Bittersweet Catastrophe (Second Chances #2.5) Read online

  They said their goodbyes, and he stepped back onto the boat, planting his feet right beside me. I started hosing off the deck, and after a few minutes of deafening silence, I caught him out of the corner of my eye, folding his arms across his chest.

  “So…how far along is she?” My father’s steady, yet gruff voice penetrated my thoughts, and my eyes snapped up to his. His aviator sunglasses were pushed down the bridge of his nose, and emerald green eyes that matched my own bore straight through me.

  “How…I never…y-you know?!” The hose fell from my hands and water began to spray in every direction. I quickly reached over the side of the boat to turn the spigot off, and when I turned around, my father was drenched from head to toe. “Shit, Pops, I’m sorry. It’s just…” I retreated to grab him a towel and took a deep breath, shaking my head in disbelief. “How the hell could you possibly know she’s pregnant?”

  The fact that he hadn’t made a move or even blinked had the hairs on my arms standing on end. I watched as droplets of water fell from the brim of his hat and hit the deck, one after another. He finally uncrossed his arms and slipped the aviators off of his beet-red face, his movements slow and calculated, putting me on edge. Oh, I’m fucked.

  With pursed lips and a murderous glare, my father did a complete one-eighty, and a hearty laugh tore through him until he was hunched forward with his hands on his knees. I must’ve missed the punch line…that or he was developing signs of early-onset dementia because he had clearly lost his mind. I chose to go with the latter.

  “Oh man,” he bellowed out, wiping the tears that brimmed his eyes, and stood tall with his hands propped up on his hips. “Son, I haven’t laughed that hard since the first time you woke up with morning wood and thought your dick was going to fall off.”

  “Jesus, Pops, why don’t you tell the whole world!” I looked around to make sure the rest of the boats were clear and lowered my voice. “I thought I told you never to bring that up again. I shared that with you in confidence.”

  “Oh c’mon, Shayne, you were only six years old, running around buck naked and screaming at the top of your lungs that your wiener was going to shoot off like a rocket.” He wiped his eyes again as more tears of laughter pooled in them. “You had such a wild imagination when you were a kid.”

  That or I’ve been horny since the cradle. Now that wouldn’t have surprised me.

  “As much as I enjoy reminiscing about my six-year-old penis, what does it have to do with Liberty being pregnant?”

  He slapped his knee, laughing even harder. “Well, everything apparently! How else do you think you knocked up that pretty, little wife of yours?”

  I shook my head and failed miserably as I tried to hold back my own laughter. “Yeah, all right. You got me there. But in all seriousness…how’d you figure it out?”

  “Son,” he said, seating himself on the edge of the boat while he dried off. “It’s written all over your damn face. Women might be notorious for getting that pregnancy glow, but men are a bit trickier. We tend to have big, dopey grins on our faces and stare off into space when we think no one is looking. Now, that look could just mean you had one hell of a lay the night before, but when it goes on for weeks at a time, you know it’s something special. Your mother used to point it out to me daily before you were born.” He slipped his hat off and ran his fingers through his damp hair. “Not to mention, you’ve been so scatter-brained these last few weeks. I’ve been wondering why the hell I even pay you anymore, since I’ve had to pick up your slack.”

  “I’m sorry about that, Pops. You shouldn’t have had to do that.” I slowly sank down next to him and clasped my hands behind my neck. “God, I feel like I’ve been just coasting along in a daze ever since we found out she was pregnant, and then she asked me not to tell anyone until she made it through the first trimester without any hiccups…which just so happens to be today. So, I guess it’s safe to say congrats, gramps! You’ve got two grandkids on the way!” I patted him on the back and bowed my head down, a proud, lopsided grin tugging at the corner of my mouth. Leaning my head to the side, I looked over at my father, the man who raised me all on his own since I was six-years-old, and for the second time in my life I watched him cry. I wasn’t expecting him to be so overcome with emotion, but the tears pouring down his face had me so choked up, I felt a few of my own take up residence in the corners of my eyes.

  “Shayne, now more than ever, I wish your mother was still here with us.” He ran his hands down his face, composing himself, and tilted his head back toward the sky. It wasn’t the first time I had caught him doing that; staring up at the sky as though he were searching for something…or someone. “She would be so proud of the man you’ve become. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, son. Well…up until recently, but I’ll cut you some slack because it’s obvious you have a bad case of male pregnancy brain.” We laughed at my obvious lack of focus and increasing forgetfulness. Even I had to admit it was getting pretty bad.

  “You have a beautiful wife who loves you unconditionally and two little angels on the way. Really, I think that’s all a man could ever ask for in life, to be surrounded by the love you and your wife share for one another and the love that created those precious babies growing inside of her. And Shayne,” he paused, resting his hand on my shoulder, “that love will never hit you harder than the first moment you hold your children in your arms. I can count on one hand the number of times I openly sobbed like a baby, and one of those times was when I first held you in the hospital. You looked right up at me and let out this tiny squeal of a cry, and I knew right then and there my life would never be the same. That day you stole the other half of my heart.”

  I lifted the hem of my shirt and dabbed at the moisture lining the lids of my eyes. “Fuck, you’re really crushing any chance of me walking out here with my man-card intact.”

  “Get used to it, son. If you haven’t lost it by now, you’re bound to lose it in the next few months. Don’t fight the inevitable.” He chuckled and pulled me in for a hug; not your typical ‘bro hug’, but a full-bodied, two-armed hug that tugged at heartstrings I didn’t even realize were there. We weren’t big on showing one another affection, but something about that hug said so much more than words ever could.

  “Now get your ass home to your wife and tell her Grampy can’t wait to meet those little bundles of joy.”

  “You got it.” I patted him on the back one more time before pulling away. “Oh, and Pops?”

  “Yeah, son?”

  “Thanks.”

  His brows furrowed, but the smile lighting up his face caused the creases beside his eyes to become even more defined. “For what?”

  “Just thanks. For being such a great dad…and, for all intents and purposes, a mom, too.” Up until now, I never really considered the fact that he had to fill both of those roles for so many years, but he took it in stride, and no matter how bad things were or how out of control I got during my teenage years, he always provided a loving environment that kept me grounded. I couldn’t have asked for a better father, and now grandfather for my kids.

  He nodded, choking back the words he couldn’t let out. “You’re welcome. I’m happy for you, Shayne. You deserve to be happy. Now why don’t you go spread a little bit of that happiness with your wife?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Sometimes it scared me to see just how alike we really were, but I was my father’s son, through and through.

  And just as he had suggested, I was heading home to show my beautiful girl just how happy she had made me.

  I felt terrible, having promised Liberty I would make it to all of her pre-natal checkups, but I didn’t want to take the chance of missing out on a full day’s worth of pay. Although we were quite comfortable financially, I wanted to save every dime for when the babies were born. One rugrat was going to be expensive enough, but I imagined two would have us both penny-pinching until the day they graduated from college. My wallet aches just thinking abo
ut it.

  I stopped by the florist’s on my way home and picked up a bouquet of sunflowers, hoping it would soften the blow I’d have to endure when I stepped through the front door. Liberty’s mood had been so up and down these last few weeks, and it was painstakingly clear from the look of disappointment on her face that she wasn’t happy with me when I left for work this morning. But I couldn’t say that I blamed her. I gave her my word that I’d be there for her every step of the way, and here I’d gone back on it and missed out on her second appointment. Fuck, the babies weren’t even here yet, and I already felt like a shitty father and an even shittier husband. I just hoped that, one way or another, she’d let me make it up to her.

  The house was dark when I stepped inside, and only the sound of waves crashing along the beach could be heard trickling in through the open windows. The smell of rain was fresh in the air, alerting my senses to the impending storm that I could see rolling in across the ocean when I pulled into the driveway. Liberty hadn’t made it home yet, and I took it upon myself to get started on whipping up something for dinner so I could have it ready by the time she got back from her appointment. This week she was on a breakfast kick, so I decided on a simple Italian-style hash brown casserole that I knew she would love. I popped that in the oven and set the timer, all the while stripping my clothes as I made my way down the hall to the bathroom.

  I turned the shower on full-blast, cranking it up as hot as I could stand it, and allowed the water to cascade over me and wash away the sweat and tension riddling my body. It didn’t take long for the muscles in my neck, shoulders, and back to relax under the steady stream of the showerhead, and I quickly lathered up and rinsed off any remnants of stress that had been weighing me down all day. I hated feeling this way, and I hated for Liberty to see it so easily etched across my face. I was never one to wear my heart on my sleeve, but dammit, these kids had me melting into an emotional puddle of mush any time I stopped to think about them. It was no secret we were both nervous as all hell about becoming parents in a few short months, but as their father, I felt like I had to be the strong one. I needed to keep my head on straight, but now, I couldn’t help but feel like I was failing miserably.

  I buried my face under the heat of the water once more, allowing it to erase any lingering remnants of my vulnerability. I quickly dried off and slipped on a fresh pair of jeans and a plain white V-neck shirt, choosing to forego wearing anything on my feet. Liberty always said there was something about a man in low-hung jeans and bare feet that made her crazy with need, and as the saying goes…happy wife, happy life. I was more than happy to appease her.

  Opening the oven to check on our dinner, I heard the creak of the front door, alerting me that she had just gotten home. The all too familiar clink of her keys rattled as she set down her purse in the living room, and her feet quietly padded across the floor, leading right up behind me. Her slender arms linked around my waist, and I could feel her slightly protruding belly pressed low against my back.

  “Hey, baby,” she said, her voice so soft it could barely be registered as a whisper.

  Placing a kiss between my shoulder blades, she let out a heavy sigh and leaned her cheek on the spot where her lips had just touched. I could tell she was exhausted and carefully turned her in my arms, allowing her to stand on my feet and sink the full weight of her body into me. Her gaze flickered down to my feet, bare against the cool, linoleum floor, and the feel of her lips curling up against my chest as she smiled caused warmth to spread throughout my entire being.

  “I missed you today.” She pulled back, looking up at me with those big brown eyes that constantly made me weak in the knees.

  “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there.” I swept my thumbs across her cheeks and drew her toward me, claiming her soft, pouty lips. She tasted like a cherry tootsie pop, a mixture of her cherry lip gloss and what I could only assume was a chocolate milkshake she must’ve grabbed from Dairy Queen on the way home. “So how did everything go? Babies doing all right?”

  Her lip twitched as the corner of her mouth pulled up in a crooked grin, but the half-second of hesitation didn’t go unnoticed. “Yeah, everything went fine. They’re absolutely perfect. The doctor said they’re each about the size of a plum now.”

  She smiled up at me dreamily, her eyes hooded with fatigue, and I lowered my hands down to the swell of her hips. My thumbs slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, and I lazily traced figure-eights across her smooth stomach. Seeing her standing before me, swallowed up in my arms, it was surreal to imagine her even being pregnant with twins. How could this tiny woman hold so much life and so much love inside of her? It was seriously mind-boggling. There I was embracing not one, not two, but three lives within the circumference of my arms. And yet, the sudden realization of what was to come from this beautiful being simply washed away every ounce of anxiety and trepidation that I’d been harboring up until this very moment.

  I kissed her forehead and let my lips linger for just a beat before tucking her head beneath my chin. Our bodies slowly rocked together, swaying against the silence encompassing us; no music was needed. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

  “Maybe once or twice.” Liberty giggled softly against me, and the sensation reverberated throughout my chest. “But my memory seems to be a bit off-kilter as of late. You might have to remind me just how much you love me, Mr. Thompson.”

  “Is that so?” I slowly backed her up against the refrigerator and lowered my mouth to her neck. “I’d be happy to oblige, Mrs. Thompson.” I nipped and teased at the flesh along her jaw, and she released a soft, throaty moan. “All you need to do is ask.”

  Just as the kitchen timer went off, I felt the intense rumble of Liberty’s belly against me. I gently grasped her chin between my forefinger and thumb and tilted her head back, so that I could drown in the warmth that filled her big brown eyes. My mouth brushed over hers, tasting the remnants of cherry lip-gloss and the sweetness that was my wife, before I whispered against her lips, “To be continued.”

  I gradually pulled away, only to find her cheeks flushed and her chest rising and falling rapidly, panting for more. My erection was painfully straining against the zipper of my jeans, a clear indication of just how much I needed her too, but right now, what I really needed was to feed my gorgeous wife and babies before her stomach began to revolt. I swore, the way her stomach was growling, it sounded like a stampede was about to come bursting through our kitchen!

  “Why don’t you go take a seat at the table, and I’ll bring you a plate over.” I kissed the tip of her nose and steered her away.

  I grabbed a bottle of Sam Adams from the fridge and poured Liberty a glass of ginger ale. After loading up both of our plates, I brought everything over to the table and caught her admiring the fresh bouquet of sunflowers.

  “You like them?”

  She smiled and took my hand, pulling me down to plant a kiss on my lips. “I love them. You know they’re my favorite.” Her gaze traveled over to the dried sunflowers situated on the bookshelf in the other room, the same ones she carried down the aisle on our wedding day, and the smile on her face grew tenfold. “So what’s the occasion?”

  I chuckled under my breath. “Can’t I buy flowers for my wife simply because I love her?”

  “Shayne, you only buy me flowers when it’s a special occasion or when you royally fuck up. So which is it?” Her eyebrow slowly rose, questioning my motive. God, that woman could read me like a book. There was no fooling her.

  “Sweetheart, I just wanted to do something nice for you since I couldn’t be there today.” I sat down and reached for her hand across the table, brushing my lips across her knuckles. “Plus, we have reason to celebrate, now that we can finally let everyone know you’re pregnant.”

  The elation behind my words was palpable, and she smiled briefly before slipping her hand free from mine and settling it in her lap. After eating a few bites of the casserole that had quickly grown cold,
she set her fork down, and the smile that had graced her face earlier was long gone. I could tell by the way she had dismissed my excitement that something was bothering her, but instead of bombarding her with questions, I waited in silence. I wanted to give her a chance to come out and tell me herself, but the wait was wearing my patience thin.

  “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” I knew the food wasn’t the problem, but it was the only neutral way I could begin this conversation with her.

  “It’s fine. I just…” She bowed her head for a moment, inhaling a deep breath and forcing it unsteadily past her lips. When her eyes reached mine, they were sparkling with unshed tears. “I have to tell you something, but I need you to know that I love you so very much, and I promise I wasn’t hiding this from you on purpose. I wasn’t even sure if it was anything at all, but I couldn’t let it go and…it was probably for the best that I didn’t.” It all rolled off her tongue in one swift breath, but as her voice softened and tapered off, I felt my heart begin to crack around the edges.

  In a matter of seconds, all of my worst fears came barreling straight into me with the force of a thousand wrecking balls. I never had any reason to doubt my love for Liberty, nor her love for me. Not once. That woman held every ounce of my heart in the palms of her fucking hands, and I trusted her with ever fiber of my being, but knowing that she was purposely keeping something from me had my stomach in knots. I wasn’t sure if I could bear for her to continue on when I knew it was only going to break my heart even more. God this is going to fucking hurt.

  “Shayne–”

  I held my hand up, cutting her off instantly.

  “Please, just let me explain.” She reached across the table for my hand, but I pulled away before she could touch me. Feeling her skin against my skin, even the simple touch of her slender fingers against my own, would have me completely undone, and I couldn’t allow for that to happen.