Illicit Ink: A Single Dad, Second Chance Romance, page 18
“Who the fuck is Bob?”
The look on his face has me barking out another laugh. “Battery-operated boyfriend, hot stuff. Don’t worry. Even Bob isn’t good competition for you.”
Zander beams at me. A ray of pure, sexy sunshine. “Good.”
The door opens, and a nurse strolls in with a cart for vitals. She sees us and stops. “Visiting hours are over.”
“I’m sleeping here tonight,” Zander tells her.
She looks past him to the couch then to me, and finally nods. “Very well. I’m going to check your vitals, and then I’ll be on my way.” She goes to work putting a blood pressure cuff on me, and while it squeezes the life out of my good arm, the woman checks the monitors and types something on a keyboard.
All the while, we remain completely silent.
“Do you need anything? How’s the pain?”
“Doing okay. Can’t feel any right now.”
“Good.” She smiles then looks from me to Zander. “Goodnight. Call us if you need anything.”
“Thanks, will do.”
She grabs her cart and wheels it back out, shutting the door behind her.
“Any idea when you get out of here?” Zander asks.
“Not a damn clue. The doctor is supposed to be coming in tomorrow. I’m hoping to find out then.”
Zander leans in. “Well, when you’re out of here and back in my bed, I will show you just how fucking much I missed you.”
Even though it’s going to torment me, I ask, “And how are you going to do that?”
He brushes his lips over my cheek. “Use your imagination, Wildcard, even though I imagine it pales massively to the things I have in store for you.”
Chapter 30
Zander
With the buzzing of a tattoo gun in my ear, I glance to the right at my phone. The screen is still dark, and with it, I can’t help but feel a bit of irritation. Rose hasn’t called or texted since she was discharged from the hospital this morning.
Her mom drove her home and has decided to stay in town through her recovery, which is great, of course, but it leaves me feeling a hell of a lot more insignificant than it probably should.
I wipe the top of the compass I just added to Dean’s sleeve then lean back. “It looks good,” I tell him.
“It always does,” he says as I apply a salve to the top and wrap it in plastic. “You good?” he asks.
While I clean up my tray, I consider. Am I good? That’s a loaded fucking question if ever I’ve heard one. “Not really. Rose hasn’t called or texted since she got home.”
“She got hit by a car, dude. Give her some time.”
“She’s carrying my kid.” I look up at him, a bit of fear clawing at my chest.
Dean reaches out and clasps a hand on my shoulder. “She’s not Ana, dude. She’s not going to bail.”
“I know that.” But even as I say it, I know there’s a little part of me that is terrified of what this means. I didn’t want any more kids. Mainly because it’s been hard as shit raising Aara by myself. Do I regret it? Fuck no. Not even a single moment. But that doesn’t mean I wanted to add to my stress level.
“Do you?” he asks. “Because, from where I’m sitting, you both have a lot of shit to unpack before you can move forward.”
“My baggage isn’t Rose’s to carry.”
“Then stop acting like it is.” He slips off the table and rolls his neck.
“What if she starts treating Aara different?” I ask. “Since she’s not her blood? What if Aara suffers because I couldn’t keep it fucking wrapped?”
Dean arches a brow. “Do you seriously think Rose is that person?”
“I don’t fucking know.” I pull off my gloves and run a hand through my hair.
“Look. Rose is fucking great, dude. She’s gorgeous, fun, loves Aara, and for whatever reason, she adores you. Don’t fuck this up before it even has a chance to work.”
“I want to be there for her. To take care of her.”
“Then why don’t you move her into that big-ass house of yours?”
“Her mom and grandmother are in town.”
“You have two guest rooms,” he counters.
“I—”
“Stop making fucking excuses, Z. It doesn’t look good on you.”
The bell over the door chimes, and I glance up as Ana walks in with a tall man beside her. His hair is cut short, and both arms are covered in ink.
“This must be the fiancé,” Dean comments as he grabs his jacket.
I stand and follow him to the front.
Ana smiles when she sees me, and the man looks me up and down, likely sizing me up the same way I’m doing him. “Zander, I wanted you to meet Eric.”
The man beside her offers me his hand. “Nice to meet you,” he says.
“You too. This is my brother Dean.”
Dean shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. You’re the history professor?” Eric asks.
“I am.”
“Nice. My daughter is obsessed with history. Says she wants to be an archaeologist when she grows up.”
Dean grins. “It’s a great profession.”
“Maybe one day you can talk to her about it?”
“I’d like that.” He smiles then turns to me. “I’ve got to get to the gym before my class tonight. Catch you later. It was nice to meet you.” He turns to Ana. “Ana, good to see you again.”
“You too.” She smiles, and while the woman I once knew is recognizable only in her features, I can see no traces of the trauma she once carried on her body like a second skin. Which goes a lot toward me respecting the man who’s with her now.
Eric turns to me. “I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s a damn good thing you did, raising that little girl all by yourself.”
“You have a daughter?”
He nods. “She’s fourteen. I share custody with my ex-wife.”
“Then you know how important my daughter is to me.”
“I do,” he says. The tone of his voice and the expression on his face reflect that of a man who understands the underlying threat of my words—and appreciates it. “I am glad you and Ana were able to reconnect, and I hope we can all get together so you can see that Aara will have a place in our home.”
“I would like that, and I think Aara will, too.”
Ana’s eyes mist. “How is Rose doing?” she asks.
“Discharged from the hospital this morning,” I tell her. “She’s recovering.”
“I can’t believe what she’s been through.”
“It’s a lot,” I tell her. When I’d told Ana of Rose’s accident, I left out the fact that she’s pregnant. And it’s not something I plan on sharing with her just yet. We’re just getting to know each other as friends, and she’s only just getting to know Aara.
“When she’s better, do you think we could do a double date with the kids? I’d like to spend some time with Aara, but I want to make sure it’s comfortable for all of you.”
“We can get together soon,” I tell her.
“Maybe at Rose’s restaurant? That place is delicious.”
Pride swells in my chest. “Rose is a damn good chef.”
“I breathe Italian food,” Eric comments. “So I, for one, am here for it.”
With Aara in tow, I step up to Rose’s apartment door. Is it fighting dirty to bring my little girl and ask the woman I love to move in with me? Maybe, but I’m doing it anyway.
Aara knocks, and a few seconds later, Rose’s mother pulls open the door. She smiles at me then notices Aara and drops to the floor to give my little girl a big hug. “Nipotina!” she exclaims. Granddaughter. It makes my heart swell. “Did you come to see me today?”
“Hi, Nonna,” Aara replies with a matching grin as she pulls away. “Daddy said we could come see you and Rose.”
“She is going to be so happy to see you, sweetie. Come.” She takes Aara’s hand and leads her into the apartment. I follow, noting the boxes still packed all along the walls. Perfect. “She’s napping right now, but you can go in and see her if you’d like,” she tells me.
“I can wait. I actually wanted to talk to you first.”
“Oh?” She arches a dark brow. “Well, come into the kitchen. I’m making dinner.”
“Spaghetti?” Aara asks hopefully.
“Lasagna,” she replies.
“That’s basically spaghetti!” Aara cheers. “But with more cheese.”
Gianna grins. “You have good taste, Aara.”
My stomach churns with nerves as I stop on the opposite side of the bar. “Where is your mother?” I ask.
“At the restaurant. She basically lives there these days. I don’t know how Rose is ever going to get her out of that kitchen. We may just have to move here.” She laughs.
Just fucking do it already. “I was wondering if you all would be interested in coming and staying with me.”
Gianna looks up at me, brow arched.
“I want to ask Rose to move in with me.”
“And you believe you have to ask us to come live with you, too?” she questions.
“I don’t want to come between you and your daughter.”
Gianna’s grin spreads. “You are a good man, Zander. I knew I liked you.”
“I want to help take care of her,” I say honestly. “I love her, and I want to be with her.”
“You ask her to move in with you,” she says. “Her grandmother and I can stay here at this apartment.”
“You don’t want to come stay with us?” I ask.
“I want you two to have privacy.” She lowers her voice. “I never told her this, but I didn’t care for Jesse. He was spineless; I could tell from the first time we met. But I love my daughter, and I wanted her to be happy. Never, in all the years that they were together, did she look at him the way she sees you.” She smiles down at Aara. “And you, Nipotina.”
“I don’t want to come between you. You’re here for her.”
“And living here will not change that.” She reaches out and touches my hand. “You are kind to offer, and if I thought for a second you knew what you were getting into, I would accept.” Her smile spreads. “Now...” She releases my hand and pours some water into a glass. “Take this to Rose. Aara and I will start on the cannolis.”
Chapter 31
Rose
I stare at the wall, a crutch in my hand. Thanks to the cast on my left arm, using two is nearly impossible. And, well, I just need to freaking pee.
I’ve been waited on, hand and foot, for the past few weeks, and I’m exhausted. Mentally, physically—all of the fucking above. I refuse to call out for help this time. I am a grown-ass woman, and I will make it to the bathroom by myself.
After my amazing pep talk, I grip the crutch like a lifeline then pull myself up on my one good leg. It’s sore from carrying the weight, but the jostling movement doesn’t cause me too much discomfort on the other side.
I smile. Yes.
“Now to walk,” I mumble to myself. I move the crutch forward then hop—and nearly fall right on my ass. “Son of a—”
“Trying to make a daring escape?”
I squeal and nearly fall right on my broken ass. Actually, my ass is the only thing not broken. “Shit! Are you trying to make me fall?”
Zander grins and comes into the room, shutting the door behind him. “I’d catch you.”
“I’d really rather do this by myself.”
He gestures toward the bathroom. “I’m not here to stop you. I’ll be here when you get out.”
I glare at him, trying to discern his angle. Then, I realize he doesn’t have one. Zander has never done anything to make me feel like he doesn’t trust that I can survive on my own. Tears fill my eyes, and I start to cry.
"Shit! Rose, what’s wrong?” He rushes over and wraps his arms around me.
“It’s these stupid hormones,” I cry. “I’m always freaking crying these days.”
He chuckles. “It’s going to be okay, Wildcard.”
“Ugh. Says you. You’re not half broken, pregnant, and crying at the drop of a hat.”
“No, but I am worried about you. All the time. Every moment of every single day.”
“I’m fine.”
“I know you are,” he replies. “Now. Go pee so we can chat.”
I look up at him, and because my pride has finally been pushed aside, I ask, “Will you just help me in there, please? Then you can leave me.”
“I can hold your hand while you pee.”
Revulsion churns in my belly. “No. Not that comfortable with you yet, Dorsey. Let’s keep some mystery alive.”
He grins. “Fair enough. Let’s go, hop along.”
After the longest pee ever peed, and having Zander hold me up while I washed my hands, we’re finally sitting back in my room. He’s covered me with blankets and is sitting beside me, my head on his shoulder, our hands interlinked.
“Thank you. For not treating me like an invalid.”
“Wildcard, there is not a damned thing you couldn’t do. Even in plaster casing.”
“How’s Aara?”
“She’s good. Wondering where you’ve been. She and your mom are making cannolis.”
I groan. “That sounds delicious. My mom’s cannolis are the best.”
“I don’t know. I’m rather fond of yours.”
Tipping my face up, I purse my lips to hide my smile. “You would make that dirty.”
“I could make it a lot dirtier if you want.”
“Maybe later.” I yawn. “Shit, I go from crying to mad to exhausted at the drop of a hat.”
“That’s pregnancy for you,” he says. “Or so I’ve heard.”
“Yeah, well, I think it would be easier if I didn’t have to rely on everyone else to help me pee.”
Zander presses a kiss to the top of my head. “Move in with me.”
I sit up too quickly, and pain shoots through my side. “Shit!”
“Damn, that jarring of a question, huh?”
“Did you just ask me to move in with you?”
“I did.”
“Because I’m pregnant.” I narrow my gaze on him. This is exactly what I was afraid of. Zander moving too fast just because I got knocked up.
“Not entirely,” he admits. “To be honest, I was planning on asking you before your accident.”
“You were.”
He shrugs. “I like having you around.”
“Zander. I’m not expecting anything just because I’m pregnant.”
He moves away from me then stands and crosses his arms as he looks down at me. “I never said you were.”
“You’re acting like you have to marry me or something,” I retort. “And I don’t want a future with you just because you feel like you have no choice.”
“First of all,” he starts, his gaze hardening, “I never feel like I don’t have a choice. I chose to marry Ana because I loved her. Or because I thought I loved her. I chose to raise Aara because I wanted a family. I was not forced into doing something I didn’t want.”
“That’s not what I—”
“And me asking you to move in with me is not because I feel backed into a fucking corner, Rose. It’s because I am in love with you, and I want you with me as much as possible. I mean, shit, you spent most of your time at my house anyway. Your fucking toothbrush is there.”
“You feel like you have to take care of me.” I put my unbroken hand in my lap and stare up at him. “Do you not?”
“I want to take care of you, Rose.”
“It’s the same thing.”
“The fuck it is,” he snaps. “It’s not the same at all. And if you weren’t so fucking stubborn, you’d see it.”
Tears burn in the corners of my eyes again, enraging me further. Logically, I believe him. But there’s a part of me that honestly worries he’s only asking because of some twisted obligation. “I don’t want to be an obligation.”
Zander sits on the edge of the bed and takes my hands into his. “You’re not,” he assures me. “I love you, Wildcard. More than I ever thought I could. I want you in my life, every day. In Aara’s. And if you’re willing to take this next step, then I promise to take care of you until the day you can do it yourself.”
“You going to drop me when I’m not broken?”
He grins. “No. I plan to work on you until then so that I can still take care of you even when you don’t need me anymore.”
“Snake.”
“As accused,” he replies then presses his lips to the top of one of my hands. “Please come stay with me, Rose. Please let me take care of you.”
“My mom—”
“Already said it was fine.”
I tilt my head. “You asked my mother before talking to me?”
“Only if she were willing to come live with me, too.”
I gape at him, staring as though he just sprouted an additional head. “You asked my mom to move in with you?”
“And your grandmother. Well, I didn’t ask her directly since she essentially lives at your restaurant.”
“What did my mother say?”
“That you can come live with me and she and your grandmother will stay here in your apartment. So we can have space.”
“She said that?” I don’t know why I’m at all surprised. My mother has been trying to marry me off since I was eighteen. Grandbabies are what she’s after. And with me and Zander, she’s not just getting one down the road but two right off the bat.
“She did. So, what do you say, Rose? Will you move in with me? Let me wait on you, hand and one good foot?”
I glare at him, trying like hell to fight the blooming smile on my face. Truth is, I’m just as head over heels in love with him as he is with me. So, with that in mind, I take a deep breath and nod. “But let’s get one thing clear, Dorsey.”
“What’s that?”
“I expect breakfast in bed every day of the week.”
“Done.”
“And spaghetti every night.”
“Absolutely.” He grins. “Is that a yes, then?”
I grin at him, happier than I ever thought I would be. “Yes.”
