Crashing Down

by Samantha Conley

  “I wonder if it has anything to do with the cookout this weekend? Vi’s been secretive about getting together,” Kristen ponders.

  “With Brett, who knows?” Isaac shrugs.

  I stand up, feeling like I’m eavesdropping on a family conversation. “It was nice meeting you all, but I think it’s time for me to head home. Kristen, do you need me to help clean up before I scoot?”

  “No don’t worry, I got it,” she stands to give me a quick hug. “I’m just glad you came. And you’re more than welcome to come back every Tuesday. Or just whenever.”

  “Yes, please come back. It’s been so much fun with you here," Mallory pleads. “And I like not being the only short one.” She chuckles.

  “I will. Thanks for letting me hang out with y’all. And for the delicious food and drinks.”

  I hurry across the concrete out to my car, glad I had switched to water a while ago, so I’m not buzzed and can drive home. The lights from the house fade into the distance the further I head away from my new friends.

  Later that night, I wake from a dead sleep, hand buried underneath my panties, finger slick with need after dreaming of brown eyes and a deep voice calling my name.

  5

  Brett

  Saturday rolls around before I know it and butterflies are eating away at me as I pull up to the Calloway homestead.

  “Breathe. Just breathe, Brett,” I chastise myself as I put the SUV in park. “You ready for this, Colby?” He lets out a little grunt and I pray that’s a yes and not an I’m pooping in my pants.

  My hands tighten on the steering wheel and the leather squeaks under the pressure.

  “Gah,” comes from the backseat.

  “I know. I know. I have to get out.” Pulling open the handle, the door opens, and I slide out. The door shuts with a resounding click. Getting Colby out of his car seat takes longer than normal and I don’t know if it’s because he can feel the tension coursing through me or he’s only excited to get out of the contraption.

  “Okay, little man, let’s go meet the family.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to reassure, him or myself as I pick up his black diaper bag off the floorboard.

  The closer we draw to the back, music fills the air along with the varied voices of my family. I take a deep breath before opening the gate and stepping into the judgment zone. I make it about five steps in before Vi spots me across the yard, her hand flying to her mouth as her eyes open wide when she spies Colby in my arms. Her actions garner attention from her husband and he looks in my direction to see what has caused the reaction in his wife. Vi strides toward me before halting a foot in front of me.

  Her eyes tear up when Colby grins in her direction before burying his face into my shoulder.

  ‘This is your surprise?” she questions, voice soft.

  “Yes, ma’am. This is my son, Colby. Colby, this is your Nana.” Tears spill over when I introduce them. “At least if that’s what you want, Vi.”

  “Of course, it is, you crazy man. I may not have given birth to you but you’re my son. Now hand him over.” As her arms reach out, Colby leans toward her and falls into her waiting arms. “Aren’t you a handsome guy. Look just like your daddy." She busses her lips against his forehead, leaving behind a pink streak of lipstick.

  Her gray eyes look up at me, questioning. “Are you ready for this?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” I breathe out.

  We turn together and walk toward the others who are standing around the grill – Isaac, Jason, Derek, Brian, and Jay. The girls are noticeably absent.

  “Hey everyone, look who I have,” Vi coos as the guys, all except Brian, stare in shock at the baby she’s holding in her arms. Derek’s eyes look like they are about to pop out of his head as his gaze swings back and forth between Colby and me.

  “What the hell is this?” he barks out.

  “This is Colby. My son.” I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face every time I say that.

  “Holy shit,” Jason breathes out.

  “Your son? How the hell did this happen?” Isaac asks, confusion written across his face.

  “Out of everyone, Isaac, you ought to know the answer to that question since you have a kid of your own,” Jason teases.

  Isaac just shoots him the middle finger. Derek walks up to stand beside me until we’re shoulder to shoulder, me looking at the rest of the group.

  “Dude, what the fuck?” he whispers through gritted teeth.

  “I know,” I say out loud. “It was out of the blue. I had no idea until he was on my doorstep with his grandmother.”

  “Not the mother?”

  “No, she died.”

  “How old is he?” As soon as the words leave his mouth, I can see where his brain is going. Kristen. Damn it.

  “Derek,” I begin but he cuts me off.

  “This is from Minneapolis, isn’t it?” Anger fills his voice. Neither of us wanted a reminder of the night I slept with someone other than my fiancée.

  “Yes.”

  “Son of a bitch,” he blurts out, running his hand through his dark hair.

  “I don’t,” I start but stumble over the words. Maybe I didn’t think this through. “I don’t want to hurt Kristen.’

  “Fuck,” he hisses out and soon I hear why. The noisy chatter of the girls coming through the patio door drowning out the playing music.

  “We’re here! The party can begin,” Kristen calls out but stops short when she sees Colby in Vi’s arms.

  “Well, who is this cute little guy?” she asks, and the world seems to stop turning. No one breathes a word. “Okaaaayyy, what’s going on?” She looks around bewildered, everyone looking at anything but her. Camryn moves to Isaac’s side and hands over their young daughter Delaney.

  “Did somebody die?” Mallory blurts out and receives a small chuckle from one man.

  “No,” I clear my throat. “No one died, Mallory. Good grief, woman.”

  “Then what’s up?” Manning up, I walk over to Vi and take Colby from her arms, planting him on my hip.

  “Ladies, this is my son, Colby.” At my confession, Mallory’s jaw drops open. Kristen looks at Colby, then at me. Her blue eyes full of confusion and a little hurt.

  “Your son?” Her voice waivers and as Derek walks up behind her, she sinks into his embrace.

  ‘Yeah, Kris.”

  ‘Well, he’s adorable.” At her words, Colby grins and makes a happy noise as though he understands that she complimented him.

  “Thank you.”

  “How old is he?” Her blonde brows raise as she studies him.

  “Babe, why don’t we get these groceries put up before the ice cream melts," Derek interjects, saving my ass.

  “Oh sure.” She follows him back into the house after he takes the paper bag from her arms.

  ‘Holy shit,” Mallory blurts out. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Look, I only want to tell the story once. Just get it out in the open and lay it all on the line."

  “That doesn’t sound good,” Camryn replies.

  “Burgers are almost done, “Jay says, his voice gruff, “someone want to get me a platter to put them on?”

  “Yeah, I got it.” Jason walks into the house.

  “Why don’t you seem surprised by any of this, Brian?” Isaac asks over Camryn’s head, his hand rubbing up and down her back.

  “Because I’m not,” Brian replies.

  “Son of a bitch.”

  “Guys, I know that this is all a shock. It was for me too. I’ve only had a little while to wrap my head around all of this. But it is what it is. I have a son. One who is my sole responsibility.”

  “Where’s his mother?” Kristen asks from behind me.

  “Dead,” I sigh out.

  “That poor girl.”

  “His grandmother got in touch with Brian. That’s why he’s not surprised. He wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up before it went too far.”

  “It’s my job to prot
ect you guys,” Brian chimes in.

  “It is legit. We’ve done the paternity test and everything. Colby is mine.”

  “Why are you just finding this out now?”

  “His grandmother is dying from cancer. She wanted to make sure I would take care of him after she passed. At first she didn’t even know who his father was but eventually she figured it out.”

  “Insta Dad, huh?” Jason states the obvious.

  “It’s been a change, that’s for sure.”

  Colby squirms in my arms, his little hands reaching for Kristen who is just out of reach. I hold my breath, heart pounding as to how she’ll react. With a slight hesitation, she grips him around his torso before cuddling him close. His small fingers wrap in her blonde hair, pulling on one curl. My breath leaves me in a rush even as I chastise myself for having a bad thought about the woman.

  Not looking me in the eye, she murmurs, “I’m guessing he’s a result of that night?”

  An ache builds in my chest, as her eyes meet mine and I nod. “Kris,” I begin before she speaks.

  “It’s in the past, Brett. Let’s leave it there. One good thing, well two,” she smiles over at her husband, “happened because of it.”

  “I never wanted to hurt you,” I murmur.

  “I know. And I’ll always love you, Brett.” Derek saunters up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders for support.

  “And I love you. But you’re right. Two things came from that night. You fell in love with Derek and I got Colby. We’re both where we need to be.” I smile at her. The heaviness in my chest lightens and a new sense of peace fills me.

  “Okay everyone,” Vi interrupts with a clap of her hands. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

  Over the course of the day, Colby is passed from person to person and he drinks up the attention like a sponge. It makes me wonder, even though his great-grandmother loves him, how cold of a household he was being raised in. When Mallory insisted that we let him get in the pool, a fear like no other coursed through me. What if he drowns? Or gets water in his ears? That causes infections, right?

  “Get that look off your face. He’ll be perfectly fine in the water. Just hold him close and let him get a feel for it,” Kristen chastises as she slaps a towel across my shoulder.

  “But,” I start.

  “Does he like bath time?” she interrupts.

  “Yes.”

  “Then more than likely, he’ll like the pool. It’s just colder than what his bath water is. Take it slow, go a little deeper every few minutes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Which one of us is the expert here?” she asks, blonde brow arched, a smirk curving her lips.

  “You,” I breathe out, conceding defeat. Damn, I dated this woman long enough to know better than to argue with her.

  Moments later, Colby has the biggest smile on his face as his rambunctious laughter floats through the air with every splash of his hands on the water’s surface. We splash and play until his arms and legs become leaden and his head rests on my chest.

  “Okay, Colb, let’s take a break,” I say as we make our way to the steps out of the pool. When he doesn’t make a sound in protest, I know he’s tired. Drying him off and changing him into dry clothes, I place him in the playpen that Jason has set up underneath the giant oak tree in the yard. As soon as his head touches the thin mattress, his brown eyes flutter closed. The low murmur of voices doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. I wrap a towel around my hips and sit in the chair where he stays in my line of sight. The squeaking of the chair next to me draws my attention and I see Kristen making herself comfortable on the lounge chair.

  “You’re a good dad, Brett. Then again, I always knew you would be,” she murmurs but something is off in her tone. Her dark glasses shield her expressive blue eyes.

  “Thanks,” I reply. “Kris, I,” I pause, clearing my throat, not knowing how I want to say this. I’m sorry will never be enough to forgive what I did but I don’t want my son to bear the burden of my sins. “I never meant to hurt you and I’m sorry if Colby does.”

  “Truthfully can’t say it doesn’t bring back bad memories but it’s not that little boy's fault.”

  “No, it’s mine.” She takes a minute to respond as if she’s having to gather her thoughts.

  “Brett, yes, you hurt me, but it was a long time ago. Things are different now. We may not be together how I always thought we would be and maybe it hurts a little that you had a child with someone else when it was, at one time, supposed to be me,” she replies with a sad smile. “But everything happens for a reason. If that night hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have that sweet baby.”

  “And you wouldn’t have gotten married to Derek.”

  “Life doesn’t always work out the way we think it will,” she states with a small smile.

  “Do you think that you can see him for his checkup? I don’t think I’d trust anyone else. Or would it be too awkward?”

  “I’d be happy to, but one thing is concerning me.” She hesitates. “He’s around eighteen months old right?” I nod. “His vocabulary seems to be behind for his age. How many words is he speaking?”

  “I haven’t paid attention,” I reply, scratching my head trying to recall if I’ve ever heard him say a single word.

  “There are certain milestones in a child’s development that we look for. Sitting up, crawling and speaking are just a few. Call the clinic and set him up an appointment. If you know who his old pediatrician is, we can request his records.”

  “Do you think there’s something wrong with him?” I ask as worry works its way into my heart. My stomach clenches at the thought of something being wrong with him.

  “Not necessarily. Some children are slower at developing than others. What happened to his mother?”

  “She died from a drug overdose.”

  “Was she using during her pregnancy?”

  “Her grandmother said that once she found out she was pregnant she stopped. Do you think it may have caused Colby some damage?”

  “It's not damaging, Brett, but drug use can explain some of his developmental delays if he has any. No need to panic. You have a happy, healthy baby boy. If it’ll make you feel better, when I get to work on Monday I’ll set up his appointment for the first opening I have. I’ll get you to sign a form allowing the release of his medical records. And we’ll set him up with the speech therapist in the office and get her opinion. She’s great at what she does.”

  “Whatever you think is best.” I look over at the playpen and watch Colby's little fists clench in his sleep.

  “Brett, I know it can be scary,” she murmurs, placing her hand on my arm. “Parenthood is scary. You have to take it one day at a time.”

  6

  Skylar

  “How did I let you talk me into this?” I mutter under my breath as I follow Zane into the rowdy bar, his hand wrapped around mine as if he can sense my reluctance to enter the crowded space. The stomping of boots on the hardwood floor and the twang from the guitar almost drown out his response.

  “Come on, Skylar, it’s time to live a little,” he responds with that devastating grin on his face.

  “I don’t like crowds,” I murmur pressing myself as close as I can to his back to avoid the other patrons. “Is it hot in here or is it just me?” I pull at the top of my blue blouse trying to get airflow. He chuckles at my question, the sound deep and melodic.

  “Just a few more minutes and we’ll get to the table. My brothers have us one saved.”

  “Your brothers?” I squeak.

  “Yeah, they’re meeting us here tonight,” he glances back over his shoulder to gauge my reaction. What he saw must have caused him to justify his actions. “I know you haven’t made a whole lot of friends since you moved to town, so I figured this would be a good opportunity. They know a lot of different people from all walks of life.”

  “Oh okay,” I mutter feeling anything but okay as my stomach twists with nerves. �
��A little warning might have been nice before you thrust me into the middle of all that testosterone.”

  “Don’t worry, Skylar, I think you can manage. Five grown men have to be better than a bunch of little kids, right?”

  “Is that a rhetorical question?” I quip. “I thought all men were just big kids.” He slaps his hand on his chest over his heart.

  “Oh, you wound me!” he cries dramatically, slapping his hand to his chest, causing the laughter to rumble from inside me.

  “You’re such a damn goofball,” I retort but can’t help but smile at his antics. Ushering me around the throng of dancers, he walks up to a table with four of the biggest men I’ve ever seen. All brawny with dark hair and blue eyes. As one they turn, and I freeze like a deer caught in the headlights. None of them say a word, including Zane, standing at my back, hands resting on my shoulders. The music playing in the background fades as the rest of the world diminishes. Four sets of eyes looked me up, down and back again. Identical cocky grins cross their faces as they rise from their chairs. The sheer amount of room their bodies take up is staggering and I struggle not to take a step back into the Zane.

  “Hey, guys this is my neighbor, Skylar. Skylar, these are my brothers Adam, Liam, Evan, and Noah.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,“ I stammer out, blushing since I feel like an idiot in their presence.

  “It’s nice to meet you too, darlin’.” A deep bass rumbles from the one standing to my right, my hand becomes enveloped by his rough palm, “I’m Adam.” Again, those steely blue eyes looked me over before looking over the top of my head at Zane. “Zane mentioned he was bringing you with him tonight. He forgot to mention how beautiful you are.”

  Butterflies flutter in my stomach. “Since I’m the oldest how about I get the first dance.”

  Before I can even mutter a token protest, I’m whisked out on the dance floor, pulled tight against his hard body his arm wrapped around my waist dangerously close to the top of my ass. Leaning down he whispers in my ear so I can hear him over the other patrons.