BishopThe door to the office swings open, banging against the frame of the building as it almost comes off its hinges. Drew Walker storms out. His laser focused gaze is on me and I'm immediately hit with foreboding like I've never felt. Fire is flying from his eyes in a way I've never seen. Legit, he's looking like he could murder me and, for just a moment, I hope Harley remembers me and lets our child know how much I loved them both. My life is flashing before my eyes because there's one thing that's abundantly clear.Drew knows.Caelin stands next to me, whistling through his teeth. "Shiiitttt.""Yeah." I inhale deeply, wishing we weren't about to have this confrontation. However, I know I'll have it a million times for Harley. I'd do absolutely anything for her, including getting capped at the knees."You." Drew points to me. "Back there."Fuck my life. He means back behind the garage and, while I'm scared, pride puffs my chest up. In fact ,I'm willing to take whatever Drew's goin
Bishop"I'm exhausted," Harley says as she has a seat on the couch, sighing deeply.I plop down next to her, putting my arm around her neck and pulling her in close. It's been a long day for me too. Seems like most of them have been since we've been keeping this secret from everyone. There's a low-level buzz in my days, worrying about her and this baby that doesn't even have a gender or name yet. But this is about her, not me. "I am too. How did your mom take it?""Good, both of them have taken it really well. I'm taking a picture to send to Grandpa Liam and Grandma Denise. I don't think I can take telling them. In fact, I figure that's how we'll tell everyone else. It's just too much stress, trying to figure out how to tell them in a way that won't make them react in a way I don't want them to.""Because you're afraid you're going to be a disappointment?"Our hands intertwine. She rubs her fingers up and down my palm. It's one of the most comforting gestures. "No, because I don't wan
LiamMorning coffee and eggs on the screened-in porch with Denise has always been one of my favorite ways to start my day. Since I retired from Heaven Hill, it's become the only way to start my day. "Sorry they're a little more done than you like. Someone was distracting me." Denise grins over her coffee cup.A wolfish grin answers hers. "Won't apologize for it.""Never asked you to," she responds with a wink.This peace and quiet wasn't something I knew I could have over thirty years ago. Now that I'm on the other side of sixty, I do my best to enjoy every single one of the moments I cherish. We go back to eating and that's when both our cell phones begin buzzing.Denise sighs. "That's either good or bad news.""Hopefully, it's the first." I get up, ambling over to where we keep our phones. At some point in the last few years, we decided not to have them around all the time. When we're together, we're just that. Without other people invading our time. But the fact we both got texts?
Harley"I don't know if I have any more in me," I groan as I sit on my knees, bent over the toilet. I thought I was done with this, but Gramps came in with a cup of coffee in his hand."There's always more," Grandma Denise commiserates as she rubs my back. "It's like it never ends.""How ya doin', Push Pop?" He calls through the door."Tell him to stop mentioning food!""Be right back." She gets up, quickly shooting out the door.Sitting back on my heels, I take a few deep breaths and try to get my stomach under control. This has to stop soon. I'm not sure how much more I can take of it. It always throws my days off. I start puking and then it's like my day has to start over too.I've even had a few times where I had to change clothes. I've taken to carrying an extra set with me.There's a slight knock at the door before it opens. "Hey, how ya doin'?"Glancing up, I grin at the hottest guy I know. "Been better." I shrug as he has a seat next to me. "Who told you?""Liam. I told him yo
Bishop"When are they gonna be here?" I ask Caelin as we stand in the bays at Walker's Wheels after hours. We've been running a little operation for the past few months, trying to make a few extra dollars. It's quickly become more than a few extra dollars and right now it's helping with the expenses I'm going to be incurring with a new baby."Said they crossed the state line into Kentucky an hour ago. Should be here any minute.""Good, I hate leaving Harley home right now.""How's she doing?" He takes a drag off his cigarette, blowing smoke away from me. I'm doing my best to stop before the baby comes, but stress is leading to other things."Okay when she's not puking. We're almost to the twelve-week mark though, so hopefully things will slow down once we get to that point.""I can't believe it's gone so fast." He whistles between his teeth."Me neither. Before we know it, I'm gonna be a fucking dad." The thought is still very foreign. There are times when it's almost enough to send m
HarleyI'm starving this morning, but I've learned that eating first thing tends to be a bad deal for me. Every other time I've tried, it's come right back up. And not just once. Copious amounts of times.But this morning? A Harper specialty sounds amazing and, since I never ask her for anything, I pull my cell phone out and shoot off a text.H: Any chance you might have an extra sausage biscuit for me this morning?H: I think I can make an exception. There'll be one for you when you get here, Mama.H: So you heard?H: Of course I did. See you in a few.Bishop is already gone, probably trying to work off that ten pounds he's gained since he's started trying to quit smoking. It's sweet he wants to do it for me and the baby. Reaching down, I rub a hand over my stomach. I'm going to have to get new clothes soon. Right now, I'm in stretchy everything. Including a pair of Bishop's sweatpants.Throwing my hair up and grabbing my purse, I'm out the door with my mouth watering.I'm nostalgi
Bishop"What's with these cars you and Caelin are messing with?" Harley asks as I sit in the office with Jagger, telling her what parts we need ordered for some repairs we're working on.Jagger's eyes cut at me, then at her, and back to me. "Well, that's my cue. Let me know when the two of you are done and I'll finish putting in my order."He runs out like his ass is on fire. "Fucker," I yell after him.I turn to Harley and it's like we're facing off. It's a place I never expected to be with her but, looking back, it was stupid of me to think she wouldn't find out. "Who told you?"She tilts her head to the side. I take a moment to admire her. Her face has become fuller, her eyes brighter, and there's this glow to her skin. It's the one that everyone talks about when women are pregnant. "I mean, you act like I don't know everything that goes on around here. I'm not going to notice the increase in our power bill? I took a look at the cameras because I thought some crackhead was hooking
HarleyReaching down, I smooth my hand over my stomach. It's grown even more the past few weeks and I have my appointment tomorrow that tells me the gender of what we're going to have. Which is why I'm here right now, looking at this room in our apartment that once belonged to Justice. Tomorrow, I'll know how I want to decorate it.I always believed I would be the type of mother who would decorate in neutrals and not care so much about perceived gender colors but, the closer I am to finding out what I carry, I'm wanting to go hard toward either pink and lacy or blue and all boy. It's not a big room. Justice took the smaller one because she's always let me have what I want. To say I'm spoiled is an understatement and she's one of the reasons why. "You okay?" Bishop asks, walking in and eating a bag of chips. "I told you I was home, but you never said anything.""Just thinking." I walk over to him. "When this room was Justice's, I never thought of it being anything other than hers. No