by Hope Ford
Jamie sits in the seat next to me. “It’s been weeks, Katie. Just call him.”
I sit up straighter in my chair. “I’m not calling him.”
She turns in her seat and stares at me. “Really? You think you can just keep going on like this? You’ve lost weight. You’re pitiful. You said Lane is missing him something awful. You said Gracie called you and told you that Trey is miserable. It’s time you work this out.”
“I can’t, Jamie. He doesn’t see it from my side, and let’s face it, if he really loved me, nothing would keep us apart. I’m not getting into another relationship with someone that doesn’t love me. I’ve been there done that. Plus, you’re the one that said I should just treat it like a rebound guy or something, remember?”
She rolls her eyes and pulls out her tuna fish sandwich. As soon as the smell assaults my nose, I start to heave. I take big gulping breaths. “Oh my God, put that away,” I beg of her.
She takes a bite and with her mouth full, holds the sandwich up. “What? This?” She keeps chewing while pulling out the remainder of food in her bag. “And yes, I told you to treat it like a rebound relationship. But hell, I didn’t know you were going to fall in love with him.”
I get up because there’s no way I can sit in this chair and continue to watch her eat. Who knows what else she’s going to bring out of that bag? I get up and start to walk and get two steps before I’m reaching for the chair that’s not where I thought it was. Everything fades to black, and that’s the last thing I remember.
Treyton
“Treyton, phone’s for you,” Emily screeches from the front. She can’t figure out the phone system and how to transfer a call so instead she screeches anytime she needs someone. A part of me thinks she does it because it drives Dawson mad.
I pick up the line in my booth. “This is Trey.”
“This is Jamie, Katie’s friend.”
My heart drops. “Are Katie and Lane okay? What’s happened?”
I’m already walking across the room to grab my keys.
“No, neither one of them are okay, but I hope they will be. I have Lane at the house. Katie has been sick and passed out today at work.”
“Where is she?”
“She’s at Mercy. Room 211.... if you’re not going, I need to send Craig to sit with her. I don’t want her there by herself, and she didn’t want Lane to be at the hospital.”
“I’m going... I’m leaving now.”
I run out the doors without any explanation. I make the trip to Jasper in record time and run from the parking lot all the way to the 2nd floor of the hospital to her room. The trip here, all I could think about is what if there’s something wrong with her. How could I live in a world without Katie in it? The last few weeks have been pure hell. Nothing has been right... not my life, not my art, nothing. It’s like I’ve been in a fog.
I push open the door without knocking and am shocked to see a very pale Katie lying back on white sheets. Her eyes open, and her mouth drops. “Trey. What are you doing here?”
“Jamie called me. Are you okay?” I stride toward the bed, grab her hand in mine, and hold it to my chest. I’m pretty sure I aged twenty years since Jamie called me. “Fuck, baby, I was worried sick the whole way here. I can’t lose you. Whatever it is, we’re going to get through this. Me and you... I’m going to take care of you and Lane.”
She pulls her hand back and then pulls the sheet up to cover herself. I know she’s mad, and she has every right to be. “I won’t ever leave you again, Katie. I fucked up... I know I did, but I’m lost without you. I feel like I can’t breathe without you.”
She blinks but doesn’t say anything. At least she’s not kicking me out of here. “Have you seen the doctor? Did they say what’s wrong?”
She still doesn’t say anything, but her face softens as she looks at me. I push my free hand through my hair. The look she’s giving me is pure torture. Why is she not answering me? I automatically start to think the worst. “Tell me what they said,” I demand, preparing myself for the worst.
She looks straight into my eyes. “I’m pregnant.”
The pain in my chest is instant. Just the thought of her with another man is enough to make me want to kill someone. I take a deep breath. And then another one. I want to ask her if it’s Craig’s. It was always obvious by the way he was always there and trying to control her that he still wanted Katie. But she wouldn’t have cheated on you, dummy. Fuck, we never talked about being exclusive or anything. It had to be before me. My mind is whirling, but none of it matters... I can’t let her go, not again.
I clench the railing of the bed with both hands. “Are you and Craig getting back together?” I feel I have to ask even though I know the answer. There’s no way I’m going to let her go back to her cheating ex. I may have fucked up, but I’d never cheat on her. But I still need to know what she’s thinking.
Her forehead creases in disgust, and she almost spits the words at me. “No, we’re not getting back together.”
I sigh. Okay, I can do this. I love Katie, I love Lane. I can raise another man’s child. I can do anything as long as I’m with Katie. “Okay.”
She lifts her eyebrows. “Okay? What does okay mean?”
I shrug. “It means okay. You’re pregnant and you’re not getting back with the father. I don’t care whose baby it is. I’ll love him or her as my own, Katie, I promise I will.”
She huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. She’s mad. Probably madder than I’ve ever seen her. “What exactly are you thinking, Treyton Cree?”
Fuck. Yep, she’s mad since she’s using my whole name. “What do you mean what do I think?”
She points to her stomach. “You think this is Craig’s?”
I gulp and nod.
She rolls her eyes. “Well, that tells me exactly what you think of me. I’m not a slut. I don’t sleep around.”
I reach for her, and she jerks away. I hold my hands up. “I don’t think you are. We haven’t been together that long. You were married to him. It doesn’t matter. Whose baby is it?”
Her eyes get even bigger. “It’s yours... you big dummy. Craig and I haven’t slept together in over a year. There’s no one else. You’re the only man I’ve slept with.”
I point to myself. “Mine... but I can’t.”
She shakes her head. “You said it yourself, Trey. There’s a zero point one percent chance. Well, you may need to play the lottery or something because it’s yours. This baby is yours.”
I take a few steps back and fall back into the chair. “I can’t... it can’t...”
Her gaze softens. “It is, Trey. I promise it is yours. We stopped using condoms, and I didn’t think I needed birth control. I guess I did.”
“They said...”
She holds her hand out to me. I get up and stumble toward her. My legs feel like Jell-O. When I get close to the bed, she holds my one hand between both of hers. “I promise you that I have not been with anyone else, and honestly, it makes me mad that you think that about me, but I understand these are special circumstances. I’ll have whatever test to prove it to you.” She holds one hand up. “As long as it’s safe for the baby.”
I search her face. I have so many emotions right now, I can’t even grasp on to one thought without having another. “You don’t have to do a test. You’re mine, Katie. I love you. and I love Lane and our baby.” I reach forward and cup her face with my hand. “Why are you in the hospital? Are you and the baby okay?”
“I’ve been stressed lately, and I haven’t been eating and passed out. But we’re fine. We’re both fine.” She looks into my eyes. “Lane and I have missed you.”
“I’m never leaving you again. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
I lean down to kiss her, but she stops me. “I love you, Trey.”
“Fuck honey, I love you. I’m going to spend the rest of our lives proving it to you.”
And then I kiss her, vowing to myself that I’m going to make everything right.
She’ll never hurt again.
13
Treyton
A few months later
“So I’m going to have a little brother?” Lane asks, looking between Katie and me. It’s easy to see the worry and unsurety on the little boy’s face. I wish I could say the last few months have been a cake walk, but they haven’t been. Craig definitely had issues with how fast Katie and I have moved in our relationship and tried to put his two cents in at every turn. I’ve remained respectful because he is Lane’s dad, but there’s no way I’m going to let him come between Katie and me.
And now it seems there’s another issue. “I thought you were excited about being a big brother.”
He shrugs his shoulders and goes back to drawing. It seems since the time we worked on the tattoos on his cast, he’s found a love for art.
There’s a movement behind Lane, and I see Katie leaning against the kitchen doorway. Her belly is round, and she has her hand over it protectively. Fuck, she’s even more beautiful now. I smile at her before getting back to my discussion with Lane, sensing that there’s definitely something bothering him.
“Look at me, Lane. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
He blows out a deep breath but doesn’t look up. He continues to draw as he asks softly, “Are you going to send me to live with my dad?”
Katie gasps and starts to move toward us, but I hold my hand up and shake my head to stop her. She does, but I can see the pain on her face, worried about her son.
“Look at me, Lane.”
He does, and his big eyes that are so much like Katie’s stare up at me worriedly. “Why would you think that?”
He blinks. “My dad said once you and mom had a kid of your own you wouldn’t want me around.”
My fists clench on the table, and automatically I want to go and pummel Katie’s ex-husband. What a douchebag. Why would you tell a five-year-old something like that?
“I know he’s your dad and you need to spend time with him, but do you know that when you go over there, I miss having you around?”
With the pencil still in his hand, he clasps his hands together. “I know Mom does.”
I give him a soft smile. “I do too. I like hanging out with you, and I know he’s always going to be your dad, but I want you to know that no matter what, no matter how many kids your mom and I have, you will always be my first son. I love you just as much as I’m going to love your little brother. Nothing’s going to change that.”
“So I’ll always get to live with you and Mom? You won’t send me away?”
I put my hand on his shoulder and squeeze. “Son, I will always share you with your dad, but I will never let anyone take you away from me and your mom. You’re our son too.”
He stares up at me, obviously taking in everything I’m saying before he finally nods his head. “Okay.”
“Okay? So you’re going to be okay being a big brother?”
He gets a smirk on his face. “Can I pick out the name?” He starts to laugh, and it’s the same laugh he does when I know he’s going to try to do something he shouldn’t. I can just imagine the names he’s going to come up with.
“I don’t know. We’ll have to talk to your mom about that.”
Katie wipes under her eyes and walks into the room. “Did I hear my name?”
Lane looks up at Katie. “Yes. I’m going to pick out names for my little brother.”
She laughs. “Uh, how about you go make a list and we can talk about them.”
He grabs his sketchbook and pencil and turns to go but stops suddenly. He turns to me with a smile. “Thanks, Trey. I love you too.”
My heart stops beating for just a fraction of a second. Lane runs from the room and doesn’t have any idea how much his words mean to me. Man, this parenting thing can be hard.
“You okay?” Katie asks, bumping her hip into me.
I pull her down into my lap. “Yeah, you think I handled that right? I wasn’t sure what to say... I do know I’m going to have a little talk with Craig about filling Lane’s head with ideas.”
Katie puts her hands on my shoulders. “I have something I wanted to tell you.”
I clasp my hands on her lower back. “Okay. You can tell me anything.”
“Yes.”
I shake my head, not understanding. “Yes what?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you. Today, tomorrow, whenever you want to.”
“Today,” I tell her instantly.
She throws her head back and laughs out loud. “I think we have to get a license or something first.”
“I’ll call Aiden. He can get his uncle to help us out... he owns half of Whiskey Run, he can push it through.”
“I need to prepare a little... how about Saturday?”
“Yes,” I tell her. I’ll tell her yes to anything. I’ve only asked her to marry me every week since we found out about the baby. “What changed your mind?”
“I didn’t want you to marry me just because of the baby. I’ve been worried about Lane and how he’d take it... all of it. I wanted to make sure you were doing this for the right reasons, I guess.”
I lean my head toward hers. “I’m marrying you because I love you, I love Lane, and I love this little guy,” I tell her, holding my hand over her rounded belly. “I want us to be together forever.”
“Me too,” she whispers before she fits her mouth over mine. My cock lengthens in my jeans, and I pull her closer.
I break the kiss and breathlessly tell her, “Saturday, you’re mine.”
She cups my cheek. “I’m already yours.”
Epilogue
Emily
I like the job. I do. Aiden and Treyton are both good guys—at least they seem to be. Both Gracie and Katie have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome. It’s Dawson that makes me want to quit at least once a day. If you look up asshole in the dictionary, I would bet money there’s a picture of him next to it.
Thankfully, it’s his night off, and I can work without being on edge the whole night.
Ring. Ring.
I pick up the phone. “Savage Ink. This is Emily.”
“This is Malcolm.”
I silently groan. There’s usually only one reason that Malcolm would be calling. He’s the manager of the Whiskey Whistler. He owns the bar a block down the street, and I’m already wondering if I can just hang up and unhook the phone. “How you doing, Malcolm?”
He growls into the phone. “I’ve been better. Send Aiden or Treyton down here to get Dawson before he destroys the place.”
“They’re both in the middle of tattoos.”
He sighs loudly into the phone. There’s all kinds of noise in the background, and I’m pretty sure one of the voices I hear is Dawson. “Fine. I’ll just call the sheriff.”
“No, don’t do that.” I don’t know why I stop him. This is becoming a regular occurrence where Aiden or Treyton is having to go and save him. I should just let him spend the night in jail and sober up—face the consequences. “One of us will be there in a minute.”
“Fine. Ten minutes, then I’m calling.”
I hang up the phone and walk back to Aiden’s booth first. “Sorry to interrupt. Malcolm just called... Dawson is...”
“I can’t go. I have to finish this. Can you ask Trey?”
I nod and walk down the hall to Treyton’s booth. I lose hope when I walk in and Trey is in the middle of a big back piece. There’s no way he’ll be able to go. “Hey, Malcolm called and said someone needs to come get Dawson before they call the cops.”
Trey stops the buzzing tattoo gun and looks up at me. “How is it up front? You busy?”
I shake my head. “No, but...”
“He’s harmless, Emily. He’d never hurt you. He’s just hard on himself and doesn’t know how to deal with his shit.”
I purse my lips together. I’m not sure what all that means or why he’s telling me that.
“Can you go and get him? Take him home?”
Reluctantly, I nod my
head. “Yeah, I’ll be back later.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll lock up.”
I nod and go back up front to grab my purse. I drive down the block and park right in the front of the Whiskey Whistler. The place is rundown on the outside, and if it was my first time here, I’d be surprised by what I find inside. Everything is fancy. It’s like a big city bar instead of the small-town dive that it appears to be on the outside.
As soon as I walk in, I spot Malcolm, and he points his head toward the back of the bar. I walk to the back, and Dawson has a chair raised over his head like he’s about to throw it. “Dawson!” I scream over the loud music and chaos.
His head turns toward me, and he drops the chair instantly. I stomp my way over to him, and I don’t know if it’s all these weeks of dealing with his bullshit and attitude but I don’t stop until I’m right in front of him. I grab his shirt and pull him down until we’re face to face. “What the hell are you doing?”
I never in a gazillion years would have been prepared for his response. “Emily,” he says huskily, right before he puts his lips on mine. Push him away. Knee him in the nuts. All these thoughts go through my mind, but I don’t do any of them. No, instead I pull him closer and let him deepen the kiss. Damn, what have I gotten myself into?
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Happily Ever After
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Katie
Three Years Later
“Lane, TJ, dinner’s ready!” I call out to the backyard.
I hear the boys’ feet as they run across the back porch just as Trey walks in the dining room. “It looks like we’re a little late for dinner.”
