by Jaxon, Lynn
“Yes!” Gage jumps up and high fives Nash. He then looks over at me, a guilty expression on his face. “Momma, is it okay if we leave you?”
“Of course, baby. I want you to go. Momma needs to rest.”
“I’s a big boy, Momma! Member, I’s starting kindergarten soon.”
“You will always be my baby, no matter how big you get. Now go. Have fun with Nash.”
When Gage runs upstairs to grab his baseball hat from his room, Nash pulls me into his arms. “I hate that you’re sick, baby. Are you sure you want me to leave? Can I bring you back anything?”
“No, sweetheart. I’m fine. As soon as you leave, I’m going to go upstairs and lie down for a little bit. I think that’ll help.”
He places a tender kiss on the top of my head. “I sure do love you, Blue Eyes. I hope you feel better soon. Call me if you need anything and we’ll rush back.”
“I love you, too. More than you'll ever know.”
As soon as the door shuts, both my men out of sight, I slump to the entryway floor and lose it right there. My life just seems to be crashing around me. Frankie is going to ruin the best thing that has ever happened to me, next to becoming a mother. Not only is he determined to break my heart, he’s going to break Gage’s, as well.
After crying what seems to be all the tears I have, I go upstairs to take a hot bath to help ease all the tension I feel inside.
I guess I drift off to sleep, because I’m startled when I feel warm lips on my forehead, a deep, tender voice saying, “Wake up, baby. The water is ice cold and you’re turning into a prune. How long have you been in there? You could’ve drowned.”
I wipe my eyes. “Shit. I guess I fell asleep. I just needed to take a hot bath. I felt so yucky after getting sick. Did you boys have a good time?”
“We had a great time. Gage had so much fun that he wore himself out. He fell asleep on the ride home.”
“What time is it?”
“Eight thirty. I hope you don’t mind, but I just took off Gage’s shoes and socks and put him in bed. He didn’t even stir.”
“I don’t mind at all. Thank you so much for doing that for me.”
“Mer, you don’t ever have to thank me. All you ever have to do is ask and I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen for you.”
“You’re too good to be true. Do you know that, Nash Brooks?”
He smiles. “Naw. I’m just a man in love.”
Nash holds out his hand to help me out of the tub, then wraps me in a towel, taking his time to make sure every inch of me is dry. He looks intently into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay and this is just a stomach bug? You really seem…out of sorts. Can I do something to help?” He leads me into my room.
I take a deep breath, not wanting to lie to him. “I got a call from Frankie this afternoon that really freaked me out. He was even more obnoxious than usual and said some disturbing things. That’s all. I guess it really got to me. Which is exactly what he wanted. I honestly don’t think I’m really sick. Just sick from having to listen to Frankie’s bullshit.”
“I really want to kick that man’s ass,” he ground out. “One day, he’ll pay for all he’s done to you.”
“I sure hope so. I’m praying Sean will find something to make him go away for good.”
Nash sits on the bed and pats the spot next to him. I throw on some panties and an oversized t-shirt, then climb into the bed. He stretches out next to me and pulls me into his strong arms.
* * *
When I wake up in the morning, Nash is gone and there is a note on the pillow next to me. I smile when I read his words.
I hope you are feeling better. I didn’t want to wake you up this
morning. You were sleeping like a baby. When you
get up, there are croissants and doughnuts in the kitchen. I love
you so much. Don’t forget that Sean will be stopping by this afternoon. I’ll be
there just as soon as I get off work. Call or text me when you get up.
Love ya!
Nash
Reading his note brings tears to my eyes. What am I going to do if Frankie destroys this for me? I won’t be able to survive living with him again, and neither will Gage.
Please, Lord, let Sean find something we can use against Frankie.
I pick up my phone and send Nash a quick text.
Good morning, handsome. I just woke up and found your sweet note. You’re too good to me. There’s nothing better than coffee and a chocolate croissant in the morning.
Good morning, Blue Eyes. I can think of one thing that is better than that ;)
Stop. You’re making me blush. Seriously, thank you! I hope you have a wonderful day. Try to keep that creepy Ms. Lange away. Maybe go buy some garlic and hang it around your neck.
HA-HA. Babe, I think that only works on vampires.
Well, she does seem a bit like a bloodsucker to me.
A bloodsucker that I’d like to stomp like a bug. There are very few people, besides Frankie, who I don’t like, and she’s close to the top of the list
I hope I made a point to her at the festival. I don’t think we have anything to be worried about. I love you, beautiful. I hope you’re feeling better and have a wonderful day.
I’ll see you this afternoon. I love you, too! Xox
As if on cue, my stomach lets out a growl. Time to head downstairs and dive into some coffee and chocolate.
When Gage wakes up and rushes downstairs, he sees the box from the local bakery and squeals in delight. “Doughnuts! I love doughnuts. When did you get these, Momma?” He throws open the box and grabs a chocolate glazed, taking a huge bite.
“Nash brought them for us before leaving for work. Wasn’t that nice of him?”
“He’s the bestest in the world!” he mumbles around his mouthful.
“He’s coming over to play with you this afternoon, so be good and go pick up your room. You don’t want him to think you’re a slob, do you?”
He groans and swallows. “Oh, Momma, all boys are slobs.”
“Well, not in my house. Now scoot.”
“Okay, Momma.” Gage jumps into my arms and gives me a sugar-filled kiss and hug.
“I love you, buddy.”
“I love you, too, Momma.”
Once Gage is upstairs, I go out on the patio and dial Katy and Amy, putting them on a three-way call. Jill is at work already, so I’ll have to fill her in on everything later.
“What’s up, sugar plum?” comes from an always bubbly Katy.
“Hey, chika. Group call. This must be important.” Amy chuckles.
“Oh, my god. You are not going to believe this!” I say in a shaky voice.
“What the hell is wrong?” they both say in unison.
“You’re not going to believe what the asshole has done now!” I all but scream into the phone. “That monster has been following me. He called and threatened to expose Nash if I don’t take him back. He needs my money and the lifestyle it affords him.”
“The fuck!” Katy screams. “I’m going to kill that SOB!”
“Get in line,” growls Amy.
“Why are you two yelling? You’re about to bust my eardrums,” I laugh. I knew talking to these two knuckleheads would make me feel better. “I need some help figuring out what I’m going to do. I’m in love with Nash.”
“Woah… What? Did you say you are in love with Nash?” Katy cuts in.
“Yes, I’m head over heels in love with that man. I know it’s crazy and really fast, but it’s like one of those romance novels we all indulge in. Insta-love is real! Frankie told me I’d better break things off with Nash before he returns from his ‘business trip’. Whatever the hell that means. Lord only knows what he is off doing. I’m sure whatever ‘business’ it is, it’s not the legal kind.”
“Let’s just hire a hitman and have him thrown into the Mississippi,” suggests Amy.
I snort. “Funny, Amy. As much as I hate the man, I could never do somethin
g like that.”
“I could,” Katy utters.
“Let’s be serious for a minute, girls. If I don’t find something on Frankie, I’ll have to break things off with Nash or he will ruin his career. He knows about the stripping. He implied he’d make sure Nash would never work with children again.”
“Isn’t today the day Sean is coming over to look at your home computer?” asks Amy.
“Yes. He’ll be here around four. At this point, he’s my only hope.”
Hearing running, I know I have to wrap this up. “I hear Gage coming. I better let you go. He can’t know any of this. I love you, girls. Thanks for being my sounding board.”
“Love you, too,” they say, then hang up.
Chapter 18
~Nash~
Holding Meredith in my arms last night felt nice, felt right. It was so hard leaving her warm bed, but at this point in our relationship, I want to make sure Gage doesn’t find me in the house late at night…or first thing in the morning. I hope Meredith feels better. Chocolate makes all women feel better, right? Well, that’s what the lady at the bakery said when she sold me the chocolate croissants.
My phone alerts me to an incoming text, and I can’t help but hope it’s Meredith. Looking at my phone, I’m disappointed when I see my brother’s name. Not that I don’t like hearing from Evan, but he’s not the person consuming all my thoughts at the moment.
Hey, bro. Can you talk?
Yeah… What’s wrong?
My phone starts vibrating with his incoming call. “Hey, man. What’s wrong?”
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s something to worry about or not, but some woman was in here last night, asking me a lot of questions about you.”
“Me?”
“It was the weirdest thing, Nash. She stayed until after the show, and when I sat at the bar to get a drink before heading home, she came up and started asking random questions, then asked if I had a brother and if he danced, too. Don’t you find that strange?”
“It’s definitely strange. What did she look like?”
“She had fake red hair and big, fake tits… Actually, I don’t remember anything else because those two are hard to get out of my head.”
“Are you fucking kidding me!” I yell.
“What the hell, Nash? What’s wrong?”
“That’s Ms. Lange, one of the teachers from school. She’s hit on me every single day since she saw me the first day teachers reported to school. She’s also been at several of the same places I’ve been outside of school. Something is off with that woman.”
“Are you serious? She sounds a bit like a stalker to me. You’d better watch out for that one. She gave me the creeps.”
“I most definitely will. She’s not going to like what happens if she keeps this shit up.”
“I just wanted to give you a heads-up. I thought it strange that some random woman would come up and ask me about my brother. Do you think she was here the night you danced?”
“I don’t recall seeing her, but then again, I only had my eyes on Meredith the entire night. I couldn’t tell you what any other woman in the place looked like. Hell, the Queen of England could’ve been in the club and I wouldn’t have noticed. Her comment the other night makes more sense now.”
“What comment?”
“I was with Meredith and Gage at the festival and she just so happened to be there. She asked Gage very intrusive and inappropriate questions. I let her know I didn’t appreciate her attitude and judgmental tone. I told her my relationship, my girlfriend, and her child were off limits to her. I also said I would speak to Ms. Bailey if it continued to be an issue. She then proceeded to tell me that I should watch who I’m threatening or I might not like the outcome.”
“Shit, Nash. I’m so sorry. If I wouldn’t have gotten sick, you never would have filled in for me. I honestly didn’t think something like this would happen. I just don’t get how she figured out it was you, not me.”
“The only thing I can think of is she waited around and saw me leave. I parked out back, taking off the mask as soon as I got to my car. My Jeep does kinda stand out.” I run a hand down my face. “I guess I should’ve thought about that. It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”
“Again, I’m really sorry, Nash. I’ll let you get back to work. I love ya, bro.”
“Love you, too.”
Shit, shit, shit! What the hell am I going to do about Ms. Lange? She could really be a pain in my ass.
Hearing a knock on my office door, I glance up, stifling a groan. Well, fuck. Speak of the devil…
I do my best to mask the anger in my voice when I address her. “What can I do for you, Ms. Lange?”
She walks in and shuts the door. “I can think of a lot of things you can do for me. Shall I list them?”
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing, shutting my office door? That is completely inappropriate.”
“Do you really want to talk about inappropriate, Mr. Brooks…or should I call you cowboy?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, I think you do. I also think Ms. Bailey would be quite interested in how you and Ms. Find met. Don’t you?”
Anger threatening to bubble over, I clench my fists to calm myself. “Again, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. As a matter of fact, I bet if I looked in your wallet, I’d find a certain piece of money with her number written on it.”
“What is it you want? Money? I’ll give you whatever you want. Just stop the harassment.”
She cackles. “Harassment? That is funny. No, I don’t want money. I want you. The way I see it, you don’t really have a choice if you want to keep your job. Not to mention, how would it look to a judge if he found out little Gage’s mom was dating a stripper? He just might decide Gage needs to spend more time with his daddy.”
“You’ve lost your ever-loving mind. I’m not a stripper. That was a one-time thing to help my brother, and no judge in his or her right mind would give Frankie Find custody of Gage.”
“Do you really want to risk that? I hear he can be one mean son of a bitch. Do you want to be responsible for what might happen to Gage if he has to go live with his daddy?”
I slowly stand. “Get out of my office, Ms. Lange. Now. I will not be threatened by the likes of you, or anyone else.” I’d never hit a woman, but damn if this bitch doesn’t make me want to…just this once.
She smirks. “I followed you outside that night. Imagine my surprise when I saw your sexy, black Jeep. At first, I thought it was just a Jeep that looked like yours, but then you pulled that mask off your face and ran your hands through your hair. There was no mistaking it. You looked mighty fine up there, Mr. Brooks. I’m sure I could persuade someone to get me footage from the security camera. I bet Ms. Bailey, maybe even the local news, would be shocked to see what you do in your off time. Think on that and get back to me. But don’t wait too long. I’m not a very patient woman.”
She turns and leaves my office. I feel absolutely sick to my stomach. What the hell am I going to do? I pick up the phone to call Meredith. I just need to hear her voice.
After a few rings, she answers. “Hello, baby. I’m so happy you called. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“Hi, beautiful. I just wanted to hear your voice. How are you feeling? Any more nausea?” I sure hope she can’t hear the anxiety and anger in my voice.
“I’m doing much better. I think the rest, TLC, and chocolate croissants did the trick. Is something wrong, Nash? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I’m fine. It’s just been a stressful day. I’m happy you’re doing better. I hated that you weren’t feeling well. I wish I could’ve spent the day with you. This day has been shit and seems to be dragging. I know it’s because I want to be there with you and Gage.”
“You sure know how to make a girl feel special. I wish you were here with
us, too. Not too much longer. It’s almost noon, so just over three hours and you can blow that joint.”
“I’m counting down the minutes. I love you. See you soon.”
“I love you, too. Bye, babe.”
What in the hell am I going to do? There is no way I’m going to do anything to mess up my relationship with Meredith. I love her too much. Maybe I should just go to Ms. Bailey and confess.
Chapter 19
~Meredith~
When the doorbell rings, I can’t answer it quickly enough. “Hi, Sean. Please, come in.” I close the door, feeling a tiny bit of relief knowing he is here and may be able to find something to help us.
He leans in and gives me a small hug. “Hi, Meredith. How are you?”
“I’m much better now that you’re here. I just pray you find something we can use.”
Gage comes flying down the stairs, yelling, “Nash, is that you?” He skids to a stop and his face drops when he sees Sean. “Who are you? You’re not Nash.”
Sean squats down and sticks out his hand. “Hi, Gage. I’m Sean. Nash is my best friend. I’m here to help your mom with her computer. But I hear that Nash will be here in just a few minutes.”
“You’re Nash’s friend? Well then, you’re my friend, too. Do you want to come play with me?”
“I’d love to, but I’m here to help your mom right now. Maybe we can play later. I hear you have some pretty cool PJ Masks toys.”
Gage’s eyes grow wide. “You know about PJ Masks? They’re my favorite!”
“They are pretty cool. Catboy is my favorite.”
“Gekko is mine. I make Nash play Romeo and Owlette. He’s so funny when he tries to talk like a girl.”
Sean looks at me and laughs. “I’ve got to see this for myself.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rings. When I open it, Nash pulls me into his arms and hugs me like he needs it to live. He places his hands on either side of my face, crushing his lips to mine. Pulling back, he runs his thumb along my bottom lip, touches his forehead to mine, and whispers, “It’s so good to have you in my arms and taste you on my lips.”