by Vivian Ward
“Do you know how much longer he’ll be?” I asked her.
“Who?”
“My boyfriend, Gage Miller. We came in at the same time?” she looked puzzled. “For questioning?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not following you.”
“There was a shooting—at my house—and they detained everyone, brought us all back here for questioning, and I was wondering how much longer he might be?”
“Babe,” I heard his voice as he walked down the hallway towards us.
When he got close enough, he grabbed me and wrapped both of his enormous arms around me, lifting me off the ground. It felt like a python was squeezing me to death and became hard to breathe.
I patted him on his back like I was tapping out in a cage fight to get him to let go of me. He put me down after one final squeeze and kissed me like our lives depended on it as his hands wrapped around the back of my head and his tongue probed my mouth, hot and wanting, not giving a care in the free world who was there to see.
“I thought I lost you,” he said, still not letting go of me with his arms still wrapped loosely around my waist.
“What? Why?”
“Because I saw you lying in a pool of blood; I didn’t realize it was his blood, and I thought it was yours.”
“Oh, that’s terrible. No baby, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere,” I tiptoed and kissed him on his cheek. “It all makes sense now! The look on your face, you telling me that you loved me in the cop car and blowing me a kiss; you were glad to see me alive!”
“Why’d you think I said and did that?”
I looked around, making sure nobody could hear me and kept my voice low, “I thought you were going to jail for murder. You shot him, and he died.”
“No, babe, it was self-defense; the cops knew that. Not only did he have his gun trained on you, but he shot Henry and tried to shoot me too.”
“Do you have any idea who my dad is? I could own this damned police station if I wanted to!”
We heard the ruckus coming from down the hall and turned our attention to all the chaos. It was Bethany shaking the detective loose off her arm as she threw a hissy fit like a twelve-year-old.
“You grab the little kid while I grab the bigger one,” he said, nodding toward Bethany.
A few days later, I got to see my father for the first time in almost a week. He was cranky, but nothing that a little time and therapy wouldn’t heal. While we were there, the doctor said that my father could be released after a couple of days, as long as he had plenty of help around the house during his physical therapy.
Without a second thought, I immediately spoke up and said that we’d help him and volunteered us to move in with him and my mom. After I had opened my mouth, I thought about what Gage might have to say, but much to my surprise, he didn’t have anything to say. He looked down at me and nodded.
“Thank you for not being upset about me volunteering us to move in with them; I can’t let my mom do it all alone,” I said to him as we left the hospital.
“Babe, I’d do anything for you and if that means helping out your old man then so be it. At least you have an old man to help, and I’ll always support you. You and your mom’s all the family he’s got, and you’re all the family I’ve got.”
It was bittersweet hearing him say those words; I knew it was true. He didn’t have any family except Bentley and me, and I was so happy for that reason, but I felt bad that his parents had bounced. He didn’t even know if they were dead or alive; they’d always just been…gone.
Back at our house, we were still playing hostess to Henry, who was still nursing his bullet wound, and Princess. I didn’t mind Henry staying with us, though it was odd since we had kissed, but Princess had to go. I couldn’t wait to get her out of our house.
“Well, you know, at least with us having to move back in with my parents, it’ll help ditch our two lovely guests,” I said sarcastically as we pulled onto our street.
“You’ve got a point there. Are you as sick of them as I am?”
“Very.”
“I’ll talk to Henry tonight and see when he thinks he’ll be up for traveling back to California.”
The night before Dad was scheduled to be released; we drove Henry and Bethany to the airport to catch a flight back to California.
I felt bad that Henry had to travel while he was still healing, especially after he admitted that he jumped in front of Gage because he felt that he owed him after he’d caught us kissing. He took a bullet to prove his loyalty and to make up for our mistake.
Gage’s boss tried to talk him into coming back with him, but he flat out refused. There wasn’t anything his boss could have said to get him on that plane.
We made sure to put our last night alone to plenty of good use by cracking open a bottle of wine and going to bed early; though, neither of us got a wink of sleep until right before the crack of dawn with as hot as the sheets were all night.
“Be careful!” I winced as Gage helped dad inside the house. “Watch out for the door!”
“I’ve got him,” Gage grunted, straining through the front door with my dad’s arm draped around his neck.
“He’s got it,” my dad said, hopping on his leg. “Do you see the size of this man?”
“Yes, I do,” I admired his thick, muscular build.
“Oh, that’s enough of that,” dad wheezed as the two of them trekked to the table where dad collapsed in the chair. “How about bringing your old dad a glass of water? Think you two love birds can manage to stay apart long enough for that?” he teased.
“Here you go, dad,” I sat his water in front of him. “I’m going to get dinner started early since we all missed lunch, thanks to a late discharge.”
“That’s not my fault, and I’m sure your mother will appreciate it,” he said. “When I talked to her this morning, she said she wouldn’t be home until after dinner because she’d be busy at the church.”
I opened the fridge to see what I could make. For my dad’s first night home, I wanted to make something special; one of his favorites. I hadn’t had time to go grocery shopping beforehand, so I hoped there was something good in the fridge.
No such luck.
“I’m going to have to run to the store,” I closed the fridge. “Before I go, I need to change my shirt. I’m burning up today,” I said, excusing myself into the bedroom.
I called down the hall and asked Gage to join me, “Can you keep an eye on the baby or would it be too much with dad home?”
“No, I can handle both of them. Your dad’s gonna be all right. He might be missing a leg, but he’s not letting it slow him down. We’ll be fine; you go ahead and get whatever you need and take as long as you want. There’s no rush,” he kissed me.
“You’re the best!”
As I made my way to the front door, all three of my boys were sitting in the kitchen just hanging out. Hopefully, he wouldn’t get overwhelmed and would be able to take care of everything while I was gone. Even though I had my doubts, I needed to learn that I could count on Gage and trust him, but I his macho ego was my biggest concern.
“Bye, boys. Be careful and call me if you need anything,” I waved, walking out of the door.
Chapter 17: Gage
“You need any pain meds?”
With as much as he’d been mobile with getting into and out of the car and then making his way inside the house, I figured he must be in excruciating pain.
“I’d kill for one,” he nodded. “I didn’t want to worry Anita by asking for one because if she knew I was in any pain, she’d baby me more and make something out of nothing.”
“One or two?”
“Whatever the bottle says.”
I read the bottle, which said one tablet every six hours as needed for pain, but I gave him two. With all the motion in the car and all the hopping around, he’d moved around more in that half an hour than he probably had since the accident.
“Here you go,” I handed him the pills and
watched him take them. “She sure loves you; you mean the world to her.”
“Her whole family means the world to her. She loves that baby more than the oxygen she breathes,” he nodded toward Bentley. “And you, she loves you a lot. I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice; she’s got it bad. Her mom even says so.”
I laughed; I knew exactly what he was talking about. Whenever we were together, she just lit up around me and looked at me in a way she didn’t look at others. I’d been wanting to have this talk with her dad for a long time, but now that we were sitting in his kitchen all alone, I was nervous.
“Let me ask you something,” I opened a bottle of beer and sat next to him at the kitchen table. “What would you say if I asked for your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
He tilted his chin up and looked down his nose at me, “Depends. Are you asking? Or is this hypothetical?”
“If I were asking, what would be the best way to ask?”
I took a swig of my beer, but it wasn’t helping my nerves.
“I’d say that first, you should probably offer her dad a beer,” he stopped and stared at me, not saying another word until my ass started moving towards the refrigerator and pulled out another bottle. “Now,” he twisted the top off and took a long drink. “I’d say you’re a bold man, defying my daughter and my wife. They’d kick your ass for letting me drink while taking pain pills.”
“What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” we clinked our bottles together. “What would be second?”
“Second, I’d probably talk about how much she means to me,” he held up his finger and took another long drink. “And third, I’d beg for her hand in marriage—you know, if you were asking.”
I’ve never been good at kissing ass or begging, but I could give it a shot.
“I love her more than hell needs ice water, and I’d love if you’d give us your blessing.”
He nodded his head and took another long drink of his beer, not stopping until he finished the rest of the bottle before he handed it back to me.
“You’d better get rid of this,” he paused. “Son.”
“Yeah?” I turned and smiled at him.
He nodded, “Any man who loves my daughter more than hell needs ice water deserves to make an honest woman out of her.”
“You know—”
Holding his hand up, he stopped me mid-sentence and shook his head. “I wasn’t so sure about you; knocking her up and leaving, but then she told me how it happened. When you came back, I told her that she should have told you right away, but she was worried; scared,” he took a long pause. “Her mom even tried to get her to talk to you, but you know how hard-headed she can be.”
The beer and pain pills were starting to take their toll on him.
“But when you found out about Bentley, you did what I would have done if I were in your shoes. That doesn’t mean you did what I liked because you took her and that baby away from me, but if I were young again, I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Thank you, Shawn. It means a lot coming from you.”
“Boy, you better get me over to that couch before you have to pick me up off the floor,” he laughed. “I’ll just take a little nap, and we’ll tell the girls that I needed to rest these old bones before dinner.”
I helped him over to the couch and covered him up with the afghan that was draped over the back of it. Playing with Bentley on the floor, I thought about how, when and where I would propose to her but before I could do that, I needed to buy her a ring. No respectful man would propose without a ring.
Luckily, Mr. Sanders had transferred the rest of my pay into my bank account and even gave Henry and I each a hefty bonus. I wasn’t expecting it, but with a new family, I was glad to have it. It would come in handy when I went ring shopping. Anita returned about twenty minutes after her dad had fallen asleep and started making dinner.
“Sure smells good in here,” I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, thrusting my hips into hers.
“Behave,” she giggled. “My dad’s right there on the couch and might wake up at any moment.”
“No,” I looked into the living room where he was snoring. “I’m pretty sure he’s…out.”
Nuzzling my chin into the crook of her neck, I inhaled her floral perfume. I’ve always loved the way that she smells; so clean and fresh, with a hint of spring and jasmine.
Our bodies pressed up against each other made my dick jerk. I swore it had an unrelenting mind of its own; one that never let up and didn’t give a shit what was going on around us. I had to remind it to settle the fuck down before I took her into the bedroom and let all the food burn.
Sneaking away from her to buy her engagement ring was no easy task. The car lot was still closed because she was taking care of her dad 24/7 and hadn’t left the house at all since the night she left to pick up groceries.
For days, I had watched her and her mom fuss over who was going to take care of her dad. I’d never been more eager and willing to run errands in my entire life because anytime I got dressed and started outside, she’d sweetly ask where I was going. Saying I was going outside for a breath of fresh air was getting old.
When her dad ran out of his pain meds, I’d never been so anxious to go to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription. It was also the perfect cover; they’re always slow and behind. I could pretend to be stuck at the pharmacy while I stopped by our local jewelers.
“What can I help you with today?” a sweet woman behind the counter asked, standing as I walked into the store.
“I’m looking for an engagement ring, but I’m not sure what I’m supposed to get.”
Imagine me: big, bad private security, so sure of himself and how to snap someone’s neck, but I couldn’t pick out an engagement ring. I wanted to walk out of the store and give Anita the money to buy something she’d like, but that wouldn’t be special.
“Well, you came to the right place,” she flashed a warm smile. “What kind of diamonds does she like?”
“What kind? The kind the sparkle?”
Heat flooded my face as I grew increasingly embarrassed.
She tilted her head and giggled, “You’re pretty funny. Do you know what kind of setting she likes?”
“Look, I don’t know anything about jewelry other than women like to wear it. Could you maybe recommend something?”
“I could, but it’s kind of fun watching you squirm.”
Feeling like a fool, I was about to turn around and walk out, but she sensed my frustration.
“Who’s the lucky girl? Maybe I know her?”
“Anita Bailey,” my lips curled into a smile as her name left them.
That’s the kind of effect she had on me, just saying her name made me smile; that was just one of the many reasons that I knew she was the one.
“Anita Bailey? You’re kidding, right?”
I went from frustrated and embarrassed to pissed off and offended in the blink of an eye. I straightened my shoulders and gave her a death glare.
“Is that a problem? Because I can take my money somewhere else.”
“What? Oh, no,” she cupped her mouth. “I didn’t mean it like that. She comes in here all the time with her parent’s jewelry for cleanings and inspections. There’s a ring that was her mother’s—it was her engagement ring when her parents first got together—and I know for a fact that she loves that ring! You should ask her parents if they’d be willing to part with it, or we could try to find something similar.”
“Hmm,” I mulled it over, weighing the pros and cons. “As much as I’m sure she loves her mom’s ring, I want to buy one for her—at least an engagement ring.”
She smiled, pleased with my decision.
“Follow me, there are a few rings that she’s talked about,” she started toward the counter on the right. “She’s always bringing jewelry in to get it cleaned, and every time I come from the back, Anita’s always out here looking at the rings. I’ll let you decide which
one you’d like to buy her.”
After showing me several rings and confusing me even more, I did what any man would do—I bought her the biggest damned diamond out of all of the ones the woman showed me. With her ring in my pocket, I set out for the pharmacy as she sent me a text asking where I was.
I hated lying to her, but I had to so it would be a surprise and told her that they hadn’t finished filling his medication. On my way home, I stopped to pick up some lunch for everyone and started devising a plan that would wow her.
Chapter 17: Anita
For reasons unknown to me, Gage insisted that we all go out to eat even though my dad didn’t have his prosthetic leg yet. Sure, he had his walker, but it was so difficult for him to get around, but dad seemed like he wanted to go out just as bad, and mom seemed pretty eager to go, too.
“Okay, but you’ll have to get Bentley dressed while I try to get myself ready,” I gave in. “What time are we leaving?”
“I made reservations at The Iris for 7; it’s 4:30 now.”
Without another word, he picked Bentley up off the floor and took him to his room to start picking out his clothes. I didn’t know what had gotten into him, but I wasn’t arguing.
“Dad? Do you need me to get something out for you to wear tonight?”
He smiled up at me and shook his head.
“Nah, baby, you go ahead and worry about getting yourself ready. Your mom can help me, or I’ll manage to get along on my own.”
“Okay, but if you need anything, just ask. I don’t want you trying to do things you’re not ready to do yet.”
“Don’t worry about me, Little Missy. Go on and get yourself ready.”
Normally, being surrounded by boys, nobody ever pays a second thought to what I’m doing, but they were so nice. I wondered if they were up to something, but I couldn’t imagine what it would be; although the two of them had seemed to have bonded since we all started living together.
I chalked it up to each of them realizing that we all have to get along and, gulp, maybe they were adulting—something that neither of them was very good at.