Chapter 17
Vic had run through exhaustion before with late meetings, cross-country flights, back-to-back presentations, family dinners, charity events, and investor pressure. But none of those could compare to what he’d been through today.
Physically he was fine.
Mentally?
He was done. He was fried, stretched too thin and pulled in multiple directions with nothing left to give.
An emergency in Houston had blindsided him at dawn.
A fire in their new retail development had broken out.
They had said it was an electrical issue.
An accident. Thankfully, there were no casualties, only property damage.
There was going to be time lost, millions paused, and his company’s reputation questioned.
He’d taken a private flight to Houston. Early that day, he’d stood beside scorched beams, met with shaken workers, and even hugged the project manager who had been racked with guilt.
Vic even had to stand in front of the cameras to offer assurance to the city, and to promise to rebuild what was damaged. This project was needed in this specific area of Houston. It promised jobs and city growth.
Hours later, he’d flown back to Cleveland.
Two flights. One hell of a day.
But none of it would keep him from showing up at Tachina’s.
Because tonight was the night.
He pulled into her driveway and parked. The porch light basked the porch in a cozy yellow glow. Her house was a welcome sight. It was like stepping toward a place his body recognized before his mind could make out where they were.
Home.
He grabbed his bag from the back seat and walked to the house.
He didn’t even knock. She’d given him a key, so he let himself in.
He dropped his bag on the bottom stair and headed into the kitchen where he figured she’d be.
Low music filtered through from the kitchen.
He paused in the doorway. She turned from the island.
Her hair was pulled back away from her face with a headband, while she was dressed in a cotton nightgown that showcased her curves and stopped at her knees.
He forgot he was tired.
Hell, the world that existed outside of this home was lost to him at the moment.
“Hey,” she whispered. Her voice was warm, and worry crossed her face as she studied him.
He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. He crossed the room, cupped her jaw, and kissed her. Her hands slid up his shoulders as her body melted against his.
God, he needed this.
Needed her softness, her scent, and the safety of her arms around him. She brought him peace.
When they separated, she brushed her fingers gently over the back of his neck. Her brown eyes were filled with understanding.
“Rough day?” she asked.
“It was a damn disaster after disaster,” he muttered. He rested his forehead on hers.
She listened as he told her about Houston, the workers, having to get on camera, and the delays on this new project.
There was no panic from her, no suggestions of what he needed to do to clear the air regarding the issue this could present, no frustration, no criticism of how he’d handled the situation.
Just sympathy and an ear to vent to.
“I’m sorry,” she said. Her thumb caressed his cheek. She kissed his lips. “I’m glad you’re back home.”
He hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear those words. He swallowed hard, unable to respond. Instead, he nodded. He lifted his head and looked around. It was just the two of them in the kitchen, and he didn’t hear Kian.
“Where’s Kian?”
“Upstairs supposedly taking a bath. He didn’t want any help. You know now that he’s five, he can do it himself.” She chuckled. “Want to go check on him while I finish up cleaning the kitchen?”
That question almost knocked him on his ass. This made it seem all too real. Him, coming home after a long day’s work. Her listening to his problems, then they worked together to prepare their home for bedtime.
This was the normalcy he craved.
“Yeah. I got him.” He pressed another hard kiss to her lips before backing away.
He had to take her all in one last time.
He spun on his heels and jogged upstairs.
If he had stayed another moment longer, there was no telling what would happen.
He was sure it would have something to do with the island, her spread out on it, and him devouring her.
Not something their son would need to come downstairs and see.
Vic grabbed his bag and jogged up the stairs.
He set the bag down inside the door of Tachina’s bedroom then strode into the bathroom located in the hall.
He entered and found Kian sitting beside the tub with a towel around his waist, his hair damp and his curls sticking up wildly. The bathroom smelled like bubble bath.
“Dad!” Kian shouted. He jumped to his feet and raced over to Vic. He slammed into him, wrapping his arms around Vic’s waist. “Did Mom tell you about my wheelie? I can do them now!”
“What?” Vic laughed. She had mentioned something in a text, but he’d barely been able to check his personal messages all day. “When did this happen?”
“Yesterday! I showed Mommy and Auntie Addie! They said they were going to call some people to tell them!” He grinned widely. He backed away and tried to reenact his stunt. “You gotta see it! It’s so cool. I go like vroom, and the front tire goes up in the air like this!”
“I’ve got to see this!” Vic said dramatically.
He loved seeing his son so excited about something.
He just wished he’d been there, but he’d been working late.
By the time he’d left the office, he’d dragged himself home and barely made it into the bed.
He’d slept all of a few hours before his phone rang off the hook with the emergency. “Let’s get those teeth brushed.”
Kian’s excitement was palpable. The kid was barely able to brush his teeth while he shared with Vic how he’d been trying and how his friends had been doing wheelies.
Vic grinned, remembering when he and Logan were this age and were doing the same things.
His mother would have mini panic attacks when she’d see him and Logan do crazy kid things on their bikes or skateboards.
Tachina arrived and stood at the doorframe. She tried to hide her grin but failed. She made an excuse about needing to check in on something and left. Kian was bouncing around as he brushed his teeth. Once he was done, they made their way to his bedroom.
“Can I show you, Dad?” Kian asked as he slipped on his space-themed jammies.
Vic motioned for him to hop in bed.
Kian dove onto the top of his covers and waited for his reply. “Tonight? It won’t take long!”
“It’s time for bed, Kian.” Vic ruffled his hair.
Kian’s face fell, and he dropped down onto his pillows as if going to sleep was a bad thing.
“But, Dad, I’m not tired,” he groaned.
Vic proceeded to tuck him underneath the blankets.
Vic tried to change the conversation and offered to read him a book.
He slid in beside Kian who made room for him.
He snagged one of Kian’s favorite books about a boy who traveled to the moon.
Kian listened intensely, even helping read the book himself.
Vic was proud of how smart the kid was. At five, he was reading at a higher level.
Kian was half asleep by the time they got to the last page.
Vic closed the book and leaned down and kissed Kian’s forehead then stood.
“Dad, can I show you my wheelie in the morning?” Apparently, even almost asleep, he was still thinking of his amazing trick.
“Yes, first thing.”
“Promise?” Kian’s hand popped out of the blanket, his little finger held waiting.
Vic looped his small finger with his son’s that made it official.
“Promise.”
“Vic,” Tachina murmured.
He hadn’t even noticed that she’d been standing in the doorway.
Her arms were folded, and there was a playful warning in her tone. “No early morning wheelies.”
“We’ll negotiate,” he shot back with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. She needed to understand that a boy and his father would be excited about things such as bike tricks. A kid accomplishing his first wheelie was something that needed to be showed off.
“Goodnight, Kian.”
“Nighty-night, babe,” Tachina said.
“Night,” Kian mumbled before turning over and burrowing down into his blankets. “Don’t forget, Dad.”
“I won’t.”
Vic closed the door to Tachina’s bedroom behind him. The air felt different. It was charged, quiet, and a little tense. Not in a bad way. Just anticipation. On her vanity sat four rectangular boxes. The tests.
“You bought out the pharmacy?” He walked over to them and picked one of them up. He’d never even been this close to a test before. He was confused. Why would she need this many?
“It’s for accuracy. Nerves. A little bit of craziness, I know.” She breathed a nervous laugh and came to stand beside him.
“But you need to take four?” He placed the box down and grabbed another one. He read the back of it where it promoted how it had a 99.9% accuracy rate.
“You ever see a false positive?” Her eyebrows rose.
“I’ve never seen any result on a test,” he said.
Her smile dimmed slightly. He hadn’t been with her when she’d tested and found out she was pregnant with Kian.
“But I’m here tonight and I’m sure I’ll learn a lot.”
She giggled and then paused. Her eyes widened, and she began a little hopping dance on her toes.
“I had to drink a bunch of water. I wanted to make sure I would have enough pee when it was time to take the tests. I’ve been holding it for a while.”
“That’s why you’re dancing?” He smirked.
“Yes,” she said through clenched teeth. “My bladder hates me. Let’s do this before I explode and make a mess of myself.”
She raced into the bathroom and left the door partially open. He turned and found that she had brought his bag all the way into the room. It now rested on the chair beside the bed. He glanced back at the vanity. She’d left the tests. Wouldn’t she need them? Or did she have more in there with her?