I wondered for a moment what he was going to do. Would he stupidly try to fight back? Or would he give me an easy night and leave quietly?
I took another step back and let Cameron step in to deal with him. Taking him by the arm, Cam escorted the man outside. Well, that was a small mercy. It had been a long week; I didn’t need any more drama in my life.
“Guess who’s back?” Sasha’s sing-song voice faltered my steps.
“Oh, thank god. You’re never allowed to take a holiday ever again!” I joked, it was hard enough for me to convince her to take a holiday in the first place. My arms wrapped around her, squeezing tight to make sure she was in fact real and not a figment of my vivid imagination.
“And you’re early?” I’d been expecting her back tonight, but she was almost a full half hour early, which for anyone who knew Sasha, knew that was definitely not like her at all. She was a five minutes late type of girl.
“I have news! And gifts. I was just too excited to see everyone; Ford practically threw me out of the house.” The size of her grin had me smiling. I’d known Sasha for over two years, and I’d never seen her so happy. It was a nice sight.
“Ooh. Do tell,” I said, reclaiming my seat at the end of the bar.
Sasha popped down on the stool next to me, exclaiming, “I’m pregnant!”
I squealed and threw my arms around her again. I had a sneaky suspicion that she and Ford were trying for a baby. They’d only gotten engaged a few months ago, right after Christmas. I’d known for a long time how much Sasha loved kids and wanted her own little tribe.
She was good with them too! Ava and Hallie absolutely adored her.
“Congratulations! That is well worth coming into work early for.”
“I know. I haven’t been able to sit still; I’ve been so excited to tell everyone.”
“And Ford?”
“He’s super jazzed. I think it was a surprise at first, but we’ve been talking about this for a while. It’s finally happening. Although now we’re stuck with the conundrum of when to have the wedding. Do we go shotgun wedding, or wait until after the baby is born? I have no idea.” Sasha shrugged as I ‘hmmed’ in thought.
I think if it were me I’d have gone for a quickie wedding in Vegas just to get it over with, but I didn’t dare say that to Sasha. I’d hate for my opinion to influence her decision. I’ve always known that I wanted to elope. Simply the thought of planning a wedding, and all the hassle that came with it, gave me a headache.
I knew that headache. I’d been by my sister's side every dreaded step of the way. I’d seen the way she’d spiralled out of sane city and bounced all the way to crazy town.
To each their own, I thought.
“Whatever you choose, just make sure it’s what you really want. Either way, it’s a big day.”
“We’re still talking it over; we’ve got some time yet before we need to decide. But anyway, moving on… I have presents. One for you,” she pulled out a small gift bag from her tote and slid it over to me. “And one for Bea. Is she in tonight?”
“She’s just gone for her break, across the road. Why don’t you go across and catch up?”
“You sure you don’t mind? I assumed you’d be ready to take off.”
“I am,” I chuckled as I stood from my seat. “But I can hang around for a little bit longer. I’m just so glad to have you back. This week has been hell.”
“I can’t wait to get back to my routine. I don’t mind the night shift, it’s fun and the later it gets the more interesting the night gets.”
Hmm. We’d see how long that lasted once she was a mother.
I knew first-hand how hard handling kids and the late shift could be. Ava and Hallie were the reason I’d given up on the night shift action. I’d gotten so used to being at home with my girls, being able to cook them dinner and tuck them into bed most nights was the highlight of my day.
I watched her go wistfully. I knew eventually I’d have to deal with getting someone to replace her late shifts. But until then, I shoved it to the darkest corner of my mind. Rather impatiently I chomped at the bit until Sasha and Bea returned, both walking through the door not ten minutes later.
I was outta there.
After a gruelling day at the stadium, I’d made the mistake of stopping by the local sports bar. It was on my way home; I’d had a long day. What would be the harm in a few beers…
Until a few grew to a lot.
That was when my mind started to race, wandering to places that I usually didn’t let it. Maybe it was the alcohol fucking with my system, maybe it was the phone call from my lawyer that morning. Who knew, but I started to think of her. And then I was lost, which was part of the reason why I didn’t let myself think of her often.
