CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

VEGAS:

Present day…

"Wait for the bar, Vee. I told you I need that drink first." Again, her mouth set into a thin strip. I let it be. With this traffic, she needed to concentrate.

I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest. Gazing out the window, I willed my mind to go blank. All too soon, thoughts of my upcoming meeting with Jae crept in like a cat from the rain, wary and disturbed.

Tomorrow, Jae would learn about his daughter.

I asked myself for the millionth time, what would his reaction be?

"What's that sigh for, Vee?"

"Did I sigh? I'm sorry."

"It's about Jae. You are nervous. Tell the truth."

"Yeah, I guess I am," I said, letting out another sigh. "What if he rejects us, Sho?" I said, voicing my biggest fear.

"Then he is the biggest fool on the planet."

I laughed. "Yeah, he would be, right?"

"Cru DAT."

The steering wheel spun under Shondra's hands as she rounded the corner to the bar, stopping short when the light changed to yellow. A car honked. Shondra looked in the rear-view mirror, giving the driver behind us a narrowed-eyed glare. After an exaggerated eye roll to the offender, she turned her attention to me. "Vee, you really don't need to worry. Jae wouldn't bother to stop me in a crowded restaurant to ask about you if he didn't care."

"I suppose," I said, infusing a modicum of doubt in my voice. Since I'd spoken to Jae, I'd wavered between hope for the future and the memories of the past.

That one night, the one that gave us our miracle, had blown me away. I had fallen like a meteor from the sky, and the implosion—finding out that Jae was still married—had left a crater in my heart no one could fill. Not even Terrence. And knowing that he never would, I'd decided that after my meeting with Jae, for better or worse, I'd give Terrence his ring back and wish him well.

----

The valet, a sandy hair freckle faced man-boy, took down Shondra's information with a wide smile. He gave her the "I'm interested in you" look that followed my girl everywhere she went.

"Anything else you need, ma'am?"

"No, I'm fine," she said, knocking him back a step with the wattage in her smile.

He ripped off her claim ticket with a flourish, scribbling something on the back. "My name is Trent." He placed the ticket in her palm and winked." Anything you need, you just call."

"Thank you, Trent."

We headed through the turnstile doors with Trent still staring after my girl.

The wide doorway of the bar area gave us an excellent view of the spectacle. A college aged guy had just slammed Jae against the bar.

"Let him at me, dude. With that foo-foo drink he was slurping down, what harm could he do?" He pushed what could only be Axel in his chest.

"B Johnson," Shondra screamed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Every head swiveled towards us. The college guy backed away from Axel as if he'd been scalded.

"Ms. Williams, I—"

"Vee—" Jae said, pushing away from the bar.

"Jae—" I'd already moved forward, ignoring his dark look of worry.

"Shondra—" Axel said, outpacing Jae.

Shondra skittered away from Axel's outstretched hands to approach B, whose head hung like an anchor between his shoulders. Axel stared after her with such a look of hurt and bewilderment, my heart went out to him.

Jae wrapped me up in a tight embrace, and I forgot everything else.

"Are you, okay?" he asked as if I'd taken a punch.

"It's me, Jae, that should be asking: Are you, okay?"

He pulled up, stretching his back and shoulders. "Everything is in working order, doctor." He brushed the curls from my forehead and placed a quick kiss smack in the middle.

Hot damn!

This was no dry Terrance kiss. My knees shook and my core clenched, a shiver of pure pleasure went down my spine.

It must have affected him too as he stepped back with a disbelieving look on his face.

Was that bad or good? What is he thinking?

If he wants nothing to do with us...

I didn't get to finish that thought as Shondra walked, no stomped past us, pushing B out of the door with Axel trailing behind.

Jae's worried look popped up again. "We'd better—"

"Let's go," I said, finishing for him.

Jae pulled out his wallet. The bartender held up a hand. "Axel took care of it. See you next week?"

Jae nodded, pulling me along with him.

As we exited the doors, one patron said, "Damn, that would've been a good fight. My money was on the sweatpants guy."

Shondra berated B while Axel stood to the side, his arms folded across his chest.

"B, haven't you learned your lesson? Duke just got you out of a mess last week, and now you start something else."

"I know Ms. Williams, I know." B kicked at a pebble on the concrete walkway. "He'd be pissed if he found out. You won't tell him, will you?"

Shondra let out a huff. "I should, just so he could hand you your ass on a platter."

"Like I would've done," Axel said, loud and proud.

B bristled, but under Shondra's glare he held his tongue.

Shondra threw her ex a warning from over her shoulder, "Axel... "

His name spoken from her lips was the "in" he needed. He moved to stand slightly in front of her, as if B posed a problem. "Sho, who is this idiot?"

Shondra reached out to pull Axel back, but in the end, she let her hand drop. Instead she stepped forward, angling her body an ocean away from his. "B is Duke's cousin, and he works as a head trainer in one of his gyms... when he's not landing himself in trouble."

B blushed under the sodium lighting. "Aw, come on now, it was only twice that—"

Shondra held up a hand, "I know, I heard." She closed the distance to B, grabbed his hand, and led him a slight distance away, speaking to him in quiet whispers.

I shivered in my jacket, and Jae pulled me closer. I sank into his warmth like butter on freshly made pancakes.

Axel shot a steely glance at the pair, cursing under his breath. Jae placed a hand on his shoulder. Whether to shore him up or hold him back, I wasn't sure.

"Take it easy, bro," Jae whispered.

"Fuck, I will. If he so much as—"

"B! B! Are you coming back inside?"

B popped his head up, focusing on the petite girl with the oversized lips standing in the turnstile door. He jerked his head towards the valet area. "We're leaving, Samantha. Let's go."

She passed by us in a cloud of expensive perfume and complaining mumbles of a "ducky evening."

Shondra gave B a hug, a pat on the back, and released him into the care of his date.

Shondra turned back to us. "Vee, I'm going home. Do you want to come with?" She gave Jae a pointed look, "Or will you catch a ride?"

"Can I come?" Jae asked with the enthusiasm of a six-year-old headed for a sleepover.

A sleepover with Jae is just what I need.

"You're my ride, Jameson." Axel said, staring at Shondra's profile hard enough to leave an imprint.

"You Blubber it here, didn't you?" Jae said, a touch of impatience in his voice.

"I'll ride with you and call one from Shondra's place, 'cause I didn't bring my phone."

Only a fool couldn't see through what Axel was trying to do. He wanted to go to Shondra's place and chat up my girl as much as Jae seemed eager to chat with me.

Shondra scoffed, "Isn't that your phone in your front pocket?"

Axel didn't blink. "Nah, I'm just happy to see you."

Shondra turned her head from us, but with her long hair in a ponytail we could all see the big smile curving her cheek. When she regained control, she started walking toward the valet, throwing over her shoulder as if she didn't care, "Come on then... if you must."