Chapter Twelve - Darla

Chapter Twelve - Darla

Three hours later, I’m sitting at the café on the beach totally exhausted.

Thankfully, Lilah took the news like a champ. “I don’t care what people say, mummy,” she said. “I know the truth. That’s all the matters.” My girl is so smart.

When she took out her iPad and deleted my brother from her contacts, my anger for him grew. No nine-year-old should ever have to do such a thing.

I guess I’ve always known his true nature, but I shied away from it because he was my brother. But if he was truly my brother, if he truly loved me and loved Lilah, he wouldn’t have done such a despicable thing. I hope losing what’s left of his family was worth whatever he got paid.

To give me time to talk to Gage, Emily and Jake are having ice cream with Lilah. Sweat trickles down my back. This is going to be a hard conversation.

I look up from the table to see Gage jogging over to me.

I pick up the glass of ice water, my hand trembles.

“There you are, hotshot. I’ve been calling you.”

“I know.” I mutter.

“Baby…” He tips my chin up. “Everything’s fine.”

“It’s not.” I look away. “What my brother did is awful.”

“Agreed. It is awful. Simon is a fucking idiot for what he did to Lilah.”

“Lilah?” I nearly screech. “What about you?”

“I’m fine. You and Lilah are my main concern. I called the team publicist. They are all over this story. Your brother’s two minutes of fame are over.” He reaches for my hand. “Not only that, he’s going to have to pay the money back because his story is a lie.”

I pull my hand back. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“You’ve got a funny way of showing it, baby. You aren’t smiling.”

“I can’t.” I lift my head to look him in the eye. “I need time to think.”

“Alright. We’ve got a twelve-hour flight coming right up.”

“No.” I exhale. “I need more than that. You can call Lilah whenever you want. See her whenever you want. But as far as you and me, I need to rethink this.”

Gage glares, grinding his molars. “Don’t do this.”

“I have to.”

The pain in his eyes hits me hard.

“Baby, we’ve lost so much time already.”

“I need time.”

Gage sits back. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” My heart makes a painful squeeze. “I need to think.”

“I love you, Darla. With every ounce of my soul, I love you. I love Lilah. I will give you time.” He stands up, braces his arms on the table and leans into my face. “But as soon as that time is up, you need to know one thing.”

“What?” My bottom lip quivers.

“I’m coming for you.”

Chapter Thirteen – Gage

Murmurs arise as I make my way through the lobby of the brokerage firm. Women whisper to each other, while the men get to their feet wondering if they should call 911 or grab a piece of paper to ask for my autograph.

I am fully aware there is steam pouring out of my ears and I might be sporting the face of a serial killer.

From behind a partition, a woman’s beehive hairdo pops up, her neck craning to see what all the commotion is about.

Someone takes out their cell and starts recording.

But my steps don’t falter.

I’ve been waiting six days, seven hours, ten minutes and twenty-three seconds for Darla to return my call. Just as I promised, her time is up.

“Hey, aren’t you Gage Harlow?” A man with caterpillars for eyebrows, shouts.

Normally, I’d stop. Say a kind word and go on about my merry way. However, there is nothing merry about me today.

My woman has stalled me for as long as I will allow.

I told her I was coming for her. And I meant it.

From the corner of my eye, I see Emily jumping up and down pointing to the door at the end of the hall. I give her a nod and make a mental note to send her a dozen roses.

When I reach the door, I don’t knock.

I throw the door open wide.

Darla flies out of her office chair. “What are you doing here?”

I step into the office. “I told you that I would give you time.”

“I need more.” She squeaks.

“You’ve had enough.” I stalk towards her, dragging a chair from in front of her desk to the right to block her exit. I keep moving to the left.

She nervously licks her lips, stepping backwards until her back hits the wall.

“What is more time going to do for you?” I growl.

“Uhm…I…uhm…I don’t know.” She shrugs.

“Wrong answer.”

She peeks around my shoulder. “People are watching us.”

“Good. Then there’ll be plenty of witnesses for what I’m about to do.”

“What are you going to do?” Her baby blues blink.

“I’m going to make you confess.” The rapid rise and fall of her gorgeous breasts distract me for a half of a second.

“Confess?” Her hand goes to her chest. “Confess what? You don’t think I was the one that leaked that story, do you?”

“Don’t be daft, woman.” I inch closer. “How do you feel about me?”

“What?”

“Oh, you didn’t hear me.” I step back, cup my hands around my mouth and bellow. “How do you feel about me, Darla Gray!”

“Stop it!” She glares. “Everyone can hear you!”

“Perfect.”

She bends to the side, looking over my shoulder.

I cup her chin in my palm, tilting her beautiful face back to me. “Answer the question, baby. How. Do. You. Feel. About. Me.”

She rolls her bottom lip in over her teeth. “Please…”

“Nope.” I shake my head. “I’ve been patient. Your time has run out. Answer the question.”

“I love you.” She whispers.

“What?” I cup a hand over my ear. “I didn’t hear that, Darla? How do you feel about me?” I shout so that everyone behind us doesn’t miss a word.

She defiantly raises to her toes. “I love you!” She hollers. “Happy now?”

“Not yet, hotshot.” I cage her against the wall with my body. “Kiss me like you mean it.” I smirk.

Her mouth drops open. “What?”

“Time’s ticking, baby. Kiss me or I’m about to throw you over that nice walnut desk of yours and show you how much I’ve missed you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“One…two…”

Her hands grab onto my neck and she devours me with a blistering, hot kiss. When she pulls away, we’re both gasping for air.

“That was a helluva kiss, hotshot.”

“You forced it out of me.” She huffs.

“Well, I thank you.” I lean in close. “I’m sure the rest of the office thanks you, too.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“I’m desperately, madly in love with you, Darla Gray. There isn’t anything I won’t do to get you to truly know that.”

“Is that so?”

“It is so.”

“Alright.” She wiggles out from underneath my arm. “Meet us at the Eurasia tonight at six sharp.” She calls out all her wide-eyed co-workers. “My boyfriend is taking us out for dinner!”

She turns back to me with a sugary smile. “You said anything.”

“I did.” I reach out and stroke my fingertips over her cheek. “You just have to promise me two things.”

“Again, with the promises.” She rolls her eyes.

“One you will never leave me hanging again. We are a team until our last dying breaths.”

“Oh, my God. You’re going to make me cry.” She lays her head on chest. “I promise.”

“Thank you, Lord.” I kiss the top of her head. “Number two, you’re my dessert tonight.”

“I promise, I promise, I promise.” She looks up at me with a look of pure love that has my blood pumping so hard, I feel lightheaded.

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you, too.”

I give her one last kiss. Then walk out of the office, strutting like a peacock.

Chapter Fourteen - Gage

Six months later

“This is it, bro!” Jake has one foot on third-base, rocking back and forth. “Bring me home!”

I step out of the dugout with my nerves on fire. It’s game six in the World Series, bottom of the ninth inning and we’re tied 5-5 with the Boston Falcons. If I can hit a home run, we’ll win. I glance over my shoulder to where my wife and daughter are sitting. They’re decked out in Bangor Braves T-shirts and hats sitting on the edge of their seats. If I strike out, if I don’t get at least a single, they are going to love me no matter what. They are my home, my oasis, my everything.

But the truth is I want to win this game for them, for the team. I want to be showered with kisses and hugs from my girls. I want to make my family proud.

I pick up the bat, roll the tension from my shoulders and make my way to the plate. I lift my left foot, knock my cleat with the bat buying time to let the adrenaline burning through my system to settle down. As I bend at the waist, lift my arm and start to bring the bat back, the stadium goes deathly quiet.

The pitcher steps onto the mound.

Blood hums past my eardrums. My heart pounding so hard my chest vibrates.

I look over at my daughter.

“You’ve got this, daddy!” She’s on her feet. “I love you!”

The crowd goes crazy. And I can’t wipe the smile off my face even if I wanted to. My girl loves me. That right there is better than winning any game.

“I love you too, peanut!” I holler over my shoulder. “This one’s for you!”

The pitcher releases the ball, I take my swing…and…crack! The ball soars into the air. And I take off like a rocket.

Whistles, shouts, stomping feet and claps echo all around me. My thighs burn as I slam my cleat onto first base, round the corner and head to second.

“Go, baby, go!” Out of the wild cacophony, Darla’s voice finds me. My cleat pounds onto second, then third. My chest heaves as I head towards home plate. My teammates are there clapping, waving their caps in the air.

As soon as my shoe hits home plate, Jake snatches me in a bear hug. “I told you this was our year! Way to go, buddy! Way to go!”

When he sets me down, I make a beeline for the stands. I shove my hand into the pocket of my pants and pull out the velvet pouch. I drop to one knee and hold the ring in the air.

Darla’s eyes fill with tears, her trembling hand covering her mouth.

“Darla Gray, would you marry me?”

“Yes!” Lilah jumps up and down. “Yes, she’ll marry you!”

Darla gets to her feet and climbs down over the wall. She throws her arms around me. “Yes, baby. I will marry you.”

I slip the ring on her finger. The kiss she gives me steals my breath while making me feel ten feet tall. I have everything I ever dreamed of. A World Series championship under my belt, a best friend that is really my brother, a smart loving daughter, and a woman that I can’t live without and adore with every fiber of my being.

“There’s just one thing,” she whispers is my ear. “We’re….”

The crowd is screaming so loud I can barely hear her. “What did you say?”

She cups my face in her hands and pulls me down close. “We’re having a baby.”

“Woot! Woot!” Lilah swirls her fist in the air. “I’m going to be a big sister!”

My eyes pop. “We’re…having…a…baby?”

“Yes.” She takes my hand and rests it over her belly. “In about six months.”

Tears burn my eyes. “We’re having a baby.” I whisper.

“Lilah wants a boy.”

“Does she?” I swipe a stray tear from her cheek. “What if it’s a girl?”

“She says it won’t be.”

“Is that so?” I wink at Lilah.

“Yup. You’ll have a baby boy and I think we should get a girl puppy.” She says matter of factly.

“A puppy?” I chuckle. “Are you trying to kill me?”

Emily helps Lilah over the wall. She runs over the turf in a Bangor Brave shirt that’s three sizes too big, wraps her little arms around me and her mother, squeezing us as hard as she can. “No, silly. Mummy always told me the story about you wanted a dog when you were a little boy but you never got to have one. When I got you, daddy, when you came and found me, I got my dream. I think you should have your dreams, too.”

Her words hit me straight in the heart making my knees buckle. I don’t know when it happened, or how it happened, but somehow, I’ve become the luckiest man alive. I pull my girls in tight, kiss the top of Lilah’s head, kiss Darla’s smiling lips and let my palm rest against her stomach. “I’m holding my dreams right now, peanut. And I’m never letting go.”