Give Me You (39 page)

My heart seizes in my chest. “Does he say that? He calls me daddy to you?”

There is a sniffle over the line. “He does.”

“So can I bring him out next weekend? Deb, I swear I meant what I said and I’ll check in as much as possible and—”

“That won’t be necessary, Skylar,” she says evenly, having regained her composure at record speed.

Fuck. I should’ve known. I slump into the driver’s seat, but she continues.

“It won’t be necessary because we aren’t going to fight your petition for custody. You are his father. You have proved yourself. As hard as it’s going to be for me to let go, it’s the right thing to do.”

I am officially speechless.

“Wait. What?” I need to hear her say it again, just to be sure I heard correctly.

“He’s your son, Skylar. You’re ready to be a full-time parent and I won’t stand in your way any longer.” Her voice lacks its normal edge. She’s tired. And sad.

But I could sprint home from this news alone.

“So, just to be clear, you’re giving me full custody of Christian? Not conditional visitation or—”

“Full custody.” There is maybe another sniffle or she’s clearing her throat, I can’t tell. “I just have one request.”

“Name it,” I say, because if she’s really going to give me custody of my son, no trial, no lawyers, no messy custody battle, then I will pretty much do whatever she asks.

“Please don’t cut me out of his life,” she pleads quietly. “If you’re in town and you feel like having lunch or if I can drop by and give him a birthday or Christmas gift now and then—I’d really appreciate that. I know I haven’t done right by you, Skylar, but please believe me when I say I love Christian very much.”

I breathe the largest sigh of relief I ever have. “I know you do, Deb. Like I told you before, I won’t cut you out. I promise.”

“Thank you, Skylar.” There is a long pause. “I’ll pack his things this week and you can come get him before your game this weekend. I’ll let the lawyers know to have the paperwork ready for you to sign as well.”

I could cry. Or do a victory dance. Or a motherfucking backflip.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Hang on, Christian. Daddy’s coming.

Two weeks later, after a trip to Vancouver and back, my parent’s throw a party for Christian that rivals every event I’ve seen in the Martin household.

There are animals, kids, inflatables, and I don’t even know what else in our back yard.

Between signing the necessary paperwork with the state and with my team, finding a house nearby to live in during the off-season, and taking care of Christian, Corin and I haven’t exactly had a ton of time alone.

I caught a few glimpses of her in passing while she refilled the food and lit the candles on Christian’s cake. It’s not his birthday for several more months, but this day will forever be what we’ve donned,
Gotcha Day,
because today it is official. I am my son’s sole legal guardian. My hope is that one day, Corin will be added to that paperwork when she becomes my wife. But with law school and her internship, it wouldn’t be right to add a wedding and an insta-family to her already hectic schedule. Not that I could keep her from Christian if I tried.

She tells me regularly that she could take me or leave me, but Christian she will love forever.

Poor girl. She probably has no idea she’s stuck with both of us for life.

The entire party sings a version of happy birthday, changing the words around, and Corin’s eyes meet mine over the chaos.

Something more than candlelight flickers in them but I’m too far away to identify it. Later, once Christian has opened more gifts than I know what to do with and guests begin to head out, I go on a search for my girl.

She’s not in the kitchen with my mom and sister. Not in the office my dad lets her borrow when she has work to deal with. And not in old bedroom upstairs.

I hear strange sobbing sounds coming from the bathroom across the hall.

I knock but there is no answer so I knock once more.

“Red? You in there, sweetheart?”

“Just a minute,” she says, her voice muffled through the thick door and what sounds like tears. “Be right out.”

Like hell.

I twist the locked knob until it gives.

Corin’s eyes are red-rimmed and she’s definitely wiping away the remnants of tears.

“Oh, babe,” I say, taking her into my arms. “What’s wrong?”

A sob wracks her body hard against mine. “It’s…it’s nothing. I’m fine.”

I pull back to look into her face. “Come on, baby. Don’t shut me out. Whatever it is, we will handle it.”

She looks at me strangely, like she’s embarrassed, before handing over a long white stick. “It’s silly. I should be glad not blubbering like an idiot.”

My breath catches in my throat, but when I glance at the result it’s not what I expect.

Technology has come a long way because the thing literally says NOT PREGNANT in the little digital window.

“This is why you’re crying?” I tilt her chin up when she tries to look away.

“I was late,” she tells me, shrugging out of my arms and throwing the negative test in the garbage. “I was scared but in a way, kind of excited, I guess. I didn’t actually realize that I wanted it to be positive until it wasn’t.”

Corin wants to have my baby. Even after everything, after she’s had to juggle my crazy schedule with hers, had to become a sort of mom to a child she didn’t give birth to, all of the unexpected life changes and she’s never broken down once. Not in front of me at least. Not only that but she wants to have my baby. Mine. In her body. On purpose.

I am literally the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.

“You look surprised,” she informs me. “You know I love Christian. Why wouldn’t you think I’d want to have more?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I mean, yeah, you’re great with him and I…I guess maybe I was afraid you were in here crying because it’s a lot to deal with, me having full custody now. This wasn’t exactly the plan and I know I’m not exactly a star candidate for relationship goals now.”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t underestimate me, soccer boy. Or yourself.” She leans on my chest. “Seeing you with him, I can’t explain it. You’re more than I ever imagined you could be. And I don’t mean that I didn’t think much of you before because you’ve always been this force to be reckoned with—bold and headstrong and not afraid to go after what you want. But in some ways, for all my preaching to Layla, I’ve always been a little afraid myself. Afraid of getting hurt, of not getting into law school, of not being enough. Until everything happened and I realized that while I may not fit anywhere else in the world, I belong here, with you and with Christian. And that gives me courage to try things I never thought I could.”

“Such as…”

“Such as having a baby. One day. This wouldn’t have been ideal timing. But one day, I would like to give Christian a brother or sister. If that’s okay with you.”

I scratch my chin thoughtfully as if I need to contemplate her proposition. “I suppose I could handle that.”

Corin smacks me lightly on the chest. “I should get this law degree first. Then we can revisit the possibility.”

I lean and kiss her softly. “Just so you know, one day, I plan to impregnate the hell out of you. Just sayin. But you’ve been so patient with my career and everything with Christian, I want you to know I support your dreams too, Red. You’re going to be the best damn child advocate ever.”

“Thanks, babe.”

We walk out of the bathroom together and rejoin what’s left of the party.

“Hey…” Corin begins, just before we step into the kitchen to help clean up. “Just, um, in case I forget to tell you…I’m really glad you were such a persistent pain in the ass when we first met.”

I grin. “While we’re being so open, I should tell you, I totally let you win at Mortal Combat all those times.”

Corin’s mouth drops open in mock horror. “Liar!”

I shrug. “It was the only way I could get you to keep spending time with me. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

“Our entire relationship is built on lies, Skylar Martin. What are we going to do now?”

I pull her close against my chest and palm her ass with one hand. “We could build it on love. Or sex. You pick.”

“I’ll get back to you,” she tells me. “
After
our Mortal Combat rematch.”

Later, when all evidence of a major Martin bash has been cleared away and Christian is asleep for the night, Corin joins me in our bedroom.

“So what’d you pick?”

She bites her lip to buy some time. “Sex. I decided love is for suckers. I’m just going to use you for your body. That cool?”

I shake my head. “Nope. I have standards, you know. I’m going to need to draw a line. A friendship line, meaning no sex until I am absolutely positive you love me for me and not just for my body.”

Corin whacks me hard with a pillow. “Uh huh. You wouldn’t survive holding out on me.” To prove her point, she takes off her shirt. Then her bra. Somewhere, angels trumpet.

She’s right. I wouldn’t last five minutes. But I play along anyways because she’s smiling.

“Wanna bet?” I arch an eyebrow and she slides her jeans and black lace panties down her long, luscious legs.

Fuckkkk.
My restraint is already wearing thin.

“No more bets, soccer boy.” She steps forward until she’s straddling me on the bed. “Besides, I already won the only bet that matters.”

I lean back to fully appreciate the view of her glorious naked body on top of me. “Which was?”

“You,” she informs me with a light kiss on the lips that holds the promise of much more to come. “I bet on you.”

“W
e’ll go to dinner after the ceremony to celebrate—anywhere you want,” Skylar tells me before my graduation ceremony. “I need to get Christian ready then we’ll head over early to get good seats.”

I did it. I finished law school and I’ve already been offered a position with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Los Angeles. Not only is it my dream job, but the Director is a soccer fan and is going to work with me on my caseload so I can spend part of the year on the road with Skylar. I could pinch myself. Sometimes I have to.

“Okay. Love you. Give little man a kiss for me and tell him I’ll spring for dessert after dinner if he can sit still through the ceremony.”