by Wade, Maddie
He found it and sent a text to Decker to say he had it and he’d meet him back at Willow’s in two hours. He put the bed back how it was and left the box. It was safe here for now and he knew he could always come back to it when he wanted. That was what home was, always knowing you had a place with beautiful memories and love.
Chapter 18
“You’re in a particularly good mood today.” Willow grinned at Aiden as he lifted her feet from the floor of the kitchen chair she sat on and began to do delicious things to the soles with his hands. The man was a complete god with his hands and his mouth but right now it was the relaxed look of happiness without the shadow of sadness on his face she was focused on.
Aiden looked up at her through his sexy lashes, the quirk of his square jaw making her want to wrestle him to the ground and climb him like a tree. He was effortlessly sexy in a way that he had no idea he was, which doubled his quota of sexy.
“I am. We get to watch AJ play baseball with his little league and then I get to take my favourite girl out for dinner.”
Willow loved how much he liked being with AJ. She still hadn’t figured out a way to tell him but maybe she would that night when AJ was at his grandparents for the night. Since Aiden had found the letter from Aaron, he’d been different. As if he’d been given permission to live and love and she was seeing the old Aiden again.
“Are you sure Decker is okay staying over there and watching the house?”
“Yes of course. The added security measures would be enough, but Decker doesn’t mind.”
“He doesn’t seem very relaxed with kids. I noticed he’s pleasant but avoids them when possible. Does he not like them?”
Aiden cocked his head. “I don’t think it’s that, maybe he just can’t relate to them.”
Willow decided to let it go. Some people didn’t feel comfortable around kids and that was okay. She finished her coffee as Aiden rounded up AJ and enjoyed the moments of partnership she felt having someone in her corner to help with AJ.
“Got your cap, buddy?” she asked as AJ came racing through the kitchen from his room, Aiden strolling behind him.
“Yep.”
Willow looked at Aiden who was grinning over the top of his head. “Then let’s get going.”
The ride to the field was short and uneventful. Aiden was still on guard, but he was relaxed.
He caught her watching him and laughed. “What?”
“Nothing. You just seem, happy, relaxed.”
Aiden took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’m definitely the first and knowing we have people we trust at our backs makes the second moderately true. I’m excited for this game. I can’t wait to see him play.”
Willow hoped he wasn’t disappointed, this was only a little league game after all, but she loved watching her son play and grow in confidence.
Aiden parked and as they walked to the field, slid his hand into hers while AJ ran ahead to see his friends. She could feel the looks from the other moms on her and felt proud the man they were devouring with their eyes was hers.
Play began and she stood on the sideline, excitement in her blood, feeling not so alone as Aiden cheered as loud as she did when it was AJ’s turn to bat. He swung and hit the ball as hard as he could, and she and Aiden were jumping and screaming encouragement like any other parents.
The thought brought her up short and she stopped to look at the man she loved and had kept the truth from. He deserved better than this. He needed the truth and then decide if he could forgive her for keeping secrets.
The rest of the game was a little more sombre for her but Aiden more than made up for it with his effusive excitement and AJ talked nine to the dozen about every single swing or run. They were just leaving the field when a woman she barely knew walked over to them. Willow didn’t know her well, but she knew her well enough to cringe.
With blonde hair, massive boobs, and fish lips, she was obviously hunting for husband number two in the skin-tight mini dress and ridiculously high sandals.
“Willow, yoo-hoo.”
Willow stopped and pasted a fake smile on her face as she turned. “Hi, Marlene.”
Her little shit of a son was picking his nose and wiping it on his shorts and Willow cringed.
“Little Bobby and I haven’t seen you around for a while. Is everything okay?”
That was code for spill your secrets and where did you find this hunk. Marlene had barely even looked at her as she spoke. Her eyes were stripping Aiden naked and rifling through his wallet for his bank balance, she wouldn’t mind betting.
“Yes, everything is fine, just took a little vacation. This is Aiden, my…”
“I’m her boyfriend,” Aiden said as he shook Marlene’s hand and slid an arm around Willow’s hip. Marlene preened and batted her eyelashes at him, and Willow felt warm at the feel of his hands on her through the flimsy fabric of the dress she wore. “Nice to meet you Ma’am.”
“Oh, please call me Marlene.” Marlene angled closer so her enormous breast was brushing against Aiden’s arm and turned to Willow. “Wherever did you find this hunk?”
Willow mentally rolled her eyes. “Oh, I bought him off hunks dot com. Do you know it?”
Willow heard Aiden smother his chuckle with a cough beside her.
Marlene eyed her before shaking her head as if she couldn’t figure out if Willow was making fun of her or not. “No, I haven’t.”
“It’s great. You should take a look, and you should see the British ones they had too.”
“Yes, I will. Will we see you next week?”
“Hopefully, yes.”
Marlene rushed off and Aiden raised a brow. “Hunks dot com?”
“What? You could totally be on that site.” Aiden chuckled and slung an arm around her shoulders as he led them back to the car. “Want ice cream, kiddo?”
“Yes!”
“That okay with you, Mom?”
“As if I’m going to say no to ice cream?”
They spent the afternoon eating ice cream and hanging out. Aiden made a couple of calls and then offered to drop AJ at his grandparents’ house while she got ready. Saying goodbye to her son for the night was hard but the thought of what she had to tell Aiden was worse.
After her shower, she blow-dried her hair, used a curling iron to give her some waves and then slicked on some make up, heavy on the eyes but light on the lip gloss. He was taking her to the new French place that had opened after she’d told him about it last week.
Sliding the coral-coloured V-neck sleeveless dress over her head, she surveyed herself in the mirror as she slipped her feet into heeled sandals with tiny fake diamantes on them. She looked good and the nerves in her belly this time were for how she knew Aiden would look at her when he saw her.
He had gotten ready before dropping off AJ and looked devastatingly handsome in dark charcoal trousers, and a black shirt with no tie. It took all her control not to throw herself at him when he walked back into her small house and looked at her like she was the air he needed to breathe. His eyes went heavy lidded, the blue a stormy colour that made her shiver with need. He moved toward her and took her hand, spinning her so he could take it all in.
Willow gave a nervous laugh. “You like?”
Suddenly she was in his arms and his lips were against her ear. It was hard to think or breathe when she felt like this. Aiden consumed all of her senses, so she was just mindless mush. “I fucking love. You look good enough to eat.”
Willow felt heat pool in her belly, and her heart hitch a beat at the gravelly words.
“It is literally taking every ounce of control I have not to take you right now, but I want to show you off. Show the world what a lucky son of a bitch I am to have you on my arm, and by my side.”
“I’m the lucky one, Aide.”
He dropped a kiss on her neck, it was light and innocent, but it affected her, made her want this forever. She loved him so much and the last few weeks had been like a dream. Having him by her side,
working together and knowing if she fell, he’d be there, as she was there for him too. She needed to get this weight off her shoulders now.
“Before we go, can we talk a minute? There’s something I want to tell you.”
Her tone must have alerted him that this was serious because he pulled back and cocked his head in question.
Willow stepped away, needing the distance to clear her head and form her thoughts before she ploughed ahead. She was wringing her hands as she sat on the edge of the chair and watched Aiden sit on the couch, his body relaxed. “I’m just gonna come out and say this because there is no easy way. AJ wasn’t born two weeks late like everyone thinks. He was born three weeks early, the doctor measured him, and the dates suggest he’s your son, not Aaron’s.”
Willow saw the split second her words truly registered and the myriad of emotions that passed over his face—from joy to grief to anger.
He stood quickly and began to pace the small space before he pinned her with an intense look full of anger and accusation. “What the fuck, Willow? Why the hell didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I could never find the right time.”
“Bullshit! You should’ve just come out and told me.”
“I wasn’t even sure if he was yours and I still don’t know one hundred percent.”
“We used a condom!”
“So did Aaron and I.”
She saw the wince on his face as she talked about having sex with his brother and felt sick from the pain, she was causing him.
“Does anyone else know?”
“No, except Decker. For some reason he guessed. God knows how.”
He paced some more working himself up into a frenzy with every step, running his hands through his hair until it was a ragged sexy mess. “Jesus fucking Christ, Willow. Would you have ever told me if this hadn’t happened?”
Her lip wobbled as tears fell down her cheeks unchecked. “I don’t know!”
She wanted to be as honest with him as she could, and she really didn’t know if she’d have told him the truth or at least the possibility of the truth.
“So, you would’ve kept my son from me?” Willow stayed silent knowing whatever she said would make this worse if that were possible. “How am I supposed to react to this, Willow? You lied by omission and hid the truth from me. Me!” He hit his chest with his finger. “We were always friends and you kept this from me.”
Willow didn’t want to make this worse, but she was getting angry now too. He hadn’t exactly been a pillar of support or perfection either. “You didn’t exactly give me the opportunity, Aiden. You ran. From me, from your parents, and the only time I saw you was when you were drunk and wanted to fuck away your pain.”
His eyes cut to her and the fury in them made her blood turn to ice. She was losing him, and she had nobody to blame but herself, but she wouldn’t be a doormat for any man. Even one she loved as much as Aiden Wagner.
“You were never just a fuck to me, Willow. You had my heart from the day I met you and every day since. Instead, I’ve missed out on five years of my son’s life because of you.”
“Aiden, please.” She stood and reached for him, but he pulled away.
“I need some time to think. Bebe can watch you while I get some air. I’ll stay with my parents tonight.”
“Aiden.” Willow was openly crying now as she chased him, but he pulled out of her grasp and closed the door behind him with finality.
Willow sank back against the door and pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed. Letting all her grief and pain and fear out until she was wrecked.
A knock on the door had her jumping to answer it hoping it was Aiden coming back to say he forgave her, but it was Bebe.
“Hey, Willow, Aiden asked me to check on you. What the hell is going on?”
Bebe pushed her way inside and Willow burst into tears. She felt the woman’s arms around her as she led her to the sofa and sat them down.
“Now, tell aunty Bebe all about it.”
Willow blew her nose and let out a little giggle, then she explained everything to her new friend, not leaving out any details. She told her everything from the moment she’d met Aaron and Aiden up until that day.
“Wow, that needs to be on a soap opera. Seriously though, give him some time. It’s a lot to process. He’ll come around, I’m sure of it.”
At those words, all hell broke loose as the back door exploded and armed men ran into the house. Willow screamed as Bebe fought them, and as a man went to shoot Bebe, a voice she knew stopped him.
“No, leave her alive. She’s a pretty one and feisty too. There’s a definite market for that.”
Willow looked up in shock. “You!”
Then a fist came toward her and there was nothing but pain before blessed unconsciousness took her.
Chapter 19
Waggs was sitting in a bar nursing a Tequila he’d yet to touch when Decker sat next to him. He barely glanced at him, not able to form words to how he felt. He’d walked here because it was the closest place that sold alcohol. It was a shithole, but it had what he needed and that wasn’t to talk. “I don’t need a shrink, Deck.”
Decker held up his hand and the bartender brought him a beer. “What about a friend?”
Waggs threw back the Tequila and savoured the burn as it bit at the back of his throat. Slamming the glass back down he indicated the barman to bring him another. When it appeared in front of him, he twirled the glass as his mind went over the bombshell Willow had dropped on him.
Never in all these years had he considered that AJ could be his and he didn’t know how to feel about it. Part of him was ecstatic about the prospect of such an amazing child being his but then other parts wanted him to be Aaron’s, so he had that part of his brother still. Then there was anger at Willow for keeping it a secret from him. How could she do that to him?
“Ten years ago, I was living in New York doing my dream job and married to the woman I’d loved since high school.”
Waggs turned to look at Decker with surprise. Decker had never mentioned being married and never talked about himself.
Decker’s hand shook as he grabbed Waggs’ Tequila and downed it. “We had a son, Milo, who was three years old, and Susan was expecting our daughter. I was working long hours and one day she was taking Milo to kindergarten because I’d been called into work when her car was hit by a truck and they were all killed.”
Waggs was shaken by Decker’s revelation. “Jesus man, I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not telling you this to make you feel sorry for me and I’d prefer it if you never repeated it to anyone else. I don’t want to talk about it, and I don’t want sympathy. The only reason I’m telling you is because I want you to see that no matter what Willow did, this is a blessing.”
He looked at Waggs and it was hard to look away from so much pain reflected in his friend’s eyes. “She lied to me.”
“Yes, she did but not out of malice. You have to admit it couldn’t have been easy for her to tell you when you were in the state you were. I’ve watched you these last few weeks and she loves you, really loves you.”
“I love her, too.”
“Then work it out. Yes, this is a big thing to have kept from you, but you need to be honest here, Waggs. Deep down you must’ve known the timing made it possible. You’re a medic, for fucks sake. You know how this works.”
Had he known deep down that AJ could be his and not acknowledged it? He wanted to say no but perhaps a tiny part had, and he didn’t want to admit it.
“I slept with Willow every time I came home. I’d turn up drunk after going to the cemetery and then go to her house to see AJ and take her to bed. I was always gone before she woke up.”
“Answer me this. Would you have told you given the circumstances?”
Waggs considered it for a second and shook his head. “Probably not.”
“She was protecting AJ and herself, and maybe even you. This isn’t like a usual situation and you ne
ed to think long and hard before you close any doors.”
“I can’t walk away from her. I love her so much it hurts and being with her these last few weeks, I feel like I can see in colour again. I did everything to move on, dated every single woman in Kentucky, but I knew, so I gave up. I was never going to replace her in here.” He tapped his chest where his heart beat.
“Then tell her and don’t make her suffer.”
“Bebe is with her. They’re probably doing a character assassination on me right now.” Waggs smiled knowing Bebe would have Willow’s back and wanting that for her. She’d been alone for too long, and whatever the outcome of AJ’s parentage, it didn’t change how he felt about Willow or him. They needed to talk properly, and he needed to apologise to her for being such a dick.
“Wanna grab some wings?”
Waggs nodded at Decker, knowing Willow needed time and he still needed to figure out how he felt about AJ being his son and not Aaron’s. “Sure.” Waggs saw Liam heading across the bar to them with a frown. “Everything okay?”
“Not sure, there was a lot of extra security at the yard today. I reckon whatever is going down is happening tonight, but they headed out just before I did, so I figured I had time for food.”
Waggs felt his blood begin to heat at the thought this could be over soon. “You think the shipment is tonight?”
“Yeah, my gut says so.”
Decker ordered the wings then turned to Waggs. “Will still have his drone up, watching?”
“Yes, Laverne is watching the feed.”
“I should be doing that, not her. This is my responsibility.” Waggs was glad for the help but he shouldn’t be in a bar getting drunk while others did his job for him. He got up to go and threw the rest of his beer back. “I’m heading out. This doesn’t feel right.”
“Fuck’s sake.” Liam got up and followed, as did Decker. “We need to go via a drive through.”
