by Dana Mason
“Then give me a time, Ali. I want to see my son.”
“Come back on Monday. Jamie will be back at Mark’s for the week.”
“Fine, Monday.”
“Mark picks Jamie up at eight to take him to school, come after that,” she said.
“How about breakfast?” he offered.
“No, I don’t want to go out.”
“I’ll bring it. You don’t have to go anywhere.”
“Fine,” she agreed, hoping to shut him up and get him out of sight before Johnny showed up. “See you Monday morning—after eight.” Ali glanced over his shoulder.
He smiled and his whole demeanor had changed. “Okay, honey, see you then.” He turned away and was gone before Ali could correct him on the pet name. She scowled then closed and locked the door before setting the alarm to stay mode.
Ten minutes later the doorbell rang again, but she was much more cautious before opening it. She swung it open after seeing Johnny through the peephole and the sight of his long, lean, and chiseled body on her porch nearly stole her senses.
“Hi,” she said a little breathless.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said before stepping inside. He kicked the door closed and jerked her to him in an intense kiss that told Ali he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him. Johnny didn’t release her until Micah let out an impatient cry between them. “Hey, little man.” Johnny crooned loosening his grip on them and looking down at Micah in her arms. “Darlin,’ have you put him down at all since you’ve been home.”
“I did . . . once . . . to use the bathroom. I got a few things unpacked with one hand.”
“Give that boy to me,” Johnny said, taking him from her. He lifted Micah up and nuzzled his neck making him squirm and laugh.
Ali smiled. “I love that sound.”
“Me too . . .” he said and did it again.
“Go unpack, I’ll keep him busy.”
“Come with me. I want to hear how the doctor’s appointment went,” she said, bouncing up the stairs.
“I’ll be right up.” He looked toward the family room. “I’m gonna say hi to Jamie first.”
Ali ran upstairs and continued to sort the laundry, happy that she could use both hands. She smiled, knowing it was her own fault for not wanting to put Micah down.
Johnny came into her bedroom a few minutes later. “That boy Jamie has a one track mind when it comes to his video games.”
“I know, and it doesn’t help that I won’t let him play outside yet.—At least not out front and he can’t ride his bike in the backyard.”
“Are you ready for me to move the crib back yet?” he asked as he laid Micah in it with a set of plastic toy keys.
She tossed a dirty sock on the pile of white clothes on the floor. “Ah . . . no, I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll take care of it for you.”
“Am I being too paranoid?” she asked. “Not letting Jamie play outside and keeping the crib by my bed.”
“Nope, not by my book. I didn’t think you wanted the crib moved. I just thought I’d offer so you didn’t think you had to do it yourself.” He sat on her bed and leaned back on one elbow.
“I can do it myself . . .” She glanced up at him then had to look away knowing she couldn’t be annoyed with him when he looked so damn sexy on her bed. First Mark—now Johnny. Why couldn’t they believe she could do things on her own? “I am capable.”
“I know that,” he said. “I don’t doubt your ability, sweetheart.”
“Good, because I’ll be fine without you here tonight,” she said quickly.
“I know that too.”
“I don’t want you to worry,” she said.
“Well . . . you can want in one hand-and spit in the other and see which one fills up faster.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“It means—just because you don’t want me to worry doesn’t mean I won’t.”
She grabbed another stack of dirty clothes, and started tossing them in piles on the floor. “I bet you’ll be happy to be home. You haven’t been there in two weeks.”
“I don’t mind either way,” he said. “I reckon since I’ve spent more time here than there, it don’t feel much like home to me anyway.”
She stopped with a pair of jeans in her hand. “Are you trying to make me feel guilty?”
“No, sweetheart, that’s called honesty. You’re managing to feel guilty all by yourself,” he drawled.
“I don’t feel guilty . . .” But he was right, she felt guilty and it was her own doing. She softened at the caring look on his face. “I thought you understood.”
“I do understand, which is why I haven’t complained. You seemed to be the one who’s having separation issues.” He gave her a wide smile in response to her exasperated look.
“It’s nice to know you’re not going to miss me,” she muttered under her breath.
“Why are you trying to pick a fight with me?”
“I am not trying to pick a fight.” She lifted up from the laundry pile with her hands on her hips.
“C’mere, darlin,’” he said, nodding his head back.
She looked away. “Can’t . . .”
“Why?”
“Because you and that bed only mean trouble,” she said.
Johnny stood up and ambled over to her, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer. He stared into her eyes for a full minute before whispering, “I am going miss you.”
He snaked his arms around her and locked them; holding her so close she could hardly breathe. Slowly he withdrew and locked eyes with her, leaning her back and pinning her against the wall. “And I don’t need a bed to make trouble.”
Being alone with him, his lips devouring hers was more than she could handle with Jamie in the house. Another minute and she was going to lock the bedroom door and forget why she hadn’t asked him to move in.
“Johnny . . .” she breathed, unclenching her hands from his as he withdrew from the kiss. Their eyes met and she could’ve cried. “I already miss you . . .”
“I know . . . it’s been an awfully long week hasn’t it?” He moved his hands down to cup her hips. “And you can stop feeling bad. I do understand, Ali.”
“I’m sorry.” She dropped her head to his chest. “I guess it’s easier to be mad than sad.”
“Let’s make a date.”
She popped her head back up and smiled. “Okay, when and where.”
“Monday, after Jamie goes back to Mark’s.”
“Okay . . .” Right, she had almost forgotten about Carl. “So . . . Monday night?” she asked.
“How about you and Micah come over to my house Monday afternoon? I’ll make you whatever you want for dinner—and you both can spend the night with me.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Johnny kissed her again, but pulled away when little footsteps drifted up the stairs. He walked backward and sat back down on the bed watching her with a seductive smile. She tried to wipe the grin from her face, but couldn’t so she went back to the laundry and tried to ignore him. “This doesn’t mean I have to wait until Monday afternoon to see you again, does it?” Johnny asked.
“No . . . oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “I was thinking you could come over and watch a movie with us tomorrow night.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said, coming into the room. “Do you like Transformers, Johnny?”
“You like Transformers too? It’s one of my favorites,” Johnny said.
“Right on—Mom, can we watch it?”
She sighed and shot Johnny a thankful smile over Jamie’s head, then said, “Okay . . . I guess we’re watching Transformers . . . again. What am I going to do with all you boys?”
“I guess you’re gonna have to have a girl next time,” Johnny said with a wink.
“Haaaaaha . . . yeah.” she said. “Cause I need another kid.”
“Well, I’m already getting a sister at dad’s house, so that�
�s okay, Mom.”
She gave him a crooked smile. “Thanks for letting me off the hook, Jay.”
Jamie bounced on the bed next to Johnny. “Can I have dinner now?”
“Sure . . .” Ali said. “What do you want?”
“Pizza,” Johnny said.
“Yeah, can we have pizza, Mom?”
“Thank you.” She mouthed sarcastically to Johnny as he chuckled at her.
“Fine . . . go get my phone and I’ll order it.”
“Cool,” Jamie said, before rushing out of the room.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“You’re late,” Ali said as she opened the door for Carl at ten o’clock on Monday morning.
“Sorry, I had trouble getting out of the office this morning.”
“You need to be consistent if this is going to work.”
“I’m sorry—I brought breakfast.”
“You mean brunch.”
“Whatever you want to call it.” He shrugged. “Cinnamon rolls and a large vanilla latte’ with whip cream.”
“You brought me a Vanilla Latte—that’s a bribe—what do you want?”
A wide grin broke out on his face. “Not a bribe, it’s an apology for being late.”
“Forgiven. Where’s my latte’?”
“Here is yours,” he said, handing her the cup. “I brought regular coffee for Johnny. I didn’t know what he likes.”
Ali nearly choked on her first sip. “He’s not here. Did you think he would be?”
“Yes, well I thought he would want to supervise this since he’s so controlling.”
“He isn’t controlling. He just doesn’t like you and he is protective, especially of Micah.”
“It’s good that he wants to protect Micah but Micah doesn’t need to be protected from his father.”
“Johnny is more Micah’s father than you are.”
He grimaced. “Don’t say that, Alison. I’m trying to make this up to you. I didn’t want to hurt you and you can’t judge how much I care for Micah.”
“I have four empty months proving you don’t care about Micah, Carl,” she said. “And this isn’t about me or hurting me or how you can make this up to me—this is only about Micah.”
“Of course this is about making it up to you. I ignored you all those months you were pregnant, and I know that hurt you. I wasn’t there when you needed me most.”
“I’m with Johnny now, so you can’t—nor do I want you to even try making things up to me.”
“I don’t want you to always feel bad when you think of me . . . I need your forgiveness, Ali.”
“Is that why you’re here? Trying to clear your conscience. You’re feeling bad for what you did to me—to Sarah and Mark? Because I thought you came for Micah?”
“All of those things . . .”
She tilted her head. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Okay, because”—she looked at her watch—“you’ve been here for ten minutes and you haven’t even looked in Micah’s direction yet.” He was such a contrast to Johnny. Johnny couldn’t wait ten seconds to say hi to Micah when he came through the door—much less ten minutes.
“I haven’t had the chance,” he stammered looking around for Micah.
“Right . . .” she said, adding an eye roll.
“Maybe I should go. I can’t deal with this hostility from you.”
“I thought you wanted to see Micah?”
“I do but . . .” He gave her a grave look. “Maybe unsupervised would be better.”
She shook her head, pressing her lips together before saying. “Nope, forget it. Now, supervised, or never.”
“Are you going to be like this every week?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t tell you how I’ll feel next week. This week I still hate you for what you did.”
“I guess I deserve that.” He turned to walk toward Micah, staring at him in the baby swing. “He’s a cute little baby isn’t he?”
Ali looked from Carl to Micah and her heart softened just enough. Carl was right, Micah was a beautiful baby. “He is irresistible.”
“We made him together,” Carl said thoughtfully.
“Yes.” Heat flooded her cheeks and the good feeling she’d just had disappeared. “ . . . and that was the very last time you touched me.”
“I’m an idiot.” He looked into her eyes. “I must have really hurt you when I did that.”
“You did.”
“I’m sorry . . . if I could take it back.”
She shook her head at that and changed the subject. “Do you want to hold him?”
“Sure . . .” He looked around rubbing his palms on his kakis. She wanted to laugh. Was he looking for an escape route?
“This would be the perfect time to learn how to hold him,” she said.
“I ah . . . I don’t know, Ali.”
He doesn’t have teeth, Carl, he won’t bite—although.” She chuckled. “He does pull hair, but you should be safe.”
When Carl crossed then uncrossed his arms she said, “Sit down. You’ll feel more secure that way.” Chuckling, she took Micah from the swing and said, “Hey, sweetpea.” She turned back to Carl and he looked like he was about to pass out. She leaned in and met his eyes, only a few inches from his face. “If you feel nervous Micah will sense it and get upset.”
He took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m calm.”
“Sure you are.” She mocked laying Micah in his lap and showing him the correct way to hold him.
“Hey there, Micah,” Carl said. Micah stared at him, and Ali thought he looked a little confused. “I’m your daddy, Micah.”
Carl finally wanted to be a father. How many times had she prayed he would soften to the baby while she was pregnant? But when Micah was born he wouldn’t hold him—wouldn’t be in the delivery room while she gave birth. As Ali watched them, she had to fight back the lump in her throat. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to punch Carl in the face or be happy about this.
She swallowed the lump and forced herself back into ice queen mode. “It takes more than this to be a daddy.”
“I’m trying, Ali. You know if Micah can feel my nervousness then he can feel your hostility.”
“Just maybe Micah has his own hostility toward you.” She shook her head and threw her hands out in frustration. “Why now? Why couldn’t you want to be a father months ago? Why not while I was pregnant? I needed a husband during my pregnancy. I’ve needed help these past few months while I was caring for Micah alone.”
“I can’t change the past. I’m just trying to make this work now.”
She snatched the baby from his arms. “Well it’s not working. Loving your child should come naturally. You shouldn’t have to work at it.”
Carl dropped his hands in his lap and stood. “I’ll try again next week, maybe you’ll be in a better mood.”
“No, I don’t think so,” she said, looking down at Micah.
“What do you mean by ‘don’t think so’” He stepped closer to her. “I’m not playing games with you, Alison. I will take what’s mine.”
“Nothing and nobody here is yours, Carl. Not me and certainly not Micah.”
Carl reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her closer.
“Ouch!” She squirmed and tried to pull away. “What are you doing?”
Carl squeezed her arm a little tighter and jerked again, bringing them face to face. “When did you become so fucking unreasonable? I have as much—no—more of a right to be here than that country fuck you’re sleeping with.” The words were hissed through his clenched teeth and his eyes bulged maddeningly. Ali had never seen him like this. Her pulse spiked as she tugged, fighting to get away from him, but he was too strong.
She clamped her hand around Micah, making sure he was secure, and then lifted her knee until it came in contact with his groin. He released her, cursing and sputtering as he bent over to grab himself. Ali backed away from him. “Get out of my house.” Her heart pounded so h
ard it took her breath away. “Get out!” She shrieked.
Carl’s face scrunched in anger, his nostrils flaring out as he huffed at her. “We’re not finished with this conversation, Alison.”
Ali quickly placed Micah in his swing, her hands shaking as she latched the belt. She straightened and stood between the swing and Carl, ready to go to blows if needed. “The hell we’re not.” She pointed to the front door and said, “Get out and stay the hell away from me and my children.”
Carl looked from her to the swing, his eyes bulging. She couldn’t believe him, never in the years she’d known him had he ever done anything like this. He wasn’t a violent person.
She stared him down, not backing away or giving in at all.
He finally turned and stalked from the room, slamming the front door as he left.
Ali rushed over and locked the door then pressed the stay button, holding it down until the alarm system was armed.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ali spent the rest of the day packing a bag for her and Micah to spend the night with Johnny, making a point to pull out the portable crib. She couldn’t get her mind off Carl. What had gotten into him? He had always been so mild mannered. So relaxed and cool, hardly ever having his feathers ruffled. Was he really that worried about losing his rights to Micah. He must have really developed feelings for his son . . . finally.
Just as she zipped up the diaper bag, the doorbell rang. She punched in the code and opened the door for Johnny.
“Hey, sunshine.”
“Hi.”
He pulled her close and held her for several minutes. “I missed you last night.”
“I missed you too,” she said, tugging on the neck of his shirt so she could feel his bare skin on her cheek. She nuzzled closer and closed her eyes for a few seconds to enjoy him.
“Where’s my little man?” he said, pulling out of the embrace and going to pick up Micah.
“Hey there, Micah,” he said, swinging him around making him smile. “So you’re hangin’ out at my pad tonight, huh.” He looked at Ali, “Did you get that little crib?”
“Yeah, right here.” She smiled. “So what did you end up getting at the store?”