Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Adam
I’m sweating my balls off. It’s only eleven in the morning and the humidity is a killer.
I’m on my third job site this morning. Things were running smoothly until I got to the demo on Dew Drop.
Billy called to say there was an issue with materials, so I quickly drove over here to see what’s going on.
“What do you mean it never arrived?”
“Just what I said. I know you pre-ordered the tile for the upstairs bathroom. I called them three days ago to make sure we were set to receive it today, and they confirmed it. But when I got here this morning, I got a call saying it was still backordered and would be another two weeks.”
“Fuck,” I breathe out. Bobby already has contracts on this house.
It’s supposed to close in two weeks, and now this is going to set everyone back.
We can’t complete the tilework, which sets back the movers and the moving date, which sets back the closing date, which tramples everyone’s commissions for the month.
And it’s going to be my company holding up the process. This does not look good.
“Didn’t we have extras of this same tile from the renovation on Ivy Court?” I ask.
Billy shrugs. “If we did, it’d be back at your garage. Want to take a ride and check it out?”
“Yeah, we have to get something going.” I call to the rest of the crew that we’ll be back in twenty minutes, praying there is extra tiles in storage.
We’re driving back to my house; Billy is rambling on about some date he took out last night.
Always a one off for him. There’s only been one girl I’ve seen him with more than once.
He brought her to an NFL game once when Jackson gave us tickets.
But just as fast as we noticed it was more than a one-time deal, she was gone.
He’s made it difficult for the rest of us, my mom pressuring us to ‘bring home a good girl’. Thank God for Chessy and Gage.
Christ. Did I really just say that?
At least mom’s been sidetracked with wedding talk and has left me alone.
I got the usual pity eyes from her at the game, after seeing Chelsea. I couldn’t even go into it with her, and I’m glad she hasn’t tried to call this morning. Yet. I know she won’t let me rest for long.
“Anyway, yeah, bro, she was all into it. I thought she may have thrown my back out, but … Hey, who’s at Chess’s old house?”
Turning down our block, I see a couple cars at Francesca’s old house.
It’s been sitting empty for a few months since she moved in with Jackson.
I’ve been too busy to list it with Bobby, so it’s become a storage hall, holding Chess’s stuff that she didn’t move across the street and acting as a placeholder for all things wedding.
“That’s Chess’s car. And Farrah’s. Maybe they’re bringing more stuff over for the wedding.” I pull into my driveway, two doors down from them and we both jump out of my truck and head into the garage. “I know I placed the boxes in the back corner here. What was the name of the tile again?” I ask.
“Alaskan white marble,” Billy replies. I give him shit but he knows his stuff.
His attention to detail is outstanding, and he’s a hard worker.
Once you corral him, he’ll work twelve hours straight if I let him.
I’m glad he took the opportunity that was presented to him.
Even though it was a forced employment, it worked out for him, all of us really, in the end.
The last thing I wanted was to lose my brother.
“Jackpot!” I yell. At least something is going right today. I begin counting, “We’ve got six boxes. Think we can make it work?”
“Sure thing. The square footage in that upstairs bathroom is slightly less than downstairs, and we were able to do that one in eight boxes. I think we’ll be fine.
” We begin loading them into the back of my truck.
Movement catches my eye again. There’s a lot of women over at my sister’s old house.
We get the boxes in the back of my pickup and climb back in.
“Come on, let’s stop real quick and see what they’re up to. ”
We back out and drive the two hundred feet to her driveway, park and get out. As we walk up the front walk, Britt opens the door.
“Uh, hey guys! What’s going on?” Is it me or does she look nervous to see us. Weird.
“Hey, Britt, nothing. Just had to stop and grab some tile from my garage. What are you guys doing here? My sister stashing more wedding shit?” I laugh and continue walking, thinking she’s going to move so we can walk through the door, but I pull up short when I see she’s not budging.
“Britt? Let us in, I want to grab some water bottles.”
“I’ll get them!” she says hurriedly, then shuts the door on us.
“What the fuck? That’s weird, even for Britt,” Billy says.
Shaking my head, I reach out and turn the knob and it does nothing. “She locked the door.” I bang on it. “Sissy! What the fuck’s going on in there?” I yell.
Farrah comes to the door next, opens it and steps out quickly shutting it behind her. “What’s up guys?” She leans against the door, looking nowhere near comfortable.
I eye her. “Who’s inside Farrah?”
“Adam, now isn’t a good time. You should get back to work. Your sister has wedding stuff all over the place and I know how talking about her wedding gives you hives, especially when you start thinking about her, Jackson, and the honeymo—”
I push past her and into the house. I’ve had enough of this strange behavior. Someone is inside here that they do not want us to see. Billy follows close behind me.
“ADAM! BILLY! IT’S SO NICE TO SE—”
I cut her a glare that shuts her right up.
“Why are you yelling?” I continue walking through the living room and into the kitchen.
I see my sister in the backyard through the window.
Farrah and Britt are nervously watching Billy and me.
Hearing the door from the garage open, my head swings to the left and Adley, Chelsea Jo’s sister, walks through.
She pulls up short when she sees me. Now I understand why they didn’t want me in here.
Chelsea Jo is here. In my house.
I swing my eyes back to the two girls. “Is this why you were locking me out of my own house?” I raise a brow and drop my tone of voice. “Is she here?”
Both girls start talking at the same time and it’s then that I catch a glimpse of a little boy running through the back yard with my sister close behind. She catches him and swings him around, turning and laughing as Chelsea comes into view as well. My breath catches in my chest.
I wasn’t ready for this today. She said she wanted to see me, but I thought I had a few more days to wrap my head around her visit. A few more days to process that the only woman who could break me into a million pieces was still the only woman I’d hand all those pieces back to.
“Whose kid is that?” I ask as I start making my way around the island and over to the backdoor. Billy is trailing right behind me. He hasn’t said a word, and that sets my nerves on edge more.
I reach for the door handle, and Britt jumps in front of me. Again. “Jesus, Britt! Enough! Let me through!” I push her out of the way. I’m sure I’ll hear shit from Bobby later, but something is not right here.
And then it happens in slow motion. Francesca and Chelsea are laughing, and the boy is squealing, excited at being swung around in a circle. His face comes into view and like a record scratch, everything stops.
It hits me like a ton of bricks.
“Adam…”
I’m staring at the boy. He’s staring back at me. I can’t take my eyes off him. I feel everyone looking at me, but I can’t move. My feet have grown roots and my heart has splintered.
And I know.
That child is mine.
“Holy fuck,” Billy whispers out. “I thought I was the only twin around here.”
I slowly feel the breath come back into my lungs. The blood is pumping through my body so fast I feel dizzy. I can’t process anything else around me except to know that I am looking at my son.
Francesca approaches me, holding the boy tight. “Adam? I think you and Chelsea should go inside and talk. We’ll all wait out here.”
I shake my head. He buries his face into my sister’s neck and only then am I able to peel my eyes from him and swing them to Chelsea.
Hers meet mine with a worried look. Her face reflects fear, and I hate that she’s feeling that right now.
I don’t want to make her feel afraid, but I know the emotions inside me are bubbling to the surface in quick fashion, so I’m sure that my face is reflecting the same confusion, anger, and fear of my own.
“Is he mine?” I ask, never removing my eyes from hers. My fists are clenched, and I feel the strain on my forearms. I don’t need to ask, it’s very clear he is my son, but I need to hear it. “I need the words, Chelsea. Tell. Me.”
“He’s yours,” is whispered so lightly I almost don’t catch it. I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I have to adjust my stance, so I don’t fall over. My body has locked up as I still try to process what the fuck is happening here.
The boy wiggles from my sister’s hold and she places him on the ground.
On instinct, I drop to my knees, making myself less intimidating, and he walks steadily toward me with his hands out.
His tiny little hands with fat fingers are reaching for me.
I put one of my hands out, and his pace picks up as his smile widens and holy shit, it’s like looking in the mirror.
I almost can’t make a sound as his hand lands in mine.
Our connection is instant, and I know without a doubt, I love this kid more than life.
I throw out my other hand as he stumbles into me, laughing a little baby laugh, so trusting and loving of a stranger.
He climbs into my arms, and they encircle him automatically.
I breathe him in, he smells like apple juice and fresh air. I stand, holding him.
My son.
I hear a sob escape and look to my sister, who is smiling with tears running down her face, but I realize it wasn’t her who made the noise.
It was Chelsea Jo who is wiping her own tears from her eyes as she chokes up again.
Breaking from the spell of silence surrounding us, Chess puts her arms out nudging me aside, doing the same with Chelsea.
“You guys stay out here; we’ll go inside, and I’ll get Dom’s sippy cup ready.
Come on everyone.” She tries rounding everyone up, leaving me alone with Chelsea and our son.
“See ya in a few, Big Daddy,” Billy says with a sly smile and a clap to my back as he follows the girls inside.