It’s Always Us (Abandoned Brothers #3)

Chapter 52

LEX

“Ok. Again!” Slade yells from the rear passenger side fender.

I press the brake pedal to the floorboard and hold it. Bleeding brakes is the one thing I’m still capable of doing.

“Let it up!” he yells over the impact gun Trigger is using to tighten lug nuts as if he’s training for a pit crew.

I release the pedal.

“Again!”

It’s been a week since Mark left, and he’s been blowing up my phone with the most ridiculous houses. Homes that cost millions of dollars but don’t look like they belong to a family. He’s a kid in a toy store, but it’s not about the house. It’s about us becoming a family.

When he gets back from camp, we’ll talk to Bree. Moving will be a big deal for her. The two of them have spent the evenings laughing on the phone together, and I think Mark is exactly what she needs. We hope to get her into the same school Shane’s family attends. She’ll have the summer to spend with them, and get to know her giant family.

She’s asked about her mom, and I know her heart breaks a little more each time trying to make sense of what happened. She writes letters, and it takes weeks to get one in return. The social worker agrees that visiting Linda in this state would only do more harm than good.

Bree doesn’t understand, and she needs to be with Mark. He’s the only one who knows exactly what she’s feeling and can help her through it. Years separate them, but they relate to each other in a way no one else will .

“Ok! Let up!” Slade yells. “Let me move to the other side.”

“Who will you get to do this when you own the shop?” I ask as he attaches the hose on my side.

“Anyone I want. They’ll do it if I say so,” he grumbles while I wait for him to fit the hose onto the bleeder screw.

“Ha. We aren’t going to listen to you any more than we listen to Cal,” Carson tosses out.

“And we like him,” Wind adds from the bench, filling out an invoice.

I laugh, and Slade lays out a string of curses under his breath. When he’s ready, I press the pedal down and hold.

This shop was my dream for so long. It hurts to think about it being handed over to anyone other than me, but I see now that Grandpa was right. I wasn’t supposed to stay here forever.

I bring the phone to my mouth to dictate a message to Mark. “Stop sending mansions, but we need a room for Grandpa.” I see three dots.

SEXY BABIES’ DADDY: *Voice message* So, two double wides and a warehouse in the back?

Slade hollers, and I press and release the pedal a few more times while Carson and Wind bicker over who’s patching a tire.

When Slade finishes, I hoist my legs out of the car first and then reach for the handle, but he sticks his hand out to help me. He pulls me to a stand and then—

Uh, oh. Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. A trickle of warm liquid fills my underwear and proceeds down my legs. I would wonder if it’s pee, but this is way too much when I just went.

When I don’t move or let go of Slade’s hand, his brow creases. Then he peers down at the pool collecting on the floor between my feet.

“Um . . . is that?” He starts to back away like it might be corrosive or contagious.

The shop is quiet, and I realize my guys have gathered around the growing pool of bodily fluid.

“Shit. What do we do?” Carson asks as if any of them have the answer. I don’t either, because I wouldn’t let Mark read this part of the book to me.

“Grab an oil pan and some shop rags,” Slade barks, risking it and taking my arm again .

Trig and Wind dart around like they’re lost in a maze, while I try to think and all that’s coming to mind is I need Mark.

Wind is back with a roll of rags in hand and starts ripping them off and tossing them to the ground like I might leak an ocean.

There’s a stench that creeps up my nostrils that has me horrified.

“Shit! Alex, what the hell?” Slade shoves his wrist to his nose, about to gag, and if I could focus, I’d likely join him.

The smell! I begin to panic, trying to look around my belly, BUT I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING!!

Then, it hits me. “Wind!!!”

His cheeks turn pink as he continues to spread shop rags around me.

“Good . . . shit, man.” Carson waves his hands in the air to try to get it moving as Slade steps away to breathe.

“Sorry. I can’t help it when I get nervous.”

“What the hell are you nervous about? Are you birthing babies? They’re probably suffocating in there with your ass air.”

I take two steps, and all four guys take two steps, following me with their arms outstretched like these babies might literally drop right out on the shop floor. I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Mark.

It takes two rings.

“Hey, baby. I’m heading into—”

“Mark, I need you to come back . . . right now.”

There’s nothing but distant voices on the other end, and if one more man, the most important one, freaks the hell out, I’m going to lose my shit.

Finally, he speaks, and for once, he’s the calm one. “Like right now, right now?”

What the hell is happening? “Yes.”

“Peyton and Eli?”

I think it’s a question. “I’m pretty sure my water broke.”

“Ok.” He’s still way too calm. “Ok. I’m . . . I’ll be there. Just don’t let anything happen until I get there. Ok? I’m coming. Right now.”

“Uh . . . ” Here I am, standing in the middle of the shop. My shorts are soaked, and I’m staring at three grown men and one sweet almost man, who looks two seconds away from putting on nitrile gloves and rolling over a creeper just in case .

I hear Mark’s muffled voice and a commotion on the other end. Then, some skidding like he might be running.

“Uh . . . Mark?”

“Baby, I’m coming.”

“Ok. Please hurry. You’re the one who read about this part.”

“Shit yeah! I read this chapter! I’ll be the best damn birthing coach that hospital has ever seen. Just hang on. You tell Peyton and Eli it’s not game time yet.”

I take some deep breaths, trying not to panic or cry when my hero walks through the door.

“What in Sam Hill is going . . . ”

I see the moment it registers, and he calmly walks to me.

He takes my arm from Slade. “Come on, Pal. It’s time to go.” And we’re on the move. “Wind, get the rags. Slade, her keys.” I look at him, his gray eyes meeting mine. “I love you, but you aren’t leaking that shit onto my seats.”

I laugh, and tears fill my eyes. I have Grandpa, but I need Mark, and he needs to get here . . . soon.