by Danielle Lee
“One shot,” she said, and Brice knew what she was talking about.
“One.”
Megan smiled softly. “Okay, Brice. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
“Have the popcorn ready.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“I’m telling you, Carl, she’s the one.” Brice was sitting at his desk, filling out his morning paperwork when Carl walked in and asked about Megan. “I went to her house last night, and we just sat and watched TV.”
“That’s it, no making out, or anything like that?”
Brice couldn’t say why he was instantly miffed at his friend for asking that question, but he was. “No, it wasn’t like that, okay?”
“Calm down, I was just asking. So, you watched TV, was the kid there?”
“Yeah, Jake sat on the other end of the couch, forcing Megan into the middle. The kid is smart.” Brice smiled at the kid’s ingenuity. He owed him one. “Which reminds me, what do five year olds like?”
Carl looked at Brice as if he grew another head. “Why?”
“I want to buy the kid a present.”
“No, man, you don’t want to do that yet.”
“Why not?” Brice asked, clearly confused. “I like the kid.”
“Yeah, but it’ll look like you are buying him.”
Brice never really thought about that, maybe Megan would think that too. “I just wanted to do something nice.”
“You’re a nice guy, but kind of dumb. Don’t buy the kid a thing.”
“Gees, Carl, be a dick why don’t ya?”
“I’m just trying to help. Remember Dusty?”
Brice nodded. Dusty was Carl’s ex-girlfriend’s son. “You still see him?”
Carl’s usual happy expression turned grim. “Nope. His mother won’t let me near him.”
Brice knew how much Dusty meant to Carl. Carl was pretty much that kid’s dad for seven years, until Dusty’s mom broke up with him. “I know how much you care for him.”
“He’s my son, and she won’t let me see him. I know Dusty is hurt by this.”
Brice stood and walked over to Carl’s desk and patted him on the shoulder. “Listen, man, maybe I can talk to Carrie.”
“Carrie won’t listen.”
“You don’t know that, maybe she’ll come around. Dusty’s what 13 now?”
“He’s going to be fifteen next week.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, he’s practically a man now and I can’t imagine he’ll be too happy to see me after all this.” Carl looked down at the pile of papers on his desk, and Brice didn’t miss the tear drops on the pages.
“I’ll talk to her, try to make her see reason.”
“I don’t know, man.”
Carl didn’t say no, so that was a good sign. “Listen, I don’t know if anything will come out of it, but it can’t hurt to try, and besides, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the kid looks like now.”
“If she won’t let me see him, could you tell him that I love him?”
Brice nodded, nearly in tears himself. “Yeah, I’ll let him know.”
“Okay then. Let’s get back to work,” Carl said gruffly, trying to put the painful situation behind him. Brice walked back over to his desk, and finished the rest of his paperwork.
Megan didn’t go into work today. Her head felt like it had vice grips holding it together. Not only that, she was afraid. She didn’t sleep much at all last night. She would have been paranoid if not for Brice. He kept his promise of calling her every few hours.
When had another guy ever made such a gesture? Megan didn’t have to think long—never. Even when she was dating Jason, she didn’t feel this kind of connection. It was scary. She had only known Brice for a few days! How could this even be happening, and to her!
Megan sighed as she leaned back into the sofa cushions. Her neighbor, Jess Montgomery, offered to take Jacob to school this morning. She didn’t hesitate to take her up on that offer. She knew that she shouldn’t be driving.
After a few minutes of lounging on the couch, Megan’s phone rang.
“Hi, this is Megan.”
“Hey, Megs, how are you feeling?”
Megan smiled as she heard Brice’s voice. “Stop calling me that!” she said playfully. He laughed.
“I told you, it suits you. So, how’s the head?”
“I feel sick to my stomach today.”
“I’m coming over,” Brice said. Megan could hear the concern in his voice.
“No, you are at work. Besides I’m a big girl.”
“It’s not that far.”
“I know it’s not, and that’s not the point. Listen Brice, things are…”
“Don’t even say that they are going too fast. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Megan closed her eyes and took in the warm thought. “You’re sweet.”
“Kick a guy when he’s down, why don’t ya.”
“What?” Megan giggled. She was doing that a lot. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush on the captain of the football team.
“No man wants to hear that he is sweet.” Brice made a gagging sound, and Megan pictured his grin.
“Well, you are, so get over it. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
“I still can’t get last night out of my head.”
Megan cringed. She couldn’t either. “It’s over with. No big deal.”
Brice sighed. “Megan, it’s a huge deal. One press of that knife and…”
“Okay, that’s enough,” Megan said, her voice wobbled. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. What’s done is done.”
“Stop being so brave.”
“What do you want me to do, be a mess? Because I am almost there. I couldn’t go to work today.”
Brice could hear the worry in her voice. “Talk to me.”
Megan didn’t know when the last time was that she could actually talk to someone. “I don’t know, Brice.”
“Come on, it’s easy,” he said smoothly. “Just open your mouth and speak.”
Megan laughed softly. “Okay.”
“See, you’re doing it.”
Megan could hear the smile in his voice. “Smartass.”
Brice chuckled. “I’m waiting.”
“Okay, well… I’ve been threatened before. Nothing serious, just your basic road rage, but this… this was too much. All I could think of was Jacob.”
Brice nodded even though he knew she couldn’t see him. “Understandable.”
“Well, Jacob’s dad, well he’s dead. He died three years ago in Afghanistan.”
Now it was Brice’s turn to sigh. Afghanistan? How could he possibly compete with a hero’s ghost? “Oh, Megan, I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
“I know we haven’t really talked all that much,” Megan flirted. “But all I could think of was how Jacob would be left alone, and what would he do?”
Megan’s voice started to shake as she talked and Brice felt something squeeze his heart. “How long were you married?”
“Wh - what?”
Brice cleared his throat. His voice was barely above a whisper. “How long were you married?”
“Oh, I wasn’t. Jason was my high school boyfriend. He joined the Marines shortly after we graduated, and then I went to college. We were the on again off again type couple.”
“Ah… been there.”
“Really?” Megan teased. “How long were you with…”
“Jenna and I were together for six years. She cheated on me with a guy that I had known my entire life.” Brice didn’t want to talk about his life with Jenna, but he didn’t know another way around it. He took a deep breath and rushed the next sentence, “She is now married to my brother.”
Silence.
“Oh Brice, that’s horrible.”
“It is what it is.”
Megan laughed softly. “You are going to hate me for this, but you were right.”
“Oh, and why is that?”
“Talking is making me feel better.”
; Brice laughed hard, surprised at what she said.
“I’m horrible, aren’t I?”
“You are a little twisted, I’ll give you that.”
“I am surprised though, no wonder I thought you were a player. I don’t think I could have a serious relationship after that.”
Brice was surprised that she caught that. “Yeah, it was difficult, and to answer your unasked question, I haven’t. You’re the first woman that I’ve met that doesn’t have an agenda.”
Megan thought of what Jacob had been wishing for, and felt guilty at Brice’s comment. She wasn’t looking for a daddy for him, really. She could feel her skin heat.
“Now you’re quiet all of a sudden.”
“I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
“What are we doing, really Brice?”
Brice should have been taken back by the question but he wasn’t. “We are seeing where this goes.”
“I have a son.”
“We’ve established this, Megs.”
“What if he gets attached and nothing becomes of us?”
Brice could tell that she was worried, and he was glad, that just told him what kind of woman she was. “Then I will continue to see Jacob.”
“You can’t mean that?” she asked, shocked.
“Why not? I love kids, Megs. I plan on having my own someday.”
“You do?”
“Why do you sound so shocked? I am getting older, and I don’t want to be a bachelor my entire life.”
“You don’t?”
“Megs, catch up, please. I like you. I like Jacob.”
Megan smiled, a few tears escaped her eyes and she sniffed. “I like you, too.”
“Don’t cry.” Brice didn’t think he could take Megan’s tears another day.
“I’m not…”
“Are, too…”
Megan laughed. Every conversation they had seemed to end this way. She liked it.
“I better let you rest, Megs. I’ll see you after work.”
“Okay,” Megan said easily.
A second later, Megan hung up the phone and grinned for no reason other than liking the way her life was finally taking its turn. Megan wanted to shout in joy. She finally had someone that wanted to be with her.
After Jacob came home from school, Megan started dinner, and talked with him about his day. He read a lot, and his teacher gave him a small part in the “Little Red Hen” play. He was so excited that he got the part of the Hen.
“You are going to be great at that, Jake!” Megan smiled at her son, and ruffled his hair. She couldn’t believe how big he was getting. “I missed you today.”
“I missed you too. Guess what?”
“What’s that?”
“Officer O’Reilly sent our class coloring books today. He brought them over to the school.”
Megan could feel her face get hot. “That was nice.”
“I told my class how much I like him. I want him to be my Daddy.”
“Jacob, now I told you yesterday that people just don’t do that. People have to be in love with each other.”
“What is in love?” Jacob asked. His nose scrunched up when he asked the question. Megan thought it was the most adorable thing.
“It is when you can’t stop thinking about someone, when you want their happiness as much as your own.”
“So, like you love me?”
Megan grinned. “Yes, you smart little boy. Just like that.” She bent down to his level and put her arms around her son, and hugged him tight. Just as she went to stand up, Jacob was waving. Megan turned to see Brice standing in the doorway.
Megan looked like a deer in headlights when he had walked in, and he knew why. Jacob had just said he wanted him to be his dad. Brice swallowed, and felt a bit nervous. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” she said, then looked down at Jake. “Honey, why don’t you go wash up for dinner, and I’ll get the plates on the table.”
“Okay!” Jacob ran to the staircase, and disappeared when Brice came further into the room.
“I am so sorry about that!” Megan’s face was red. She sounded embarrassed.
“Megan, it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. He is… he just doesn’t get it.”
“It’s fine, Megs, really.”
“No, it’s not. He seems to think that you are going to miraculously become his dad overnight. I tried to tell him to stop.”
Megan worried her lip, and Brice put his arms around her. “Listen, he’s a kid, kids say things. That doesn’t mean…”
“This is getting to be too much. Jacob is going to get the wrong idea, and then be so devastated.”
Brice felt like hitting something for some reason. He should turn around and hightail it out of there, but he didn’t want to. He liked Jacob, and hell, he was flattered. The kid’s real dad was a hero. “I told you that I wouldn’t let it happen like that.”
“He’s my son, Brice. I have to protect him. This is why,” Megan said, shaking her head, flustered, “I didn’t want to date.”
“So what, you’re just going to stay single for the rest of your life?” Brice said, agitated.
“No, it’s not like that, I’ll wait… until Brice graduates.”
“Megs, that is a long time from now. Hell, you’d have to wait 12 years. Are you willing to wait that long?”
Meg looked down, then stepped out of his embrace, “Yes.”
Brice blew out a deep breath. “You mean to tell me, you are willing to give up your chance in having more children, and falling in love, just so you can watch your son graduate?”
“No, I am willing to wait for him, so he is not disappointed.”
“What the hell did his dad’s death do to you?” Brice asked. His voice rose slightly, and she flinched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
“No, it’s fine. I think you should go.”
“Megs, come on. Think about this.”
“I have done nothing but think of it, Brice. This is too hard.”
“What are you so scared of?”
“Everything.”
Brice looked into Megan’s eyes, and saw sadness, saw how scared she was, and all he wanted to do was erase it. “Honey, don’t you think I’m scared?”
“What do you have to be scared of?”
Brice tried to reign in his patience. “Listen, I told you today about my ex, Jenna. She has a son named Tyler. He is 10 now, and I was with her since he was an infant. I loved that kid, and she left me for my brother. And now, instead of the father that I wanted to be, I am the damned uncle. And get this; my brother doesn’t want me to see the kid, so we both lose out. I hate Jenna. I have never hated anyone in my entire life, but that woman, well she can suck canal water.”
Megan’s eyes widened at his declaration. “That’s ….”
“Yeah, it sucks, but that is life. I would never do that to a kid, Megs. I am good with kids, hell I am practically a kid myself. Come to my apartment, you can play my Xbox, take out all my Star Wars action figures.”
Megan smiled slightly, but Brice caught it. “I saw that.”
Megan looked down. “I know.”
“Mommy, Officer O’Reilly, is dinner ready?” Jacob asked as he came into the room. He looked from both his mother to Brice and smiled, then took his seat at the table. “You didn’t put the plates here,” Jacob said, confused.
Brice looked over at Megan and raised one eyebrow. She knew what he was asking, and it would be hard, but she couldn’t deny her son of the father figure he so desperately wanted, and she couldn’t deny herself of maybe finding the man of her dreams.
“So, how was your day, Jake?” Brice asked. The little boy’s eyes lit up, and you’d think he gave him a new puppy.
“It was awesome! Thanks so much for the coloring books.”
Brice’s cheeks reddened. Megan smiled at his embarrassment, then scooped out the scalloped potatoes and placed them on Jacob’s plate. He made a face, and then picked up
his fork. “Would you like a hamburger or a hotdog?”
“Hotdog, no bun.”
“No bun?” Brice asked. “Have you ever tried a bun?”
Megan looked over at Brice, and wanted to warn him not to go there. Meal times at Chez James was a pain in the butt—literally.
“No, but it doesn’t taste good.”
“Oh, I see,” Brice said. He picked up a hotdog bun, and placed a hotdog in it. “How about this, what if I try this hotdog, and if I can eat one bite without getting sick, you’ll try it, too?”
Jacob looked at Brice as if he were nuts. “Uh…”
“Okay, how about this… what if I let you have a ride in the police cruiser to school tomorrow?”
Megan’s eyes widened. “Brice, I don’t think…”
“Okay!” Jacob yelled. He was so excited that he grabbed the hotdog bun bag and nearly spilled the contents on the floor. Brice grinned as he watched the kid pick up his hotdog and place it on the bun.
“How about some ketchup?” Brice asked. “It’ll put hair on your arms.”
Jacob looked down at his arms, and then nodded. “Yes, please.”
Megan just watched, dumbfounded, as she took a bite of her hamburger.
“Mustard?” Brice asked.
“What will that put hair on?”
Megan nearly spit out her food.
“Um, that’ll put hair on your legs,” Brice said, laughing at the expression on Megan’s face. He wiggled his eyebrows, and Megan had to take a drink of her cola, so she wouldn’t choke.
“Awesome!” Jacob waited for the mustard and ketchup to be put on, and then looked over at Brice.
“Let’s do it together, on the count of three.”
Jacob nodded.
“One, Two, Three,” Brice said. Then Megan saw something that she had never seen in all of Jacob’s five years: he ate something different, without having to be forced, and… he liked it.
Jacob smiled, mustard stuck to his teeth. “Yum!”
“Atta boy!” Brice exclaimed, and then put his fist out for a bump. Jacob joined his, and they ate the rest of the meal with grins on their faces.
Megan knew when she had been beat, and with Brice and Jacob becoming fast friends, she knew that day had come.