Hustle Him (Bank Shot Romance #2)(55)
Author: Jennifer Foor

“If it’s okay with you.” I realized that I probably shouldn’t have offered a child a chance decline.

“Will it be a boy? Will Mommy get fat? My teacher is fat is she having a baby?”

We all started laughing. “Whatever it is, we’re going to love it.”

I think Vessa finally started to relax after the kids were on board. The old farm house that we lived in had plenty of rooms in it, especially once I was allowed to officially share a room with Vessa. We took things slow, never taking the kids feelings for granted. I didn’t mind as long as they were all happy.

Since Vessa was pregnant, it was important for me to make sure she had the proper medical care and insurance. In order to do that, she had to be married to me. Once their separation wait time was met, she filed the papers for divorce.

With all the trouble he was already in, Gavin didn’t fight her on it. He probably would have if he knew she was carrying my child, but it wasn’t his business. In some ways, I almost wanted to thank him for treating her so terribly that she had to leave him. It was what led her right to me and I was grateful.

We didn’t do anything fancy to get married. After we had our license, we went up to the court house and did it. Later that day, we were at the bar, painting, like it was just a normal day.

After much consideration about the future of the business, we had decided to convert the bar to a family restaurant with a lounge and billiard area. My job was pretty easy. As long as I had my phone and my truck, I could be anywhere and respond to a call. Since construction was so expensive, we did all the work ourselves. Vessa could only help when it was safe for the baby. I wouldn’t let her carry anything or paint if there was going to be fumes.

We didn’t have a mortgage on either of the properties, so most of our income was put into savings. It was funny how I had worked so hard before to make ends meet and now we had more than either of us could ever ask for.

I was going to continue working as a sheriff until I could retire. Vessa would run the restaurant and we would hire people so that we could spend time being a family.

After several postponements, due to Gavin’s other legal matters, the charges against me were dropped. It seemed that after hearing Gavin on my recording, confessing to everything, he didn’t want to represent him anymore. I think it made it worse that I was in law enforcement myself.

His girlfriend never did testify against him, but it didn’t matter. The drug charges were enough for a judge to never allow him to take the kids from us. Vessa wanted him to still see them. It just wasn’t going to happened until he got help.

The kids talked to him on the phone and even the computer, so it wasn’t like they lost him in their lives. He just had to be straight first, before Vessa was going to give him another chance.

I loved her being pregnant. Not only was she beautiful, but it bonded us closer together. One Sunday, after church, I took the kids outside and told them what happened to my first family. They were sad. I could tell it affected them, seeing me get emotional as I told my story and talked about Katie. I showed them a picture of the three of us and Logan grabbed it and disappeared in the house.

At first I thought the worst. We went into the kitchen to check the trash first. Then we saw him walking out of the living room. “I put them where they go.”

Vessa looked worried. I crouched down. “Where’s that, buddy?”

He grabbed my hand and pulled me into the living room, then pointed to the mantle. Next to all of our new and old pictures was the picture of me and the girls. I couldn’t hold back my emotions that day. That boy, who was already so special to me, had added my girls to the people he considered family. It wasn’t just special for me to see them up there. It made it all real. They weren’t ever going to let me forget them. They’d be there everyday with me. Logan went running back outside to play with his sister.

Vessa grabbed my hand as I stood there looking at that picture. “I’ve wanted to put that picture up there for weeks, but I was too afraid to ask. I can’t believe he did that.”

“It’s perfect. Thank you so much,” I kissed my beautiful wife and put my hand on her stomach. “For showing me how to love again and giving me a second chance to do it.”

“I got something out of it too, you know.” She kissed me softly, letting her puffy lips linger on mine.

I took her by the hand and led her down the stairs. Mine and Logan’s man cave was coming along. We had sports memorabilia on the walls, a flat screen television and I’d even got him his own pool stick. I handed Vessa a stick and started racking the balls. She chalked the tip and blew on it. “What are we playing for, Mr. Towers?”

“Well, Mrs. Towers. If you win, you get to pick the name. If I win, I get to pick it.”

She smiled and bent over to break up the balls. “This is going to be easy.”

“How do you know I wasn’t hustling you all this time?” I laughed just saying it.

She made two balls and walked around the table. It was funny. I was so used to seeing her play in tight jeans, or nothing at all. Now she wore a maternity sundress and had bare feet, but she never looked more beautiful to me.

“Does it really matter? I think we both came out winning.”

I watched her shoot at another ball and make the shot. “Yeah, we sure did.”

She missed her shot and walked over to me. “Here’s your chance, hustler.”

I smiled and thought back to when I was playing her to stay with me. “I think you like letting me win.”

She started laughing and shook her head. “Only when it gets me what I want.”

I bent over to shoot and looked up at her. “So, do you have what you want?”

She leaned against the table, letting me look down her shirt. “I have more than I could have ever hoped for.”

I missed the damn shot because I was too busy peeking at her tits. She stood up and started laughing. “You need to work on being distracted.”

“You need to wear hoodies when we play.”

She reached back and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. “Oops!”

“I forfeit.” It took me only seconds to make it around to where she was standing. “You don’t play fair.”

“I play to win.” She said as our lips brushed.

We heard the kitchen door slamming and two kids arguing. Vessa reached down and grabbed her dress, while I headed for the steps. “Cheaters never win, you know,” I teased.