by Mia Carson
“Natalie, this doesn’t feel right,” Lana whispered as she pulled away from the curb. “Natalie?”
She glared out the window as they passed the top of Vincent’s street with all the press vans parked along the curbs. “Just drive.”
“Are you leaving Vincent?”
Not by choice. “Yes. It’s what’s best for both of us.” She closed her eyes and held onto the edge of the seat with white knuckles. Without Vincent to help calm her down, her panic rose and she had to take short, even breaths to stop herself from losing it completely. “We might need to leave town for a bit until this blows over.”
“And go where?”
“Let’s go visit Mom and Dad. I’m sure by now they’ve seen the news.” She breathed in deeper and longer, but nothing helped. This would be her life again, all anxiety and panic with no Vincent there to pull her up when she needed it.
Another shitty night where she lost everything. How could her life get any worse?
The sun was up when Vincent hung up the phone with his mother. She told him repeatedly not to worry and to do what he felt was right. He wanted to be a Congressman like his father, but Doris said something he hadn’t expected from her. She was proud of him for finding a wife and taking that step in his life. She was happy to see him smile and be happy, something she hadn’t seen in him since Liam died.
“So you don’t care if I actually run?” he’d asked.
“It’s your life, son. Of course I want you to run, but why should you care about what I want? I also want a son who lives his life to the fullest and gives me grandchildren one of these days,” she’d said and laughed.
“I don’t know how to fix this,” he admitted.
“Fix what? It’s the modern age. So you met your wife online, who cares? Big deal,” she chirped. “You did nothing wrong. You were lonely and you found the woman of your dreams. I say talk to your wife and figure out what to do. But no matter what, son, I love you and your father would be very proud of you.”
Vincent puffed out his cheeks as he paced around his bedroom. He should go downstairs and talk to Natalie, but he was scared of the unknown he faced as soon as he left the sanctuary of his room. Both choices would be hard, but he had to talk to one more person before he decided. He tugged on his shoes and found his wallet and keys.
“Billy, where’s Natalie?” he asked, seeing only his friend in the kitchen.
“She snuck out with her sister. She said they would go hide out at her place for a few hours until you called her,” he said but didn’t meet Vincent’s eyes when he said it.
“Why didn’t she tell me that?”
“She didn’t want to bug you, I guess. I don’t know. Where the hell are you going?” he questioned when he spotted the keys in Vincent’s hand.
“I need to talk to my father. Think you can hold down the fort for an hour?”
“And if they follow you?”
“I’d hope they wouldn’t be that disrespectful to follow me to my father’s grave. I’ll be back.”
Vincent ignored his sputtering as he walked to the garage and opened it. He was barely in the truck when he heard questions shouted at him, but he tuned them out, backed down the drive, and drove to the cemetery. No one followed him, at least, and he hoped Billy kept them occupied by selling them some story or other. All he needed was a few minutes to talk to his dad and sort out the last of his concerns.
When he parked at the cemetery, he tried to call Natalie, but she didn’t answer. He left her a voicemail then texted her for good measure, wanting to know what was going on. She hadn’t texted him back by the time he reached his father’s grave and knelt in front of it, kissing his fingers and resting them on the stone.
“Hey, Dad,” he said, glancing up at the early morning sky. “I’m sure you know about what’s happening down here. I’ve been all twisted up lately, and I think you know that too.” He sat down, resting his back against the stone as he usually did. “I…uh, I found the woman I want to spend my life with. No whiskey on a rooftop, but we did have our night on a bridge that ended with us in the water. I really think you’d like her.”
The wind ruffled his hair and he smirked.
“I know you told me you would be proud to have me follow you and take your seat one day, but with everything that’s going on, I’m not sure if that’s the right path for me anymore.”
Leaves broke free from a nearby tree and landed on his lap. He brushed them aside absently, lost in his thoughts.
“I never meant for a scandal to happen, but I never expected to find a love so intense, so pure, I can’t live without it. I want to be with Natalie, and to do that, I don’t think I can run for Congress. In fact…I don’t want to anymore. My heart’s not in it. I want you to understand why I’m turning down the chance to be like you when I feel like I already am.” He smiled softly and patted the grass by his side. “You loved Mom so much and everyone saw that, including me. I feel the same for Natalie. Thank you for teaching me how to see what was right in front of me. I’m not letting this chance go.”
His conscience clear and his heart light, Vincent stood and brushed the grass from his jeans. He left another kiss on his dad’s grave and strode to the truck when the breeze lifted his hair. He spun around and swore he spotted the back of a man in a flannel shirt, jeans, and boots walking away through the cemetery. Vincent smiled, not caring if what he saw was real or not, and ran the rest of the way to his truck.
12
Alex handed Lana her suitcase and frowned at the twins. “How long are you going to be gone?”
Natalie shrugged and Lana sighed. “Just a week or two. It’s about time we visit our parents anyway, but we’ll be back, don’t worry.”
“She’ll be back for sure,” Natalie told him. “I’ll make certain of it.”
“You’re really going to run from this? Does Vincent even know what you’re doing?”
Natalie glanced at her phone and the five missed calls from Vincent along with a stream of texts. She turned her cell off and shoved it in her butt pocket. “It’s too late, we’re leaving. Lana, whenever you’re ready.”
The drive to the airport wouldn’t be long. Lana asked if she wanted to drive to Maine, but without Vincent to keep her from having a full-fledged panic attack, there was no way in hell Natalie could make that long a trip. Alex offered to drive them, but Natalie told him it’d be better if he came and picked up Lana’s car later. For all she knew, there were reporters staked out at the airport, waiting to catch her if they caught wind that she was running. She hadn’t a clue what Billy would leak to the press so they would chase her down instead of Vincent, blaming her for the wedding and the mix up.
Lana climbed in behind the wheel. “All right, you ready to go?”
“For the tenth time, yes. Now let’s go.”
“Just checking. You don’t have to bite my head off.”
Natalie sighed and held her sister’s hand. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just want to get out of here.”
“I know.” She put the car in drive and they pulled out into traffic. “What do you think Mom and Dad are going to say when we explain what happened?”
Natalie watched out the window as traffic grew heavy around them. “I have no idea.”
Just get to the airport and you’ll be away from this mess. I’m sorry, Vincent, it’s for your own good.
No, it’s not, you idiot, and you know it, she argued with herself and straightened in her seat. You are really going to leave the only man you’ve ever loved, just like that, because some d-bag told you to? What happened to the fiery Natalie?
“Lana,” she said urgently, gripping her sister’s arm. “Turn around.”
“What—why?”
“Because I need you to turn around.”
Lana’s look of confusion turned into a bright smile as she squealed with delight. “Thank God. There’s the sister I know. Let’s do this shit.” She exited the interstate and waited at the light for it to turn green so
she could go under the overpass and head back in the direction they came from. The light turned green, and she let her foot off the brake. The car moved into the intersection. Suddenly, Lana screamed and threw her arm out against Natalie. Horns blared and Natalie heard her sister yell in pain before darkness flooded her vision and everything disappeared.
Vincent parked the truck in the driveway and stepped out. Billy ran to his side, whispering in his ear, “You need to get your ass inside and get changed. We’re going to have a press conference right now and clear this mess up. I need you looking your best.”
Vincent pulled his arm from his friend’s grasp. “I’m afraid we’re not, actually.”
“What are you talking about? What the hell are you doing?”
“I am taking care of this situation once and for all.” He waved his hand at everyone, motioning for them to be quiet as he walked to the front porch, Billy at his side. “I’m glad you all are here, actually. I understand there’s been some confusion about my wedding and the woman I married.”
“Is she even your wife?” a woman yelled out.
“Is it legal? What were you trying to do, marry both twins?’
“Are you secretly a Mormon? Do you have more than one wife already?”
“You see what you started,” Billy uttered behind him. “Go inside and let me get them calmed down.”
Vincent ignored him and held up his hands again. “Please, if you could all hear me out. For many years, I tried to find the right woman. It never happened, so yes, I resorted to a website that sets people up to be married, and yes, there was a slight issue with which twin I married, but it was a happy mistake brought on by one sister’s love for another. None of that matters, however, because I love Natalie Jenkins and she loves me. We are husband and wife, and we are going to stay husband and wife.”
Billy cursed and the reporters shouted questions out all at once. “What are you playing at?” Billy snapped.
“If you would give me a chance to speak, I’ll explain everything to you. Where’s Natalie? She hasn’t texted or called me back. Are you sure she’s with her sister?”
Billy’s face darkened and he shrugged. “She’s wherever she needs to be to be—away from you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You are being an idiot. You’re throwing everything away, and for what? Love? You really think she loves you and she’s not just some damn gold digger?”
“Jesus, Billy, what the hell is wrong with you?” Vincent growled. “What did you do?”
“I sent her packing like you should’ve done the day you found out the truth,” he yelled. The crowd fell deathly silent. “You should have divorced her, and since you didn’t, I’ve had to clean up your mess! The papers are being filed as we speak.”
“What papers?” Vincent grabbed Billy’s arms and shook him. “What God damn papers!”
“Divorce papers! It’s the only way to save your ass.”
“No, actually, it’s not. I’m not running for Congress.”
More shocked whispers exploded behind him, but it was Billy’s hateful glare and the twist to his mouth that Vincent saw and only his words he heard as he spoke. “You’re a fool. A damned fool. You have everything laid out at your feet and you’re going to throw it all away?”
“For the woman I love. You know, I think it’s time you had more time to yourself.”
Billy’s smirk turned into a scowl. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re fired as my campaign manager and as my assistant. Life’s made you bitter, and I don’t have time to put up with your shit. You were always jealous of my life. Go find one for yourself, man.”
He glanced at the reporters crowded around, thinking how best to give them a good, final word, when Billy decked him out of nowhere. The hit sent him flying into the side of the porch, and the second nearly broke his nose. He shook his head and ducked under the third, nailing Billy right in the side. Vincent’s cell rang, but Billy tackled him to the grass. They rolled, hitting each other as Billy yelled curses. Two cameramen dropped their gear and rushed to break up the fight, hoisting both men to their feet. They dragged Billy, kicking and screaming, away down the drive.
“Mr. Cunningham? Your cell keeps ringing,” the cameraman who helped him up said.
“Right, thanks.” Wiping blood from his split lip, Vincent answered. “Yeah?”
“Is this Vincent Cunningham, Natalie’s husband?”
“Who the hell’s asking?” Were those sirens in the background? “Who is this?”
“Your wife was in a car accident, sir. We’re on our way to the hospital right now.”
“Car…accident.” He fell to his knees, holding his head. “No, no.”
“She’s stable, as is her sister. We’ll be there in five minutes. Ask for her when you arrive.”
He nodded, his body numb, and hung up.
“Mr. Cunningham?” the man asked.
“Natalie…car accident,” he mumbled and dragged himself to his feet. “I have to get there, to the hospital.” He pictured those scars on her back, saw the crumpled car from her first accident, and his blood boiled in fury. “I have to get there!”
The cameraman glanced around then picked up Vincent’s keys from where they had fallen during the fight. “You’re not driving. How about I give you a lift so you don’t crash on your way there?”
“Good idea.” Vincent heard the reporters talking and saw the cameras flashing, but he didn’t care about any of that anymore. Natalie. He had to get to Natalie.
They reached the hospital in record time and the cameraman—who’s name Vincent didn’t even know—handed his keys back. “Go see your wife. I’ll call a cab.”
“Thanks. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wasn’t about to let our ex-hopeful Congressman crash on his way to see his wife.” The man patted Vincent on the shoulder and shoved him towards the hospital doors.
Pulling himself together the best he could, then deciding that didn’t matter at all, he sprinted through the hospital doors of the ER and to the desk. “My wife…they just brought her in. I need to see her.”
“Calm down, sir,” the nurse behind the counter said gently, putting on his glasses. “What’s her name?”
“Natalie, Natalie Cunningham.”
The man typed the name in and picked up a chart sitting beside him. “She’s stable, and it doesn’t look like she requires surgery. Let me page the doctor and I’ll see if you can go see her, okay? Please wait one second.”
Vincent passed in front of the desk, rubbing his hands over his face and nearly tearing his hair out before the nurse called him back. He led Vincent into the ER and to a bed where Natalie sat, propped up and looking alert. The second she saw Vincent, she called out to him, and he sprinted to her side. He took the hand she offered and kissed her delicately, avoiding the small cuts and bruises.
“Don’t ever scare me like this again,” he whispered. “I can’t handle it, do you understand me?”
“I’m sorry. We were turning around to come back.”
“Come back? To me?”
“You really think I’d leave you just like that?” she argued, wincing as the doctor at the side of the bed stitched up a wound on her arm. “At least this accident wasn’t so bad.”
He sighed. “How bad is she?”
The ER doctor smiled, finishing up the last stitch. “Ten stitches. Some shallow lacerations and bruises, but all in all, she’ll be fine in a few days. The stitches can come out in two weeks.” She smiled at them both and said she would give them a moment alone.
“Was your sister with you?”
“Yeah. She’s all right, but the accident knocked her out. Alex is with her,” she said and nodded across the ER. Alex, Vincent assumed, was Lana’s fiancé. He held her hand, watching her closely. “We were headed to the airport, but I…I couldn’t leave you.”
Vincent sat on the edge of the bed and held her to him, needing to feel her solid bod
y against his. “I was about to go track you down.”
“But the reporters and Billy?” Her eyes narrowed on his face. “Did you get in a fight?”
“With Billy, actually. Long story,” he said and shrugged. “The point is, I am no longer running for Congress. You and I can simply be you and me now.”
Natalie pushed herself up more, wincing in pain, and ignored his scowl. “What? No, you said that was what you wanted—for your dad. I can’t take that away from you.”
“You’re not. I’m giving it up because I would rather have you by my side than a damn seat.” He kissed her, wishing they were anywhere but the ER so he could really show her how much he loved her for being a part of his life. “And I think it’s time we had a real wedding.”
She sighed, relaxing into him. “A real wedding, huh? I think I’d like that.”
“Good, that’s good.”
“Your test results came back,” the ER doctor announced, grinning widely as she held the chart in her hands. “You know, I had to take a sample of your blood to be sure, and well, I think you’ll be glad we did.”
“Oh?” Natalie said slowly. “And why is that?”
“You two are going to be parents. Congratulations.”
Vincent stared at the doctor, sure he didn’t hear her right. His gaze shifted to Natalie’s belly and a smile crept across his face. “You’re pregnant?”
“I guess I’m pregnant,” she repeated in awe. “Holy shit.”
Vincent let out a holler of pure joy as he announced to everyone, “I am going to be a father!”
There was a scattering of laughter and some clapping as Natalie dragged him back down for a kiss. This was what his life was supposed to be like. No meetings and events, no watching his every move and every word he said because of the cameras. His dad had lived that life and made it work, but that life was not for Vincent. This was, this moment right, with the woman he loved and their unborn child growing in her belly.
