Crown's Chance at Love (62 page)

“I was worried about what Reese called saying. I didn’t want Sabrina to have to choose. I had a moment, freaked out, and instead of talking to her I pushed her away.”

“Ha!” Mary says instantly jumping clapping her hands. She actually starts to laugh and I am confused.

“Damn it,” Joe grumbles, standing up to get his wallet, handing Mary a twenty dollar bill.

I sit there a little surprised at this.

Mary looks at me and smiles.

“Oh Mike you must think we are crazy! We had made a bet, and I won.”

“Wait you bet on why I walked away from your daughter?” I ask a little dumbfounded.

“Son, we saw you with her, we knew it was only a matter of time until you came walking back with your tail between your legs,” Joe says sternly.

“Why did you think I walked away?” I ask dumbfounded.

“Because you were a fucking idiot who realized my daughter was the forever kind of woman, and you weren’t looking for that,” he answers brutally honest. Sabrina is a lot like her dad placing their cards on the table. He is completely right about one thing, I had been a fucking idiot, not that I would tell him that.

“No sir, it’s the opposite actually.”

“I know that now,” he says, staring right at me. His eyes are almost identical to Sabrina’s. Brown, warm, full of concern.

“Mary, Joe…. I love your daughter. I know that we have only been seeing one another for a short while, that I messed up these last two weeks, and that there are a lot of reasons why I’m probably not the best choice for her.”

“What would those be son?” Joe asks leaning his elbows onto the table, making him seem approachable. Joe Thompson is a man’s man, a great dad, and even better grandfather.

“My brother…” I start to say only to be interrupted.

“Your brother made decisions that affected a lot of people, but no way, was any of that your fault. I know you feel guilty about that situation, but honestly Mike, it has nothing to do with you, you gotta stop being a martyr over it,” Joe says seriously and completely honest. I can see where Sabrina had got her no games attitude from and I want to smile.

“As for what happened with Reese, if it had been me in that same situation, who is to say I wouldn’t have reacted the same way. She is upset and her anger will blow over time. I know there is nothing she can hold against my  girl.”

“Thank you sir. That means a lot to me…”

“But I am going to tell you something son, in relationships, you can’t just go running away when the going gets tough. Especially not with my daughter and her kids. Those four have been through hell and back. They need someone who will fight in front of them and beside them not that will go running away at any small thing.”

“Joe…” Mary starts to interrupt, but Joe puts his hand up.

“I’m not saying this to sound like an ass. Mike you gotta understand where I am coming from. Sabrina is my girl… I watched her suffer one of the greatest losses imaginable. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like loosing Mary right now, after forty years together, much less at the young age my daughter did, left to raise her kids on her own. I watched her fade away right in front of me, and I was helpless to do anything about it. So as a dad, it’s my job to tell you this. To tell you that you need to either man up and have both feet in and on the ground or get out so that she can meet a man one day that can give her what you can’t.”

“JOE!” Mary says looking horrified at her husband’s bluntness.

I stay quiet, not because I’m thinking about whether or not I can man up, but because I want to make sure I get the correct words out.

“You’re completely right sir. She’s been through a lot. They all have. I messed up by letting Reese scare me away. Shit to be honest I shouldn’t have let anything scare me away, because Sabrina… she’s it for me. I knew it before I walked away two weeks ago. I know it right now. Walking away from her two weeks ago, ripped my heart out. I love her. I love her kids. I love the four of them with everything I am and with everything I have. I came here to ask you for her hand sir. I want to marry her and protect and love her and those kids every day of my life,” I tell him, my eyes never wavering off of his.

Joe leans back in his chair staring at me as Mary looks completely surprised with tears in her eyes.

“These last two weeks have been hell. I know that I was an idiot for hurting her and pushing her away. I got scared when Reese called with her threats. I swear to you sir, before that call I felt the same way. I want to marry her, put my ring on her finger, help raise the kids. I want to be a part of their family. I want to be the one that is there in the good and bad. If they will have me, I promise you sir, I will work my hardest to make each of them happy every day of their lives. I will protect them and care for them. I already love those kids as if they were my own, they will never want for anything.”

Mary wipes the tears away from her face and reaches out for Joe’s hand.  Joe is looking at me seriously. I can see he is thinking and then let’s go of Mary’s hand, stands up, and smiles at me.

“Welcome to the family Mike,” he says hoarsely as I stand and he hugs me. Patting my back hard, he whispers into my ear, “If you hurt her again, I’ll kill you.” And we both laugh. I hug Mary and she hugs me tight.

As I pull away, I look at them and notice three little bodies hiding in the hall. Joe’s eyes go to what I am looking at and he sighs.

“Okay guys, come on out,” he says bringing them out to sit on the table. Dressed in their PJ’s they come out.

“What’s HE doing here?” Chris asks sounding angry, and I see Mark roll his eyes.

“Christopher. Come over here with me,” Mary says pulling him up on her lap.

“Hi Mike,” Penny says smiling and Mark nods his head in the universal guy greeting sort of way.

“Hey, can I talk to you guys?”

“We heard,” Mark says as he sits across from me at the table and I notice Mary and Joe staring back and forth silently communicating to one another.

“How much?” Joe asks.

“All of it,” Mark answers honestly, Penny and Chris nodding.

“I love you guys. I’m sorry I messed up and…”

“You made Mom cry,” Chris says looking straight at me, and it hurts.

It hurts that I had hurt her that way and in turn had hurt them as well.

“I promise that I am so sorry about that Bud. I will never walk away again. I will never break a promise.”

“You didn’t break all your promises,” Penny chimes in. “You were at my recital. I saw you.”

“Yes I was, and I had jerseys ready to go for you guys for the game. But even then, it wasn’t cool of me to do that. I’m really sorry,” I say, wanting them to know I have been thinking about them these last two weeks.

“So you are going to ask her to marry you?” Mark asks cautiously.

“I want to have your permission before I do,” I say seriously. My heart’s beating hard at the thought of them not wanting me to be a part of their family.

“I want to be a part of your family. I know you guys had a dad, and I’m not trying to replace him. I just want to be there for all of you guys.”

Mark and Penny look at one another, silently communicating something, then Chris starts talking, distracting me from them.

“I don’t really remember him. Not like they do…,” his eyes wide and slightly vulnerable, I see him trying to figure out how to ask something, and surprises me when he finds the words, “What if I wanted to call you Dad… like later… would that be okay?” he asks his eyes wide open staring at me, gripping my heart tight. Mary holds him closer burying her tear stained face into his little neck, Joe’s hand going onto Mary’s shoulder for support.

“Yeah Bud, if you want… you don’t have too…”

“You would take care of her?” Mark asks sounding incredibly grown up and I nod.

“She works too much Mike. She does it so we can do all the things we like to do like baseball, and dance lessons and Chris’ football…”

“I’ll take care of all of you. You won’t have to worry Mark.” He nods looking away just a second after I notice his eyes are slightly watery. I knew the kid observed so much, but until that moment I hadn’t realized how much he held in. He was stressed about his mom.

“So what do you guys say? Can I be a part of your family?”

“Are you guys going to have kids?” Penny asks and I look at her.

“Ummm… if we did would that bother you guys?” I ask and all three of them shake their heads.

“It’d be kinda cool not being the baby anymore,” Chris says smiling and Mary and Joe chuckle.

Mark, Penny, and Chris look at one another and smile.

“Yeah Mike… you can be part of our family,” Mark says speaking for the rest of them and the three come over to me to hug me and I know my life is complete. Now all I have to do is make it official and ask my girl.

“So when are you planning on asking her?” Mary asks, Joe standing behind her smiling at me with suspiciously red eyes, and I smile.

“This is where I need your help…”

Sabrina

The next day I had my job interview and the job offer was amazing, but my heart wasn’t in it.

As wonderful as more money and more time would be, the sacrifices would be too big. The kids are settled into their lives in Pasadena, my house is walking distance from my best friend, my parents are a ten minute drive, and my sister is going to be having twins any day now. I want to be in California. Part of me believes I’d made up my mind about Seattle even before the Gala. I’d been curious about what they had to offer and if I was being honest it was pretty nice to be recognized for the good job I did.

It’s Tuesday afternoon, and I am back in my hotel. My flight leaves in the morning tomorrow, but I wonder if I can catch an earlier flight. I miss the kids. I miss being home. I also miss Mike.

We’d talked last night until we fell asleep. We had texted this morning before my interview. Now I sit in my hotel room, looking up earlier flights home on my laptop.

My phone chimes and I look at it. It’s Emmi.

W
HAT ARE YOU DOING?

she texts.

L
OOKING UP FLIGHTS TO GO HOME EARLY,

I respond and see she is writing back.

W
HY?
G
O TO
P
IKE’S
F
ISH
M
ARKET!
Y
OU ARE IN
S
EATTLE!
E
NJOY IT!

Emmi writes adding smiley faces to her text, and as usual she’s right. It’s only one more night, and the kids are safe with my parents.

Y
OU ARE RIGHT.
H
EADING DOWN TO GET A CAB NOW.
I
’LL SEND YOU PICS,

I text her.

After paying the cab driver, I walk towards Pike’s Fish Market. I enjoy the hustle and bustle of the crowded and loud market. Watching the fish mongers interact with the tourists and families makes me laugh as they throw fish to one another. I take pictures and send them to Emmi, letting her know I am walking towards the Waterfront Park and she messages back a smiley face.

I’m enjoying the cool salty breeze as I walk. The Waterfront Park Promenade is pretty and for being a Tuesday afternoon, there are quite a few people out and about. My phone starts to ring.