by AJ Alexander
Chapter Twenty-One
Tyler
Beep
Beep
Beep
I pry my eyes open and look around the room. The constant beeping fills my ears as memories of what happened fill my mind. I was putting the backup engine through its paces just as I heard a loud noise before the car started pulling to the right, toward the inner green. I over corrected and sent the car into a spin. Once I hit the grass, I lost complete control, and the car began to tumble.
I try to turn my head to the left, but a blinding pain shoots through my head. I definitely have a concussion. I lift my arm and notice a needle and a few tubes hanging from the top of my hand. Another car accident landed me in the hospital. At least this time I didn’t almost kill another person.
“Looks like someone is awake,” a soft voice comes from my right.
“What’s the damage?” I hear a few pages turn before the person answers.
“You have a severe concussion and a transverse fracture of your tibia that required surgery to repair.”
“When can I blow this popsicle stand then?” Hospitals still hold nothing but bad memories, but at least this time I’m not wanting to claw my eyes out from the pain. “I have a date with my girl.”
“Your girl is right here and has no plans of going anywhere until you are released.” Ignoring the pain, I turn and see Lucy’s smiling face as she leans against the hospital room door, her phone in her hand. She takes a few steps closer before turning the phone screen in my direction.
“Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” Colt screams as he buries his face into someone’s chest.
“Hey, little man. I’m alright, your momma is taking good care of me. Just mind your manners and I’ll be back to playing with you in no time.”
There is some shuffling on the screen before Colton’s face fills the screen. “Glad to hear your voice, buddy.”
“Glad to be heard,” I groan as I try to turn my head slightly. “I’ll be out of here in no time. It was the damn axle linkage. Have the boys…”
Colton cuts me off, “Just focus on getting better. I pay people to diagnose problems. Tell Lucy we said bye, and she doesn’t have to worry about Colt. We have it covered.”
“Will do,” I respond before the screen goes black, signaling the end of the video call. Lucy pockets her phone before taking a seat in a chair off to the side of my bed.
“I’m all finished here. Just hit the call button if you need anything.” The nurse gives Lucy a smile before heading out of the room. We sit there in silence for a few moments, neither one of us knowing what to say.
Wanting desperately to break the silence, I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “I could get used to Colt calling me daddy on a regular basis.”
“You should,” Lucy whispers before leaning forward and grasping my hand in hers.
“What do you…” I begin unable to process completely what she’s saying to me.
“Shut up and don’t say a word until I finish.” She gives my hand another squeeze before continuing. “I could have never imagined that after all this time you still loved me. That you were staying away because you needed to get better, not because there was something missing in your life.”
She raises our joined hands to her face, nuzzling her cheek into them. “About a month after you left, I started feeling sick. Throwing up everything I ate and no matter what I did, I wouldn’t get better. It wasn’t until Tawny pulled her stunt after Colton’s accident, I realized I might be pregnant.
“I decided to take a test that very night, and that was the last time I saw my supposed best friend.” Tears fill her eyes as she continues. “I had no one and no idea where you were or if you were coming back. I was alone and had no family to turn to, so I went to see the only person I knew would have an idea of where you were.”
“Colton,” I respond barely above a whisper before grinding my teeth together. Lucy nods her head.
“Yes, but I ran into Rylee instead. She knew Tawny and I were friends, but she listened to me cry about not knowing where you were or what I would do. She told me that I had two choices, to have my baby or not.
“She said that she and Colton would help me in any way that they could, but it had to be my choice. That choice was a no brainer. I knew I wanted to keep a little piece of the love we shared. There was no way I would lose the one piece of you I had left.”
“Why didn’t he tell me? I would have come right home to you if I would have known,” I plead with her, trying to understand why my son spent the last three years of his life without me.
“I was angry, Tyler. Angry that you left me with nothing but a voicemail but as time went on, I was angry you didn’t try to come home. I made Rylee and Colton promise if they spoke to you not to tell you about Colt. If you came home, I wanted it to be because you loved me, not because we had a child together.”
Tears fill my eyes as I stare at Lucy. The strongest and most beautiful woman I have ever had the honor of knowing. Emotions continue to bubble to the surface as I contemplate how much love I have for her and our little boy. Our little boy, Colt, who wormed his way into my heart as if he belonged there, because he does.
“Marry me,” I blurt out, unable to stop myself. Lucy stares at me in shock before releasing my hand, but I grip hers tightly. “Don’t shut me out, Lu. I’ve loved you longer than I can imagine, and I love that little boy who I wished was mine. Let’s become a family, the one we always dreamed of having.”
“No.”
“No, never, or just not right now?” I question, hoping I can still read my girl.
“Not right now. We have a lot of things to discuss before we can get married. We need to get to know each other again.”
“I love you, Lu. I’ll wait until the end of eternity for you to be ready to marry me as long as you say you will be mine forever.”
“Forever is a really long time to want to be with the same person.”
“Not to me. Forever isn’t nearly long enough.” Lucy gives me a bright smile before leaning over and placing a kiss on my lips. “You can do better than that, baby.”
I smile against her lips before threading my fingers into her hair and pulling her lips tightly against mine.
Epilogue
Lucy
Two Years later
“Happy birthday, Colt.” I give him a big hug before placing him back on his feet and he takes off toward his friends.
“Our little boy is all grown up,” Tyler says from beside me as he grabs the half empty tray of burgers and hot dogs off the table. Colt’s party is starting to wind down, only family is left.
Today is Colt’s fifth birthday party. Spider-Man decorations cover our entire backyard and the treehouse we had built for him all those years ago. Luckily, his obsession with race cars has toned down some, but his favorite thing to do nowadays is work on cars with his dad.
Colton and Rylee are snuggled into the corner together, whispering to each other. A little birdy told me they will be getting engaged soon, and it’s about damn time. Tyler still works for CD Enterprises, cranking on engines is in his blood.
Who could have imagined how much my life would change in a matter of years. Tyler and I have been inseparable since the accident two years ago. We have had our difficulties, but we remain more in love than ever.
He is still dead set on us getting married, but there was no rush. That was before I saw those two pink lines this morning. Now more than ever, I want to make our family official.
“Can I get everyone’s attention?” Tyler’s voice raises over the few people we have left at the party. “Colt can you come over here, buddy?” My eyes tear up as I remember the conversation Tyler and I had about what to give Colt for his birthday.
We decided all those years ago that we would petition the State to put Tyler’s name on Colt’s birth certificate. We didn’t want to just come out and tell Colt that Tyler was his father because we were afraid it would confuse him and possibly lead to questions we didn’t wan
t to answer for him.
Instead we got him a new birth certificate and requested a name change, which came in the mail a few days ago. Colt is now officially Tyler’s son, even though we all knew it was true.
Tyler kneels down and motions for Colt to have a seat on his knee, handing him an envelope. “Happy birthday, buddy. This is a special present from me to you.”
Colt pulls the card out of the envelope and reads the words aloud. “Colton Thomas Davenport.” Everyone gasps in shock as the tears flow freely down my cheeks. “But that’s not my name,” Colt questions as he looks between Tyler and me.
Taking that as my cue, I head over to the two men in my life and rest my hand on both their shoulders. “What that means is Tyler is now your dad. You and him will have the same last name so everyone knows you belong to him as he belongs to you.”
“What about you, momma?” Colt asks as everyone begins to giggle. This isn’t the question I expected him to ask. “When will you have Daddy’s last name?”
“When she says yes,” Tyler responds as he turns in my direction holding a small ring between his fingers. “I love both of you with all of my heart and would be honored to have both of you share my name.”
“Yes,” I whisper as I sink to my knees and wrap both of my boys in a hug. “But what would complete this family would be a little girl.” Tyler’s eyes widen in shock as he pulls back, his eyes zeroing in on my stomach. I nod slowly watching Tyler’s eyes as the reality dawns on him we’re having a baby.
“But I asked for a brother.” Colt pouts as he heads back toward his treehouse, oblivious to the mixture of emotions passing between Tyler and me in this moment.
“Brother or sister, as long as it’s with your momma, I’m happy.” Tyler rests his forehead against mine. “I love you, Lu.”
“And I love you,” I whisper back as my eyes drift shut.
Also by AJ Alexander
SEAL’d Series
Honor
Love
Fate
Power
Faith
Scandalous Daddies Collection
Academic Integrity
Academic Dishonesty
Mature Content
Parental Discretion
La Famiglia Series
Desolation
Devastation
Destruction
Stand Alone
Save Me
Jaded By Love
About AJ Alexander
AJ Alexander is a wannabe psychologist and author of steamy (borderline erotic) contemporary romances with happily ever afters that must be earned by her characters. She lives in the angst capital of the world, Seattle Washington with her own personal knight in shining camouflage and her two beautiful girls.
Want to read more insta-love romance with a twist? Check out all of her books on Amazon #FREE in Kindle Unlimited.
https://www.authorajalexander.com/books
Also Written by K. Bromberg
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Aced
Slow Burn
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Hard Beat
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UnRaveled
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The Catch
Cuffed
Combust
Cockpit
Control
Faking It
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Reveal
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