AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Butwhywon’tyou tell me what happened?” Matty whines, running his little fingers over the cast on his dad’s hand.
I feel Cammy tense up against my side, where we’re curled up on the couch in her place.
A week later, things have settled down. Beth came out with a statement debunking the article Waters posted while preserving both of our privacy as much as possible. When I was worried about rushing things with Matty after he’d seen his parents napping together—Cammy thankfully debunked that misunderstanding about the nap that wasn’t actually together. And I debunked the business with the nutritionist who I already let go. Unfortunately the trade rumors proved true, only they weren’t about me.
Matty saw me kiss his mom goodbye a few nights ago—closed mouth, no tongue, thank you—and spent the next two days giving me the kind of face-splitting grins where I could count all his teeth. Safe to say my man is on board, but I still want to give him a little time.
Not too much though.
And as for Jeremy… he shakes his head from where he’s crouching beside Matty. “I’m not proud of what I did, but I’m going to be honest with you so you feel like you’re able to be honest with me… I hit Rux.”
“What!” Matty shrieks, his head spindling between all of us, horror in his blue eyes.
“It was a mistake, and Jeremy and I made up,” I add quickly.
“It was a mistake.” Jeremy nods. “I believed something that wasn’t true, and I acted before I thought.”
Eyes as wide as saucers, Matty whispers, “What did you think he’d done?”
“Something to hurt your mom’s feelings. But I was wrong.”
Matty looks to me. “Did he knock you out?”
Beside me, Cammy quakes with restrained laughter but she gets it under control.
I can see the awe in his little eyes and instead of telling him the truth—his dad punches like a pussy—I say, “Really close.”
Jeremy clears his throat. “Thing is. Rux was the bigger man that day, Matty.” He puts his hand over his chest. “In here. He could have hit me back. Pounded me into next year. But even though I hit him when he wasn’t expecting it, and he had every right to retaliate… he cared more about you and your mom than getting even.”
And damn, that’s some pretty big man shit right there. Cammy seems to notice, because she gives my hand a squeeze.
I clear my throat. “Matty, we were both thinking about you guys that day. Because we both love you.”
He nods and looks at his mom with earnest eyes. “We’re lucky like that.”
Cammy ruffles his hair, then looks to me. “We’re the luckiest.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Epilogue
Rux
Three years later
“Aww, come on. With the eyes?” Jesus, one look at those beautiful blues and I feel myself cracking. Which would be a mistake. I’m sure of it.
Any other time, I’d have my girl backing me up. Being sensible. Suggesting we stop, take a breath, and think things through.
But surprise… Pregnant Cammy is animpulsive Cammy. It’s fucking adorable, and about 95% of the time I’m in full support.
She wants tacos at three in the morning? I’ll drive.
A boat because being on the water is so relaxing? We’re cruising out of Belmont Harbor by noon.
But this?
“Sunshine, we spent months talking about getting a dog.” Weighing the pros and cons. Debating over a male or female. If we wanted a puppy. When the best time to bring it into the house would be. “We have a plan.” Hell, we spent more time nailing it down than we did on the details for our Fiji wedding and that was phenomenal.
