
“At the beginning.”
And I did, reluctantly. I could have lied, but I didn’t. I told her all about the trouble I’d been in before her father recruited me, and then as much as I could about my life since then. I told her about her father, what a strong and courageous man he’d been, and that it was for her wellbeing that Erik had kept his life a secret.
It wasn’t until the whole story was out that I realized how much I’d wanted to share it with her. She sat there quietly for a moment and then I saw something I’d never seen before. She’d been holding herself rigid until then, the crisis not fully over until she understood it, but after she’d found out the truth, all that had happened and all that I’d said must have caught up with her. She blinked once, and then twice, and though her expression didn’t change, the tears that had gathered in her eyes spilled over and cascaded down her cheeks.
I’d never seen Sarah cry; I didn’t think anyone had seen Sarah cry since she was a little girl. And I knew without a doubt that I was sunk because I would have given anything in that moment to take away her pain.
Her shoulders slumped and she leaned against me, though I don’t know if it was for comfort or merely to prevent herself from falling over. Regardless, I gathered her up in my arms and she didn’t resist. And I was grateful because I needed her there. I’d never needed anyone my entire life, but I needed Sarah in that moment.
“Go, Declan,” she whispered against my shoulder, and at first, I thought I’d heard her wrong because she made no move to push me away. But I heard it again, still a whisper, though it was stronger this time.
“I’m not leaving you, Sarah,” I whispered back, making no effort to release her.
“Yes, you are,” she said, sounding stronger and pulling away, though I could feel it wasn’t what she wanted. It was like her body fought her every inch. “I appreciate your concern, and…and I know you saved my life today. I’m grateful. I am. But nothing else has changed. You have a very important life, and I think you need to get back to it. You said it yourself: I’m safe. You need to go home…wherever home is.”
“I am home.” The words slipped out before I’d given them conscious thought, but I realized they were true. And though I was dangerously close to making a fool out of myself, I was only half-surprised to realize I didn’t care.
There was something not quite right with what she was saying. The words didn’t line up with the expression on her face. And Sarah could say whatever she wanted; her beautiful face gave her away every time. If I’d been paying better attention the last time she’d told me to leave, maybe I would have seen it. Or maybe I hadn’t been ready to see it.
“You’ve got to be kidding. You haven’t been in Westport in ten years, but suddenly you want the white-picket fence?”
“No. I want you.” It was that simple. I didn’t care if I lived in a big town or small town; if I worked as a vigilante or a bag boy at the local grocery store. None of it mattered anymore.
“What happened to casual sex and harmless flings, Declan?” Her eyes were searching mine, trying to figure out what I was really saying…or what I wasn’t saying.
“You happened.”
“I happened? You expect me to believe you’ve completely changed your perspective…that you’re a completely different person all of a sudden?”
“I’m not a different person, Sarah. I think I’m just a complete one now.”
She eyed me doubtfully, though it was written clearly in her expression that she wanted to believe me. And that meant I’d been right; she didn’t want me to go. Armed with that knowledge, I stood up, carefully pulling her with me. “I had no idea what had been missing. Honestly, until a few minutes ago, I didn’t fully understand it. But I do now.”
Uncertainty warred in her eyes, and I thought I might be getting through to her. I was wrong.
She pulled away hard, stubbornness replacing uncertainty. “No, Declan. I don’t know what it is you think you feel, but this isn’t you. And we’re not going to trap you here where you never wanted to be.”
Had I heard her right? Who was ‘we’? Unless…it suddenly made sense; the morning she’d kicked me to the curb had been after the night spent at the hospital with Hope.
Sarah was pregnant.
And that was the real reason she was adamant about me taking a hike.
I waited to feel the heavy weight in my stomach or for an innate sense of panic to make me want to run for the hills.
It didn’t come.
Sarah was pregnant with our child. I was going to be a father. I should have felt terrified…or trapped, but I felt…in awe. Excited. Home.
“You’re pregnant,” I told her matter-of-factly.
She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. And so, I did the only thing I could think of that would convey some small part of what I was feeling. I pulled her close before she could anticipate what I was doing, and covered her lips with mine. Her body was rigid, but it didn’t stay that way. After a moment, her shoulders relaxed and her hands came up to the back of my neck.
I don’t know how long we stayed that way, locked in an embrace that conveyed more than mere words ever could. “I love you, Sarah,” I whispered against her lips as I pulled back just slightly. “And I’m going to love our baby…and our white-picket fence…and anything else in my life, as long as you’re in it.”
“You’re not lying?” she asked, her tone full of incredulity while she scrutinized my face.
“No, I’m not.”
“I love you, too, and that’s why…”
I pressed my finger against her lips. “I understand why. But I want to be here. There’s nowhere else I’ll ever want to be.”
It was time to move on, just like Erik had said, and I was ready. I was ready for a brand-new life; one I was already certain would be full of far more adventure and excitement than my old life could ever have offered…even if we never left the small, perfect town of Westport.
Epilogue
Declan
(3 years, 7 months later)
“Alright my little cowboy, time to blow out your candles. Don’t forget to make a wish,” I whispered to my son Liam, who was decked out in his favorite Western outfit, complete with a ten-gallon hat and a holster for his Billy the Kid toy gun.
Liam’s eyes poured over the massive cowboy-themed ice cream cake topped with a huge number three candle that Sarah had ordered for the occasion. He inhaled slowly, his cheeks puffing up, and when his lungs were full, he paused for a moment and locked his eyes with mine, giving a quick wink before blowing out all the candles in one big huff.
We all clapped and whistled as Liam leaned back in his chair looking proud. “I’m free,” he announced with glee—he was still working on his ‘thr’ sound—and my three nephews huddled around him in excitement.
Sarah covered her swollen belly with one hand and began passing out forks and plates with the other, first to the kids, and then to my sister Hope and her husband John and me. “Alright, I hope everyone likes mint chocolate chip. It’s the birthday boy’s favorite,” she said as she began to carefully carve the cake.
John nudged me, leaning in as he asked, “Hey Declan, when’s that famous BBQ chicken of yours going to be ready? I’m starving.”
“I’m sorry, man, it’ll be ready soon. We’d meant to serve lunch first, but this morning, the little guy insisted on opening presents early, so we thought we’d do the cake now instead. Can I get you a beer? I just picked up a case of this great IPA from Vermont that none of the stores around here can seem to keep in stock,” I offered.
“Sure, I’ll take one of those in the meantime,” John said.
“You’ve got it. Hey Liam, I know you’re chomping at the bit to open your presents, but Daddy has to run in the house for a second. Just hold tight for a few and enjoy the cake with your cousins. I’ll be right back.”
Liam nodded obediently, raised his fork to the large cake slice that Sar
ah had served him and began digging in with gusto.
I made my way onto the deck, took a peek at the food on the grill and popped into the kitchen. I grabbed two IPAs, a bag of chips and an empty bowl as Sarah and Hope were making their way inside.
“I know I’ve seen it, what, about a hundred times now, but can I please get another peek at the insane rock you have on your finger just one more time?” Hope begged when she got inside.
Sarah obliged and splayed the fingers of her left hand for my sister, turning to look me in the eye, “I have to admit, Hope, I still can’t believe your brother splurged like he did.”
“It’s so beautiful; I just love the setting and those accent stones are precious,” Hope gushed.
“My hands are almost full, but I can grab something else if you ladies can think of anything else we need out there,” I interjected.
“Oh, no, I’m here to help, Declan. Let me grab the beer and everything else you’re carrying and you go help your very pregnant wife,” Hope volunteered.
I passed everything in my arms off to my sister and took Sarah in my arms. “Can you believe how far we’ve come, babe? Remember how I used to rail against the idea of kids and white picket fences? Now look at us.”
“You’re right, a lot has changed, but thankfully, a lot still hasn’t,” Sarah cooed in my ear as her left hand rubbed my back, the other hand making its way around to the bulge growing in my jeans.
“Fuck…last night…god, you were incredible,” I gushed.
“I was incredible? You were relentless,” Sarah teased.
I pulled back, feigning a smug face and shrugged, “What can I say? I’m a man with an insatiable appetite.”
“Yeah, well you’d better watch those IPAs, or you’ll start developing a Dadbod like your brother-in-law out there,” she chided.
I pulled her in close, grabbing her firmly by the hips and kissed her deeply. “Once we wrap everything up later and the little man is asleep, I want to see if we can break last night’s record. They say the fourth time is a charm.”
Sarah laughed, “I’m so glad I listened to you when you insisted that we set up Liam’s room on the opposite end of the house from our room.”
I gave her a quick squeeze and patted her on the ass. “Alright, we should start to bring out the presents. I’ll grab the big one. I put the smaller, lighter ones in a bag over there near the fridge if you want to grab that,” I motioned.
As we made our way back out to the party, Liam and his cousins were running around playing tag while Hope and John were busy clearing the dessert plates from table.
“Alright, everyone. It’s time for presents!” I shouted.
The kids stopped dead in their tracks and dashed over to the picnic table, bouncing around with excitement. Before I could place the largest present on the table, Liam was already shouting, “I want the big one, Daddy! Let me open the big one!”
Sarah followed, placing the smaller gifts by Liam and sat down next to me.
“Alright, buddy, it’s your big day. If that’s what you want, that’s what you get,” I said as I carefully placed the large box down in front of him.
He paused and looked up at me, waiting for approval.
“Go ahead, Liam. Open it!”
His eyes widened as he lurched toward the gift and swiftly began tearing the paper away. When he realized what it was, he jumped back and covered his mouth with both hands.
“A moto-cyco! Just like Daddy’s moto-cyco,” he exclaimed.
“Well, it’s close, buddy. It’s a tricycle that looks like Daddy’s motorcycle,” I said as I freed it from the box and placed it in the grass. “Check it out, it even has flames on the side like Daddy’s bike,” I pointed out.
Sarah chimed in and handed him a smaller gift from the table, “Wait, this goes with it, Liam. You have to open this one next.”
Liam hungrily took the small box in his hands and methodically ripped the paper away to reveal a plastic motorcycle helmet that resembled mine to a T.
“Try it on, buddy,” I said as I carefully removed his prized ten-gallon hat and replaced it with the helmet. His eyes lit up as he jumped on his new bike, and before we could tell him to be careful, he sped away through the backyard as his cousins chased after him.
A feeling of gratitude washed over me and I almost welled up, but I managed to control myself. I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in just a matter of a few years. I had married the most amazing woman and now lived in a beautiful home—white picket fence and all.
Fatherhood had given me a new perspective on life and made me truly appreciate every moment that I was able to spend time with my family. Our son reminded me more and more of Sarah and me every day, and although it was too early to tell, it seemed like he inherited the best of both of us.
Once I settled down with Sarah, I happily gave up the old business, and ‘put it all away’ as her father had urged in his letter to me. I didn’t miss my past life for a second, but at the same time, I didn’t regret where I had come from. Being in such a dangerous trade taught me how to not only protect myself and others in ways that normal guys would never understand, but I knew that if anyone ever threatened me—or my family—I knew I had what it takes to protect what I held dear.
Just then, Liam circled back, pulled the e-brake on his bike and spun out right in front of us, like a miniature stunt man. He leapt up from the bike, reached for his holster, and pulled his toy gun out in one move, shouting, “Bang! Bang! Bang! I’m gonna get all the bad guys.”
I shot Sarah a sideways glance. Shock began to spread over my face until I realized that we were the only ones who knew the truth about both her father’s past and mine.
“Looks like we might have a future vigilante on our hands. I wonder where he picked that up from? Better keep an eye this guy,” John joked as we all broke into laughter.
As my tension eased, Sarah smirked, rubbing the top of my hand and giving me a knowing look. We had nothing to worry about; our secrets were safe. The darkness of the past was far behind us and the future ahead was so bright.
THE END
Taken By The Hometown Bad Boy
Ten long years, and here I am back in my hometown of Riverdale.
The plan was to swoop in, make a quick appearance at my lame high school reunion and then get out as quickly as possible.
Fate had something else in store for me, and his name was Jace Dillinger, the hottest bad boy in town.
In high school, I gave him the cold shoulder because of the crowd he hung out with.
He wasn't my type back then, but now...it’s funny how time changes people.
Here we are catching up at a townie bar having a few drinks...what trouble could we possibly get into? ;)
The first thing Natalia Hyde noticed when her taxi drove her past the sign that said, ‘Welcome to Riverdale,’ was that everything seemed exactly as it had been the day she left. The streets were all the same, the lovely suburban arrangement of roundabouts that had been fun to ride around on bikes. The twenty-eight-year-old had expected to find some changes, maybe expansions or even a few changes on a few stores but nothing… it was as if someone had grabbed a huge remote control and pressed pause on the whole town.
The only viable change that Natalia noticed was that people were older, and the kids now running around the parks and streets had faces she didn’t recognize.
The taxi drove her toward the town’s only known hotel, a measly Hilton Garden Inn at the edge of the highway. She remembered seeing this same little place for years and was pleasantly surprised to note that it looked like it had been renovated. It was much bigger than she remembered.
Paying her fare and pulling her bag out of the back of the car, Natalia strutted through the mechanical doors, feeling a cool draft yank at her clothes and long black hair as she entered. It was definitely different; maybe that pause button didn’t affect everything after all.
When Natalia entered the lobby, she was surprised to f
ind it rather busy; several people were talking with the concierge, a young woman with thick blonde hair styled in large ringlets. She looked rather out of her league, appearing absolutely nervous as she assisted a man with immense shoulders. The back of his head had a particularly large scar that Natalia recognized instantly.
“Brad?” She spoke before she could hold her tongue and the broad man turned around. There was a moment when he appraised her, broad face and broad eyes that gave him a certain brutish appearance. Still, she remembered him, he had been one of Nathan’s friends throughout high school. A jock and a pretty decent football player, Brad had been the sort to follow rather than to lead, yet he had a hidden cruel side that only came out whenever Nathan had grown bored.
To her surprise, Brad beamed up at her brightly. “Natalia!” he exclaimed, urging her closer and glaring at all the other people waiting in line. She recognized a few other faces and instantly wished she hadn’t brought attention to herself. Most of the people there had seen some of Nathan’s bored side and remembered her for how she just stood by, doing nothing.
“It’s been years,” Brad insisted as Natalia approached. “You’ve grown taller!”
“My last growth spurt since high school,” Natalia replied dryly. She was only wearing platforms but leave it to Brad not to notice. “You haven’t changed much yourself.”
“I’ve been working as an engineer,” Brad announced, puffing his chest. “Nathan helped me get the job actually.” At the mention of her brother, Natalia perked up and met Brad’s gaze curiously.
“You’ve seen Nathan?”
“Yeah, I bumped into him about four years ago. He kind of helped me get out of my parent’s basement before allowing me to find a spot in the city. I haven’t seen him since, though.” Deflated, Natalia felt her shoulders slump slightly. Everything had hit the fan eight years ago…tensions that could no longer be tolerated in that small house exploded so thoroughly, that it resulted in all of them going their separate ways. Once upon a time, Natalia had been exceptionally close to her twin, practically playing along to the silly stereotype that all twins were halves of the same whole.