8. Big Daddy Energy

8

BIG DADDY ENERGY

BLAKE

A n hour later, River held five small pebbles in a clear jar with a white lid on it. Such little things sure caused big turmoil today. “Can I bring this to school tomorrow to show Jimmy?”

A chuckle shared between Olivia and me relieved the tension. It’d been agonizing holding him down, witnessing his cries, as the doctor worked as best he could with a scary-looking metal claw contraption to retrieve the intruders from his ear canal.

“All better. I’ll have the nurses finish up. River, you’ll be fine. But doctor’s orders, don’t put things in your body that shouldn’t be there.” Jameson pointed sternly at him. I had to hand it to him for being good about this situation and good with the kid. “Livvie, Blake, he can have a little pain relief medicine later, as needed. I imagine he’ll be tired after this. So I’d recommend keeping him calm and early to bed tonight.”

“Hey. Thanks, doc,” I called out before he exited the door. Despite everything, he was a professional. I could at last be a decent human being and respect that.

The nurses wrapped everything up with us, but as we left the room, Julia approached me. “Blake? Got a minute?” River and Olivia paused a few feet down the hall, hesitating and looking back. From her squinting and nostrils flaring, was she jealous?

“What do you want?” I stuffed my hands into my pockets.

“About earlier, what I said came out wrong. It is good to see you again.” She reached up and fixed the collar of my flannel shirt like she had a right to.

Olivia huffed away, with River in tow. I should have gone after them, not standing here with someone who no longer concerned me.

“I don’t care what you’ve heard around town. It’s been years. You’re married with two kids. I didn’t figure you’d be crawling back to me.” I scowled.

“No, but there are times I really miss you and wonder if I made a mistake.” Her hand landed on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

Down the hall, I spied the doctor eyeing us. Julia knew exactly what she was doing, trying to make him jealous, too. I brushed her hand away.

“Way too fucking late for that. Your mistake was the first day you cheated on me. Go back to your husband. Figure out how to treat him right or you’ll lose him too.” I practically spat my warning on her.

I chased down Olivia and River outside as they were about to drive off. Her window was down just enough she could hear me say, “I’ll follow you home. And don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”

“The one that says I don’t need to. That you’ll be fine without me.”

“I will. I survived this long.”

“I meant what I said earlier, I take care of my friends and family. I’ll see you at home, Riv, okay?” A very sleepy boy waved from the backseat as she drove away. If I wasn’t mistaken, Julia’s presence at the hospital brought out a green-eyed monster in this mama bear.

But we didn’t get too far down the road before Olivia pulled over in front of me, smoke coming out of her engine.

“Dammit. I knew her fucking car wasn’t safe.” I hid a gloating smile as I rushed to her and knocked on her window. She slowly rolled it manually down, staring straight ahead, not giving me the satisfaction. River was fast asleep in his seat in the back. “A little car trouble, darlin’? Good thing I was following you.”

“Shut it.” She chewed her cheek.

I laughed and reached in, and smoothed a lock of hair back from her face. “I’m here Olivia. And I’m not going anywhere. So get used to it.”

That brought her face around to mine, the blue of her eyes blazing, vibrant. “Not going back to your ex? I remember how heartbroken you were when we met.”

“Back to her lying, cheating, game-playing ass? Hell no. Now get out of the car and teach me how to install his booster seat into my truck.”

She did, then hardly said a word the entire way to her place. I had to hand it to her how feisty and independent she could be. Had she always been this way or did her life and pregnancy at a young age force her to adapt?

If only I’d known. I shook my head once again at all the things that could have been so different over the past several years. I swore right then I’d make up for every moment I missed.

At her place, it was getting dark out, and her grandma wasn’t around. I carried River gently into the house. His sleepy head rested on my shoulder, little arms around my neck, his subtle snores so sweet. This was my son, mine to protect. Yeah, we were waiting on the official paternity test results, but in my heart, I knew.

I didn’t peg Olivia for a liar. After my experience with Julia, I became a pretty judgmental guy about women. Nothing about Olivia screamed problematic, though. Sure, she wasn’t forthcoming about details of her life, but given time she’d probably share, and we had plenty of time now, as far as I was concerned.

She and River were making their home here. I’d do everything I could to ensure they stayed.

We both tucked River into his bed. The room furnishings took me by surprise, decked out in a simple blue geometric pattern dotted with—of all things—red fire trucks. Just like my room growing up, always so proud of my dad’s profession. It tugged at my heart how in little ways River was so much like me.

He yawned and opened his sleepy eyes, shifting them between us. “Was I brave today at the hospital?”

“So brave, my little boy,” Olivia gushed, her lower lip trembling.

“I think you earned a huge slice of pie at Aunt Minnie’s with an extra scoop of ice cream.” That earned me a hug from him, but a stern glance from the mama bear. I cast one right back that she should have interpreted as Don’t mess with my Big Daddy Energy.

After we kissed him goodnight, it was just the two of us. We walked slowly down the hall, back to the kitchen. I wasn’t ready to leave her yet. She looked tired, too. I could carry her off to bed and tuck her in nice and proper if she’d let me.

“Hungry? I could order us a pizza or something,” I offered.

“You paid the hospital bill, and you’ve already promised to have my car towed and fixed. You’ve spent enough, Blake.”

“Yeah, so? I can also give you rides to and from work and school and anywhere else you need to go until it’s fixed.”

“I can borrow Nancy’s car for now. And I’ll pay you back every cent.”

“Nope, not happening, sweet pea. I have five years?—”

“To make up for. So you like to remind me.” She rolled her eyes.

Actually, I intended to buy her a whole new vehicle. I walked into the kitchen and inspected the contents of the fridge. From what little they had, I could at least make an omelet.

“What are you doing now?” She asked.

I took her hands and led her to the couch. “Would you just relax here and let me take care of you? I’ll bring you a plate in a few.”

“You can cook, too? Jeez, is there anything you can’t do, Blake? I mean, you’ve got this hero act down pat.” She deflated with her snarky attitude into the couch like she finally gave in. I chuckled at how she amused me. But not for long as the exhaustion painted her face with dark circles under her eyes more prominent than usual, like she had plenty of worries beyond just the events of today.

I’d like nothing more than to make her life easier. Now was the perfect time for someone like me to swoop in and save the day for her, and I didn’t see any other man knocking on her door. Good for me. Besides, I saw red thinking of someone else becoming a father figure to River. Or putting his hands on Olivia. Possessiveness grew within me by the day.

“I’m far from a hero. But I do like to take real good care of things that are mine. ” My voice went there, super low and growly, like in St. Louis…when I was buried so deep inside her, telling her what a good girl she was, fucking my seed hard into her without ever realizing the little bud we’d planted there.

Hell, yeah. Olivia did it for me. My cock sprang to life, forming a steel rod in my jeans now, yearning to do more of that with her again and again.

I sucked in a breath and forced my feet toward the kitchen. Focused on making her a good meal distracted me enough, I finally calmed my heated self down by the time it was ready.

I brought the plate and a towel and fork with me and sat by her side. I helped pull her upright. After cutting a piece of the egg, I brought it to her lips.

“I can feed myself.” She protested, placing a hand on mine. Sparks ignited there, searing my skin.

“Humor me, sweet pea.”

“Why are you calling me that?”

“Because you’re adorable, for one. When we met, you had this innocence about you, shy, sort of fragile. Which now that I know you were a virgin, the nickname fits. I like it, but if you don’t, I’ll stop.”

She shrugged and rolled her eyes, then she opened her mouth over the fork. I couldn’t tear my sight away from the way the fork slid back out of her pink lips. I fed her more, and on the third bite, she moaned. My dick threatened to shoot off into my pants.

“You’re a good cook. Where did you learn how?” She asked between bites.

“Being single long enough, I got tired of carry-out food all the time, so I taught myself. How about you?”

“I microwave like a badass, because I can’t be trusted around a hot stove. Nancy cooks just enough to keep us alive.”

“Hm. I’d be happy to give you cooking lessons.”

“Like the lessons you gave me in St. Louis?” She purred like a sultry kitten. Nice. One corner of my lips curled up. Look who might finally warm up to me, admitting it without so many words. In her next breath, though, she blushed and shyly looked down and away, back to the young woman I was so tempted by in the first place. At the time, the age gap between us—her twenty-one to my twenty-eight—seemed huge.

With more maturity, her now twenty-seven to my thirty-four suited me just fine. Her body had ripened, filled out into some dangerous curves, ready for more baby-making at this age, I figured, which only made me harder. I suddenly wanted to run while she crawled at a snail’s pace. But I damn-well didn’t want more kids after forty, so I had a window of about five or six years, I estimated, to get her to be mine.

A mountain to climb, maybe, but I was in search and rescue mode with a hard-on. My mission was clearer than ever. I’d run through hell and back to win her over and prove I was the man she desired, while being the father River needed, too.

When the plate was empty, I brought the towel to her lips and wiped them. I could do this all day, caring for her, tending to her every need.

Her eyes penetrated deeply into mine, like the same vulnerable woman from the first night we met. I couldn’t stop myself and leaned into her, brushing her forehead with my lips.

“Satisfied?“ I whispered. “Or is there something more I can do for you, little baby mama?” I spoke on her skin as my lips caressed down her cheek and along her jawline, finally lifting to her waiting, pouty lips. Gently, I took them, and my heart beat out of my chest.

She mewled as I lingered there, and my head got lost, throwing all sensibility out the door. I lusted for more, taking another chance on her lips with a more demanding kiss. Only her palm landed on my chest, nudging me away. “Blake, I’m just—so tired“

“Yeah? Then I’ll put you to bed.”

“I am already there.”

“Huh? The couch is where you sleep?“

She nodded. Well, that wouldn’t do for long. I had plenty of room at my house. Although knowing her, it would be an entirely complicated conversation to get her there at this point. I would bide my time for that one.

I sent my cock a sincere apology and reached for the knitted blanket. “Lay down and sleep, then. I’ll stay here until your grandma comes home. Any idea where she is?”

“No. And thanks. I feel like I owe you a dozen apologies for today.” She surprisingly put up little protest, and shifted to her side. She brought a pillow under her head, closing her eyes as I covered her.

“You owe me nothing. Go to sleep.” She gave me River. Plenty for a man like me. I sat like a good boy, obediently by her feet, with my hands under my ass so I wouldn’t reach for her and make her sleep draped all over me.

The TV was on, the volume low, but the only thing I watched for an hour was her sleeping. All kinds of plans circulated in my head, paving the way forward for us. Until the grandmother came home.

“Oh, it’s you,” she cried, only slightly startled by a strange man on her couch. Had Olivia told her who I was?

“Ma’am. I’m Blake. Nice to meet you.” I whispered and rose from the couch for a proper introduction, offering her my hand.

“Nancy.” She gave me a prolonged once over during the handshake. “Can I offer you a coffee for the ride home?”

A waft of alcohol drifted toward me as I followed her to the kitchen. “Sure.” Then I set about telling her the events of the day as I observed her microwave a stale cup of coffee from the pot that’d probably been sitting there since morning.

“That girl never even called me. I’m sure she didn’t want to worry me. But when will she ever learn that she doesn’t have to handle all of this alone?” She shook her head.

“I don’t know, but I’m working on her, ma’am.”

She reached across the counter for my hand and patted it. “Don’t give up. Something tells me you’d be really good to her and River. Lord knows, she didn’t have an easy life.”

I scrubbed my beard. More than once, Olivia alluded to it, and I longed to know everything, but she kept her life guarded behind a huge wall. “What happened in the past? She’s pretty closed off about it.”

Nancy shook her head. “It’s not my story to tell, but give her time. Treat her right, and maybe someday she’ll open up.” She handed me a plastic go cup with a lid. I politely took what she offered, even though I’d probably throw the black liquid out later.

“Understood. Guess I’ll be going then. Thanks for the coffee.”

“Good night.” She waited in the doorway while I drove off. I paused down the street until she turned out the lights. I’d give Nancy the benefit of the doubt, but she came across far from a doting and loving grandmotherly type.

Even with some mysteries surrounding Olivia, I still believed my mission here was clear. She and my son needed me. She might not believe it yet, but she soon would.