Page 123 of Rigid

“Just got one more stop to make,” I said.

“Where you headed?”

“Exit 3B off the 8. Friars.”

He nodded, but I doubt he knew where I was going. “Gotcha.”

I walked through the door, and looked up at the cloudless sky. It was a beautiful day to be a new man – a man who faced his fears – and that was exactly what I was.

A new man.

Who was fearless.

FORTY-ONE

Sandy

Smokey, Eddie and I were going to dinner at a nice restaurant in San Diego with Cholo and Lex. I was so excited to be enjoying an evening with another couple, and spending time with a friend who was only a few weeks more pregnant than me was a lot of fun.

Lex and I compared our belly size, our moods, doctor’s recommendations, and even our likes and dislikes with food.

I stared down at my belly as the water sprayed against me. Now at 13 weeks, I was starting to show. Seeing the growth was the best part of the pregnancy so far.

Eddie bought some board books, and gave them to us as a gift. When we were in bed, Smokey read them to the baby, often creating additional bits and pieces as he saw fit, and making the story his own. He said the reading sessions would cause the baby to get used to his raspy voice.

That way there would be no surprises after the birth.

Living with Smokey and Eddie was, by far the highlight of my life. Part of me had an expectation that one day it would all end, because it was simply too good to be true. The thought of not having it was extremely unhealthy for me, and I knew it.

So, when those thoughts came, I’d always talk to Eddie, and she would tell me how much I meant to her, and to her father. She explained that it was difficult for Smokey to express how he felt, because he, too, feared losing me.

In the end, it seemed Grayson and I were far more alike than I originally thought.

Two people who met, got pregnant, and then, at least one of them fell in love. It was a fairy tale if there ever was one, but it was put together with our timeline, not one from most fables.

It was my happy ever after.

And, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I got out of the shower, dried off, and put on my robe. When I came out of the bedroom, I about had a heart attack.

A real one.

“Oh my God!” I shouted. “What…”

I stood and stared.

Against the far wall, Smokey stood, shirtless, wearing only jeans. From his chest, all the way down to his crotch, a huge colorful snake was tattooed.

It was one of the sexiest things I’d ever seen. In facg, it sucked the breath from my lungs, leaving it difficult for me to breathe.

“What. Oh my God. What. I thought you hated snakes?” I stammered.

“Do you like it?”

I sucked in a breath. “Uhhm. It’s. yeah. I like it. It’s uhhm. It’s super hot. I uhhm, Dear God. I though nothing could make you hotter. But. Uhhm. Yeah.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Do you think it’s sexy?”