I flinched at his words. My mind immediately drew up the image of Rick lying on the floor.
“No, she’s not. Not a Goddamn chance is she seeing him. She asked me, too.”
“Yeah, I heard. Ava seemed pretty shaken up when she heard about the baby, but recovered quickly,” he informed me.
“She’ll deal. I’ll talk to her about it tonight. I really wish I’d known so I could’ve prepared her for that. A baby. Shit man, a new life being brought into this world without a dad,” I mused.
I’d have to check Rick’s will and life insurance. Make sure there was enough there to take care of April and the baby. I’d already put in motion the house to be paid off. Over the years, I’d been lucky in the investments I’d made. I had funds set aside for emergencies such as this. April and the baby would be taken care of. Any of my guys would be if something were to happen.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, I glanced at the dash display before I hit the answer button on the steering wheel.
“Yo. Zane, what’s up,” I answered.
“We secure?” he asked.
“You’re on speaker in the car. Austin’s sitting next to me, we’re good on my end. But, no, the line is not secure.”
“Heard about your woman. You got that under control?” he asked, skipping all pleasantries. That was Zane Lewis. Always straight to business.
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“Update on the El Paso situation. I sent Panther and Breeze, the Diamonds are neutralized. They will not be an issue for you.”
“Anything I should know about?” I asked
“Nope. Everything is five by five,” Zane informed me.
I knew Zane would never give me details.
“Thanks, Zane, I owe you, man.”
“No, you don’t. Make that woman happy, and live a good life. We’ll be square.”
That was also Zane, always watching out for everyone else.
“I’ll send you a bottle of Knob Creek. I know you like your whiskey like you like your women; cheap and with a long slow burn as they go down.”
Zane chuckled before he added. “Not all of us can be as lucky as you and that fucker Ghost. Both you men are so pussy-whipped, I’d be surprised you didn’t already shred that man card.”
“Say what you want, but knowing that Ava’s crawling out of my bed every morning only to be crawling back in every night is a beautiful thing, brother. If that means I need to shred my man card, consider it done.”
“I hear that. Be well, Reid. I expect you and Ava in Maryland this summer.”
“Copy that.”
The line disconnected and I was amazed. In all the years, I’d known Zane Lewis, I think that might have been the first time he didn’t get in the last word before he hung up.
“Glad to hear that situation is handled,” Austin commented.
“Shit. You and me both.”
Austin went back to staring at the bottle in his hands while I was lost in my thoughts.
Maybe, just maybe the storm had passed. Jimmy and Carl had been disposed of. Suzie was on the mend. We’d all pull April through, though that was going to be a long road.
“I called the funeral home, went over the arrangements for Rick. The coroner hasn’t released him yet, but they know what to do once Sally is done,” Austin said on our way back to the house.
Vitamins picked up, and grocery shopping done, we were almost back to April’s. Austin added about a hundred things to the list Ava had made. Anything that looked healthy went into the cart. He was on his phone the whole time searching for what pregnant women could and couldn’t eat and drink. I think he may’ve ordered a pregnancy guide off Amazon while we were checking out, but I didn’t ask. If this is what he needed to do to get through losing Rick, I was keeping my lips zipped. There were worse things he could be doing than obsessing over the baby. Like drowning his sorrow in the bottom of a liquor bottle.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate you double checking. The payment has been wired. Roni took care of it. She’s also gathered all the pictures and personal items from his office to pack up for April.”
The rest of the drive was in a comfortable silence, each of us caught in our own heads.
When we walked into the house, both women were on the couch. Ava was laughing at something April had said. Her head thrown back, smile on her face. April was laughing too holding her stomach.
Indeed, I would live a good life.
If in the wake of tragedy my woman could take a grieving woman who had just lost her man and make her smile and laugh like that. That meant good things for me.
Ava turned her head to me and smiled; it was a shot straight to my gut that traveled down and hit my cock. Goddamn, my woman was beautiful.
“Hi, honey,” Ava smiled.
I liked the way that sounded. Her calling me honey. Many women have tried to use pet names with me, but I cut that shit out quick. My name was Reid, they could use that or Logan, but nothing else. However, when Ava used the pet name, it warmed me from the inside out.
“Hey, we’ll unload and let you women put everything away,” I announced.
“Should you be putting groceries away in your condition, April?” Austin asked.
Oh, Lord. I bit back a laugh, the look on the women’s faces was priceless. Both their jaws dropped open. Ava actually laughed, and April looked pissed.
“Yes, Austin I can put away groceries. I’m pregnant, not an invalid. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist woman. I don’t know what a pregnant woman can and cannot do, and my pregnancy guide doesn’t get here until tomorrow,” Austin advised.
Oh shit, I was right. He had ordered a book.
Ava laughed again, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. April, however, was not laughing, but she no longer looked pissed either.
Her face softened. “You ordered a book?” She sounded shocked.
“Of course I did. How else am I gonna know what to do? I don’t know anything about babies, or growing them. Shit woman, you know I don’t have any kids. Hell, I didn’t even know there were things you couldn’t eat. Who knows what else there is?”
Ava had now stopped laughing and was looking at Austin like he had hung the moon. April however, looked at him like he had just grown two heads.
“Thank you, Austin,” she murmured.
By the time we left April’s, Ava looked dead on her feet. Mac texted he had a call out and had to drop off JJ, which was a perfect excuse for me to get Ava out of there. She would’ve kept going if I’d let her.
April had enough food pre-made for a week, plus all the extra food Austin had stocked her cabinets with. Dustin had come by and dropped a bag for Austin, but didn’t come in. He simply texted Austin his bag was on the porch. When Austin said he was going to run home to get some clothes, April paled and started to panic. Austin calmed her down and opted to just ask Dustin.
It looked like Austin was sticking around for the long haul. When Dustin offered to take a shift at April’s, Austin turned him down.
After a teary goodbye, both Ava and April promised to call each other. I loaded my woman in the Camaro and headed home.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” I asked Ava.
“Nothing to talk about. She’s grieving. She’s going to grieve for a while. In some weird twisted way, this baby will make it easier for her. She’ll have a piece of Rick. I’m happy she has that. Not happy the baby will never know his father, but happy for her.”
“Yeah, I get that. The baby will never meet his or her father, but Ava, they will know Rick. We’ll all make sure of it,” I assured her.
“Good.”
“You wanna talk about the baby? I’m sorry about that, I wish I had known. I hate that you were taken off guard.”
“I won’t lie; it was like a kick to the belly. I needed a minute, but then I was okay. It just took me back. You know, to the day Mac told me Jacob was dead, and the day my baby died,” Ava admitted.
/> “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. Thank you for being so good to April.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. I’ve been where April is, if I can help her I will. I owe her that. But more than that, I really like April. I want to do it.”
“If it gets to be too much, you’ll tell me,” I demanded.
“Okay.” Her answer was too fast. She might’ve agreed, but she wouldn’t tell me. She’d keep it to herself and help April no matter what.
We picked up Chinese on the way home. There was no way Ava was cooking anymore today. JJ talked nonstop through dinner, telling us all about his day with Uncle Mac.
“He did what?” Ava hissed.
“Uncle Mac bought me a new board, and wheels too,” JJ repeated.
Man, I was going to have to talk to JJ about not throwing his Uncle Mac under the bus. Mac wasn’t even there to defend himself, and JJ had not only run him over, but backed up over him too. Ava looked furious.
“Ava,” I tried.
“Don’t Ava me. JJ didn’t need a new board.”
“So? Maybe he didn’t need a new board, and Mac just wanted to buy him a new one.”
“Just buy him a new one?”
JJ looked like he was watching a tennis match, his head bouncing back and forth between Ava and me.
“Yes, sweetheart. Mac is his uncle. Uncles have been known to spoil their nephews. As a matter of fact, I think it is in the rulebook. All uncles must spoil their nieces and nephews.”
JJ laughed at my sarcastic response. Ava not so much, instead she gave me the death glare. So much for trying to defuse this with humor. “Ava, leave it. Mac loves JJ and wants to buy him things. He has the money to do so. Let him. It’s not hurting anything, and JJ is happy and smiling. Win, win.”
“I don’t want JJ to think he’s entitled to new things for no reason,” Ava explained.
She had a point, and I fully understood that.
“JJ, you think you’re entitled to new stuff all the time?” I asked.
“No. I have to earn stuff. I have to get good grades on my tests and report cards. And I have to go through my room every Thanksgiving and give the toys I don’t play with anymore to the homeless shelter before Santa comes,” JJ told me.
“Don’t think you have a problem, Ava. Let Mac buy things for JJ, and for God sakes, let the kid enjoy them.”
Ava sat and looked thoughtful for a moment.
“You’re right. I’m sorry JJ. That was really cool of Uncle Mac. I didn’t mean to get so upset about it, I’m just really tired. No excuse, but that’s the reason. I hope you remembered to say thank you.” Ava spoke softly to JJ, grabbing his hand off the table.
“It’s okay, Mama. I did tell him thank you. And then we tried out my new board. After that, it was really hot, so we got Italian Ice at that stand by the park. Uncle Mac let me get two flavors but no more. He said he didn’t want you mad if he ruined my dinner.”
Jesus, the kid did it again. It was hell holding back my laugh as Ava’s face contorted into what she tried to pull off as a smile.
“Well, that was nice of him,” she said.
I lost the battle and belted out a laugh.
JJ joined in when he finally caught his breath he turned to Ava. “I was just pulling your chain, Mama. Uncle Mac only bought me one flavor,” JJ laughed.
Oh shit. That was funny. JJ was sounding more and more like Mac and me as the years slipped by. I guess we were okay until he started dropping F-bombs.
“You think you’re funny?” Ava surged up and grabbed JJ around the middle pulling him from the table. Before I knew what was happening Ava and JJ were on the ground, Ava was tickling him as JJ struggled to talk.
“I’m gonna pee,” JJ screamed.
“Should’ve thought of that…” Ava continued to tickle JJ.
He continued to complain he was gonna pee his pants as he and Ava both laughed.
Yeah, life was good.
***
After dinner was finished and cleaned up, we settled in for a movie in the living room. It didn’t take long for JJ to knock out on the couch. Ava was more than a little worried about him sleeping in his own bed away from her. It had taken a little convincing before she agreed that we needed to set a precedent of normalcy. If JJ needed us, he could come to us. But he needed to sleep in his own bed.
Ava grabbed another one of my tees to sleep in even though some of her own clothes had been brought over today. Dustin had gone to Ava’s with Roni and packed her and JJ a few things. We would have to sort out the rest of her house. There was no way in hell that she was ever stepping foot back on that street. However, now was not the time to have that particular argument with her. She needed a few days to process all that had happened.
When I finished my shower, Ava was already in bed. She had the covers pulled up to her neck, and she was staring up at the ceiling lost in thought.
“Cold?” I asked.
“No. Not at all. Why?” She turned her head to look at me.
“Well, you have the sheet pulled up like you’re a mummy,” I replied.
“Um, no. Just thinking.” I searched her face, but she gave nothing away.
Fuck. Between visiting Suzie and seeing April, who knew what crazy shit was swirling around in her head.
I crawled into bed, yanked the covers down, tagged her arm, and pulled her to me. When she settled in, she was fully pressed against me, her arm over my gut, tits pressed against my side. I had to immediately remind my wayward cock that this was not the time to get overly excited.
“’Bout what?” I asked.
“This morning. Actually, this afternoon.” I thought back to this morning and the argument we had about Mac taking JJ without me talking to her first. Before I could remind her that we had already discussed that she continued. “I was thinking about our shower and what you said.”
My body tightened, and I readied myself for her to tell me I had pushed her too far, too fast. Goddamn it. I should’ve waited. I shouldn’t have allowed anything to happen. I didn’t want her to regret a second of our time together.
“What part are you thinking about?”
“All of it. What you said about us being together in a forever kinda way. Us moving in. It’s a lot to take in,” she answered.
Now my body was tight for a whole new reason. Her fingertips were gently grazing over my abs, and she was circling my belly button.
“Let’s break it down. You good moving in here with me?”
“I am. But, I’m still scared,” Ava admitted.
“Scared? What are you scared of?”
“Mostly JJ. So much has happened in the last week. I’m afraid everything is moving too fast for him. I don’t want to make a mistake with him.” She lowered her head to my chest and continued to trail her finger up and down my abs.
Her touch was so soft it sent chills through my body. Never had I lain in bed with a woman while she gently touched me. Hell, I couldn’t remember a time I allowed a woman to cuddle next to me and tell me her fears, or anything for that matter.
Cuddling and talking gave the wrong impression. Even before I had my eyes on Ava, I never found a woman that truly made me feel anything past lust.
“Ava, you are a wonderful mother. JJ is a great kid. I have been in his life and yours for a long time. I am not some man you just met. This, what we have, is not just some fling. If I wasn’t a hundred percent sure that what we have is solid I wouldn’t have asked you to move in with me.”
“Asked?” Ava chuckled. “You didn’t ask. You told me that we were moving in. I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“I’m not sure how to say this, other than to just lay it out for you. I want you in my house and in my bed every night. I want JJ in his room surrounded by his things in this house. I want us to make this our home. I want my ring on your finger, and you and JJ to take my last name. And I want that soon. But, if you need time, I understand. As long as we continue to move forward, I won’t push too fast.
I know JJ is ready too. The only thing that is non-negotiable is; that once I take you, there is no going back. No going slow, no taking time. It will be full steam ahead. I know myself, Ava, I know that once I finally bury myself in you, I will never be able to let you leave. If that scares you, I’m sorry. But that is me, that is real.
“JJ doesn’t want to be alone with me,” she whispered.
That was a quick change of subject.
I quickly thought over the day and was coming up blank. “What? Why would you think that?”
“When you went to lock up the house, he wanted to stay with you. He wouldn’t even go upstairs with me.” I felt the first tear hit my skin and my heart hurt. JJ was everything to her.
“Sweetheart, that was not about him not wanting to be alone with you. He was scared that Carl would come and take him next. We had a word, and I explained to him that Carl Allen would never touch either of you again. That he would not ever have to see or hear his voice again,” I explained.
“Stupid bastard,” she spat out.
“He’s gone. You never have to think about him again. As a matter of fact, his name is not to ever be uttered while we are in this bed. This is ours. This is a place where I want you to feel safe and secure. Only happiness in this bed.”
“Happiness huh?” she giggled.
“Oh yeah, happiness. I plan on giving you lots and lots of happiness in this bed,” I teased.
I was pleased to hear the playfulness in her voice. I knew it would take time before the scars that Carl Allen left behind would fade. But I was determined to make that happen sooner rather than later for both her and JJ.
“Am I allowed to touch you now? I didn’t get to this morning.” Ava’s voice was soft and unsure.
“Ava, I don’t think….”
“Oh no. You said that you would know I was ready when I begged. And I already did. You got to touch me today. Turnabout is fair play.”
This was going to kill me.
Maybe it was the flirtation in her tone that convinced me, or maybe I was just a selfish son of a bitch. Either way, I clasped my fingers together behind my head and readied myself for her exploration. “I’m all yours.”
And explore she did. She must’ve been well versed in the ancient ways of Chinese torture because she had me ready to give her anything she wanted if she would just grab my cock. She ran her hands all over my chest and stomach, going just low enough to be a hair’s breath away from my sweatpants before she started her journey back up.
Unbroken -Part Two - A Second Chance at Love Romance: The Collective - Season 1, Episode 6 Page 11