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ROWLEY
*
MARRIED ONE YEAR & four months...
I spotted the flyer with an image of the Eiffel Tower on top of the mail and picked it up. The school she attended for baking classes was offering a two week crash course in French pastry.
Had she placed this for me to find? Did she want to go? Jesus, I still felt sick every time I thought of her Las Vegas trip.
She was in the kitchen, which I was beginning to think was her favorite room in the house. My pride wanted it to be the bedroom.
She was dressed in skimpy torn jean shorts and a little tank top. Her hair was in a messy bun, clipped to the back of her head. She hummed to herself as she layered cold cuts atop a slice of bread. She was putting together food for a day of poker. She already had a big tray filled with sandwiches and there were fresh baked cookies on another tray.
Pizza and beer were our usual fare, and sometimes, when nobody took the initiative to call for pizza, just beer.
She picked up a knife and cut the sandwich diagonally and then placed it on top of the pile.
"You should go if you want to," I said. I was doing the, if you love someone set them free and they'll come back to you bullshit. It was a wonder I didn't choke on my words. I prayed making the suggestion would be enough and that she wouldn't take me up on my generous offer. Two weeks apart from her would be pure hell.
"Go where?" She glanced over and I held up the flyer.
"We could go together," she said. "The honeymoon we never had."
Shit, she was considering it. "I can't. We're doing some controlled burns in the foothills."
"I don't want to go without you."
I let out a pent-up breath. That was enough selflessness for one day. I wasn't going to encourage her to go alone. I shoved the flyer out of sight under some junk mail.
She put cellophane wrap over the stacks of sandwiches and placed the tray in the fridge.
"You didn't need to do all this."
"I thought it would be nice." She showed me where she'd stashed the bags of chips.
"Too nice. I don't want to get these guys used to this treatment. They're good with sitting in the garage and grabbing beer out of an ice chest."
She shook her head and smiled, flashing me her adorable dimples. She approached me and ran her fingers over my shower dampened skin. To be precise she was tracing the snake on my tattoo. My cock was instantly rock hard. She was always tracing my tattoos. I planned on getting a few more.
A car horn blared and her hand dropped away.
"That's Lili. We're going to the beach." She grabbed a tote bag I hadn't noticed before off the kitchen stool. "Have fun," she said.
I watched her sassy sweet ass swaying in those tiny shorts as she stepped out the back door.
She'd settled down a lot, but she could still be infuriatingly unpredictable. Not a word to me about her plans until the very last second. I didn't even get a kiss goodbye.
***
I'D BEEN RIGHT. THE guys weren't fit for indoor poker. Just an hour into play and there were already empties everywhere and sandwiches with bites out of them, lying directly on the table. Nobody could be bothered to get napkins or plates, me included. I congratulated myself for having the foresight to bring in the folding table and chairs rather than having them sit in the dining room as Harper had suggested.
There was a knock at the front door. I set down my cards to answer it.
Denise and Kelly were standing there with babies in their arms and bags filled to the top with baby equipment.
"We didn't think we should have all the fun," Denise said with a smart-ass smile. I took the bags from them and led them inside.
“Hey, man,” I said to Jake as I returned to the table. “You’d better call Steph and tell her to bring the twins or she’s going to feel left out.”
“She’s good,” Jake said. “She’s staying at her sisters for a few days.”
“Must be damned quiet at your house,” Nick said.
Jake grinned. “Yeah. It’s downright blissful.”
The living room quickly turned into a daycare center. Toys and blankets were scattered everywhere. There were baby bottles and small food jars on the coffee table. Kelly had switched off the baseball game we’d had playing in the background and put on a cooking show.
I heard the sound of laughter spilling through the back screen door. Harper and Lili had returned from the beach.
Harper left her friend in the kitchen and came out to the table. Her hair was down and wavy. Instead of shorts, she was now wearing a long summer dress over her bathing suit. It clung to her curves.
She said hello to Tony and Nick, and then I introduced her to the two guys she hadn’t met yet, Jake and Wyatt.
“Nice to meet, ya,” Wyatt said. He was an Alabama boy like me. He’d lived in California even longer than I had, yet somehow his accent was thicker.
Harper scanned the room and I figured she was unhappy with the mess. She disappeared into the kitchen. I expected her to return with a trash bag, instead, she brought out two big bowls of chips. I hadn't bothered to serve them. In fact, the guys had discovered the sandwiches she'd prepared on their own when they went to the fridge for beer.
She made another trip to the kitchen this time returning with the freshly baked cookies. She shot me an annoyed look as she set the tray down on the sideboard. I could see specks of sand glittering on her skin, the light freckles across her nose standing out from the sun. I wanted to kick everyone out of my house so that I could make love to her nice and slow.
Lili and another girl came out of the kitchen and Harper introduced them around. Coco. That was the name. I could never remember. Not sure why? She was fairly memorable, with her lip piercings and a full sleeve tattoo. But I knew I would forget her name again the moment she left.
"Oh my God, I didn't realize you married the guy from the concert." Coco wagged a finger at Harper. "I saw you. That night, I saw it all. Finn Newton singing that love ballad in front of everyone and—"
"Coco, don't." Harper's cheeks were pink.
All the men had set down their cards.
Denise and Kelly suddenly appeared in the doorway.
“I downloaded one of his albums,” Kelly said. “He’s really good.”
Harper threw Coco an annoyed glance before moving around the card table toward Denise and Kelly. "I didn't know you guys were going to be here. I would have stuck around."
Denise thrust her baby at Harper and Harper took him with a smile. Damn, that baby looked right in her arms.
"Last minute decision. I didn't want Tony to miss out on quality time with Tony, Jr." Her lips curled in a sarcastic smile.
"I suggested that womenfolk shouldn't be around such sordid card play, but she wouldn't listen," Tony said.
Denise rolled her eyes at her husband.
"Keep going, Coco,” Kelly said. “I want to hear the rest.”
I could tell by the disappointed expression on Harper's face that she thought the subject had been changed.
"You know his newest hit? The one they play on the radio all the time. That's about Harper," Lili offered.
Harper's cheeks were bright red now. "Coco, Lili, please cut it out."
I had no fucking problem hearing this story told. I was the one who got the girl.
"So picture this," Coco said ignoring Harper's pleading. She held her hands up as if she were framing a scene. "There's Finn singing his heart out on stage, trying to win Harper back and she stuffs her hair under her hood—Oops, forgot to mention, he asks the audience to find his beautiful redhead and point her in his direction. Which is why she hid her hair." She paused for maximum effect. Harper was focusing on the baby, cooing and gently bouncing him in her arms. She was trying her best to ignore the whole thing.
“It’s like a baseball player proposing in the middle of the field, during a game,” Lili said. “I mean you almost have to say yes, don’t you?”
Coco directed a narrow-eyed glance at Lili for inserting herself, before continuing. "So Harp's going the opposite direction, pushing through the crowd and away from the stage."
"And?" Denise prodded.
"She gets clear of everybody and then she makes a crazy dash straight into another man's arms. His arms." She pointed at me.
All eyes turned to me.
“Shit, Ford, that must have made you feel like the cock of the walk,” Wyatt said. He was a man of few, but often cut-to-the-chase words.
“That about sums it up,” I said with a smile.
"She made the right choice," Kelly said and her husband, Nick, threw her a surprised look over his shoulder.
"Definitely," Denise agreed.
Only my wife stayed silent.
"You sure?" Tony asked. "Newton is probably worth millions."
I gave the bottom of his chair a hard shove with my boot. He grabbed the edge of the table to stop from toppling. The other guys groused as a couple of beer bottles fell over and poker chips slid off the table and bounced onto the floor.
Once he righted himself and the table, he scooted his chair a safe distance from me. "Just stating the obvious." He gave me a shit-eating grin.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Harper handing Tony, Jr. back to Denise before slipping into the kitchen. Given the chance to redo that moment, would she still come running to me? She sure as hell didn't want to have my babies.
I knew it was all my own damn fault. You don’t tell your brand new bride that you don’t have faith in her.
All my apologies hadn't helped. And I was clearly shit at the grand gesture. My attempt to make her feel better about that painful prom experience by filling a room with roses turned out to be a pathetic stunt.
I followed her into the kitchen. Wyatt and Tony trailed after me, obviously to fetch beers.
She started at the sight of us and quickly swiped her fingers beneath her eyes.
She approached me and wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me. “Sorry, that must have been embarrassing for you.”
“Hell, that ain’t the kind of thing that embarrasses a man,” Wyatt said. “That’s the kind of thing a man brags about it.”
Harper gave him a smile.
I waited impatiently for the guys to grab their beers and get the hell out of there, before asking, “Why were you crying?”
"I'm just so happy."
Moments later, Coco walked in, so I didn't have the opportunity to find out why she was crying if she was so damned happy.
"We need to get ready,” Coco said. “We're on at nine."
"Sorry, forgot to mention we're playing at The Escape, a little club downtown," Harper said to me. "We'll get dressed in the guesthouse so we'll be out of your way."
She had me spinning. This felt like deja vu. I wanted to tell her to settle the fuck down.
Harper gathered clothes and makeup and headed out the back door, her bandmates in tow.
"You're going to the show, right?" Tony asked.
I thought of my babygirl, sexy as all get-out in her punk outfit, and the club attendees getting to watch her while I played poker. I was a selfish bastard. I hated sharing her with anyone. "Fuck, yes," I said.
Tony set his beer down and walked out to the front room. "Okay, let's clear out. Ford's got someplace to be."
Considering all the baby gear, the house emptied damn quick. But minutes later Tony was knocking on the door.
"I made the mistake of telling my wife about the concert and then she told Kelly. Denise's mom has agreed to watch the kids." He shrugged. "So it looks like you're going to have company."
I was preoccupied during the drive, wondering if this was a pattern repeating itself. Was she bored again? Dissatisfied?
The club wasn’t visible from the street. It was in a basement beneath a clothing store.
The lighting was dim in the front of the club where the bar was located, and blazing near the stage. There were only a few people in the bar area. The majority of the club goers were clustered around the stage.
Harper’s band was already nearing the end of their set. I recognized the song.
Harper was too focused on drumming to look out into the audience. Her drumsticks were flying, a look of concentration on her beautiful face.
Denise bounced on her toes, trying to get a look at the stage. "That girl is on fire on those drums," she said, shouting over the music.
The band hadn’t played a show for awhile, but they’d been together for so long that the music was still tight.
Nick raised his eyebrows at me as if to say he hadn’t expected this level of talent.
On the final song, Coco stopped singing abruptly and Lili ended after a brief run on the guitar. It was Violet, the bassist, and Harper who finished the set off with dueling solos. The audience roared their approval.
After the applause died down, there were a few minutes of relative quiet before someone started fucking around on a synthesizer.
We moved to the bar area, away from the noise and strobe lights of the stage. Tony pushed two tables together in front of a wooden bench, and then brought some chairs over.
I could see Harper's red hair. She was dancing near the stage with Lili.
Coco was making her way to the bar, when she homed in on me and started heading in my direction.
She plunked herself down on a chair beside me.
"Did Harp tell you we're going on a cross-country tour?"
I lifted the beer bottle to my lips and took a slug.
"Not a big deal, right? What's six months really in the scheme of things?"
I had a feeling I was going to remember her name this time.
"I mean she's crucial to our band. She's the beating heart."
Did Harper know I was here, but had purposely not looked in my direction, afraid to catch my eye? Had she enlisted Coco to make her case? Was this why she'd been such a whirlwind today?
Tony knuckled my arm. "Yeah, Ford, no biggie. You won't miss your woman for six months, right?"
Coco shot Tony an annoyed look.
I finally spoke. "Harper's not going."
"You wouldn't deny her an experience like that, would you?"
The blood rushed in my ears. I stood up fast. Tony caught my chair before it hit the ground. I headed toward the bar. I needed something stronger than beer.
I was still standing at the bar when Harper noticed me, her beautiful green eyes opening wide in surprise. Was she acting or had she really just realized I was here? I wanted to scoop her up and carry her out of the club so I could commence laying down the law.
She hurried to me as fast as those heavy, buckled boots would allow.
"I can't believe you came!" She was trying to kiss me and I had to bend down even with her wearing those mile-high soles.
"I didn't come alone," I said. I knew the crowd at the table was sitting back and watching.
Her cheeks pinkened and she turned around and waved at our small audience.
She clung to my arm as we walked to the table. She took a seat beside me on the bench, scooting as close to me as she could without actually being in my lap.
“You were amazing,” Kelly said.
“Thanks,” Harper said.
“Must be a blast to be up on stage like that,” Denise said.
Harper shrugged. “The first few minutes are nerve-wracking. But once I get into the swing of it, it’s really fun.”
The waitress stopped at the table.
I ordered another whiskey.
Harper eyed me curiously. “Looks like I’m the designated driver,” she said before asking the waitress for a sparkling water.
Denise put up a finger and raised her voice. “Another margarita over here.”
“Hon, don’t you think you’ve had enough,” Tony said.
She shot him an annoyed look. “And an extra shot,” she added loudly.
“Let her enjoy herself,” Kelly said to Tony.
“Yeah, don’t be such an uptight dick,” Nick said with a chuckle.
Harper put her hand around my neck and brushed her fingers along the ends of my hair. She gave me a sweet smile.
She looked innocent, not like a girl who'd been scheming. I knew I should save this argument for when we got home, but that was impossible.
"I don't care if I come off as a controlling asshole, but that is not happening."
She blinked at me. "What's not happening?"
"Going on tour for six months."
"You are definitely coming off controlling," she said, but she laughed lightly. "I told Coco months ago that she had to find another drummer." She snuggled up against my arm. "You know I can't even be away from you for a week."
The waitress delivered the drinks.
Harper took a sip of her sparkling water. I didn't miss that her hand was trembling when she set the glass down. Something was still not right. I swallowed back some of the whiskey.
"Besides, I'm going to be busy having our baby.”
Her voice had been so soft that I was sure I’d imagined what I wanted to hear. My heart began thumping.
I forgot that we were in a club, forgot that we were surrounded by people. Everything fell away. "I thought you just said you were going to be having my baby."
She smiled up at me. Her lips were trembling, too. "Actually, I said, our baby, but your baby works too."
"Congrats, man," Nick said, lifting his beer in a toast. The congratulations rippled down the table. I was too stunned to acknowledge them.
"Let's go outside," I said to Harper.
My hand around her waist, I steered her through the bar area. I got envious stares from guys who thought I'd just scored a hookup with the sizzling hot drummer. I led her up the steps. Though there was traffic, the noise was decibels less out on the sidewalk.
"How long have you known?" I asked.
"Since this morning."
"You were fighting me about going off the pill."
"Actually, I've been off it since the night of our anniversary." She gave me a coy smile. "I didn't want to make it too easy for you.
"I had that coming."
"Yep, you kind of did."
"That's why you were crying?"
She nodded. Tears were glittering in her eyes again.
"I don't deserve this. I was a total bastard." I pulled in a shaky breath. "On our wedding night, no less."
"True, you were a bit of a bastard," she said, sweetly playing it down. "But you're still the best man I've ever known."
I leaned in and gave her a long slow kiss
"We should probably go back inside." She sounded a little breathless.
I put my hands on either side of her, trapping her against the wall.
"If that concert happened today would you still choose me?"
"How can you even ask me that?"
"Babe, don't evade the question."
She reached up and ran her fingers along my jaw. I could hear the rasp of my stubble against her soft skin. "I would always choose you. Always."
***