Fourth Down Baby: A May-December Romance

by Lauren Landish

  “And you'd like to establish some passive income streams while you two look at starting a family,” I add, smiling. “Good deal. So what's your budget right now?”

  “We don't have a ton saved up. I mean Dani's still paying for school, but we were thinking that maybe we could do something with fifty bucks a month? I know it isn't much, but . . . ah hell, man, never mind.” Pete starts to get up, red faced, and I reach out, grabbing his wrist.

  “Whoa, whoa!” I call, smiling. “Come on, sit down. If anything, I can give you some more advice, totally free. Remember, I took a look once back when you two just got married, and I can do that again.”

  Pete sits down in his chair and looks at me, frustrated. “You know I love Dani, right?”

  “I've known that since high school. And she loves you. Why do you ask?”

  Pete sighs and looks down. “I just . . . I feel bad, man. I know it's old-fashioned, but I want to be able to provide for our family. I'm not saying I need to be the biggest breadwinner, but once Dani's done, you know how scary smart and insightful she is. She's going to be getting some job that'll blow me out of the water. I might as well become Mr. Mom at that point.”

  “Would that be a bad thing though?” I ask seriously, giving him a questioning look. “I'm being serious, too. Think about it. Troy's going to spend from July to February, we hope, coming home most nights after Laurie's gone to sleep. Yeah, he's got the offseason, and he told me that he's got most mornings off, but still . . . I bet he'd love to be able to spend more time with Laurie. And besides, don't sell yourself short. You're smart too. As for investing, we can take a look at some options. You were right, fifty bucks a month is a start. It's not a big start, and you for sure won't retire on that, but if you're already maxing your city retirement fund, then an extra fifty can start to make some headway. What's your debt load like right now?”

  “Dani's got her student loans, but she's been able to get a lot of scholarships, and her current job more than handles the rest,” Pete says. “I was smart in the Navy. I didn't get into credit cards or piss away my signing bonus on a car. Right now, we've got about another three thousand or so outside of Dani's student loans and our mortgage.”

  I'm happy at what Pete says, and I nod. “Okay, we can do something with this then. The first thing I'm going to do is give you a packet I put together to help you and Dani get your hands on your monthly budget. I want you to take this home and sit down together and figure this out. Then you and Dani have me over for coffee, since Patricia's cutting back on caffeine until the baby comes, and I'm feenin'.”

  “Damn, man, I thought you were just going to tell me some stocks to sink my money into,” Pete says, newfound respect in his eyes. “You do this for all your clients?”

  “No,” I admit, pausing when the door to the office opens and Patricia comes in from her doctor's appointment. “But if Troy called me up and said he just signed an endorsement contract and he wants to sink a hundred thousand into something, I'd not worry. He's making enough money that I know he's not hurting. But I won't just push some product on my friends willy-nilly just to make a sale. I'll make sure that you have some of what one guy I know calls 'fuck you money' before we start taking big risks.”

  Pete nods slowly, then smiles a bit. “Guess that Silver Fox bond goes on a long time, don't it?”

  “Damn right. One more piece of advice, not as a financial advisor but just man-to-man?”

  “What?” Pete asks, curious.

  “Talk to Dani about how you feel, Pete. She's smart and she loves you. I'm not saying you need to just get over it or some other shit, but just talking with her can help. And if you do someday end up as Mr. Mom, remember that you've got a more important job than Dani. She might end up bringing in more money, but you'll be protecting your family.”

  Pete nods and stands up. “Thanks, Cory. I mean that. Okay, I'll talk to Dani about this . . . do you need me to make an appointment when we have the packet done?”

  “Just drop it off any time. I'm serious about inviting me for coffee though, Pete. No decaf either.”

  He laughs, and I come around the desk, doing the whole one-armed hug that guys do. Pete pulls his hat on and leaves, and I close the door behind him, smiling as he gets back into his truck.

  “You were nice,” Patricia says when I turn around, giving me a smile. “That's good.”

  I shrug and go back over to my desk, sitting down. “He’s a friend, and you know how important Dani is to both of us. So I'm going to go that extra mile for them. Also, I want to make sure we do things right. Whitney's already invested her money, and Carrie's going to follow up next. I got a call from Tyler too this morning while you were at Doc Baker's, and he said that while he can't do anything himself until my non-compete lapses, he's frozen any more contributions to his PacFran investments, and he told me that he's going to move his stuff as soon as the Canadian season's done. Until then, he's invited us to come to Vancouver when the Fighters play Vancouver in October.”

  “Hmm, might be a bit swollen by then,” Patricia says, patting her belly. “But I like the idea. We'll see.”

  At the mention of our baby, I get up and come over, sitting in the chair next to her desk. I want to reach out and touch her, but we talked before we opened up, and inside the office, at least, we're going to be professional. Not that it isn't tempting, as she's wearing a simple white blouse and skirt that makes her legs look delicious. She told me that she didn't wear this sort of thing around the construction office much and is looking forward to it. Considering that she's one of those women whom skirts are made for, I look forward to every morning too. I think she knows what she's doing, since we're still sleeping in our different 'homes' at least four times a week. She's teasing me. It's all subtle foreplay, and I love every second of it.

  Still, I want to know about her checkup. “So the OB doc says everything is going well?”

  Patricia nods and gives me a smile. “She did an ultrasound, and she says everything looks good so far. My blood work is spot on, and she says everything is going just fine. Next month, she'll try and get pictures, but she says not to be expecting too much. At four months, there usually isn't a lot to see.”

  I sigh in relief and nod, reaching out and taking Patricia's hand. “Next time, I'm going to be there no matter what. I'll close the office for the day if we need to. Forget the markets for twenty-four hours.”

  “That sounds wonderful to me,” Patricia says, smiling. “So besides giving financial and personal advice to Pete, how're we doing today?”

  “We're up,” I say with a little smile, “but it's a pretty flat day stocks-wise. Actually, I was going to spend the rest of the day researching some real estate deals for Duncan and Carrie. He's really liking the sound of it right now. I think they want to set something up for Cammie.”

  “That little girl's going to be a millionaire by the time she's in high school,” Patricia says with a smile. “Who else are you going to make set for life?”

  “Well, let's start with our little circle of friends and family. Then we’ll see who else we can pick up on the way.”

  Patricia smiles and takes my hand. “Dinner at my place tonight?”

  I grin and shake my head. “Nope. My place. I'm pampering you tonight.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Patricia says, then chuckles. “Okay, working together is going to have drawbacks, because right now, I just want to ask my boss to close the office early so I can go spend a wonderful evening with my boyfriend.”

  “Tell me about it. Some time, maybe next week, I had a silly idea. I'd like to take you up to Slater's Point and have dinner with you out there. You know the Point?”

  Patricia chuckles and nods. “Not personally, but I know pretty much what goes on up there. Whitney told me that her first date with Troy was up at Slater's Point, but he was a gentleman, apparently. Still, I'm sure quite a few people in this town were conceived overlooking the lake up there. So why not tonight then?”


  “I'd love to, but I need to make a visit to Doc Baker. He wants to hear what I can set him up with, and also to take care of my initial checkup. He got my files from my old primary care in San Fran, but he wants to verify things too. Thought I might be able to lump them together.”

  Patricia smiles and gives me a nod. “Okay. Well, I'll stay here and man the fort then, and close up around five or so. See you at your place.”

  I get up, and just before I get to the door, I turn around. “Oh, and Patricia?”

  “Yes, Cory?”

  “I love you.”

  She smiles, which is the best thing in the world to me. “I love you too.”

  “So Cory, it looks like you're in good health,” Dr. Baker says as he finishes jotting on his clipboard. “Then again, any man who is your age and active should be. Your weight is good, your body fat looks leaner than most men, and while we've got to wait on your blood work numbers, I'd give you a clean bill of health easily. Whoever you're getting insurance from should be happy.”

  “Patricia's studying for her license, actually. Until then, I'm going through the state exchange, but supplementing in cash. She's going to get top flight care, Doc.”

  Doc Baker hums and sits back on his stool, giving me an examining look. “I've been Patricia's primary care doctor for a long time. She always gets the best care I can give her.”

  I nod apologetically. “Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just mean that for her and our baby, there's no limit to how far I'll go for them.”

  “Good then. Now, what's this about you turning me into a bazillionaire by the time I retire in ten years?” He asks, chuckling. “Or are the rumors off?”

  I smirk but reach for my briefcase. “They're off, but here's some of what I can do.”

  After giving Doc some information and talking about setting up some sort of pension fund for his workers, I put my shirt and tie back on. I think this is the first time I've ever done a sales talk without a shirt, actually. Leaving his office, I'm surprised when I bump into Bill Moss outside on the sidewalk.

  “Cory Dunham.”

  “Bill,” I greet him, not wanting to say any more. I'm not sure I can trust that I won't put him through the pavement.

  “Wait. Actually, Cory, I'm glad I ran into you,” Moss says, trying to sound like he's being nice. “I wanted to welcome you back to town. It's so good to have a prodigal son return.”

  I should just walk away, but I don't. Instead, I turn to look at him. “I'm no prodigal son. Just a man who thinks this is a good town to raise my child in.”

  “It is. But what makes it a good town are the good people in it. People who can listen and obey the rules of the Lord,” Moss replies, his voice rumbling. “Which is why I was hoping you and Patricia could come back to New Harvest. The Lord forgives, as do I.”

  “And why would we do that?” I ask, trying not to go upside this man's head with my briefcase. It's tempting, very tempting. “Let me guess. Connections with the movers and shakers in this town?”

  “Some of that, yes. No other church in Silver Lake Falls can boast having over two thousand members, and some of them are exactly the sort of people who can make your new company succeed—or struggle—in this town,” Moss says, smirking.

  So that's how it is. Normally, if I were in a weaker position, maybe his shtick would work on me. Instead, I'm not putting up with it anymore. “You know what? You're a sanctimonious, hypocritical son of a bitch, and with most people, your petty attempt at extortion and influence would work. But you see, I've got powerful friends too. The fact is, I don't need you. I don't need New Harvest or your friends like Trevor Bana, who fired Patricia merely because she's now unavailable to his married, philandering ass.”

  Moss sputters, but I don't care about him any longer. As what I said soaks into my brain, I realize exactly what I need to do, and I turn, heading for my car. It's still unfamiliar, new to me after selling off my old car in San Francisco, and I don't yet have my permanent plates from the DMV, but it doesn't matter.

  I know what does matter, and as I turn out onto the street and head home, I hang a sudden right, heading toward the best jewelers in town. I know her size, and I should do this right.

  Chapter 22

  Patricia

  “Thank you, Doctor Baker,” I say quietly before hanging up my phone. I've never, ever in the entire time that Bill Moss has been the pastor at New Harvest, heard of anyone telling him off the way Cory did, and honestly, it makes me worry. Cory's smart, he's loyal, he's brave, and he's a wonderful man . . . but Bill has power in this town.

  I'm still thinking when Cory pulls in, bounding out of the car with tremendous energy. He's got an intense but happy look on his face, and I wonder what he's been thinking about.

  “Patricia?” he asks when he comes in the door. “I'm home!”

  “In the kitchen. I was making some herbal tea,” I call, and he comes in after setting his briefcase down. He sees me and pulls me into a hug, spinning me around twice before setting me down. “Well, I guess the checkup went well?”

  “My checkup was fine,” Cory says, “but more importantly, I ran into Bill Moss.”

  “I heard,” I admit a bit nervously. “Doctor Baker called and said you two had a rather . . . loud conversation in front of his office.”

  Cory nods, still grinning. “Yeah, it was great. I finally told him what I think of him, but I thought of something else as I did.”

  “Cory, that's great, but pissing off Bill Moss . . . it could make things more difficult for you,” I say, but Cory shakes his head. “What?”

  “Do you remember what I told Pete, about having 'fuck you money'? Well, we've got that. But that's not important. What's important is the people who are in our lives, the people that we love. Moss, Trevor Bana, all those people—they aren't important. You're important to me. The most important thing in my life, and you're the reason that I'm able to be the man I am. And you're the mother of my child. So I thought about it. I don't want to wait any longer. I've waited years, circling this idea, when the truth has been staring me in my face the whole time.”

  “What truth?” I ask, my heart stopping when Cory gets down on his knee and takes my hand. He takes a box out of his hand, opening it to reveal a beautiful gold ring with a diamond sparkling in the middle. “Oh, Cory . . .”

  “Patricia, you're my heart, my soul. I've loved you since the first time we kissed, and I don't want to take small steps any longer. I want to be with you, by your side, for the rest of our lives. So . . . Patricia Nelson, will you marry me?”

  “Cory,” I whisper, tears in my eyes, not able to finish a sentence from the emotion. I stroke his face, looking at the heartfelt, vulnerable expression in his eyes. He's right, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him too. But first . . . “Can you give me a few hours? One or two at most?”

  Cory blinks, surprised by my answer. “A few hours?”

  I nod, smiling. “Cory, our family is unique. And I want to talk about this with someone else before I give you my answer.”

  “Who?” he asks, not concerned but just intrigued.

  I smile and kiss his cheek. “My daughter. Get dinner started, and let me try and call Whitney. If you don't mind . . . I'd like her blessing.”

  “Of course,” Cory says, getting up and putting the box with the ring on the counter. He's not angry or hurt. In fact, he looks happy and touched that I want to include Whitney in my decision. “Mind if I change out of my suit first?”

  I laugh and smack his butt. “Of course not.”

  Cory leaves the kitchen, and I go over to my bag, retrieve my phone, and go into the back yard. The early October sunset is cool, a welcome break after the warmth of summer, and the breeze kisses my forehead and cools my neck while I wait for the phone to ring.

  “Hello, Wood house, Laurie Nelson speaking.” She's so cute, and I'm smiling despite the nerves that I feel.

  “Well hello, Miss Nelson. This is your grandma. Is Mama there?” />
  “Hi, Grandma! Sure, Mama's here. She's just messing around with some baby stuff. Hold on,” Laurie says before setting down the phone and hollering loudly, “Mama! It's Grandma!”

  I hear footsteps running away from the phone, then softer footsteps approaching. Whitney picks up the phone, laughing to herself at her daughter. “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hey, Whitney. You know, I don't think Laurie's ever going to be as shy as you were growing up.”

  Whitney laughs, each chuckle lightening my mood. “Nope, she's so much like her father that I'm just waiting for her to ask for a helmet for Christmas. She certainly runs like a linebacker. What's up?”

  “Well, Cory and I just had an interesting conversation,” I start, leaning against the back fence of the house. “He . . . he asked me to marry him.”

  “You better have said yes,” Whitney replies immediately. “Or else I'm sending Dani after you!”

  When I don't laugh, she grows serious. “Mom, what is it? Seriously.”

  “Nothing, honey,” I reply, suddenly choked up. “It's just that . . . Whitney, last time, it was just you and me. Now I have Cory and another baby coming, and it feels like . . . it feels like our time as a team is coming to an end. I don't want to lose that.”

  “You're not, Mom,” Whitney says, and I can hear the emotion in her voice taking away my fear and nervousness. She understands our bond and how it can never be broken. Changed maybe, but never broken. “You and I, we're always going to be a team. You're never going to lose me. We're just going to keep adding more and more. Friends, family . . . hey, you're giving me a little brother or sister, remember?”

  I laugh, tears coming to my eyes, and nod. “Whitney, can you . . . can you give me your blessing on all this?”

  “On one condition,” Whitney says. “You have to promise that you two will get married when I can be there. Be engaged as long as you want, but I'm giving you away at the altar.”