Hayden's Verse

by A. C. Bextor

  This brings us to now, which is another planned date. This was all Lacey’s plan, though, and I’ve been kept in the dark. My friends have avoided my questions in regards to where we’re all going. I’ve heard bits and pieces of the production in getting sitters ready and clothes purchased, but I’ve been shunned from getting any actual information from any of them.

  However, if there’s a secret to be kept, I know exactly who to ask to share it.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Lacey

  “HE KNOWS SOMETHING’S up.” I slam the magazine I was trying to focus on against the table to catch Trav’s attention. He’s hiding something.

  “He doesn’t know shit,” he tells me again. “I look ridiculous.” He changes the subject to avoid my continuous drilling. “You get that, right?”

  Travis is wearing exactly what I laid out for him this morning: blue jeans, a button-down light polo shirt, and black flip-flops. “I think you look stunning.”

  “I don’t wear thongs,” he says. “They hurt my fuckin’ toes.”

  I look down at his feet; he does look weird wearing them. I can’t remember ever seeing his toes. To be honest, they need work. “God, you’re a baby! And by the way, no one calls them thongs. At least not men. Flip-flops is what they are.”

  “What the fuck ever. This is ridiculous.”

  Travis is dressed for Hayden’s and my fourth date. The group is all in on the surprise and they’ve all been sworn to secrecy. They each promised, one after the other, not to say a word to Hayden and agreed they’d do exactly as I asked because they understood how much this was going to mean to him. Travis and Ace have been the biggest pains in the ass I’ve ever dealt with, and I’m a new mother who gets spit up on daily by my small baby so this is saying a lot.

  “I need this to be perfect, Travis. I wouldn’t put you through any undue hardship like offending flip-flops or a pressed shirt if it weren’t important to Hayden and me.”

  “Got it. Leave me alone now. I’ve done everything you’ve asked.”

  God, he’s cranky.

  Hayden and Liv are perfect together. He’s great with her and is on constant watch with every move she makes. Hayden and I decided that I should breastfeed her, but Hayden’s been insistent I pump so he can feed her as often as I do. My boobs ache and will never look the same as they did before I was pregnant, but I’m young and Hayden tells me it doesn’t matter because it’s a gift I’m giving his child.

  His child.

  He sucks up most of her time when she’s awake, so by the time I get my hands on her, she’s exhausted and usually screaming. It’s crap, but seeing Hayden so happy with Liv is worth it.

  Dr. Ames smiled at me when I told her I’m not waiting any longer to have sex. She knows the date and that tonight’s the big night. Her reply was professional enough, and I appreciated her concerned gesture, but stopped listening to her words.

  “I’ve seen Hayden and the way he looks at you, Lacey. Just go easy if you’re purposely going against medical advice. You’re young and your body is healing, but be careful,” she had told me with a wink. She also told me not fifteen minutes after that she appreciated me bringing Hayden to some of my follow-up appointments.

  Apparently, Dr. Ames isn’t immune to Hayden either. No one is.

  “Hey.” I hear Rae come in the front door without knocking.

  “Oh, Raegan, you look so cute!” I tell her. She’s dressed in the outfit I’ve asked her to put together, as well. Even her toes are manicured and painted a deep shade of red.

  Perfect.

  “Thanks. Where’s Trav? Ace sent me to pick him up. He’s dropping Hayden at your place in a few minutes and said to get your ass there so he can change after this date is over.”

  “Crabass is in his room. Is everyone else ready to go?” I ask, hoping the others are more easily conforming to my plans than my brother and Ace are.

  “All except Sarah. She’ll be there, but it may be right on time.”

  “She’s with Bean?”

  “Yeah. They’re playing cards today then they’re picking out nail polish and adding it to their calendar.”

  “What?”

  “Long story. It’s what they do. A color a week. Bean enjoys the time with Sarah and Sarah enjoys everything pink and red so it works out.”

  “I see.”

  “Bean’s so tired but she’s giving all her time to Sarah. She told me she wants me to find something else for her to do.”

  “Bean’s all Sarah has to do. Maybe Trav can find something for her.”

  Travis comes in the front room without looking up. He’s fidgeting with his shirt, wrinkling it with every button he’s messing with. “What is Trav doing for you now?”

  “Sarah,” Rae says.

  Travis’s eyes find Raegan and they light up in her presence but it ends with a scowl when he looks her up and down. “Ace let you wear that out of the house?”

  She looks down at the man’s light-blue, oversized dress shirt, which hangs above her knees and the black belt hugging her waist. “He hasn’t seen me.”

  “That answers that,” Travis says with a mild grunt of disapproval.

  “I’m wearing the same thing. You’ve said nothing.”

  “You just had a baby and Hayden likes you to wear shit like that.”

  “Can we go? If I need to talk to Ace about what I’m wearing, I’d like to do it before their date.”

  “Yes,” Travis answers. “The sooner I’m out of this fuckin’ costume, the better. This is ridiculous.” Ridiculous, he says for the third time.

  If he only knew how ridiculous he looked in that cowboy costume . . .

  *****

  “Not one time did you ever say I’d have to wear what you asked for this date. If that had been the case, you would’ve worn your red lace thong for mine.” Hayden cares for his clothes as much as Travis does.

  “You memorized my underwear? That’s weird.”

  “I memorized what you look like in your underwear; there’s a difference.”

  “You’re odd.”

  “I’m sexually deprived, you mean. How much longer ’til we can fuck again?”

  “Oh, the romance,” I sigh, looking to the road ahead.

  He thinks fast, as he usually does, his sigh matching mine. “Oh, the lost climax.”

  “Hayden, do you want to make me happy?” I ask him as I lean over to straighten the cuff of his dark-blue dress shirt.

  “You know I do, but this is a little much.”

  “It’s my date, remember.”

  Catching my hand in his, he draws my attention from the road to those ice-blue eyes that still—after all this time—scream sex. “Fourteen fucking days,” he whispers. “I have fourteen days to wait for you to finish healing, Lace. I’ll be ready once the doc says we’re clear to fuck.”

  “Got it.” I hit his chest with my hands, pulling him from his crass words I secretly long to hear. “Now please, be quiet the rest of the way. You’re distracting me.”

  “Fourteen fucking days,” he mumbles, looking out his window. “Fourteen looooong motherfucking days.”

  Once we arrive at the beach house, I see Ace is the only one of our friends who disregarded anything I said. His damn bike is parked in the driveway when we pull up. They weren’t supposed to park here; they were supposed to park down the street or carpool.

  “You’re taking me on a date to my dad’s beach house?” he asks, pointing to Ace’s bike. “And you invited Ace?”

  “Long story. We’ll just be a minute.”

  Before I’m able to get out of the car, Hayden grabs my wrist and pulls me to him. “I’m not a barbarian like Ace is, but you’re showing a fuck of a lot of skin in that dress shirt. Not sure how I feel about that.”

  “In fourteen days, I’ll wear it again. You can unbutton it with your mouth, and we’ll see how you feel about it then.”

  He smiles and at the same time looks at me with narrowed eyes. “That was mean. If I’m
going to make it that long without being inside you, then your attempts of seducing need to stop. I’m serious. I haven’t gone this long without sex since I was a teenager.”

  “Oh, good grief, Hayden. Come on. Time’s ticking.”

  Once we make it inside, I look to Hayden as he scans the room looking for Ace. He won’t find him here and if his searching keeps him focused, I’ll use it to my advantage. Everything in the house looks normal, just as I had asked.

  Grabbing Hayden’s hand, I walk him downstairs and out onto the beach where everyone, including Pastor Ross wearing his suit, is waiting for us.

  Hayden’s dad stands proudly by the door, being the first to greet us. Ace and Travis are standing near the makeshift altar with Rae and Marlee at the other side.

  I cast an evil look to Ace when I notice he’s put on his black motorcycle boots rather than the black flip-flops I bought him. Rae catches me staring and rolls her eyes in response to what I’ve found.

  Travis is watching carefully from a distance for Hayden’s response.

  Too carefully.

  “You knew!” I accuse. Hayden knew this was his wedding day long before coming here; I can sense it. “How did you know?”

  “Lace.” He tries to calm me.

  “No, do not ‘Lace’ me! I want to know. How did you already know all of this? Tell me who told you.”

  Rae leaves the edge of the beach and rushes to me in a panic. Ace follows behind her and then Trav and Marlee file in, as well. Toby remains seated in the folding chair, holding their daughter, Jordan, but looking back at the commotion with an uneasy stare. Sarah remains at his side holding Liv.

  “Lace,” Rae starts. “Remember my surprise party?”

  “Yeah, the one that wasn’t a surprise, you mean,” I answer with confusion.

  “Decklan,” Ace says, standing behind Rae.

  Rae continues to explain. “You can’t say things that aren’t meant to be repeated in front of him. He asked Hayden how he was going to like being a groom.”

  My eyes dart to a sheepish Hayden. There’s more. He wouldn’t have caught on the way he did with just that general question. “You bullied a six-year-old, didn’t you?”

  “No?” He gives his answer through a question as though I’ve struck him with my words. “He just kept talking.”

  “You bullied a secret out of a little boy, Hayden Flynn.”

  Just as I’m about to lose my temper and start cursing, Pastor Ross comes toward us. “Are we having a wedding today?”

  “Yes,” Rae and I answer in sync, but I add, “We’re just getting out all the confessions prior to the service. Give us a minute.”

  “Lacey,” Hayden’s dad interrupts. “I don’t think it matters whether Hayden knew about it or not; I think he’s as happy as you wanted him to be today.”

  “Right,” I answer, looking to the proudly smiling father of my child. Hayden’s face, although not registering surprise as I had wanted, still showcases his happiness.

  “You’re right. I’m over-reacting.”

  As Brian pushes at my back, we all walk to where the surprise wedding was set to take place. “Let’s go then.”

  *****

  I had written my own vows, and since I was never one for words, it took me a long time to come up with the right ones I felt captured the essence of our relationship up to now. I spoke to Hayden about friendship and how I appreciated what he was to all of us, including his family and friends, not just me. I talked to him about where we started and how even then he made me come alive in ways I couldn’t ever have imagined. Once I noticed him becoming emotional, I added my final vow to always remain awkward and weird.

  Hayden, considering he had already known this was happening, had his vows in mind as well, and when Pastor Ross asked him if he had anything to say, Hayden smiled deeply and winked at me with ease. His bright blue eyes were trained on mine as he told me a story about a man who lived his life in the shadows of others and how he hadn’t realized the pictures in his life were empty before, but now memory by memory, they are being filled. He told me the day he and I became ‘exclusive’ was when his life had truly started and the day I brought his daughter into this world safely, he had found his life’s purpose. He ended his vow promising our marriage would only be what we made it and that it was important to him that we remain just as crazy and ridiculous as the day we met.

  After the vows and the rings, Bean told me to find in her house, were exchanged, Hayden reached in and kissed me sweetly. Almost a year ago, when we met, our first kiss was anything but sweet. He was a different man then, and I was a different woman. But we’re still the same people to each other, and that’s all that matters.

  “I love you, Lacey,” he said to me, pulling back and fixing a strand of hair that had fallen from my ponytail. “So much.”

  “I love you, Hayden. So much.”

  “You’re my wife,” he whispered as if the others weren’t still in witness.

  “I am. Are you happy?”

  “My heart is full. You’re everything I didn’t expect and everything I didn’t know I wanted,” he told me shyly and kissed me again. “I’ll make you happy.”

  “I know,” I replied without any doubt.

  “Thank you for doing this.”

  “Thank you for acting surprised.”

  “You’re welcome.” He winked and thought his day couldn’t get any better . . . he was wrong.

  Still standing at the altar, I broke the news of what was coming his way next. “Raegan says you owe her. So, at the reception, she said your payment is due.”

  Raegan, hearing what I had told him, clapped her hands in excitement at my side as she balanced my bouquet of flowers in her hand. Ace smiled at her sweetly and Trav and Marlee laughed at Hayden’s expense.

  “Shit,” he replied. “I’ve been married a minute and I’m already feeling like I’ve been had.”

  *****

  Lacey

  The reception has a few more people in attendance than the wedding did. Some of the lawyers from Brian’s firm and their wives are mingling throughout the crowd, looking lost and unsure among the younger generation’s crazy antics.

  Bean’s cast of characters from bridge and bingo came to tell us congratulations and extend their apologies for Bean not being able to enjoy this with us. The rest, including Mel and Shelby, make up our core group of close friends.

  I’m alone, sitting at the head table watching the dance floor with appreciative reflection. These people I hadn’t known a year ago have melded themselves as much into my life as I have theirs. I can’t remember what I was like or how I filled my days before meeting them.

  Brian and Cathy are standing at the bar. He’s touching the small of her back in adoration as she smiles up at him half-tipsy from the wine she’s allowed herself to drink as part of the celebration. Brian has had nothing tonight but water, so his looks of longing and familiarity as he stares at her are all things genuine.

  Ace and Rae are dancing close. His hands are positioned securely at her waist, and from here, I can see how tight his grasp on her is. His knuckles whiten each time she pulls even a hair’s breadth away from him. I never thought I’d know that kind of unwavering love. After a long and unsteady road with Hayden, I know I have it now.

  Decklan and Maddux are playing tag and weaving themselves through the small crowd of guests, steering clear of Ace and Rae. Their giggles echo as they rush past me sitting alone time and time again.

  Toby and Marlee are seated at an intimate table enjoying their time together.

  Hayden has Olivia in his arms in the center of the dance floor. He’s swaying with her to the slow music and when the crowd parts enough for me to see them, I watch as he bends his neck and kisses her head sweetly as she lays against his chest. Watching the two of them together stings my eyes and causes a lump in my throat.

  “Are you having a good time, Mrs. Flynn?” Brian interrupts my thought as he comes up behind me and places his hand on my
shoulder. I turn and find him without Cathy for the first time tonight.

  “I am. Are you?”

  “Yes, but I’d like to dance with my daughter-in-law if she’d let me,” he states, offering his hand for me to take.

  Leading us onto the dance floor, we pass Sarah and Travis. His arms are at his side as he reluctantly allows her to wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head on his chest. He allows a small smile to escape once I wink at him as we make our way past them.

  “He hates this, doesn’t he?” Turning me to face him, Brian smirks as he says the words while looking at Travis.

  “He doesn’t hate it, but he’s not used to it. It’s not his thing.”

  His blue eyes light up and he looks down at me, asking, “Does Travis have a thing?”

  “I think he looks content.”

  “Sarah looks a little . . .”

  “What?” I ask, moving my head in their direction.

  “She’s been drinking.”

  “You’re sure?”

  Brian looks down, smiles, and reminds me, “I used to be a bit of a drinker, remember? Scotch was one of my favorites.” He stops, then finalizes, “She’s been drinking.”

  “Shit.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it. We’re all friends here, but poor Travis.”

  “Yeah. Poor Travis,” I confirm, staring holes into the back of his head as he still stands motionless with Sarah wrapped around his middle.

  A few minutes and my raising concern later, Hayden stands at our side alone and appears to be sulking. “Cathy took her,” he tells us.

  “Son, you’re going to have a long life being a father if you don’t let go a little bit. She’s fine.”

  “Cathy had a glass of wine. I saw her drink it.”

  “Cathy is an adult, Hayden. Again, she’s fine.”

  Hayden ignores Brian’s attempts to calm him and grabs my hand resting on Brian’s lapel. “I want to dance with Lace.”

  I look to Brian for permission and he nods with a smirk. “I’ll go check on Cathy and Liv.”

  “Thank fuck,” Hayden mutters, pulling me into him.

  “You’re not in a very good mood,” I tell him, feeling his fingers dig into my sides.