Chapter 5
5
Anchor
“Okay, boys, five laps around the field, let’s go,” Coach Taylor shouts, and the kids all groan but drop their helmets and take off, and I chuckle at the scowl on my son’s face.
Fuck, he’s so much like me it’s unbelievable, right down to his expressions, but he has his mom’s heart and, most importantly, her eyes.
I sigh and drop my head, looking at my feet as I lean my arms on my bent knees.
I didn’t mean to snap at Heaven, but fuck, there’s only so much I can take. I’m lying to my club, the boys believing I’m texting women all over when, in reality, I’m trying to get Heaven to give me another chance. I’m also dealing with a pissed off mother who believes my wife should just roll over and show me her stomach like a dog. My son can’t understand why his mother and I aren’t together, especially when he knows I have his mom’s name tatted on the inside of my forearm. Then there’s my girl, refusing to give in and give me a second chance, even ten years later.
I’ve done everything for her to prove she’s my all, but she won’t fucking budge.
“What’s up, brother?” I hear to my right and look at Steal as he sits beside me, dropping a water bottle by my feet.
“I didn’t hear you pull up,” I admit, and he hums.
“I can see that. Why do you look defeated?” he asks.
I groan. “Heaven found out about the birth control when she picked up her new prescription.”
His eyes widen, and he stutters, “And you, uh, um, you’re still alive?”
I snort. “Barely, and only because our son was waiting for me.”
“Fuck,” he grunts, and I nod as my eyes go to my son at the front of the line of boys, running around the field, going just slow enough to ensure the team follows.
“So that’s your sex life gone then,” he summarizes, knowing I won't go anywhere else, and I chuckle.
“No fucking chance,” I state. “As soon as she lets her guard down, I’m swapping her pills again, and we both know as soon as I kiss her during an argument, she’ll fall.”
“Travis—” Steal starts, but I cut him off, “No, I know I shouldn’t, I do, but I’m out of fucking ideas, and it doesn’t matter what she says, having another baby will bring us together again. She loves me, Colt, you know it, and so do I; she’s just stubborn.”
“Also doesn’t help that you admitted sex hadn’t felt as good as it did inside Ginger's ass when your wife had just given birth,” he mumbles.
I groan. “I don’t even remember saying it, and of course, my wife had to witness and hear the shit…. I didn’t mean it.”
“Brother, you tell the truth when you're drunk,” he reminds me.
I swallow hard. “I know,” I admit, “it had been months without sex because the end of her pregnancy was hard on her, and then when she was cleared, she was tired because I was a jackass and didn’t help her out as I should have, my priority being the club at the time when it shouldn’t have been. If I had fucked my wife, and though it’s no excuse, I would have said the same fucking thing.”
Steal nods and looks toward the field, watching the coach wrangle up the boys to start practice. My son, the quarterback, stands in the middle of the boys before Steal asks, “Have you been with anyone else since that night?”
I also look at my son and admit, “Only my wife. In ten years, she’s the only one I’ve been with, the only one I want. I’m trying to show her what happened wouldn’t happen again. She works, I’m home with our boy, her car breaks down, I fix it, something goes wrong in the house, I’m there, and yes, Micha is usually the one to call me from his mom’s phone to tell me these things, but I’m there….” I sigh, running my hand over my hair. “I just, fuck, I don’t know how much longer I can manage without her; I’m drowning, brother.” I look at Steal and admit, “She’s hiding something from me.”
He frowns and asks, “What do you mean?”
I look back at the field to see the boys running different plays and admit, “I heard Micha wish his mom luck today, and I ended up storming out the house after yet another argument about divorce without thinking to question her.”
“What about Micha? Did you not ask him?” he asks, and I sigh, looking toward my best friend.
“And put him in the middle?” I ask, and he drops his chin in defeat. The coach shouts another play, and we watch the boys get into formation. Micha looks our way and waves when seeing Steal, who waves back, mumbling, “I’m so the favorite uncle,” making me snort as I grab the water bottle near my feet.
“Only because no one else knows he exists; just wait until Art finds out,” I mutter, taking a big gulp.
He groans, “Is it bad I’m hoping Heaven doesn’t take you back for a little while longer? Because that fucker is going to kill us.”
I chuckle darkly. “Well, you’re getting your wish.”
“Trav,” he sighs, “you know keeping Ginger around is most likely what’s holding Heaven back?”
Yep, I’m fully aware of that, but it’s not like I can boot the bitch out, and I tell him so. I nod and reply, “But we have no reason to kick her out other than fucking a married brother years ago, a brother they have no idea is even married. When Heaven came to the club that day, the prospect on the gate, fucking Pitbull of all people, thought she was a hangaround.”
Steal sighs but doesn’t say anything, knowing I’m right. There are rules his grandfather made, including the cut-off for clubwhores when they piss a brother off. She hasn’t done that yet because Heaven isn’t known at the club.
Shaking my head, I go back to watching Micha dominate the field, wishing Heaven was here and not doing something I don’t know about.
The kid loves football, and Heaven didn’t even hesitate to sign him up when he asked. She’s done everything for our child, and fuck me, is she an amazing mother and even more so when I was a jackass husband and father….
An hour later, practice is finished, and Micha runs over with a big grin on his muddy, sweaty face.
“Hi, Uncle Colt,” he says excitedly, and I chuckle as Steal fist-bumps him.
With Micha not a part of club life, Steal is Uncle Colt to him. That is how he knows him. Even when I can finally get my wife to wear my patch and give me a second chance, he’ll always be known as Uncle Colt and, if my miracle, he becomes a brother when he’s older, Steal will still be Uncle Colt.
“You were looking good out there, kid,” Steal says, causing Micha’s grin to get larger, which I didn’t even think was possible. I grab his bag from him and stand, rubbing my hand through his sweaty, shaggy hair, making him laugh as he runs back down the steps.
“Is it just me, or are we being watched?” Steal whispers as we descend the bleachers, and I snort, my eyes going to the mothers standing near the coach, their eyes on us.
“It’s the cuts,” I admit, and he shudders when one mother bites her lip and undoes the zipper on her jacket a little.
“Let’s get outta here before Cass’s radar goes off,” he murmurs and I laugh, putting my arm over Micha’s shoulders and guide him to the parking lot, waving to the assistant coach so he knows I have my kid.
I chuck Micha’s bag in the back of my matte black truck and look at Steal to ask if he’s coming back to the house, a house I can’t call home, especially when I know I have a house built on club property for my family, only to his eyes are on Micha.
“How’s school going, kid?” he asks, and I lean against my truck.
The fucker is going in easy, but I know what he’s doing, and I can’t say I’m sad about it, either.
Heaven is keeping something from me, and I’ve felt like she has for a while now; I’m just hoping it’s not another man because, if it is, the fucker is going to end up six feet under.
“Good, Jodie Michaels in my class asked me out and tried to touch my hand. It was weird,” Micha innocently admits, and Steal and I share a grin.
“It’s because you’re good-looking,” Steal says, and I shake my head. “So uh, how’s your mom doing?” he asks not so subtly, and I stand up straight, waiting for my son’s answer.
“She’s good. She has a date tonight, though, but I’m going to call her and wreck it,” he answers, and I cough behind my hand to hide my chuckle.
It’s not just me who wants my marriage back on track; our son does as well, and even though he’s grown up with us separated, he knows exactly what his mother means to me, I’ve never hidden it from him, and he knows what I mean to his mom. He’s noticed that she keeps our wedding photo inside the drawer on her bedside table.
“Tonight? So, what is she doing today, then? I mean, normally, she’s here, right?” Steal asks innocently, and Micha looks down at the ground, and I frown at his reaction.
“I uh, um. I can’t say. I don’t want to betray Momma’s trust,” he says quietly, and instantly, my blood pumps faster.
Since when does Heaven make our son keep fucking secrets?
Even though I don’t want to confront our son, to put him in this position, I still open my mouth to question him because Heaven caused this, not me, but before I can say anything, Micha speaks up again, looking my way and says, “I promised Mom I wouldn’t say anything because she doesn’t think she’ll pass, but I want to celebrate with her….” He gives me the best puppy dog eyes and asks, “Can we make her a meal, Dad?”
I tilt my head and ask, “What is she doing today, bud?”
He winces and admits, “Mom’s been going to college,” and my eyes widen as Steal’s mouth drops open in shock. Micha continues, “She’s been doing it part-time. She wants to be a lawyer, and today, she has her bar exam.”
Holy….
A feeling of regret and sadness fills me that she never told me, that she never came to me with this, and even though it fucking hurts, I know it’s my fault.
Steal clears his throat at seeing my reaction and butts in, “Actually, kid, instead of you and your dad cooking, why don’t we shut down the Huntsmen Grub tomorrow and throw a party to celebrate with Uncle Acid and Uncle Piston, along with Cassidy, Natalie, and Perrie? Your dad can get you out of school an hour early, so your mom doesn’t suspect a thing.”
Acid and Piston have not long learned of my marriage, but they’ve been supportive.
Micha’s eyes light up, and he jumps up and down in celebration, and I lock eyes with my best friend. He shows sadness for me, but determination fills me.
Yes, she kept this from me, but I know she’s stubborn, and I know she’s still hurt even after all this time, but that just means she still loves me.
I’ll win her back, one way or another, and I’ll make our son happy by throwing a celebration party for her tomorrow.
Nodding to Steal, I open the truck door for Micha before he climbs in, and I shut the door with a sigh.
“You’ll win her back, brother, and I’ll help any way I can,” he says.
I nod. “I know, but first, I have a date to ruin.”
He chuckles and wishes me luck as I walk to the driver’s side and climb in. I start the truck up and state, “Let’s go ruin your mom's date, son.”
Micha laughs.
I won’t lose Heaven. She’s had her years to resent me, to hate me, and I’ve allowed her to have it because I know her mom is a little prissy with men, but her time’s up.
I want my wife back. I want my family back.
And I’ll get them no matter what I have to do.