Are You Ready? (Everlasting Ink #3)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

Forrest

Pulling into the driveway, I smile, knowing what waits for me behind those doors. My girls. It’s Friday, and my scheduled day off, so I decided to bring them lunch. I don’t know how Briar does it, watching the girls and working from home, but she makes it look easy. I thought bringing lunch might give her a little break, and maybe I can spend some time with the girls and keep them occupied for a few hours while Briar tries to get some work done.

Climbing out of my truck, I grab the bag of takeout I placed on the back seat floorboard and make my way to the front porch. I probably should have told her I was coming, but I like to see her eyes light up when I surprise her. The girls, too, for that matter. I knock on the door and wait.

“Hey, you. This is a nice surprise.” Briar leans in for a kiss, then steps back, allowing me to step into the house.

I lift the bags of takeout. “I brought lunch.”

“You didn’t have to do that. ”

“I know, but I’m off today. I have to meet Legend at the new build site later, but until then, lunch, and I thought I could occupy the girls so you could get some work done.”

“They know Mommy is working, and it’s easier with two because they have someone to play with and talk to.”

“Well, now they get me.” I kiss her again. “Girls!” I call out.

They come racing down the hall, their little feet padding on the hardwood floor, echoing throughout the house as they rush me. With a twin on each leg, yelling “Hello,” I can’t hide my smile, only to look up and find Briar watching us with a soft expression.

“Never gets old, the excitement they have over seeing me.” I shake my head, still in disbelief that these three are in my life. I’ll never take a single day with them for granted.

“What’s that?” Rayne asks, pointing toward the bag.

“I brought lunch. Grilled cheese and french fries for my Razzle and Dazzle, and buffalo chicken wraps and Saratoga chips for your mom and me.”

“Let’s go.” River pulls on my free hand, tugging me into the dining room.

Once we reach the table, I start taking food out of the bag, while Briar gets our drinks. Within a few minutes, we’re sitting down having lunch together. I live for days like this. There is nothing I would rather do than spend time with my girls.

“How’s your day going?” I ask Briar.

“Same old. Medical billing isn’t the most riveting career, but it keeps the lights on.”

“What would you do if you could do anything?”

“Honestly, this. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’ve been able to have a career and raise my girls. Sure, it’s tough, and there are lots of nights I have to keep working once they’re in bed, but I have that time with them, and that’s what’s important.”

“What about next year when they go to school?” I ask her.

“It will be easier. I can be here to take them to and from school, and the entire day will be quiet. I should be able to get more done in that time. ”

I’m immediately thinking about building her an office in the basement at my house. A space just for her. I back away from those thoughts. She’s not there yet, but she’s getting there.

“We want to ride our bikes, but Mommy said we have to wait until later,” River says, shoving a fry into her mouth.

“Why don’t I take you out after we eat? That will give your mommy some time to work. I don’t have anywhere I need to be until later in the afternoon.”

“Can we, Mommy?” they ask.

“Of course,” Briar answers.

The girls chatter on about riding their bikes and about how they’re trying to remove their training wheels. Briar and I just listen to them and comment when they give us a chance to. They shovel in their food because they know I’ll tell them that’s gotta happen before we go outside and play.

“Done,” Rayne says with her mouth full of her last bite of grilled cheese.

“Me too,” River says, doing the same, only hers is fries.

“Go get your jackets and play shoes,” Briar tells them. The words are barely out of her mouth before the girls are scrambling from their chairs and racing to do as they’re told.

“You sure you don’t mind taking them outside for a while?”

“Positive. I have to meet Legend later, but until then, I want nothing more than to spend time with the girls. Maybe you can get caught up on work, and we can take them for pizza or something tonight after I’m finished?”

“We can do that. Sounds like the perfect way to end the work week.”

“Agreed. I do have to work tomorrow, but I don’t go in until nine.”

“I’ll try not to keep you up too late.” She smirks.

I love this side of her, the playful side. “Who needs sleep?” I ask, leaning over and sneaking a kiss.

“Forty! We’re ready!”

“You better go before they come looking for you. ”

I start to gather our trash.

“Go on. I got this.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

I lean in for another kiss before going to find the girls. They’re in the living room with their jackets and their play shoes on. “Are you ready?” I ask them.

“Yes!” They jump and cheer.

“Let’s do it.” I lead them to the garage and open the door, pulling out their matching bikes with training wheels. It’s the beginning of October, so there’s a chill in the air. Nothing I can’t handle, and the girls don’t seem to mind it, either, as they race their bikes up and down the driveway. I watch them closely and praise them when they show me how fast they can turn or pedal. I’m smiling so much my face hurts.

We play outside for an hour. Their little noses are red, and I know it’s time to take them inside to get warmed up. “Girls, let’s go get warm. I’ll make you some hot chocolate before I leave.”

“Okay.” They easily agree, which tells me they’re cold but didn’t want to miss any playtime outside to say they were ready to go inside.

Fifteen minutes later, they’re sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, watching cartoons and sipping on their lukewarm hot chocolate.

“I’m going to head out,” I tell Briar. “The girls are set up with their hot chocolate.”

“Thank you. I got a good bit of work done.”

“Good.” I lean in for a kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.”

“Girls, I’m leaving,” I tell them as I enter the room. I bend and kiss each of them on the top of their heads. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“Okay, Forty,” they say as their eyes return to their cartoon.

“Damn, it’s really coming together.” I survey the building in front of us, and it might not look like much right now, but it’s starting to take shape.

“I know. It’s hard to believe our vision is coming to life,” Legend replies.

“Thanks to you.” Legend got an inheritance from his late grandparents who he never knew, and this was what he wanted to do with the money—make all our business dreams come true.

“Nah, we all worked our asses off to make a name for Everlasting Ink. I just got lucky enough to have an inheritance to help fund it, so we’re all not strapped for cash.”

“It’s hard to think that one day, this will be left to our kids.” He glances over at me. “You think the girls will want to take up the trade?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Whatever they want to do, I’ll support them.”

“Life’s changing pretty damn fast. Monroe is thirty-six weeks. In a month, I’ll get to hold my son. I can’t say I’m mad about it, though.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “We have a lot to be thankful for.”

“Who would have thought five best friends from the small town of Ashby, Tennessee, would have made a name for themselves in the tattoo industry? I mean, come on, where was this on career day?” he jokes.

I laugh because he’s not wrong. “We’re living the dream, man.”

“Hell yes, we are.”

“Mr. Raines, Mr. Huntley, it’s good to see you,” Terry, our contractor, greets us.

“Terry, good to see you.” Legend greets him with a handshake.

“How’s it going?” I say when he turns to shake my hand in greeting.

“Good. We’re on schedule. Everything is going smoothly. I just like to touch base periodically, as you know, to make sure there are no changes or issues that might have arisen.”

“None that I can think of.” Legend looks at me, and I shake my head .

“Great. How about a tour? I can answer any questions you might have about the process, and you can pass them along to the others.”

“Sounds great. Lead the way,” Legend says.

We spend the next two hours walking through the build site. Every item on our wish list of what each of us deemed the perfect shop has been taken into consideration. We’ll have a separate wing for guest artists. They’ll have their own break room as well. That allows us to keep our side with our family and the break room, as well as the room for the kids. Not that we don’t trust our guest artists. We have to in order to invite them into our space, but you don’t trust just anyone around your wife and kids. It’s overkill, sure, but we had the space and the capital to do it, so we did.

“Thank you, Terry,” Legend says as we end the tour.

“Anytime. All right, I have another site to get to before the day's over. I’ll talk to you soon.” He shakes our hands and heads off to his truck.

“I got a mock-up of the sign. It’s badass,” Legend says, pulling out his phone to show me. “It’s our logo, and it’s going to be all lit up and massive right in the center.” He points to the general location. “I’m going to have them make a smaller version for the waiting area too.”

“Damn, that’s sick.”

“Right?” he agrees, shoving his phone back into his pocket. “Well, I’m going to head home. I should get home at the same time as my wife.” He grins.

“You know, I’m gonna get me one of those.”

“Yeah? You think she’s ready for that?”

“She will be.” I’m just waiting on the day for her to tell me. Once she does, there’s no holding back.

I wave goodbye to Legend, climb into my own truck, and pull out of the lot. I honk as he turns from the stop sign and ease up for my turn. I’m looking right and left, getting ready to turn toward Briar’s, which is why I don’t see it coming.

Something slams into the back of my truck, causing me to spin. My head bounces off the airbag as my truck comes to a stop. It takes me a few minutes to process what just happened. I blink a few times and look through the windshield. A man climbs out of a dump truck before jogging toward me. He pulls open my door in a rush, his eyes panicked.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Of course you’re not okay. I lost brakes. I couldn’t stop,” he rambles. “Shit, you’re bleeding. I need to call 9-1-1.” He places the call and tells them what happened. They told him to not let me move until the paramedics get here.

I’m queasy, and lightheaded, and my head is pounding, but other than that, I feel fine. I reach for my phone in the cupholder and wince at the stiffness my body is already feeling, but my phone’s not there.

“Can I use your phone?”

“Sure. Anything you need.” The man hands me his phone, but my vision is still blurry. “Can you call Everlasting Ink? Tell them Forrest was in a car accident.” As soon as the words are out, the paramedics arrive on the scene. I hear them tell the man they’re taking me to the county hospital, and for him to relay the message. I don’t know who he reached at the shop, but I know they’ll get ahold of Briar and then they’ll all be there.

I’m loaded on a stretcher, even though I feel fine, and was able to climb out of the truck on my own. They’re insisting that I go get checked out, and I know my sister and my girls will be pissed if I refuse, so I comply and stop complaining.

This is not the end of my day that I was hoping for, but at least I made it out with just a scratch or whatever the hell is making my head bleed, and from the stiffness of my neck, I suspect some whiplash. It could have been much worse.