I pull her in for a hug, and I rub her back softly. “It’s gonna be okay.” She buries her head into my shirt, and I hear her sniff. I pull away to look down at her, and she quickly wipes her eyes.
“He’s taking it out on Parker.” So that is why he was being a dick to Parker today. “Parker keeps bringing women home and I feel like Tate wants that. Like he looks at my name he had tattooed on his ring finger and wonders why he ever fell in love with me in the first place.” They both have worked so hard to get where they are today. Missy was in love with Tate for years. I can see where she would be afraid to lose him. And Tate just recently allowed himself to love her. Although I know he’s loved her for just as long.
“Missy.” I place both of my hands on her face and force her to look at me. Her blue eyes look so sad. “Tate does not think that way about you. He loves you. I saw the way his face lit up when you walked into the room. But if you honestly feel that way, you need to talk to him. You need to tell him what you’re feeling.” I’ve been there with Slade way too many times. Where I kept my feelings to myself, afraid he would be mad at me. In the long run, we both got mad and ended up fighting.
She sniffs one more time and slowly nods her head. “Right now,” I say, and her eyes widen. “You take a break and call your soon-to-be husband.” Before she can object, I spin her around and give her a little push to the back door.
CHAPTER THREE
SLADE
I reach over my desk and turn my lamp off. I look over at my clock on my desk, and it reads a little past midnight. The party that we worked went really well and thankfully didn’t last too late. Yawning, I grab my jacket that’s hanging over the back of my chair and close up my office. I walk down the brightly lit hallway and make a right. I open the door to Parker’s office to tell him bye but pause when I walk in to find him lying face down on his desk. His mouth half open and snoring. Red Bull cans and wrappers from protein bars litter his office. He seems to be the messiest. And I don’t know why, we have a cleaning lady that comes in and cleans. There’s no way he can destroy his office space this much on a daily basis.
“Parker,” I call out. “Go home and sleep.” I keep hearing him mention getting a couch for his office. This must be why he wants one.
His head shifts a little bit and he reaches up to rub the drool off his mouth but doesn’t respond to my demand.
I chuckle and shut the door behind me. “You can just sleep here,” I mumble. The guy runs on little sleep as it is. He helps run our company during the day and works four nights a week as a cop. He’s like his damn cat, Puss Puss—taking little cat naps throughout the day. One day it’s gonna catch up to him.
I walk across the hall and open Tate’s office door. “I’m out,” I say leaning into his office.
He looks up from his computer and holds up a finger as he talks into his phone. “Okay. See you in a minute. I love you.” He hangs up his phone and nods his head to me. “I’m on my way out as well.” He pushes a few keys on his keyboard and then pushes his chair back. “I’m gonna go join Missy for a drink up at Larry’s.”“Missy wants to go to the bar?” I ask. She’s not much into drinking or the bar scene.
“Guess she has some friend that is having boyfriend trouble and she wants me to come up there for a little bit. Wanna join us?” he asks.
A beer does sound great. It’s been a long-ass day. I look down at my watch. I know Angel and Sadey are already asleep. Not like I’m going to see them anyway. “Sure,” I say.
“Where’s Parker?” Tate asks looking around the hallway. “He said something earlier about wanting to go out as well.”
I point over to his office. “He’s passed out, drooling and snoring on his desk.”
Tate rolls his eyes and then starts to walk down the hall. “His loss.”
“Is everything okay between the two of you?” I ask as we walk to our cars.
“Yes.” His clipped answer leads me to believe he’s lying.
“Is everything okay with you?” I push a little more.
He stops walking and looks over at me. “Yeah.” I catch him as he looks down at his ring finger where he had Missy’s name tattooed. “Everything is now.” I don’t know what he means by now, but I don’t push him anymore.
We get to Larry’s, and thankfully, it’s dead this time of night on a weeknight. I don’t come here much anymore. Even after Angel and I started dating, we still went out a lot together. Not so much now that we have Sadey. If for some crazy reason, we both have a night off we spend it together at home. And I would choose that over anything else in this world.
I follow Tate to the table that sits in the back corner. I smile when I see a little blonde stand from the table. Tate pulls Missy into his arms and gives her a kiss before they sit down.
“I was surprised when Tate told me that he was meeting you here,” I say as I sit down.
“I’m just here for moral support,” she says with a smile. And I guess she is referring to her friend even though we are the only ones here at the moment.
“Well, how have you been?” I ask. I know what Missy and Tate went through was hard at times. But I knew he loved her. I knew they would end up together. I smile to myself. Boy, do I love being right. As Angel would say, it doesn’t happen often.
“Good,” she says with a smile. Tate places his tatted arm over her shoulder, and she leans closer to him. “Just staying busy.”
“Started school yet?” Missy had dropped out of school after we returned from Vegas about two years ago. But I know she wants to go back and finish.
She shrugs. “I’m in no rush. I really enjoy the bakery. And Sam takes good care of me.” She looks up at Tate. “Is Parker coming, too?”
He shakes his head. “He fell asleep up at the office.”
She laughs. “And you guys just left him there?” She asks.
“Yep.” We say in unison.
She sits up and pulls her phone out of her back pocket as it chimes. She reads a message and then smiles. “Katherine should be here any minute.”
Tate frowns. “Is that the girl we went to her house and fed her huge-ass dog?”
“Yeah. She and her boyfriend are on the rocks. She said she needs a few drinks.”
“Missy…” he warns as his eyes harden down at her.
“I couldn’t blow her off.”
I watch them bicker back and forth in confusion. What have I missed?
Just then, a waitress comes up to our table. I order a Bud Light and Tate does the same. Missy orders a water. “A water??” I ask. “Why aren’t you drinking?” Missy isn’t a big drinker. She definitely hates beer. But it’s not like her to not have a glass of wine that usually takes the entire night for her to drink.
Her cheeks turn red and she looks over to Tate with a nervous smile on her face. “Well…” She drags out the word making me wonder what is going on.
“Well, what?” I ask when she doesn’t say anything else.
“We’re pregnant.” Tate’s words freeze me where I sit. I watch as he reaches out to her and gently touches her cheek before giving her a soft kiss on the lips.
“Pregnant?” I repeat in a high pitch tone. “I didn’t know you guys were trying.” Did I? I guess Angel could have mentioned it once and I just forgot, but I can’t imagine forgetting something that important.
“No. That’s what’s so great about it. It just happened,” she responds, and her big blue eyes light up.
I feel a huge smile spread across my face. I stand from the table and pull Tate from his chair. I give him a big brotherly hug and slap him on the back. “Congratulations,” I say. Tate had come a long way from what he was when I first met him. He was always angry. Always looking for that next fight. He still has his moments—I think we all do—but falling in love with Missy is the best thing that could have happened to him. She reminds him every day that he is worthy of being loved. And I know in return he loves her with all that he has.
I pull away from him and walk over to
Missy. It’s so weird to hug her small frame. “That’s amazing. Congratulations,” I say, and she sniffs.
“Thank you. Please don’t tell everyone just yet.”
I know they are probably worried. Hell, when I found out Angel was pregnant my world went into overdrive. Trying to prepare yourself for a child is like trying to prepare yourself for a thunderstorm. And this is her second pregnancy. I can only imagine what she is going through after she lost their first.
You think nine months is forever away, but it will be here before you know it and then you’re like fuck what all did I forget?
“I won’t,” I assure them as I find my way back to my seat. “But how long have you known?”
“We just found out a couple of days ago,” she says excitedly. “I haven’t even been to the doctors yet. But as soon as I do, I will share the news with everyone.”
I watch as she cuddles up next to her soon-to-be husband once again. And I can’t help but feel their excitement. Here is a couple who couldn’t be more different than night and day. Tate is rugged and dark. He’s not the kind of guy you look at and think he looks scary but is probably a teddy bear. He is far from that. He has always worn his hatred and darkness for all to see. But when Missy is in the room, he lights up. He smiles at her. He talks sweetly to her. It’s truly amazing what love can do to someone. If you ask me, it saved him, and he knows it.
“There you are.”
I hear a woman’s voice and look up over to the table where a tall brunette stands.
“Katherine,” Missy says and stands to give her a hug. “I’m so glad you called me.”
Katherine pulls out a seat and plops down into it. “Yeah, well, I could use a beer,” she says looking over to me. “Katherine,” she introduces herself reaching out her right hand to me.
“Slade,” I say leaning over to shake it.
She tilts her head for a second as if she’s thinking about something. Then she places her elbow on the table and points at me. “Is your wife Samantha?”
“Yes,” I say slowly wondering how this woman I have never met knows my wife. The only woman she hangs out with I know very well.
She smiles. “I’ve met her. I go into her bakery every now and then.”
“Oh, yeah?” I say leaning back in my chair. “I’ve never seen you up there before.”
“I work the night shift up at the hospital. I go by there on my way home sometimes.”
“Katherine and I met while in nursing school,” Missy informs me.
“Where’s the boyfriend at? Is he going to show up here and make a scene?” Tate asks her with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Did you guys break up again?” Missy asks with a frown.
“Not that I know of. But that doesn’t mean we won’t be before the night is over with,” she says with a laugh.
******
I sit in the back of the bakery with Tate on my right and Parker to my left. Tate is hung over. Once our drinks came last night, we all toasted to the secret yet exciting news. Missy and her friend, Katherine, were the first to leave. Tate and I stayed a little longer to have a few more beers than we should have.
Parker chugs back a Monster; he looks like he just woke up. “Did you sleep all night at the office?” Tate asks him.
“No,” he says as he stretches. “I woke up about four thirty this morning and went home.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I have the worse crick in my neck. Why didn’t you guys wake me up?”
“I tried. You were snoring and drooling. It wasn’t pretty.” I reach out and knock him on the back. “You should have come out. It was fun. Plus, you missed Missy’s hot friend who came out with us.” I wouldn’t consider her hot, but I like giving Parker shit!
He moans as if he’s in agony. “I missed a chance to get laid?” he whines.
I laugh. “No one said she was that easy.”
“They’re all that easy,” he says before placing his head on the table. Tate and I both laugh at him.
We all turn our heads to look over at Angel as she drops a box onto the floor making a loud noise.
“Need help, babe?” I ask, already standing from the table.
“Nope,” comes her clipped voice.
Parker sits up and turns to look at me with a smirk now on his face. “You’re in trouble,” he whispers, and I sit back down in my seat ignoring him. She’s not mad at me. I haven’t done anything. I didn’t stay out too late last night. Not like I closed the bar down. And I sure as hell didn’t do anything with Missy’s friend.
I left the bar a little after one. She was fast asleep when I got home and was up and gone by the time I woke up. Just like I thought she would be.
“What are you guys doing up here?” Holly, who married my brother a couple of years ago, asks as she walks in from the front. She just announced a while back that she is expecting their first child. I swear pregnancies are running in the water here.
“Just hanging out,” Parker says before he shoves a cookie into his mouth.
“Hmm,” she responds. “I’m gonna start charging you if you continue to eat everything Sam makes.”
Parker speaks through a mouth full of cookie. “So worth it.”
We all laugh.
Angel stabs a pair of scissors through the tape on top of the box and slices it in half, before tossing them up onto the counter. I sit back and watch her carefully as she yanks supplies out of the box and places them on the counter. Holly takes the few things that she needs for the front and exits the room. Missy comes into the back and is on her cell phone talking quietly as she heads off to the back office. She gives Tate a little wink that makes him smile back at her.
Parker continues to shove food into his mouth as if he hasn’t eaten in days. I reach over and slap him in the back of the head.
“Ow,” he whines through his cookies. “What was that for?”
“For being yourself, Parker,” I say as I stand from my chair. I walk over to Angel and place my hands on her shoulders to stop her from destroying another box.
“What, Slade?” she snaps causing me to frown.
“Is there something wrong?” I ask running my hands up and down her arms. She sighs heavily. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She looks over at Parker and then back to me but doesn’t say anything. I grab her by the hand and pull her through the back door of the bakery and into the alleyway. She shivers as she crosses her arms over her chest to protect herself from the cold.
I wrap my arms around her and pull her into me. “Am I the reason that you are in a bad mood?”
“Yes,” comes the one word that I was expecting.
“What did I do?” I ask truly wondering this.
“What time did you get home last night?” She wastes no time with the questions.
“I…”
“You went to a bar. Instead of coming home, you went to a bar.”
“With your brother and Missy. It was just…” I try to explain to her that it was just for a drink but I did have more than one.
She pulls away from me. “I don’t care who it was with. You chose a bar over coming home to your family.” She sniffs and her bright green eyes start to tear up.
“Whoa,” I say wondering where this is coming from. “Why does that bother you so much?”
“Really?” Her voice rises in anger. “Why would I get mad that you chose a bar over your family?”
“It wasn’t like that,” I say softly. “It was just a few drinks.”
She closes her eyes as she takes a few deep breaths. “I just don’t wanna be that couple.”
“What couple?”
“The one where the husband would rather go to a bar to pick up chicks than come home to his family.” Her words make me realize what has her so upset and I’m shocked that she could even think like that.
I walk up to her and place my hands on her cold cheeks. I lean down, placing my forehead on he
rs. “I’m sorry, Angel. I didn’t think it would upset you.”
She wraps her arms around my neck. “Parker told me you were in a bad mood yesterday. I wanted us to spend some time alone together last night,” she whispers. “But you never came home and I fell asleep waiting for you.”
I hate that I let her down. I guess in a way I can see where she thinks I chose to go out rather than come home but that was not my intention. “Let me make it up to you,” I offer.
“How?” she asks softly.
I smile against her lips. “Tonight. I’ll do anything you want me to do tonight. I’ll close up early and the girls can close up the bakery. We can go home and be alone. Just you and me.”
She sighs. “That sounds wonderful but what about Sadey?”
“I’ll have my parents keep her a little later than usual. Then after we have our time together, I’ll go and pick her up. Deal?”
“Deal.”
I lean in to kiss her, but she pulls away when she hears my phone ring. “One second,” I say pulling it out of my pocket. Father lights up my screen.
CHAPTER FOUR
SAMANTHA
I leave Slade to his phone call and walk back into the bakery, mainly because I’m freezing cold. February in St. Louis can be brutal.
I find Parker still sitting at the round table looking off into the distance. “Tired?” I ask. I overheard them talking about him falling asleep up at the office last night. I can relate to him quite a bit. I feel like I’m tired most of the time. I have moments where I just want to fall to the floor, curl up into a ball, and sleep for days. Slade and I got lucky with Sadey. She has always been a baby who enjoys her sleep. But work is just kicking my butt. You would think that I would be used to my schedule by now, but I’m not.
“Yeah,” he says through a yawn. “Working the night shift at the department is killing me.”
“Why don’t you quit the force?” I ask leaning against the counter. I don’t know all that much about Parker when it comes to his career as a police officer. I know he’s good at his job, and he has saved his friends’ lives. I just don’t know why he’s still there. I guess he could need the money.
The UN Series Complete Box Set Page 154
