Lover's Road (16 page)

Mike jumped then headed straight for me. He was bigger than I was, so I took off and ran through the maze. I kept running until I lost him. He may be bigger than me, but I was definitely faster.

Just when I thought I was safe, Cortland appeared out of nowhere and got a few hits in. I took off but ran into Mike the opposite way. I knew it was payback time.

“I’m going to make you scream like a girl,” Mike threatened.

He wrestled me to the ground then put his weight on me. His gun was aimed at my chest and he fired repeatedly.

“Looks like the score is evened,” Cortland said. He stood by and let Mike get the shots in.

“You dick face!” I yelled.

“You’re a dick face,” he argued.

My dad entered the zone then shot Mike from behind. “Get off my teammate.”

“Cortland, take the old man out,” Mike commanded.

My dad ran off, Cortland chasing him.

Ryan came from behind a box then pushed Mike off me. We ganged up on Mike then got our points back. When he rushed us, we took off again. The game continued for the next hour. I was sweatier than I was when we played basketball. I was sore everywhere and my lungs hurt every time I breathed. We were taking this game way too seriously.

When the lights finally came on, we checked in our equipment and headed home. I was dead silent in the car, barely able to keep my eyes open. My dad was just as tired. Being in the sun all day then playing an intense session of laser tag really wore us out.

When we came back to the house, Scarlet had snacks and food prepared. There was tons of booze and plenty of finger food. The table and cards were already set up in the center of the room. My wife was nowhere in sight. She must be in our bedroom.

We sat down and started the game.

Andrew dealt the cards and lit up a cigar.

“Dad, you smoke?” Mike asked incredulously.

“Once in a while,” he said with a shrug.

“Can I have one?”

“Go ahead.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “You’re letting me smoke?”

“You’re an adult. And you’ve been one for a long time. Do what you want.”

Mike lit it then took a hit. “You keep getting cooler and cooler.”

I didn’t take one. Scarlet never bossed me around or told me what to do, but I knew she wouldn’t like it if I smoked. Since her mom smoked, I knew that was something she wouldn’t put up with. I stayed away from it.

Andrew held the cigar in his fingertips then drank his whiskey. “Thank you for taking me out.” He dealt the cards without looking at any of us. “This has been a very difficult time for me, and it’s nice to be distracted for a while. I don’t have a lot of friends…at least people who like me for me and not my money, and it’s nice knowing I have people I can depend on.”

Every time my dad made a little speech like that, it went straight to my heart. He moved me without even trying. Perhaps it was because I respected him so much, or just because I loved him. I didn’t know. But he got to me every time.

Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. “We got you, man. You can always count on us.”

“You’re a lot more fun to be around than your sons,” Cortland said with a laugh.

Mike and I both glared at him.

Cortland shrugged. “It’s true.”

My dad smiled. “Whatever the reason, I appreciate it.” He handed out the cards then we began the game.

My phone rang so I pulled it out quickly, worried it had something to do with work. When I looked at the screen, I recognized the number from the clinic. “Shut the fuck up! Nobody talk.”

They all looked at me like I was crazy. But none of them dared to defy me. Even Mike, my smartass brother, kept his silence. I took the call.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Preston? This is Dr. Peterson. I apologize for calling so late but I knew you were anxious for the results as soon as they came in.”

My heart was beating so fast I thought it would cave in. My fingers moved through my hair because I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tossed my cars at Ryan, for absolutely no reason at all. He caught them with a quizzical expression but didn’t say anything. “I appreciate that.”

“Are you ready?” he asked.

God, no. “Just give me a second.” I closed my eyes and breathed through the stress. If he said we couldn’t have children, it would kill me. But it would devastate my wife even more. She was such a good person and didn’t deserve anything but the best. I just wanted to make her happy, to tell her everything would be okay. What if he said there was no possibility of having kids? We’d have to adopt? How would that make Scarlet feel? When I calmed down, I opened my eyes again. Everyone was staring at me like I might fall over and die. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“Okay,” he said. I heard papers move in the background. “Your tests showed there’s nothing wrong with either of you. The miscarriage your wife experienced was just an abnormal accident. If you conceive again, she should be fine.”

I jumped up and knocked the table over. Cortland dodged out of the way so it wouldn’t crush him. “Thank you! Thank you!”

He chuckled over the phone. “Congratulations, Mr. Preston. I know your wife will be thrilled by the news.”

The guys grabbed the table and turned it back on its stands. They still didn’t talk or yell at me.

“Thank you. I’ll tell her right now.”

“Have a good night.”

“Bye.” I didn’t even finish speaking before I hung up.

“What?” Ryan asked.

“Everything okay?” Cortland asked.

My dad stared at me with wide eyes. “Is it good news?”

I sprinted out of the room and took the stairs two at a time until I was in the bedroom I shared with my wife. She was lying in bed, reading a book on her tablet. I
jumped on the bed and snatched the device away.

She flinched at my sudden appearance. “What? What’s wrong?”

I grabbed her face and directed her gaze on me. “The doctor called.”

Her eyes suddenly became serious. She breathed harder, her hands moving over mine. “And…?”

I smiled. “We’re fine, baby.”

Her eyes bubbled with tears and they fell. “We can have a baby?”

“You bet your ass we can have a baby.” I loved seeing the happiness in her eyes.

She sniffed. “God, I’m so happy.”

I kissed her tears away. “Let’s start now.”

She laughed then wrapped her arms around me. “I’m was so scared…”

“Now you don’t need to be.”

“I won’t…lose the baby again?”

“He said it’s very unlikely.”

More tears fell. “I’m so happy.”

“I am too.” I held her in my arms. I was so glad my wife was happy. After the trauma she experienced, she needed something good to happen. She deserved everything she wanted. I cherished the moment with her.

“I want to have a bunch of babies,” I said. “Like ten.”

She laughed. “Whoa…let’s not get carried away.”

“If it happens, it happens,” I said with a smirk.

“I’d be a cow.”

“Ooh…”

She hit my shoulder. “You’re so gross.”

I pulled her out of bed. “Let’s share the news.”

“Right now? Aren’t you doing something for your dad?”

“He’ll understand. And believe me, he’ll be thrilled.”

We came downstairs. The guys were still sitting at the table, the cards forgotten. They all stared at us, waiting for an explanation.

“The doctor said we’re ready for blast off.”

My dad’s face stretched into a smirk. “That’s wonderful.”

“Yes!” Ryan jumped up and threw his fist in the air. “That’s awesome.”

Cortland came out of his seat and hugged Scarlet. “I knew this would happen for you.”

Mike shoved him out of the way then grabbed Scarlet. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Umm…what about me?” I asked.

“Yeah, whatever.” Mike continued to hold Scarlet.

Ryan gave me a bear hug. “This is great news. It couldn’t come at a better time.”

“It really couldn’t,” my dad said. “We all need some joy in our lives right now.” He hugged me next, embracing me longer than he usually did. “You two deserve this.”

“I know we do.” I pulled away then looked at Scarlet. Her face was glowing with a radiance I’d never seen before. I remembered how broken she was when we lost our first baby. The stark contrast was a joy to see. This girl deserved nothing but pure joy. I was sad we lost our first child, but I was grateful we would get a chance to have another.

We gathered around the table and basked in the joy of the moment.
Scarlet sat on my lap and hooked her arm around my neck. Drinks were downed and cigars were lit. It was a moment I’d never forget. Everyone seemed to be falling apart in their relationships, but something wonderful was bringing us together. And right now, we all needed that.

The Next Installment of the Forever and Always Series

Meant to Be

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