“Earlier today…and I…I just fell apart.”
He pullsaway, taking my hand in his. “Come on. Let’s get in the housebefore the neighbors think that someone died and start sendingflowers.”
I can’thelp but chuckle as he scoffs a laugh. That’s a good sign, Isuppose. He’s not freaking out. He’s not in denial, either, whichis another thing I was afraid of. He unlocks the front door and westep inside. A box of tissue sits on the table and he hands me oneso I can clean up. “You okay, babe? I hate seeing you like this.”He asks in a regretful tone.
“I don’t know, Jacob. I just found out I’m pregnant, and I hadno intentions of having a child, not for a long time.”
“Well, now, lots of people have kids without planning for it,Sloane. It’s okay. We’ll manage.”
“I don’t want to just manage, Jacob. My career meanseverything to me, as does yours.”
“Sure, that’s important, of course. But that doesn’t mean thatwe can’t have a baby, either. We’ll have tons of help, and withTerence and Kobie having a baby, too, our kids will grow uptogether. It’s not so bad.”
I lookat him. God, I couldn’t love him any more if I tried. “You mean,you’re not upset?”
A ‘v’forms between his brows. “No. Of course not. Why would I beupset?”
“Because I’m pregnant.” I guffaw, like no explanation isrequired.
Helaughs softly, pulling me close to him. “Sloane, baby, we make lovea lot. We love each other. That’s the risk you take in arelationship. If I was that freaked out about having a baby, Ithink I’d be more careful, but to be honest, I’ve always wanted tohave kids. My dad couldn’t wait to be a grampa, and my mom will beover the moon, just as much as when she found out about Kobiehaving a baby. You’ll see. It’s not so bad, baby.”
“But what if I’m not a good mother? What if I can’t be aproper parent? All I’ve ever known is my career, Jacob.”
“Baby, a lot of it is instinctual. My mom always tells methat. And we can take prenatal courses, we can read up on it. Thereare hundreds, thousands of books out there on becoming aparent.”
“Yeah, which none of this I have time for.”
“Sloane, you and I work together. Both in our careers and inour personal lives. We can do this.”
“But, what if it’s too much? Us being a couple and parents andco-workers? What if we buckle and it’s over?”
“Sloane, we already deal with that accordingly. You need yourspace, I give it to you, and vice versa. If I need to head back toLouisiana or travel, you have the option of coming with me orstaying, and vice versa. Honey, it’s not always going to be apicnic, but if we love each other, we can work it out. And I thinkwe’re both built to succeed, which is why we get along so well, sothat’s half the battle. Neither one of us will want to fail atthis, you’ll see.”
I’mabsolutely dumbfounded. But part of me thinks that it’s Terence andKobie that I have to thank for Jacob’s calm and collected reaction.They have shown us both that having a baby together is a blessing.Being around them, seeing how much they love each other, andknowing how much they’re looking forward to becoming parents hasgiven us hope, I think.
“Terence is going to burst.” Jacob smiles. “Kobie, too.They’ll be so happy that their little one is going to have a veryclose cousin. It’s going to be great.”
I lookat him, seeing the happiness in his eyes. “You really thinkso?”
Hekisses my lips. “I know so, baby. Trust me on this one,okay?”
After abeat, I nod. “Okay.”
***
Will
Sittingin the back of Humphrey’s limo, I’m about to shit my pants. I’velost everything, like, everything. I’m reduced to a hundred bucksin my wallet, and that’s what Humphrey gave me. With a car beingliquidated, an empty bank account, and nothing but the clothes onmy back, Humphrey has given me two choices: I can do the job thathe’s asked me to do, something that is a huge risk, that could landme in jail for the rest of my life, or I can get him half the moneythat he’s loaned me, so I could avoid being completely penniless.The latter seems like the lesser of two evils, but it leaves onlyone alternative.
Sweatbeads inside my palms as I wait for Ellie to leave the house, so Ican get inside and wait, so I can surprise her. So I can get what Ineed from her. One of his goons doubles as a limo driver, and hesits, as calm as can be, chewing on the end of a cigar, sitting inthe driver’s seat. While I sit in the back, not trusted enough tobe given my own car for this feat. Humphrey is no idiot. He saw mecoming. So did Rosie. They knew that I was a sunken ship. They knewthat I was a broken man, and they knew that I would be perfectprey. With a failed marriage and a wounded ego, I was the target ofchoice. The one that could get them what they wanted.
“Are you going to sit here all day, man?” the driver/ex-conasks.
“You think I should just tip her off now?” I ask, completelyout of my element. I might as well surrender on my hands and kneesnow, that’s about as good I am at this.
Ex-conslides his arm over his shoulder, presenting me with a pistol.“She’ll have trouble saying no with this.”
I’venever even held a gun before in my life. Unless you count thoseplastic ones that come with Playstation game consoles. “I don’tknow how to shoot.” my voice is shaky, and I regard the gun asthough it’s a piece of dog shit, holding it up by the butt end,while the barrel hangs from my hand.
