It’s Always Us (Abandoned Brothers #3)

Chapter 35

MARK

“I have a call into the Kingsnakes to gauge their interest level. With Kenny out, they’re on the hunt. I’m pursuing them until you tell me not to. Houston called, but I wanted to talk to you before I get back with them.”

I lift my shirt to wipe the sweat off my brow before it drips into my eyes. “Shit! Going to Houston would be stepping back in time, man!” I take a second, needing to cool the defeat beginning to overwhelm me. Rob has always looked out for me, and I know he’s trying his damnedest to get things moving. “What do you think?”

Rob’s long and forceful sigh has my nerves spiking higher. “I think we should have the meeting. Doesn’t hurt to talk and see what they’ve got going on.”

In that long exhale, I detect a hint of resignation, creating a giant wave of anxiety that charges straight through me. I take a seat on a bench along the wall of the gym, needing to shake it loose and calm the hell down.

It’s been over a month since the season ended, and the new season has officially begun. There’s still plenty of time, but each week that goes by is one less week before training camps, preseason, and when the babies will be born.

Lex has spent these last weeks hanging out while I get to work, but I know she’s about hit her idleness limit. She doesn’t have to say it. She’s been tugging on that earring non-stop, and I know her hands are itching to work. Hopefully, the surprise I have for her will solve that .

Waking up with her in my arms, making her breakfast while she sits on the counter, and then spending our evenings together have been the happiest times of my life. I’m not about to let her sit around, missing any part of the life she left behind if I can help it.

“Ok. I’m in Ohio next week for Lex’s doctor’s appointment, so that’s out, but let me know. We’ll hear what they have to say, but Rob, that can’t be it.”

“Mark, let’s be smart, not rash. This is only the beginning. I need you to reel in the emotions.”

“Emotions! Shit, Rob! Time is ticking like a giant ass bomb.”

“You knew this would take time. Keep strengthening your shoulder. That needs to be your focus.” He pauses, knowing I have a hell of a lot more important things to worry about, but no team will want me if I can’t throw. “Let’s meet with Houston and get the rumor mill working for us. It might help get organizations moving.”

I inhale, needing the tightness in my chest to ease and my brain to slow down. “I have to get settled somewhere sooner rather than later.”

“I know. Just hold tight.”

Hold tight. Yeah, right. There’s nothing about me that’s good at sitting around waiting for things to happen. Consistency is what I need. Something to grip onto that I know won’t slip or change.

I hang up, rubbing my temples, hoping he’s right.

This up-in-the-air stuff is wearing my excessively strained patience thin. Houston feels like desperation, but I may not have a choice. Rob’s right. Talking doesn’t hurt anything. I need the Kingsnakes’ rumored interest to be solid, but interest isn’t a signed contract.

My stomach pinches tighter as my nerves gnaw away at my gut lining. All I want is a home with Lex and our babies in a place where she doesn’t end up regretting the choice she’s making . . . for me.

I grab my bag to get home before I miss the delivery guy. With traffic, it takes me twenty minutes, and I walk into the kitchen to find Lex sitting at the island with my laptop and sheets of paper littering the countertop. Just seeing her lessens the weight of all the uncertainty piling on my shoulders.

“Hey, baby. What are you doing?” I lean down, and she tips her chin up to receive my kiss. Having her here and being able to kiss her any time I want melts all my previous agitation .

Her head falls to the keyboard. “This is all too much.”

I grab a water from the refrigerator and a banana. “What is?”

She rolls her head to the side, peeking at me. “Maggie and Andie sent me these lists of all of the baby things they recommend. I’ve taken pictures with the app, but even it doesn’t recognize what half of this stuff is.”

I move to stand behind her, picking up the lists. Maggie and Andie would have no idea how this would take Lex hours to piece through and decipher.

“Did you know they make these sleeping bag things you wrap them up in like a tiny straitjacket?” She leans back.

I pull her off the stool, wrapping my arms around her. Her overwhelmed and frustrated tone awakens my protective instincts.

Her round stomach presses into me, and I feel a decent kick at the pressure. I palm the side of her growing belly, waiting for the little kicker to do it again.

“See, they already think we suck at this.”

I press my lips to her forehead. “We will probably screw this up way more than not having the right tiny restraint bags.” She groans into my chest. “We’ll add it all to the registry. Whatever you don’t get at the shower, we’ll hit the order button, and it’ll be here in two days.”

She lifts her head. “How can you be so calm? Look at me. I’m huge. The doctor said I’d most likely deliver around thirty-six weeks. That’s only fourteen weeks from now, if not sooner.”

If only she’d seen my nerves ready to stick their white flags in the air, thrusting me into an epic meltdown.

“These babies need love. They’ve already got that. All these overly-priced marketing gimmicks might make things a little easier, but they won’t give them the only thing they really need, which is us.”

She hangs her head back to look at me. “You are way too insightful about this.”

“You are having my babies. That is all I care about. We’ll buy them some of those footie jammies and some diapers . . . you’ll breastfeed. It’ll be fine.”

“This no-playing football thing has made you lose your mind, but you’re right. They don’t need all this fancy shit. ”

I lean down and capture her mouth. Her arms link around my neck as she tilts her head, and I’m down. My tongue swipes hers, provoking a soft moan to escape her.

She sucks in a breath as my lips move down her neck.

I pause as my brain snags on something. “Maybe we should look at those sleeping bags if they’ll help them sleep. Shane said that’s the hardest part.”

She pushes me away. “See! I knew you couldn’t be this calm.” I snatch her back, and she rests her head against my chest.

“Maybe that tell-all book has a list of necessities. It has everything else.”

“Stop.” She holds her hand up.

“What?!” My hands slide over her butt. “We wouldn’t know anything about what the babies are doing or what to expect these next months. I sure as hell didn’t know there was such a thing as a doula.”

She releases me and steps away. “Mark.”

I grin, unable to help pushing her buttons. Lex all riled up does funny things to my insides. “What? Hiring someone to be your personal birthing coach sounds pretty nice to me.”

“The only birthing coach I need is you.”

“But don’t you think it would be nice to have someone there who knows what they’re doing? I mean, the book says—”

She places her hands over her ears. “By the time you get done with all of your intricate research, you’ll be able to deliver these babies yourself.”

“I’m a curious creature. I want to be prepared. Those books talk about needing to know what you want so—”

“I want to take those books, shove them in a pressure cooker along with a lit stick of dynamite, and count down until it explodes into a million tiny pieces.”

I rest my hands on my hips. “Well, damn. Do you need to be that dramatic?”

She huffs. “I’ve been living with you too long.”

I step behind her, sliding my arms around her and pulling her against me. “I like it when you get all hot and bothered.” She groans, her head falling back to my chest, but there’s love in it. I rest my chin on the top of her head. “I just want us to be prepared. ”

She twists in my arms to face me, her brow furrowed and lips pressed together in determination. I’m tempted to kiss it away, but I refrain.

“Mark. Pay attention. I want to do this the old-fashioned way. I want to go to the hospital and have them inject me with whatever will numb me so that I don’t have to feel a single thing. I don’t want to listen to you read about what will happen or have someone talk to me about techniques and positions or have any clue about what’s going on down there. I’m going to push these babies out, or they’re going to cut them out, and you are going to keep your big, fat mouth shut.”

“But, babe—”

“Mark, you are one word away from losing a testicle that could prevent us from ever doing this again. Now, please let me just be naive when it comes to this part.”

I grin, and her head falls back toward the ceiling. “Have I ever told you that I think it’s incredibly sexy when you get all riled up?” I kiss her exposed neck.

“You’re annoying.”

“You love me.” I work my way up her neck to the sensitive skin below her ear, backing her into the counter as I lower myself to grip her thighs and hoist her onto it. I move to kiss her lips, but she pulls away in tease.

“I’m kind of mad at you right now.”

“Kind of, huh?” I slip my hand under her shirt and spread my hand over her round stomach. “I think I have an idea of how I can make it up to you.”

“Not likely.”

I slide my palm against her cheek so I can see her blue-green eyes. There’s a rare sparkle of mischief in them that I just put there, and I freaking love it. “What’s it going to take?”

She pushes her lips to the side, thinking long and hard. “I want you . . . ” She presses her lips to mine. “To . . . ” She kisses me again, longer this time. “Make me.” Kiss. “That chicken with the sauce again for dinner.”

“Oh, really,” I say against her lips.

She pulls away. “Yep. I’ve been craving it all day.”

“Huh.” My fingers dig into her hip.

“Like right now.” She pushes. “Then, after I’ve eaten, maybe I’ll think about forgiving you. ”

“How about I show you how much I love you first?” I lean in again.

“No.” Her tone is firm, and she crosses her arms over her chest, declaring this is serious business.

I laugh. “Fine, but I’m showing you how much I love you later, just to be sure we’re all good.”

She bites her lip, trying not to smile, and I kiss her to expose it.

My phone buzzes, and I pull it from my pocket.

ROB: Kings want a meeting next week. I know you said you’re out, but this is big. Can you make it work?

“Shit.”

“What?” Lex moves to peek at my phone, and I show it to her. “That’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s next week. I’m going back with you for your doctor’s appointment.”

“Mark, this is huge. You have to go. I’ll see if I can move it, or you can go to the next one. I have to find a doctor here, anyway.”

I push out a long breath. I don’t want Lex to go back to Ohio without me. I want to be there and hear everything the doctor has to say. If I’m really honest, which I don’t want to be, there’s a part of me that’s afraid she’ll be reminded of all she left behind and won’t come back.

“Tell him, yes, and I’ll—”

The doorbell rings, and Lex frowns. I shove my phone in my pocket, not wanting to think about her leaving, and happy my irrational fear is momentarily distracted by what’s sitting on the other side of the front door.

“What’s that look for?”

I grab her hand and help her off the counter. “What look?”

“That one.” She points at my face.

“Come on.” I pull her with me, unable to contain my excitement, and hope this will help her see that she can have part of the life she left behind anywhere with me.

“Mark, seriously,” she says tentatively as I pull her along. “You know I don’t like— ”

I swing open the door, and parked in front of the house is a large transporter. On the trailer, ready to be rolled off, is a worn and rusted classic Ford Bronco.

My quiet and modest girl gasps. “What is . . . ”

“Your F-150 won’t cut it much longer.”

Her eyes widen as she takes in the old truck. “You . . . bought this? How did you . . . ”

I pull her along, meeting the driver. Lex leaves my side to get a closer look while I sign the paperwork.

She walks around the trailer. “What year? Seventy-one?”

“Seventy-two,” I say, waiting to know if she likes it.

The driver unhooks the straps, and Lex turns to me. Her eyes are bright, glistening in the sun.

“You seriously bought this for me?”

“Uh . . . it’s here and will be sitting in our garage, and we both know I won’t be touching it.”

She fists my shirt, holding onto me. “I . . . ” She blinks quickly a few times. “I don’t even know what to say,” she whispers and then throws her arms around my neck. “It’s so perfect. Thank you.”

“Yeah? You like it? You’ll fix it up?”

She sniffs. “Are you kidding? It’s exactly what I would have picked. I already have a list in my head of where to start.”

Of course, she does . I hold her tighter. “We’ll get you everything you need. Ok? You can fix it up and keep it or sell it. Whatever you want. Hell, create your own YouTube channel and show people what you can do.” I pause. “I just want you to be happy.”

She pulls away, staring up at me. “Thank you. Mark . . . This means everything to me. Thank you so much.” She pushes up on her toes to press her lips to mine. “I can’t wait to get started.”

She leaves me as the driver rolls the truck off the trailer, and the smile on her beautiful face is everything I was hoping for.

She turns back to me, beaming. “It’s big enough for the babies.”