Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(54)
Author: Jennifer Foor

My clothes were soaked from dealing with her. I grabbed us both a towel and covered her up. “You sure this is just depression?”

She shrugged. “What else could it be? Nothing hurts but my stomach. I just feel so tired from everything.”

I stopped trying to dry myself off and looked right at her. “I just remembered that I have to run into town to my office. Are you going to try to get up, because the kids can’t survive on what I’ve been feeding them?”

She actually laughed and stood up. I kissed her and saw myself out.

My ride into town was full with anxiety. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t think about it. I needed to know. If there was even a slight chance for it to be possible, I just had to know immediately.

I got weird looks at the pharmacy when I bought the test. Everyone knew who I was. They were going to talk and I finally didn’t give a shit what they said. I smiled as I handed the cashier the money and nodded to everyone standing around with their mouths open.

It was time for everyone to know about my secret relationship.

It was a good thing that Sue had planned ahead and had a will drawn up. Since Vessa was her only living relative, she left the house and everything in it to her. Vessa now had her own house to raise her kids. What shocked us both was when that lawyer named who she left the bar to. She didn’t just leave it to her niece. My name was listed as co-owner.

We were both shocked at first. She’d had the will drawn up a month before Vessa moved in with her. It was when I was just someone she saw a few times a week and knew nothing about. If so many things had happened to me personally, I never would have believed in fate. Vessa and I were meant to meet. If it hadn’t been for that accident, I would have met her later anyway.

I kept teasing her about how she would have hustled me out of my ownership. I could see her playing me for the deed and pretending she couldn’t play, then coming back and taking me for everything. If anyone in the world was going to hustle me, I wanted it to be Vessa. That woman had my permission to do whatever she wanted with me.

I got back to the house about an hour later. Vessa was in the kitchen, doing the dishes. She was wearing a pair of my pajama pants and a little t-shirt. I could tell that she got back in the shower, because I could smell her shampoo when I walked into the room. She smiled when I came in, like she had been doing every day since we made the decision for me to move in.

It was the kid’s idea at first. They said they were scared. Then it just seemed like the right thing to do. I was still moving my things over. Most of the furniture wasn’t mine. I had my deputy help me bring over the pool table first. Me and Logan had been spending a lot of time cleaning up the basement. It was going to be our man cave.

Vessa put the rag down and walked over to me. “What’s in the bag?”

I smiled and put it behind my back. “Promise you’re not going to get mad?”

She rolled her eyes and reached around to grab it. “Just let me see.”

I handed her the brown paper bag and stood there watching her face as she pulled out the little white box. She sat it on the table and looked up at me. “You’re crazy. I’m not pregnant.”

I slid it closer to her again. “Appease me. Take one of the tests. Prove me wrong.”

She stood up and grabbed it with an attitude. “Fine, but I think I would know my own body.”

I followed behind her, eager to see the result, even if my gut feeling was wrong.

She opened everything up and sat down on the toilet and started laughing. “I can’t pee if you’re watching me.”

I turned around. “Sorry.”

“Or standing there!”

“Damn, Vessa, I’ll wait outside.” I only waited until I heard the toilet flush before walking back in to the bathroom.

The little stick was sitting on the sink. I grabbed it and ran into the bedroom, locking her out. She ran after me, beating on the door. “Let me in! You’re being ridiculous. It’s not going to be positive.”

I put the stick on the dresser and stared at it. I didn’t buy one of those cheap ones with lines or crosses. This one said pregnant or not pregnant. The directions called for three minutes, but in less than thirty seconds, I had my answer.

I just stood there, wondering if I was disappointed or relieved. Vessa already had two kids and after losing Katie, her and I hadn’t even talked about having kids. I looked at the stick one more time before taking a deep breath and unlocking the door. She held out her hand and I placed the stick in it. “Here! Know it all!”

She rolled her eyes and smiled until she looked down at the stick and saw that she was wrong.

“Say something.”

She looked up at me and was already crying. “Is this okay?”

I pulled her into my arms. “It’s better than okay, Vessa.”

“Really?” She seemed unsure, like I was just saying it to make her feel better.

“When can we tell the kids?” I wanted to tell everyone. I wanted to call that damn newspaper and tell them.

“After I see a doctor.”

I couldn’t help it. I pulled her into my arms and started to cry. She held me tight, knowing what I was thinking about. I’d never want to replace Katie, but I loved being a father and having a baby with Vessa brought the whole family together.

I didn’t care what anyone said. This was where I was meant to be. Even for a person who never believed it, I knew it had to have been some kind of divine intervention.

We waited three weeks to be able to tell the kids about our news. Vessa was so nervous, but I assured her that we all needed some good news. We took them out to dinner to the fanciest place in the area.

They got dressed up in church clothes and knew something special was happening. Vessa ordered them both t-shirts. One said “I’m the big brother” and the other said “I’m the big sister.” We let them open each of their packages and figure it out themselves. Of course, Asha got it right away. “Mommy, really?”

Vessa grabbed her daughter by the hand. “Are you upset?”

She shook her head. “No way. Can I help out?”

“Of course. I’m going to need help.”

Poor Logan was still staring at the shirt. “It says that you’re going to be a big brother.” They already had a little sister, but since they never saw her, we figured they would get what the shirts meant. Still, Logan just looked confused. “Buddy, your mom is going to have a baby.”

“Do you get to be the Dad?”