by Vicki Green
I hated to leave her, lying in the bed looking all sexy, but I needed a shower and do something to relieve my tension. When I come out and put on the same clothes from last night, I run my fingers through my wet hair and limp out into the living room. The aroma of breakfast fills the air and my stomach growls. There on the table is the bacon I had cooked earlier along with freshly scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice, and milk. Damn, my girl knows just what I like.
I walk over, getting more used to my cane, and sit down. “This looks amazing. I’m starved.” I lean my cane up against the empty chair and pick up my fork.
“I would imagine. You did a lot of work this morning.”
I stop with my fork full of food, almost to my mouth. I look over at her and see her big grin and slightly embarrassed face. The corner of my mouth lifts. “That color looks beautiful on you.” Her free hand raises, her fingers pressing against the side of her face.
“What?”
I take a bite and close my eyes with the amazing taste. When I open them, she’s in the same position, her lips parted. Damn, I’m still horny. “New makeup?” My grin widens as her flush spreads. I scoop up some more eggs and grab a piece of bacon, shoving both in my mouth. I chew, swallow, and take a drink of the orange juice. Setting down the half empty glass, I scoop up some more eggs. “So. I’m gonna have to head back to Brocks.” Her face falls. “Come with me.”
“Oh. I don’t think that’s a good….”
I reach out and take her hand. “Look. Whether you want to admit it or not, we’re together. My sister Jen will be there later this week and Margie and Gregory are only staying until she gets on her feet. If we’re together then we have to work through this together.” She looks down at our hands as I tighten my hold. When she looks back up, I can tell she’s trying not to smile.
“I didn’t say we’re together. I….”
“Irish.” I give her a stern look and she shifts in her seat.
She rolls her eyes. God, I’ve fucking missed her and that snarky attitude. “Okay,” she huffs. “So, maybe we’re together or trying to be but that doesn’t mean I need to meet your ex…. Whatever she is.”
I hold my chuckle in. So stubborn. I pull her hand and she drops her fork. I guide her over until she’s sitting on my lap. I hold in my wince so she doesn’t get worried but shit, that hurt. She’s sitting on my bad side so I put my good arm around her. “Look. She may be around for a while. I don’t know how long it will take to get her on her feet and settled. Even though I’m not the father of Gregory, I’m not about to put them in a hotel or out on the street. It’s not my way.” Her brows lower and I can see the cogs spinning. I squeeze her closer, biting my lip when pain hits. “I know it’s hard on you, love. I completely understand. If we’re going to be together we both may have to do things we don’t necessarily agree with. When I held him, all I could think of is what a miracle he is, how no baby should grow up without the love of a momma and daddy. I feel sorry for the little guy.”
She reaches up and places her hand against the side of my face, gently. Her touch ignites something in me. Always does. I close my eyes and savor the moment. “You’re such a good man, Caylan.” I open my eyes and look into hers. They’re almost reverent. “I’ll come but I can’t say that I’ll be around her much. I agree with you about the baby. I’m not a total bitch.”
My smile grows. God, I love her. “Good. Only what you’re comfortable with.”
She leans down and kisses me then moves back just a little. “I can’t stay late though. Maybe I should follow you in my truck since I have to work tomorrow.” Her excitement shows in her eyes.
“I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah, an office job with some tech support. I’m really getting excited about it.”
I lean in and kiss her this time, pressing a little harder than she did. “I’m so proud of you.” She smiles against my lips.” I reach down and give her a little smack on her bottom. “Now. Go finish your breakfast and we’ll leave. I’ll drive. I can bring you back early.” Her eyes widen in surprise with my little smack but a giggle leaves her as she climbs off my lap and sits down in her chair.
“So bossy,” she murmurs, fighting a smile. She picks up her fork and I resume eating. “Should you really be driving that monster truck in your condition?” She smiles around her fork. Always the funny one.
Irish
I’m not sure what I’m more nervous about as we drive to Brock’s. Him driving or meeting Margie. I meant it when I said I wouldn’t be a total bitch to her. However, I have my limitations. She’d better just stay away from me. I guess he isn’t doing too badly driving. I know he’s in pain. I saw him wince more than once this morning. He thinks I didn’t notice but I did. He’s overdoing it. I wish I didn’t have this bum knee so I could take care of him for a change. I grip the door handle and look over at him. He’s so hot and mine. Finally. I’m still a little leery but not as much as I was. He’s really shown how loyal he is and kind, generous, and compassionate. He looks from the front window to me and gives me a small smile.
“Irish.”
I raise my eyebrows as my eyes widen.
“Quit thinking so much.” He reaches down and clasps his fingers with mine as he holds my hand. So sweet.
“I’m not.” Not really. Am I?
He smiles. “Liar.” He looks back out the front and I have to take a minute to calm my heart. Just a look from him, a touch, and my heart soars.
I grow more and more nervous as we drive over the bridge, closer to the house. She’s just a girl, Irish, and a small baby. You’re strong, confident, and can kick a guy’s ass. What are you worried about? That she’ll take Caylan from you? No way! He’s made it perfectly clear just how much he loves me. He’s the sweetest person in the world and wants to help her, help the baby. Just shows what a loving and kind man he is. And he’s mine. I feel his hand squeeze mine and look over at him. He smiles but then gives me the look telling me I’m thinking too much again. He does know me too well already.
He pulls into their circle drive and parks close to their porch. With two people who aren’t walking very well that was a smart move. Of course the gentleman that he is tells me to stay put. I watch him limp around the front of his mammoth truck and wait patiently, okay not really, until he opens my door. He holds his hand out for me and I take it, being careful getting down from the high seat. He reaches in and pulls out my crutches and we walk slowly together to the front door. Brock opens the door and smiles as we walk inside.
“Uh, Taren’s in the living room holding Gregory. I don’t think she’s let Margie have him at all today. Hi, Irish.” He leans over and kisses my cheek. I give him a nudge against his shoulder and with my heart lodged in my throat, I head to the living room.
Taren’s sitting in the rocking chair with a sleeping baby in her arms, rocking slowly. The infamous woman is sitting on the couch, her legs curled under her, reading a magazine. They both look up at the sound of the clumsy clatter of my crutches. “Irish!” Taren shrieks-whispers. I give her a smile and then my eyes shift to her. “Oh!” She holds up the baby and smiles. “This is Gregory.” Then she looks at the other woman. “This is Margie.” I give her a curt nod when she looks up from the magazine and smiles.
“Hi, Irish.” Ugh! Don’t be so sweet, you wench.
Not wanting to sit anywhere near her, I make my way to the fireplace and sit down on the tall stone hearth, leaning my crutches against it beside me. I decide it’s best to try to be nice. “Congrats on your son, Margie.” I try to smile but I think it probably looks like I have gas.
She looks over at him lovingly. “Thank you. He’s just been the best.”
I look at Taren and shrug because I have no idea what to say. She smiles, stands, and takes the baby over, placing him in Margie’s open arms. She turns to me. “Well! We have some catching up to do. Let’s go in the kitchen and get lunch started.” I almost sigh out loud in relief as I grab my crutches and stand. As we’re walking o
ut of the room, Brock and Caylan enter. Caylan looks at me, a questioning look on his handsome face. I smile and shrug and stop next to him. He leans in and kisses my cheek, grasping my hand and squeezing once. I leave them alone and go to the kitchen. As soon as I’m through the doorway, I notice Taren’s already making sandwiches on the breakfast bar. I make it over to one of the stools and slide onto a seat.
“I’m so proud of you, bestie! You handled yourself very well.” She’s all smiles but my heart is still racing. She looks down and continues. “I was nervous you didn’t have it in you.” She looks up and gives me a worried look. “Are you okay?”
I let out a sigh. “Yeah. I think I ate something wrong. My stomach’s a bit upset. I think maybe it was being so nervous but now I’m not so sure.”
She stops and looks up at me. “I bet it’s nerves and stress. Sheesh. It’s not every day you meet the woman who tried to get your boyfriend to claim their newborn baby. Your boyfriend who was shot twice and almost died. And you start your new job tomorrow on top of that.”
My brows raise and my stomach does a flip. “Well, hell. When you put it like that….” I swallow down the lump that had moved its way to the base of my throat.
She stops, holding up some lunch meat. “I know, right? Then your boyfriend’s sister will be here in two days so you’ll meet her and then you have knee surgery after that. Anyone would be a bundle of nerves with all you have going on.” Okay, this is making me feel worse.
My mind is now going a mile a minute. “Wait! Did you say boyfriend?” The corner of my mouth starts to lift. I’ve never had a boyfriend before. I kinda like the sound of that.
She’s finished the sandwiches and has now moved to pouring out chips on a big tray, adding a big bowl of dip in the center. She stops, smiles, and relaxes. “Yes! I couldn’t be happier for you. Of course, you know how I feel about you. And Caylan? Well, I couldn’t have picked a better boyfriend if I’d done it myself. He’s perfect for you.” Brock walks in and heads towards the fridge. She leans her arms on the counter and moves in towards me. “He’s just what you need, Irish. Strong, caring, tender, and such a great person. You needed someone to help balance you, keep you calm, and always there for you.” She turns her head when Brock starts walking towards us. “Where’s Caylan?”
He leans down on the counter next to her, holding a bottled water. “Oh. Margie said she wanted to talk to him so I gave them some privacy.” Taren and I look at each other at the same time, both with surprised looks. I think mine might be surprise with a mixture of anger and worry. “What are you girls thinking?”
They look up and I begin to turn my head when I feel Caylan’s strong arm wrap around me, his slinged arm pressing against my back. His lips kiss the side of my face tenderly. “We need to talk.” I turn my head and see he’s all smiles and seems to be in a good mood. Almost bouncy. Okay, not the right word ‘cos that would be weird for him. I hear a throat clear and look up.
“We’ll just go out to the living room. It’s easier for us. Take your time.” Brock smiles as he takes Taren’s hand, whose smile is huge. He tugs on her hand and starts to walk away when she turns her head and mouths to me, “Too cute.” I roll my eyes but inside, I’m jumping up and down. Something happened to make him this happy. Taren’s always had Brock. For years I got to give them a hard time with being lovey dovey around me all the time. I guess it’s finally her turn.
Caylan sits down on the stool beside me and turns to face me. So, I follow suit and turn facing him as well. He takes my hand, his thumb rubbing soothingly over my knuckles. Maybe I was wrong. This can’t be good if he’s trying to calm me already. My stomach does a double somersault. Geez, things sure turn around fast. “Irish.” Oh, no! Here we go. “Stop thinking the worst.” My eyes widen as he squeezes my hand. “Margie told me she figured out who Gregory’s father is and he’s on his way from Georgia.” Oh, my God! Now I’m squealing inside. “He’s driving so he can take them both back with him. He’ll be here early Wednesday morning. So, I’ll be calling Marcus tonight and letting him know so he can see if he can get the birth certificate amended before they leave town.”
Before I can think, (yes, I know that’s weird), I throw myself at him. My arms wrap around his neck and my lips are suctioned to his. I think I might have screamed out loud but I’m not sure. All I can think about is that this is finally over. We can actually be together without any worries. His lips press harder against mine, his tongue delving deep into my mouth. God, he tastes so good.
“What happen….”
I know that’s Taren, probably concerned due to my scream, but I don’t care. I’m not stopping. Maybe never. I smile against his lips when I peek my eye open and see him waving his hand at her, telling her to go away. That’s my boyfriend.
Chapter Seventeen
Caylan
When Margie told me the news, I was really trying to stay calm and keep a straight face. But inside, I was jumping up and down. Then I got angry. She put me and Irish through a lot. How can someone do that? I could tell by her face I scared the shit outta her. Here I’ve felt sorry for her and then I find out this? I’d better not tell Irish or I may have a cat fight on my hands. Thing is, Irish would win. Of course, Margie started crying. At that point I wasn’t sure if I should be angry with her or if I felt bad. Damn, sometimes I’m just too kind hearted.
“I just….” She sobs uncontrollably. “I knew he was either yours or Richard’s and I really wanted him to be yours.” She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she continues to cry. I feel like such a heel and a fool. So, she had another one night stand and she didn’t know who the father was. Now I know how women feel when they want more but you don’t. I feel like a schmuck.
I consoled her and told her everything would work out. After she told me he was coming to get her and Gregory, I told her that I hoped they all had a happy life together. I think I will miss Gregory though.
I couldn’t help but come up behind Irish and put my arm around her. All I could think about was telling her the great news and how things will finally be better. Seems like everything’s been against us for so long. She just about knocked me over at the news. I don’t know how long we made out but I wasn’t gonna stop her. No way. Once we finally had to come up for air, Brock and Taren came into the kitchen and we settled down for lunch and gave them the good news. Of course, they were more than happy for us. Two days. In two days we can go back to normal. Wait! I guess we’ve never really had normal. The rest of the day was actually kinda nice. Margie’s been in a great mood. The girls sat around and talked. I got to spend a little time with Gregory. He’s such a cute baby.
“Well, I’d better get home. I have a new job to start tomorrow.” Irish picks up her crutches and uses them to help her stand from the couch. She tells Margie goodbye and kisses and hugs Taren. I take my cane and start walking to the front door. When she’s done she walks towards me, a confused look on her face. She starts to open the door but I push it shut. She takes a step back and opens her mouth to speak but I lean in and kiss it shut. It’s kind of nice having her with crutches right now and not being able to go anywhere quickly. Of course I’m not much faster either. I finally pull back a little to let her take a breath. Her smile is so big, her eyes sparkling with love.
“Thought I’d ask if I can get my stuff and stay with you while I’m mending instead of here?” Her smile drops. Shit. Too soon. “If you don’t want me to, it’s okay. I can just….” Her mouth covers mine, and I hear her crutches drop on the floor then her arms are around my neck, pulling me closer. Okay, maybe it’s not too soon. We hear a throat clear and both turn our heads, our lips still stuck together.
“Uh, sorry, man.”
I smile. “Can you do me a favor and help me get my stuff in my truck?”
Brock smiles and nods then turns around and heads for the stairs. I turn my head and kiss her again. “I took that as a yes. Was I wrong?” She shakes her head and kisses me back. At this rat
e, we may never leave.
“You don’t feel weird leaving her here and taking off to my place?”
I give her an ‘are you kidding?’ look.
I left Irish in the truck long enough to go in and get my stuff together then Brock took my bag out for me and put it in the back. We said goodbye and I told him I’d call him tomorrow. Now we’re halfway to Irish’s place. I look over at her and smile. “I had asked Brock and Taren before we even knew Margie’s news.” Her brows raise and she tilts her head. “Ha! Don’t give me that look. I knew after last night I didn’t want to be without you again.” I take her hand in mine, and her face softens. My eyes keep switching from watching where I’m driving back to her. I give her a look hoping to convey just how much I love her. “I don’t ever want to be apart again.” I bring our hands up, turn them over, and kiss the top of hers. Her eyes sparkle showing her tears. “I’d hoped you feel the same.”
She squeezes my hand and pulls our hands to her chest, over her heart. “I want that too.”
I don’t remember ever driving as fast as I am trying to get to Irish’s apartment. I think I might have scared her a little, she’s now got my hand in a death grip. I slow down as I turn on the street next to Pops, knowing we’re not far now. Her grip lessens, and I can feel the dampness of sweat. “Hey,” I say turning my head. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I guess I’m just anxious.” I give her my best smile, and I get a small one in return.
Her lips part and her eyes widen. “You didn’t scare me. Okay, maybe a little. But really. I’m just as excited for us to be together and I’m also getting nervous to start my new job. I may need you to check out some of my outfits, you know, to see whether they will be good in an office.” Her smile turns to a cocky grin as she winks. I love how she thinks. I hit the pedal harder as I continue looking at her, and she starts laughing.