She licked her lips and turned her face back to the window but she held my hand tight. This time, I watched her face work instead of looking outside to watch my man work.
It took some time but finally she said quietly, “You should move to Phoenix. He should be close to his kids and your baby should be close to his or her brother and sister.”
See?
So totally told you that Charlene would want that for me.
“I am,” I said quietly back and her eyes came to me, they were stunned but they were also assessing. “It’s decided. Creed’s going to transfer his admin to you so you won’t feel that financial hit and –”
I stopped talking when her eyes filled with tears.
Then I started talking fast, holding her hand still to my chest, I leaned close and said gently, “I’ll come up. So will Creed. I mean, he can’t come up every two weeks to mow your yard but we’ll come up. Take the kids so you have time and –”
Charlene interrupted me.
“You’re happy.”
I blinked and asked, “What?”
“I didn’t see it or, I should say, I didn’t believe it.” She swallowed. “Now, I see it.”
“Charlene –”
She yanked her hand from mine but then grabbed me by the shoulders, pulled me close, wrapped her arms around me and gave me a hard hug.
I felt her body jerk with her sob as her voice broke with it when she said, “Always, I saw it, that hurt in the back of your eyes. Like you were lost in a way you couldn’t get found.” She gave me a squeeze. “Now it’s gone. You’re found and I’m so happy you’re happy, Sylvie.”
God, friends… freaking… rocked!
Suddenly she pulled back but her hands framed my face and she yanked mine close to hers. “I want you to make lots of babies. Lots and lots of them. You’re so cute and pretty. He’s so handsome. They’ll be beautiful. They’ll be brilliant. They’ll be loyal. They’ll be funny. They’ll be fabulous.”
Shit, I was so over this. Now Charlene was gonna make me cry.
“Charlene –” I started, my voice sounding hoarse but that was all I got out before she pulled my face even closer to hers, her wet, shining eyes were all I could see.
“Make him give you lots of babies. Make him, Sylvie.” It sounded like she was begging.
I didn’t think I would have a tough time convincing Creed to do this but still, I gave her what she wanted.
“I will, Charlene.”
She let my face go so she could throw her arms around me again and give me a deep, sweet, close hug.
I held her back just the same.
She did it sobbing quietly.
I did it breathing deeply.
We kept doing this until we heard shouting from outside, “Who the fuck are you? That’s my lawn, asshole.”
We both shot away from each other, our heads turning and I stared as I saw Douchebag Dan stalking toward Creed.
I reacted faster and moved quicker than Charlene, who was sitting frozen on the couch, staring outside, her mouth hanging open.
My eyes went back to the window to see Dan advancing on a Creed, who’d stepped away from the lawnmower and turned his not unscary attention on Dan. I grabbed Charlene and shook her firmly but gently.
“Kids,” I hissed and looked down at her to see her tear her eyes away from the scene in the yard to bring them to me. “Keep them in the back. Don’t let them hear their Dad.”
“But, Danny’s back. I should go out –”
“Kids, Charlene. Now.”
She held my eyes a second before seeing the wisdom of my instruction and nodding.
I took off.
I hit the front door just in time to see Dan, for some Douchebag Dan reason, rearing a fist back and aiming a punch on Creed.
A second later, I stifled a laugh but not my smile when Dan ended this maneuver on his belly in the turf with his arm yanked up his back and Creed’s knee in his spine.
“You can’t assault me on my lawn!” Dan yelled.
“I can defend myself when you try to assault me, moron, and if you don’t shut the fuck up and calm the fuck down, I’ll show you what assault actually is,” Creed returned.
This exchange went down as I was making my way to them and it ended when I stopped three feet away.
“What are you doing here, Dan?” I asked and Dan twisted his neck, yanking it back in a way that looked kind of painful since he hadn’t quit struggling so Creed hadn’t loosened the pressure.
He looked up at me.
“Who the fuck is this guy?” he snapped.
“Charlene’s new boyfriend,” I lied and Dan’s eyes widened to huge and his mouth dropped open.
“Sylvie,” Creed rumbled.
I grinned at him with him shaking his head, his lips twitching.
Then I looked back at Douchebag Dan to inform him, “She traded up.”
“Get him off me,” Douchbag Dan demanded, still struggling.
“Uh… just a reminder. He did tell you that if you shut the fuck up and calm the fuck down, he’d let you up.”
“He told me he’d assault me if I didn’t do that.”
I shrugged. “Tomatoes, toe-mah-toes.”
Dan scowled at me as best he could, seeing as his face was mostly in grass.