by C. A. Harms
“Stop being a smartass, Natalie. Where?” Okay, angry was an understatement.
“I left, Adam. I’m on my way to my dad’s.”
“What!” He was seething by this point. “What the fuck Nat?”
I didn’t answer and I could hear him taking in one deep breath after another. “Why?”
“Well, I just thought since you were busy having a deep conversation in the parking lot with Marley earlier, the last thing you would want was to be bothered with me. A road trip with Ms. Piggy doesn’t sound too appealing when you got some skank flashing her tits in your face.” He wanted to know why, there now he had it.
“Nat…” he breathed.
“No, it’s okay. I mean honestly, I shouldn’t be shocked. I guess I just hoped that things would be different. That we were different. I walked right into this. I knew there was a huge chance of getting hurt.” I just wanted it so badly.
“Baby, it’s not what you think. Marley was offering me—”
“It’s not important Adam,” I interrupted him. “I have to hang up because I’m on the interstate at night and I need to pay attention to the road. Good night, Adam.” I ended the call before he could say anything else.
I didn’t need to drive upset.
When I arrived at my dad’s it was a little past 11:00.
I’d called him when I was about fifteen minutes away and told him I was almost home. I told him Adam couldn’t make it due to work which warranted a lecture I knew I’d get for driving at night alone. He told me he was on duty and called Grams to give her a heads up.
The porch light came on just as I was walking up the steps and the door flew open. I saw Grams in the doorway with her walker.
Damn, I hated seeing that.
Very little kept her down, but with her recent fall she was having trouble moving around these days.
“Hey sunshine, come here and give me some sugar,” she said as I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her close. “Hey darling, what’s with the tears?”
“I’m just happy to see you, Grams.” I wasn’t lying; I was happy to be home, but I couldn’t let go of the sadness over Adam, either.
I stood up and took a step inside.
“Let me take a look at you.” She smiled as she focused on my stomach and placed her hand over my bump. “Oh, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”
“Good, better than the first few months, for sure.”
She laughed. “Oh yeah, the dreaded morning sickness. You know your mom never had a bit of sickness with you. She was the happiest pregnant woman I have ever seen. She glowed with you.”
I blinked past the swelling tears. “That’s ’cause Mama was the toughest of the tough. I bet she smiled even if she felt nauseated.”
After I settled in and changed, I helped Grams get into her room. Just as I was about the close her door, she spoke. “Where’s your boyfriend? I thought he was coming with you.”
“He actually had a work thing he couldn’t get out of. It was kind of last minute.”
“Well that’s too bad. We were really looking forward to meeting him.”
I swallowed the thickness that had formed in my throat. “Maybe next time.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Adam
Forget about getting any sleep. I was battling between anger and panic. I was pissed that Natalie took off, but I was freaking out with worry. I felt like everything we had spent months building was crumbling and I couldn’t hold it together.
When I felt my phone vibrate, I finally let myself fall back onto the couch with relief.
Natalie: I made it safely. Going to bed now, night.
It was a group message but I was just glad she included me in it. At least she was safely tucked in at her dad’s now.
Adam: Call me, please, Nat. I‘m freaking out here…I can’t lose you.
It went unanswered and even when I tried to call her, the voicemail answered. “Please call me in the morning. Nothing happened with Marley. I need to explain everything to you.” I hung up the phone, gripping it tightly. It took everything I had not to throw it against the wall.
Why didn’t I let Marley have it when she insulted Natalie? I was supposed to protect Nat, she was my number one.
I kept screwing shit up over and over; it was as if my past wouldn’t quit haunting me and my present.
I had to figure out the best way to fix this. I made up my mind. I was leaving in the morning to go get my girl. Whether she wanted me there or not, I’d show up. I guess it was a good thing I had a key to Natalie’s apartment. I needed to find something with her dad’s address. I knew the town but that was about it.
Digging through the drawers in the kitchen led me nowhere.
There I was at 2:00 in the morning, standing in Natalie’s bedroom, just about to give up the search. I didn’t want to have to show up at Lexi’s and beg her to tell me how to get there. My luck, she would slam the door in my face or kick me in the balls. I’m sure by now Natalie had told both her and Megan about everything. Those girls stuck together. If you piss one of them off, you better run, because you’ve managed to piss all of them off.
I fell back onto Natalie’s hard as hell, tiny ass bed and let out a growl. I couldn’t wait until Sunday night when she came back. Waiting until morning to jump in my car was difficult enough. A thought hit me and I darted up off the bed, quickly tapping in the number for information into my phone.
Once I had the number I needed I dialed it in a hurry. “Asheboro Police Department,” a husky voice answered.
“Yeah, um, do you have an officer on duty tonight by the last name Ryan?” I felt extremely nervous. This would be my first encounter with Natalie’s dad. I ran a million things I would say to him through my mind and now I just felt sick to my stomach.
“No, we don’t have an officer.” There was a long pause before he continued. “We have a Captain Ryan.”
Oh fuck, Captain…forget about feeling nauseated. I was sweating bullets and debating on hanging up.
What had Natalie told them about me not coming with her?
Hell, the guy probably thought I was a dick.
“Could I speak with him if he’s there? Please?” I asked, trying to hide the fear in my voice.
“Can I tell him what the call is regarding?” the guy on the other end of the line asked.
I took a deep breath in, “Yeah, of course. Could you tell him that it’s his daughter Natalie’s boyfriend, Adam?”
“One moment.” He didn’t seem to believe me and I’m sure it was related to the fact that I didn’t even know the guy was a captain.
Everything went silent as the officer placed me on hold. I now paced Natalie’s bedroom with sweaty palms and my stomach tied so tightly in knots I felt sick. I had no idea what kind of man her dad was. I knew before her mom passed away Natalie described him as hard and stern. Since then she expressed how different he was. I hoped that was a good different.
“This is Captain Ryan.”
Fuck my mind just went blank. “Uh, yeah, sir, this is Adam, Natalie’s boyfriend.”
“Hmmph.” Shit, that response didn’t sound good. “You mean the boyfriend that let his pregnant girlfriend drive over an hour alone, at night, to come visit her father and grandma. The same boyfriend that was supposed to come with her but chose work over her?”
Shit, she told him I had to work, that was the excuse she gave him? Hell, at least she didn’t tell him the truth about Marley. If she had, I am sure he would’ve been more than pissed.
“Sorry about that, sir. Actually, we were supposed to leave in the morning. That was the plan, but Natalie got a little upset with me and took off before I got home. It was never my intention to allow her to drive herself, especially not in the middle of the night.” I had to attempt to redeem myself without giving him too much information.
This time he lightly laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like Natalie. What can I do for ya?”
Okay, this is a good thing, I hope. His tone
was a little lighter. “Actually, sir, I was hoping I could get your address. I was gonna leave in the morning and surprise her. I know it’s Asheboro, but I didn’t get the address from her.”
“You told me she was upset with you. I have to ask. Would she want you to surprise her?” he asked, once again sounding skeptical.
Shit. “Uh, well, I’m hoping that I can fix the little disagreement we had with an explanation.” He remained silent so I continued. “I love Natalie, sir. I plan on being there for her and our baby for the long haul. I have no intentions of hurting her in any way.” I took a deep breath. “I just need her to understand that.”
“Okay, son,” he said, sounding satisfied with my dedication to his daughter. “What time can you be here?”
I swallowed hard, “I can leave here at any time.”
“My shift ends at seven am. You meet me here at the station on East Academy Street. You can follow me from here.” I heard him take in a breath. “My daughter better not be upset that I allowed you to come.”
“I understand, sir and if in the end she asks me to leave, I will,” I assured him and I meant it.
We hung up just as I was exiting Natalie’s apartment. I practically ran home to grab my things so I could be on the road by 5:00.
After stopping at the all-night convenience store and filling up my tank, I pulled in just after 6:30 at the police station in Asheboro. I sat in my truck for at least ten minutes, trying to relax before going inside.
A petite, young, blonde woman smiled up at me from the front desk when I entered. “Hello, how can I help you?”
“I’m meeting Captain Ryan.”
Before she could answer me I was startled by a voice directly behind me. “Good timing, Adam.” I spun around to face a very intimidating six foot four buff as fucking hell man with a badge. I’m not a small guy, height or build, but this guy was huge. “I was just about to leave.”
I stuck my hand out to shake his. “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.”
He shook my hand firmly. “You too. Let’s get going; I still haven’t gotten a chance to see my daughter.”
I nodded my head and followed him out.
My heart raced as we pulled up to the brick ranch home. There sat Nat’s car in the driveway and I really just wanted to jump out and go find her.
Instead, I pulled in behind her father and parked.
Just before we entered the house, he turned around to face me. “Let me get a hello and a hug from my girl before you make an appearance. I’m sure her and her Grams are already cooking up something in the kitchen and I have a feeling that this thing between you and her is bigger than you care to admit.”
I nodded and stood just inside the back door as he walked in through a hallway and disappeared around the corner.
Hearing Natalie’s voice almost brought me to my knees. I was scared shitless that she was gonna kick me out and tell me to stay away from her. If that happened, I knew it would crush me.
I had finally let go of my past and Natalie was everything I wanted for my future. I don’t think I could survive losing her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Natalie
“Daddy!” The moment he entered the kitchen I felt like I was twelve all over again. Dropping the spatula, I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck.
“Hey sugar, let me look at you.” He held me at arm’s-length and smiled as his eyes settled on my tummy. “My little girl is having a baby of her own. Makes me feel old.” I laughed as he pulled me close once more.
“It’s a boy.”
He squeezed me a little tighter. “Well, baby girl I’m sure glad you’re here. I’ve missed you.”
“Me, too, Daddy.”
I looked up at him and could see there was something bothering him. “What’s wrong?”
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong, sweetheart? What’s the real reason your boyfriend didn’t come with you?” I swallowed hard when his intense eyes stared directly into mine. “I know it’s not because of work.”
“We had a fight, and I just needed a little space, it’s nothing.” I stepped back from him and twisted my hands together in nervousness. “I just decided to come alone.”
I hated the way my dad was staring at me. I felt like I did when I got caught egging Mrs. Pettit’s garage when I was nine. Minus the ass beating he gave me for it, but the intense stare matched that day.
“Why didn’t you just tell me that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Oh Greg, leave the girl alone. She’s old enough to handle her own issues without your interrogation.” Grams to the rescue.
“You need to go handle something now then, at the back door.” I looked at my dad with a confused expression. “Go.”
I shuffled past him and when I turned the corner, my mouth fell open. Adam stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. The way he watched me approach made my heart race.
“What are you doing here, Adam?” I asked when I was only a few feet away.
He looked so tired and sad. I instantly felt guilty but brushed it aside. “How did you find the house?” I asked when he didn’t answer the first question.
“I called the station and talked to your dad. He told me to meet him there.” Adam reached out and brushed my arm with his fingertips. “I also told him that if you asked me to leave I would. I didn’t come here to fight with you, baby, I came here to fix us.” I couldn’t look him in the eyes, it hurt too much. I was still so hurt by everything with Marley. “Natalie, look at me, please.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
His arms gently wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. He kissed the top of my head as I buried my face in his chest. “I should’ve said something when she disrespected you, Nat, but I just wanted it all to be over. I didn’t like her in our space. What happened between her and I is something I just want to forget about.” He took in a dep breath before continuing his confession. “Having her in the same room as you gave me uneasy feelings. I handled it all wrong, I know that.” He pulled me just a little closer. “I know you saw us outside of the gym, but that was only because she came to offer me a job back in St. Louis.” My heart sank with the thought of Adam leaving. “I told her no. Even if it wasn’t for you and our baby, I still would’ve said no.”
“Do you regret me getting pregnant?” It was a question I had to ask.
He pulled back and lowered himself so he was eye level with me. “No!” He took my face into his hands. “You and our baby boy are exactly what I needed. Floating through my days and nights was lonely. The way it all happened probably wasn’t the best, but I don’t regret any of it. I love you, Nat, I am completely in love with you. There’s nothing I want more than us.” He still held my face in his hands. “Don’t you ever think you trapped me. I want this. I want all of it.” Adam placed a soft kiss on my lips. “I love you beautiful girl.”
I sniffled. “I’m sorry I acted like an immature brat. I shouldn’t have left last night without talking to you first. I automatically thought the worst.”
He watched me closely and brought his lips to mine once more. The moment I felt his tongue brush my lips a low moan escaped me. “Just so you know, you’re gorgeous.” Another soft kiss. “Sexy, and everything about you turns me on.” His lips brushed mine gently. “You could never be anything but beautiful to me.”
My throat tightened and I fought back the tears. “Thank you.” I know it was his way of reassuring me he didn’t feel even an ounce of what that woman said to me.
Adam smiled. “So do I get to stay?” I nodded up at him and the corner of his lips lifted. “You gonna let me come in or did you plan to keep me in the hallway all day so you can do dirty things to me in private?”
“Real funny. I think you’re the one who’s trying to get dirty.” I pushed against his chest and he chuckled.
I took his hand in mine and led him down the hall into the kitchen. My dad was at the table forking up a
heaping amount of scrambled eggs and Grams had her back to us. But when she turned to face us her mouth fell open just slightly, her eyes roamed over Adam appreciatively, and I stifled a giggle. I knew it was coming. Grams really had no filter.
She placed one hand on her chest and the other onto the countertop next to her. “Oh, Natalie, honey you did well, ‘shoo we’ that man is good for this old woman’s eyes. No wonder you’re pregnant.”
I gasped. “Grams.”
Adam chuckled and my dad just shook his head, Not one bit surprised by her wording.
She walked around the end of the counter slowly with the guidance of her cane. Once she reached us, she wrapped Adam into a hug and gently squeezed his butt. Adam’s eyes grew big and I couldn’t hold back the laugh.
“Grams, you’re making Adam blush. I’m not sure that has ever happened before. Well, at least not that I’ve witnessed.” My cheeks hurt from the big smile on my face.
She smiled and released her hold on him. “I couldn’t let that opportunity pass. Those buns of his are awfully firm,” Grams whispered, but not very quietly. I looked at Adam as my grams made her way back to the sink.
“Nat,” he leaned in closely and whispered, “your granny just grabbed my ass.” I just bit my lip and shrugged my shoulders as if to say “What’s wrong with that?”
Adam gave me a “What the fuck look”, which only made the entire situation even funnier.
“So, baby girl, you gonna feed that man of yours or what?” My dad was watching us closely, and by the smile on his face he too found the humor in the initial interaction between Grams and Adam.
“Um, yeah.” I looked up at Adam. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.” The way he said those three words and licked his lower lip let me know he wasn’t just talking about breakfast.
The man was insatiable.
My father and Adam spent the morning talking about sports and law enforcement. I even got to hear a few stories about when Adam was in the military, and the time of his deployment. He never usually talked about that time in his life and it was amazing to hear him share those things with my dad.
