“I have, and I have more.” I paused, inhaling in preparation of my best British accent, which I was almost certainly going to butcher. “‘Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.’”
“Nice try, but you can’t swoon me with Wilde, either.”
“I can butcher some Byron pretty bad if you want.”
“Your British is really terrible.”
“Well, I never claimed to be good at this, baby.”
She shook her head, the jovial moment evaporating as soon as I dropped that word. I frowned, knowing I’d screwed up.
“I told you, after Evan, it’s difficult.” She chewed on her lip. “I can’t think about this at six in the morning, Jo-Jo!”
My heart leapt when she called me by my nickname. She hadn’t used that since high school. Somehow, it gave me hope. “I don’t mean right this second,” I added, trying to save face. “After our baby comes, at the end of the year maybe. I’m not asking you to give up everything. I’m just asking you to let me take care of Zoey and our little one.” So much for avoiding the dramatic proposal, ya pussy, I thought as soon as I’d said it.
“I’ll think about it, okay?” She smiled as she said it. I knew the ‘yes’ was there, but I understood after Evan why she was hesitant.
“I’ll keep asking,” I whispered.
“I’ll keep saying no, er, maybe,” she chuckled softly. “Now shut up before you wake the baby.”
“Yes, dear.”
“I do rather like the sound of that,” she muttered as she turned away. “I rather do.”
Chapter 16
Abby Girl: if you leave again, I promise I’ll kill you myself
Jo-Jo: whoa, that’s a lot of violence for 6am, Conan the Barbarian
Abby Girl: I’m serious. My life is shit without you. So is Zoey’s. She loves you.
Jo-Jo: she does or you do?
Abby Girl: I’m not sure how to answer that
Jo-Jo: honestly is the word you’re looking for
Abby Girl: now who’s the college smart one?
Jo-Jo: I’m a simple soldier who has loved you for eight years. What do I know?
“You still haven’t told me where we are going!” I tried to shout over the open windows of Joey’s truck, breaking out of the nostalgia from remembering the text I’d sent him last week. It was a little strange we’d done a lot of our apologizing over texts between classes, but this was our world now. And every time my phone dinged with other message, I had snatched it up like a life-giving substance. Joey had my heart wrapped around his finger, and he knew it.
It was the warmest Memorial Day weekend we’d had in a long time, with temperatures well into the 80s, and we were enjoying our Monday off before the rush of finals hit us the next couple of weeks. The last few weeks had been tense—filled with court dates, where both mine and Joey’s charges had been dismissed. The judge had almost laughed at the State’s attorney who tried to argue against it, and nearly kicked him out of the courtroom in contempt.
Malachai awaited another court date, but everything pointed to not one, but three charges of kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, and breaking and entering, which would incur a sentence of thirty-five years with a plea deal, my lawyer said.
Anything was worth the heavy burden of stress being lifted from our shoulders. Even Zoey was back to her happy, normal, bubbly self; especially when Joey announced this morning we were ‘going on an adventure’. I had no idea where as we drove out of town, and I let him take the wheel, quite literally. For once, I just needed to let my control-freak self be handled by someone else.
Joey looked at me and shouted, “You’ll figure it out when we get there!” He reached into the back seat and pulled a plastic shopping bag out and shoved it at me. “This is for you and Zoey.”
Frowning at him, I dumped the nearly weightless bag into my lap. A few pieces of silky material floated out, and I touched them lightly. “Swimsuits?” I looked at him.
Eyes on the road always, I only got his side profile. A handsome one, at that. A finely trimmed beard and his hair blowing in the wind as we sped down the highway. I had been crazy to think about sending him away. Every time I looked at him, even when he didn’t think I was, my heart swelled. I was so damn lucky to have this man in my life. I tried to send him away twice, frustrated that my life would be better without him. What had I been thinking? He wasn’t going to give up on us, and that made me love him even more.
Just now, however, I felt the tip of my anger. I didn’t wear swimsuits. I hadn’t since before I had Zoey. What was he up to?
“What is this?” I yelled again.
He finally rolled up both our windows, as Zoey slept behind us. He threw me a quick look. “I thought it would be fun to the go to the Lowan.”
“Lowan?” I asked, blinking. “The swimming pool?”
“Yeah, remember the slide we used to have fun on as kids?”
“As kids, Joey,” I said.
“They added a spray park for toddlers,” he added, smiling.
“Well, this is nice for Zoey,” I said slowly, holding up the tiny one-piece baby suit with a mermaid splashed across the front, “But what is this?” As soon as I touched it, I saw it was not one, but two pieces. “Joey!”
“What?” He didn’t look at me. “Don’t you like it?”
I held it up. He’d guessed my size right, though how the heck he did that, I had no idea. Not only had he guessed my size, but it was a rather modest top and bottom as well. None of those stringy things girls were wearing now. “I’m not wearing this!”
“Why not?”
“I feel bloated and fat and pregnant,” I finished with an eye roll, even though he couldn’t see it. “You have to be kidding me.”
“You’ll look hot.”
“Everyone will see my stretch marks.”
“Good.”
“Good?” I nearly yelled at him. Exasperated, I tucked both suits back into the bag. “I’ll just roll up my shorts, I guess.”
“If you totally hate it, fine,” he said, “you can watch Zoey and I have fun from the sidelines.”
“Joey!” I bristled, gritting my teeth. “Fine, you win. But if it looks horrible, I’m sitting in the car.”
Joey laughed. “I don’t think you will.”
“And why is that?”
“Because you love Zoey too much to miss out on the fun.”
I crossed my arms. “What makes you think that?”
“One, hiking,” he said, both hands on the wheel, as he counted off on his fingers. “Two, the arcade. Three, well, this is our three, now isn’t it?”
I sighed, feeling rather petulant. “Fine, whatever. You’re right. You like hearing that, don’t you?”
He just smiled.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the parking lot of the Lowan County swimming pool, which I hadn’t visited in probably ten years or more. It was much bigger than I imagined, with half of the already small parking lot fenced off for a black-padded spray park. As we got closer, I could see the spray park filled with small children while a couple of tired parents chased after them. The Olympic-size pool was also packed with a couple dozen swimmers. The parking lot was full, and we had to park on the street.
I groaned. “It’s packed.”
“It’s a holiday,” Joey offered, getting out and gently shaking Zoey to wake her in her car seat behind him, “of course it’s packed.”
I gritted my teeth again, ripped the suits and Zoey’s diaper bag from behind my seat, and slammed the door to his truck. I stuck my chin out and marched to the dressing room with him and Zoey dashing to keep up.
“Hey! Don’t you need our daughter?” Joey was laughing as he jumped the curb with Zoey. In one swoop he handed her to me.
Our echoed in my head. I fought against biting my lip. I was still mad at him, but I loved it when he said that.
“What’s that, Mama?” Zoey interrupted my thought
s, pointing to the pool.
“It’s like a bath, you know, splash time,” I told her. With my free hand, I pulled out the suit Joey had bought her. “We have to wear one of these, though.”
“Pretty!” she exclaimed, snatching it away from me and holding it to her face. “Mermaid!”
“See, she likes it,” Joey grinned. He threw down a few dollars for the clerk on the other side of the window and saluted me. “See you on the other side.” He ducked into the men’s side of the locker room.
“Dear God,” I murmured, mostly only to Zoey. “He’s crazy.”
“Uh huh,” Zoey nodded. “He silly. Mermaid, Mama, and bath!”
I smiled and nodded. I can’t be mad at Joey, not when everything he does is to make Zoey happy, at the very least.
Zoey was easy to dress, and thankfully Joey had even thought of sunscreen. I lathered her up, knowing her pale skin would burn easily as it had in the past. I stared at my suit for a few minutes.
“Come, Mommy!” Zoey was rushing toward the exit to the pool and spray park.
“Just a second, honey!” I grabbed her and dragged her into a closed stall to change.
A small mirror above the sink next to the showers didn’t reveal much, except for my bit of chub that slightly hung over the bottom of the suit. I thought I looked horrible, but in the end, I decided screw it. I thought about the moms that chased their kids out there, and the ones on the sidelines that just sat on their phones and tablets and didn’t play with their kids. The moms with the perfectly shaped bodies built for a two-piece.
I didn’t give a damn if people stared. I was here to have fun with Zoey and the love of my life. As Zoey clung to my leg, I nearly gasped to think about Joey that way. It was hard to believe over eight weeks how much I had grown to love him. Then again, had I really ever stopped since high school? I wasn’t sure if I was ready to tell him that.
Certainly not today, when he was forcing me to show most of my body to strangers. I poked and prodded at my stomach, the stretch marks arching down on either side. They’d resurface with new vigor with this baby on the way. At least I could have this last moment before I swelled huge and struggled to walk without waddling.
I tugged Zoey’s hand, tucked our bags into a locker, and held my head up as we left the changing area.
To my surprise, no one, absolutely no one, even noticed us entering the pool area. I thought all eyes would be on me, but turns out, they were all busy with their own business. Huh. Strange how that works.
Joey was waiting for us right next to the men’s locker room exit. His eyes widened when he saw me. “Jesus, Abby, you do look hot. Hot as f—”
“There are children here,” I interrupted, punching him playfully on the arm. He laughed and tried to pretend he was hurt, but I leaned in and whispered, “But while we’re at it, so do you.”
“Thanks?” he laughed and gripped the edge of his shirt to pull it over his head.
I had to resist the urge to gasp, even though I knew exactly what was under that shirt. He had that toned upper body—not rippling abs by any means—and a slightly protruding belly that screamed his mother had cooked him too many meals since coming home. Even his arms still retained his military physique, strong and built. His black shorts showed off his lean, muscular legs; legs I knew could hike, run, and jump with ease.
That was when I noticed that everyone was staring. Not at me, the fat girl in a red and gold-trimmed two-piece swimsuit, but at him.
I stared down every single woman who glanced at him, watching as they blushed and turned hastily back to their phone or book. Back off, he’s mine, my look said. Back off they did. No one was going to stare at my man like he was a piece of meat. Not even me—Joey deserved more than that. He was a human being, complete with feelings and a heart. It seemed I’d captured both, and I wasn’t even sorry. Joey was right—we both did our waiting. It was our turn for a happy ending.
Joey, completely oblivious to the junkyard competition of women unfolding before him, turned and dived into the pool, swam effortlessly to the shallow end where we stood, and held up his hands for Zoey.
Babbling happily, she nearly jumped into Joey’s arms.
“Careful!” I shouted, though my words were lost in the chaos of other screaming children and parents in the pool. I took the stairs into the shallow end, still a little too self-conscious about my diving skills, and waded toward them.
Joey was busy fitting Zoey with a pair of water wings he’d retrieved from the edge of the pool, and her little arms waved about as he laughed, trying to get her to focus.
“It’s like trying to dress a wet noodle,” he chuckled.
“Welcome to my world,” I told him.
Once Zoey was firmly fitted with the floatation devices, Joey grabbed her little hands and swung her gently in the water. She laughed and giggled, smiling brightly. I treaded water for a bit and watched them.
A couple weeks ago, Joey had asked me to marry him. I said no right away, but now I wondered what would happen if I said yes. Would Joey be there to take Zoey to her first day of school? Help her ride a bike? My mind flipped forward in time. Watch her graduate? What about walk her down the aisle someday?
Was Joey the right man for that job?
All evidence pointed to yes. He had put his life on the line for her, more than once, and even when I tried to send him away Zoey was his main concern. I wondered if Joey was good ‘dad material’. Did Zoey even need a dad, anyway? I knew friends that grew up without one, and they turned out fine. I couldn’t imagine my life without mine—teaching me the value of being honest and dependable, encouraging me in every step of my life. When I’d married Evan, I thought he could be a dad, but he…well. I watched Joey closely, as I had for the last few weeks, with a critical eye. He loved Zoey, and he loved me. I knew this was right. The only thought that plagued me was even if things didn’t work out, even if I never married him, would he still, for all intents and purposes, be Zoey’s dad?
I chewed on my lip. Yes, floated through my mind before I could even formulate the word. Stop thinking about what might be and live in the moment. The last was my father’s head in my voice. Dad didn’t like Joey, but he didn’t like Evan, either. Of course, Dad had watched both of them break my heart. That had to be hard on any parent. I had a feeling, though, if he got to know Joey as the man he was today, he’d change his mind.
“Jump, Zoey!” Joey was yelling. I turned, so lost in my thoughts, to see them a few feet away.
Zoey was standing on the edge of the pool, her face a twist of excitement and worry.
“Joey!” I called, swimming over to them, “Stop!”
As if everything happened in slow motion, Zoey jumped from the side of the pool, her little legs not carrying her far enough from the side.
“Zoey!” I screamed.
Her head bounced against the side of the pool and I watched her slip into the water.
I swam faster toward them.
As soon as I reached Joey’s side, I saw he had scooped her up and cradled her to him. He felt the back of her head and his fingertips came away with blood. His face lost all its color as he looked at me. “Abby?”
Chapter 17
Jo-Jo: Why are you in the ER again?
Abby: Maybe sprained my ankle at volleyball practice.
Jo-Jo: You do that a lot.
Abby: What can I say? I’m clumsy.
Jo-Jo: Need me to pick you up?
Abby: Naw, my dad’s here. It’s fine.
Jo-Jo: I’m on my way anyway. I’ll bring gummy bears.
Abby: you always know how to cheer me up.
I don’t know why I thought of those messages, sometime around our sophomore or junior year. It was the year I got my license, I remembered, and I’d do anything to drive around.
Just now, however, I couldn’t drive fast enough.
Abby sat in the front seat next to me, cradling Zoey. Abby had protested to putting her in the car seat and insisted on holding her
, no matter what I said. We didn’t have time to argue—I hadn’t even had time to put a shirt on. The lifeguard had evacuated the pool almost immediately, and I had rushed into the women’s locker room to fetch Abby’s things while she and Zoey went to the truck.
“Ow,” Zoey whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “Hurts so bad, Mommy.”
We were all in our suits still, and it was a miracle we had remembered shoes. Zoey was wrapped in a towel, and the bleeding didn’t look too bad. She was conscious, so I told the lifeguard not to bother calling 9-1-1.
Abby, on the other hand, was frantic.
“Can this truck go any faster?” she screamed at me.
“I’m already doing ten over the limit!” It was hard for me to remain calm, but somehow my military training took over. “Just hold the towel to her head. She’s still alert, so it can’t be that bad.”
“Just get us there!” she yelled again.
Luckily, the county pool wasn’t too far from the hospital, and we made it in just under five minutes. Zoey was remarkably calmer than her mother, who didn’t even wait for me to get the door, but instead rushed into the sliding doors of the Emergency Room, calling for help from one of the nurses just inside.
The parking lot was blessedly empty for a holiday, but by the time I had parked in the three-story garage and rushed up to the entrance, still puling my shirt over my head, the hospital staff already had them back to an examination room. A smiling nurse looked at my dripping shorts and showed me back to one of the common areas cordoned off by blue curtains.
Abby sat on the hospital bed, holding Zoey, while a nurse in Scooby Doo scrubs gently examined the back of her head. I pulled up the only chair in the room next to them.
“Owie!” Zoey said again.
“It’s not bad,” the nurse said, holding gauze to Zoey’s head. “She might need stitches, but I don’t think there’s a fracture. We’ll have the doctor look at it, just in case.”
“Who’s on shift today?” I asked as Abby nodded, still wide eyed and panicked. I put my hand on her leg to calm her down, but though her shoulders relaxed slightly, it didn’t seem to help much.
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