“We need to get back inside,” Cassie said. “I'm so nervous.”
“Don't be,” I said. “That man is so in love with you. It's amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better guy for my girl.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Really,” I answered. “He's your forever, princess.”
“Very funny,” she said. “I love you, Grandma. You better make sure his ass makes it in there.”
“He will,” I said, as I gave her a huge hug. “That man isn't going anywhere unless it's with you. Hurry up and get inside before he sees you.”
Everyone walked back in except for me.
When Scott pulled in and parked his car, Parker got out and headed for the door, but he stopped the second he saw me.
“What are you doing standing out here?” he asked. “You're supposed to be at lunch with my family, aren't you?”
Scott walked by us and disappeared into the building.
“I'm here to give you something,” I said, as I handed him the folded piece of paper Cassie had given me.
“What's this?” he asked.
“It's a letter, Parker,” I said, looking up at him. “You're supposed to read it.”
“Okay,” he said, as I turned around to walk into the building.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I'll see you inside,” I answered.
“Is this from Cassie?” he asked. “Don't even tell me she's running. If she is, her ass won't get very far. That's my baby inside her belly. I will chase her. Did you tell her that?”
“Read it, Parker,” I said.
“Stay out here,” he said, with the saddest look on his face. “Don't leave.”
I stood there, as he unfolded the letter and began reading.
Pete, Parker, wannabe,
When I first walked into this place, my life was a mess. It had been turned upside down, and I had no idea what I was going to do to fix it. When you walked up and messed with me, I wanted to kick your ass. When my mouth opened, and I gave you shit, I couldn't believe it. That wasn't me, but it felt damn good. The more I saw you, the more I looked forward to our next confrontation.
I told you things I hadn't told anyone, and you helped me, even though I wasn't your problem. I think the dick helped a little too, but we won't talk about that. When I ran, it didn't matter, you helped me anyway.
I tried, wannabe. I tried not to fall for you. You were everything I did not want. I can't tell you how many times I tried, but it never worked. You were there, and I couldn't fight it.
You did so much to help me, more than anyone had ever done before. More important than that, you cared, Parker. My world was a mess, and you cared. You never gave up on me. As many times as I tried to push you away, you came back. Thank you!
I love you so much more than I could ever put into words. You are my life, and I don't want to go one more minute without being Mrs. Pete Parker. So, what do you say? Do you want to get married? If so, walk through the door in front of you, put on your jersey, and meet me at the end of the aisle. If not, watch out, my grandma has strict instructions to kick your ass, and you know she'll do it.
I love you so much, so hurry up. Get your ass in here.
Your loving wife,
Cassie
When he finished reading the letter, I knew I had the biggest smile on my face.
“I can't believe I just read that in front of you,” he said.
“Don't worry about it,” I said, as I pointed to the building. “You know I've heard worse from them.”
“You knew,” he said. “You knew, and you let me ramble on earlier.”
“What do you think she would have done if I'd told you?” I asked. “Not happening. She's been planning this for weeks. So has Sammie and the rest of us too. What's it going to be? You going to marry my girl?”
“Hell yeah, I am,” he said. “I've been waiting to make her mine.”
“Thank you!” I said, as I turned toward the door.
“For what?” he asked.
“For being who you are,” I answered. “I've been waiting for so long for her to find what she deserves, and she finally has. All of my kids are happy, and I'm happier than I've ever been in my life because of that. You were the final piece. Take care of my girl, Parker.”
“I'll do everything I can to keep her safe and make her happy,” he said.
“I know you will,” I said. “Come on. Let's get you married.”
I pulled the door open, we stepped through, and Parker stopped. His eyes scanned the place, and I instantly saw a tear leave the corner of his eye.
“She did all this?” he asked.
“She did,” I answered. “You've not seen anything yet.”
“My woman made a baseball themed wedding,” he whispered. “This is awesome.”
“She thought of everything,” I said. “We're even having a ballpark lunch.”
I handed him the jersey we'd left just inside the door, and he pulled it over his head. Then I motioned in front of us at the path leading to my precious granddaughter.
“Go make her yours,” I said.
He leaned down and hugged me. Then he headed for her. When he came into view and all the guys from the team started cheering, he burst into laughter, but his eyes stayed in front of him. Cassie was standing, in her jersey, in the middle of the baseball diamond. Next to her, in their own jerseys, were all five kids. She even had the tiny jersey pinned over hers, covering her round belly.
Parker walked quickly to her, picked her up, and spun her around. Then he looked down at the kids and hugged each of them.
“You did this for me?” he asked her.
“I figured this was the place,” she said. “It was where we were the first time we met, and it means a lot to both of us.”
“I love you,” he said, as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer again.
“Are you sad it's not fancy?” she asked.
“Are you kidding?” he replied. “This is perfect. I can't believe you pulled this off without any of them telling me. This is the best gift ever, aside from our kids of course.”
“You ready to be stuck with me forever, wannabe?” she asked.
“More ready than I've ever been in my life,” he answered. “Let's do this.”
The ceremony was short but sweet, and before I knew it, Parker was kissing his bride. I could only remember a few moments in my life when I'd been as happy as I was right then, but there was something about that moment that was more special than the rest. Every single person in my amazing family had found a love just as amazing as I'd once found for myself. It was perfect.
Chapter 8
Cassie
Two months had gone by since our wedding. Parker was gone a lot, which was rough, but we were making it work, and it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It honestly helped having my parents and grandma just two houses away. We had a one house buffer, and that was enough for me. I'd missed so much time with them and was happy to have them there. The kids were even happier about it than I was, and that made it even better.
It was finally time for court. We'd been able to get it scheduled for when Parker would be home. I was seven months along and felt like I was ready to pop at any moment. Knowing that Parker's ex was someone he once wanted to spend his life with, and knowing that she kept herself perfectly together and in impeccable shape had me freaking out inside. That added to my worry, which was already at the top of the charts, was a recipe for a breakdown. Would we get more time, or would she just get more money? It seemed like every time he went to court, he ended up behind instead of ahead, and I didn't want that for him or for us. We all loved the twins, and we wanted them with us as much as possible. It would have been heartbreaking to be denied more time, and that worried me, not just for Parker, but for me and the kids as well. We really were a great family, and I needed the judge to see that.
I tried to hide my nervousness so Parker wouldn't see it. There was no
way I wanted to add even more to the worry he already had, but it didn't work. He saw it right away, and he was right there trying to take my worry away. The man was perfect, and I couldn't believe that I'd ever doubted his love and loyalty.
We walked into the courthouse, and I saw her right away, looking just as perfect as the time I'd seen her before. Her eyes went right to the spot on my hip where Parker's hand was. Then they went to my round belly, and sadness filled them. What was that, I wondered? It wasn't like I'd taken him from her. She was the one that had thrown their relationship away. That was all on her.
We met with our lawyer, who sounded optimistic that we'd at least be able to get the judge to require Parker's ex to give him the kids at his already scheduled times. Then we walked into the courtroom to sit and wait for who knew how many hours to be called.
I hadn't been sitting there five minutes when I had to go to the bathroom. Parker got up to go with me, and I laughed.
“You might as well stay here,” I said. “This is going to happen a lot. Seems like I live in the bathroom anymore. That way we won't constantly be losing our seats. I won't be long.”
He leaned in and kissed me. My man could take away all of my stress with just one kiss, and I hoped that I was able to do the same for him too.
I walked into the bathroom feeling good. Any more time we could get the twins was better than what we had, but I wanted so much more. Shit! I wanted Parker to get full custody. Just thinking about taking care of six kids while he was on the road had me letting out a quiet laugh. The greatest part was knowing I would have loved it.
When I walked out of the stall and saw her, I stopped. Then I quickly pulled myself together and began walking toward the sink, but she stepped in front of me.
“Excuse me,” I said.
“You think you're better than me?” she asked, with darkness in her tone. “You're not. I've heard about you. You don't deserve him.”
“What?” I asked. “How could you say that? I'm nothing like you.”
I was so damn nervous. Had she followed me to the bathroom? What exactly did she think was going to happen by confronting me? In that moment, I was happy there was someone still in the stall next to the one I'd been in, and I wanted out of there before they left. I wasn't worried about me. I could have taken her no problem, but I was seven months pregnant, and there was no way I was letting my baby come to harm from some crazy ex.
“I talked to Jeff,” she said. “He called me. Wanted me to help him screw you over. He told me how you are. You're just like me.”
“The same Jeff that hit me and tracked my movements through my phone,” I said. “My ex husband did to me exactly what you did to Parker. He cheated on me. How did that go for you? Did you help him?”
“He offered me a shitload of money to give him the dirt on you and Parker,” she said, with a smile on her face.
“Really?” I asked. “Why would he do that? You'd already gone to the magazine.”
“That was him,” she said. “He offered me more than they would have ever given me. I told him you were getting married and that you were pregnant. Of course I knew. My kids couldn't wait to tell me all about that shit. Then I gave him your address. Did you know I had your address?”
“Of course I knew,” I answered. “The twins were over. Parker told me the day he gave it to you. You needed to know where they were. Is everything about money to you? You make the man pay to see the twins. Do you know how messed up that is? He gives you enough. How could you make him give you extra just to be able to take them?”
“Pete doesn't care about money,” she said, as she looked at herself in the mirror. “I do. If he wants to see them, paying a little extra doesn't hurt his bank account any.”
“Those are his kids too,” I said. “You should be happy he wants to be involved. You make promises. Then you rip them away at the last minute. That doesn't just hurt him. It hurts them too. What makes even less sense is that you tell him no, but you go out that same night. Where are the twins when you're gone? Why can't you let them be with their dad, me, and my kids?”
“That's none of your business,” she said. “It's expensive to look this good. When I go out, I want to be noticed. I want to stand out. I don't want to just be another person in the crowd like you are. I deserve every penny he gives me and more. I was with him when he was a guy playing college ball. He became a Pirate on my watch.”
“You never even went to a single game,” I said. “What do you care?”
“I care about the money,” she said. “I was a Pirate's wife. Who gives a shit if I went or not? I will not work a day in my life. He will continue to pay his child support, and he will continue to pay every single time he wants to see them.”
I couldn't fight the tears that began escaping from the corners of my eyes.
“How can you do that?” I asked. “Do you even love your kids?”
“Does it matter?” she asked. “They're my meal ticket. When I met Pete, the pros were already scouting him. I knew I'd never have to work as long as I was with him. He wasn't supposed to come home that day, but he did. I'd been cheating our entire marriage. I was just sad it ended. If he hadn't caught me, I'd still have what you do. I should have had more kids with him before I screwed up. ”
She stopped for a moment, then she continued, and it took all I had not to bust her in the mouth.
“Lucky for me, he loves his kids,” she said, as she let out a laugh. “As long as I have them, I'm set, and I plan to get every penny I can before they turn eighteen. It's not like you want them with you, so why do you care?”
“I do want them with us,” I said.
“Can you honestly tell me you're going to take care of six kids while he's on the road throwing the ball around?” she asked. “Give me a break. You don't want them any more than I do. You're just trying to make him happy so your gravy train won't end. I was pretty shocked about one thing though, you could have gotten a much bigger house out of him. Did he turn you down? Maybe he loved me more than he does you.”
“That's where you're wrong,” I snapped out. “I love the kids, all six of them, and I would want nothing more than to take care of the twins every single day. They're my kids too, and I'd do anything for them. I don't know how you could say what you just did about those precious children. As for the house, he wanted a bigger one. It was me that didn't. I will never again have someone taking care of my house for me. That's my job. When it comes to his love for me, I know he'll do everything and anything to keep me and the kids safe. He's the most amazing man I've ever met. I don't love him for his money. I love him for him.”
“Doesn't matter to me,” she said, as she looked in the mirror once more before heading to the door. “I don't want him anyway. I only want his money.”
Then she was gone. I walked toward the mirror, leaned down with my hands on the sink edges, and cried. I knew I didn't have long before I had to pull myself together and get back out there, but I had to let it out. How could she say she doesn't want her kids? How could she talk about Parker the way she did?
The stall door opened, and I jumped. I'd totally forgotten there had been someone in there. The woman walked toward the sink and began washing her hands.
“You okay?” she asked.
“No,” I said, as I tried to pull myself together so I didn't look like a total mess. “I don't get how anyone could be that way. The sad part is that nobody does anything to stop her. I had no idea it was as bad as it is. We're going to sit through hours of waiting just to find out if we can actually have the kids when we're supposed to. It shouldn't be that way. My husband has already earned that right. Why do we have to come back just to have it enforced? I'm not sure I'll ever understand. I can't do it. I can't keep quiet after what I just heard. He deserves full custody. Who cares if he's gone for a few days here and there. I love those two kids, and I want them with us. I just have to convince him and the lawyer that we need to go for it. I'm not sure how to get a judge to believe me
when I tell them what she just told me either.”
“It might not be as hard as you think,” the woman said. “You should definitely try. That woman was awful. Good luck! I hope your day turns around for you.”
“Thank you!” I said.
The woman left, but I stayed for a few more minutes to try and dry my face. It was bad enough my eyes were a bit red. I didn't need them wet as well.
When I walked back into the courtroom, I looked between Parker and our lawyer.
“We need full custody,” I said.
“What?” Parker asked, as he got to his feet. “Were you crying? What's going on, Cassie?”
“I want to fight for full custody,” I said.
“Seriously?” he asked. “That's not going to happen, Cassie. I can't even get the time I'm already supposed to get.”
“I don't care,” I said. “We need to go for full custody, and I need to speak.”
“Cassie,” the lawyer said, as he stood up and leaned closer. “We can't get that. You have no idea how hard it is to do something like that.”
“Please take your seats,” I heard a man say from the front of the courtroom.
We all sat down. Then I heard the man announce the judge, and when the door on the side opened and the judge walked out, I gasped.
“You okay?” Parker whispered.
“Tell the lawyer,” I said. “Full custody.”
“Cassie,” he whispered.
“Do it,” I quietly growled out.
“What happened?” he asked.
“A lot,” I answered. “Please, Parker. If there is ever a time you just do as I'm asking, let it be now.”
“I hope you know what you're doing,” he said.
“I do,” I said.
He leaned toward the lawyer, and I watched him shake his head.
After two hours, our case was called. Our lawyer stood up, and so did the one sitting next to Parker's ex. They walked to the front, and it began. Things moved much faster than I thought they would. When our lawyer announced that Parker wanted full custody, I heard his ex laugh from the other side of the room. Her lawyer went right into his whole thing about how ridiculous the idea was. He was busy trying to convince the judge that his client was a very fit mother who deserved her children when our lawyer looked back at me, more nervous than I'd seen him yet, as he asked if I could speak.
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