I couldn't stand being at odds with Annie, especially when it was about our relationship. If we disagreed about some trivial subject, fine, but fighting about Gray wasn't worth the energy. There wasn't a valid reason for my outburst, but I couldn't bring myself to apologize. The thought of that man's hands on any part of her skin was more than I could handle. He'd been a poison in her life for far too long, and I refused to let that toxin seep into our marriage. But fighting with her had the exact same effect. She was right; he got to me. He played the game, and I willingly offered myself up as a pawn.I'd sent her flowers, but she knew they were to pacify her, not to apologize. For that very reason, they'd had the opposite effect I'd intended. My hope was for her to soften enough to explain my ignorance without directly saying I was sorry. That hadn't happened. Instead, I'd found them left as a centerpiece on the patio furniture. Her quiet way of saying, "Man up." This had gone on to
Annie's optimism had been spot on. At four o'clock, the four of us sat huddled around Lissa's dining room table with Annie's phone on speaker between us. We were anxious for HCG levels. Without them, there was no pregnancy, fifty indicated one baby, two hundred or higher, and we were having multiples. All four of us had prayed for multiples.Holding hands in a circle, we waited for the nurse to pick up the line. "Hey, guys." Her voice was chipper when it finally replaced the hold music. "Do we have everyone on the line?"I took the lead. Annie was squeezing the circulation from my hand, and I wasn't sure she'd be able to speak. "Yeah, all four of us are here.""Let me pull up Lissa's file. Give me just a second." I had hoped her tone was an indication of her good news, but it didn't seem she'd even looked at the labs."Everything looks good, guys. Labs are great."Annie took a deep breath beside me but hadn't let it back out. "HCG levels?" I asked."Looks like fifty-two. Co
"Brett, you have got to calm the fuck down. You can't fight with him at work. You're going to get your ass fired." Dan had me backed up against the cement wall in the back of the DC. His forearm pressed into my chest painfully as my lungs struggled to fill with air fast enough.I glared at the smug bastard walking away with his buddies. "So, I'm just supposed to let him keep fucking with Annie?""No, you're supposed to deal with it off the clock. What the fuck is going on? And why haven't you told me about it?"Gray had been diligent in his pursuit of my wife. And he wasn't trying to be discreet anymore either. Her phone went off at all hours of the day and night, text messages, phone calls, drunk voicemails. Graphic drunk messages about what he wanted to do to her sexually. It made me cringe he had that level of knowledge, but I couldn't change her past and wouldn't crucify her for it. When she finally blocked his number, the letters and flowers started arriving at her office and t
Brett hadn't wanted to admit he'd gotten into a fight with Gray at work, but it came out when he told me Dan was going to ask Lissa to move in with him. I didn't think she'd go for it until he said he wanted to buy the house next door. As thrilled as I was, stress and anxiety had me on edge. The issues with Gray left me uncomfortable and worried that he'd show up at random times, and I'd be alone. I couldn't stand he was doing this crap to me, but Brett being involved escalated it to a level no one wanted to experience. I was in this weird state of hovering between the life that was, the life that is, and the life that was coming. Maybe it would have been different if I had actually been carrying the child, but as it was, Lissa's pregnancy was like an anticipated holiday. I was excited, but it wasn't my reality. I'd gone with her to every appointment, made sure she had everything she needed and never had to ask, took her shopping for maternity clothes, and tried to make this fun for
With the discussion of a frat party at Hooters to welcome our child, I thought I had managed to escape Brett's attention. But when he pulled in to the CVS parking lot, I knew I hadn't been so lucky."Do you want me to go in, or do you want to go?"I didn't know why I was mad. Probably because Brett was a man, and they weren't supposed to notice anything, much less when a woman ate wings. I didn't have my purse with me so I held out my hand for cash and unbuckled my seat belt. I didn't even pretend to be happy trekking my ass into the drug store. When I got to the family planning aisle, I grabbed the first box I saw and stalked up to the cash register. Here I was married, but somehow embarrassed to be buying a pregnancy test. This was sheer torture. Just because I had suggested chicken didn't mean he'd knocked me up. Next thing I knew, he'd tell me I was having an affair with an Asian man because I picked up Chinese takeout. The whole thing was preposterous. So was my acting like a
I did something last night I'd never done before. I dreamed about the little girl who couldn't wait to meet her parents. We'd played in the grass, running, chasing butterflies, laughing, but we never spoke. She was older, but somehow, I knew she was mine. Maybe it was the dark, wavy hair that mimicked mine, or the way her bright green eyes glistened in the sun like Brett's, or possibly the sound of her laughter reminded me of my own-either way, I knew one of these babies was a little girl. A peace fell over me while I slept. It was still early, but the sun was trying to welcome the day, and I was overcome with excitement I couldn't contain. I dragged my foot up Brett's leg under the covers, trying to rouse him to wake. When he finally opened his eyes, I saw the same green I'd seen in my dream and couldn't contain the smile."You're in an awfully good mood this early in the morning." He yawned and stretched before bringing his arms back down and around me. Thick muscles pulled my bod
After enduring party planning with two pregnant women, one of whom had been incognito for weeks, I couldn't wait to have this soiree over and done with. Had I ever been involved in the planning of a wedding, I'm sure I never would have agreed to any of this, much less helped choreograph the gathering.Part of me wondered if Annie was making up for not having a reception by inviting everyone she'd ever known. She and Lissa had gone hog wild with the guest list, and everyone they invited said they were coming. There had been a blanket invitation issued at the DC, but I prayed to God Gray stayed away. Dan had gotten to him outside of work before I could. I doubted I'd ever know what was said, or what went down, but Gray hadn't bothered Annie since, nor had he spoken a word to Dan or me.The news of our surrogacy had spread rapidly through the DC, but we'd expected that when we invited people to Hooters. People had all kinds of opinions on the subject, but wisely, those who objected kept
The parking lot was packed. I offered to drop Annie off, so she didn't have to walk, but the moment she saw Gray's motorcycle near the door she refused to go in without me. I had hoped he had the sense to stay away, but that was wishful thinking. Hand in hand, I escorted my wife to the door. We'd rented out the entire restaurant for the night. It helped that Dan and I had gone to school with the General Manager, and he'd been in our fraternity.Lissa and Dan were the first to greet us. Lissa tugged at Annie's hand, unaware that Gray was here. I realized she'd never met him and wouldn't know him from Adam. I seriously doubted Dan pointed him out. Once those two were out of earshot, Dan started his warning."Gray's here. And he's been drinking. I talked to him, and he assured me he was here to celebrate with you guys. Swore up and down he wouldn't cause any problems. I didn't want to make an issue of it with so many people here from the DC, who weren't around during his tenure with you