band. Just be chill and take care of your shit—as we’ve all experienced what happens when you don’t.” They agreed wholly. A lapse in my judgment put Chance on the highway to hell, put my family in danger, and threatened Beauty’s life. We’ve been through hell and back, but one thing remains: we got each other’s backs.
Woody returned with a case of Guinness and Corona—his attempt at peace, and hopefully, Ender wouldn’t take the Corona as a cultural knock. He did not, but helped hand out the beer. I chose a Coke instead.
“Tis calls for a proper toast,” Woody said, and we held our bottles in the air. “Here’s to cheatin’, stealin’, fightin’, and drinkin’. If you cheat, may you cheat death. If you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart. If you fight, may you fight for a brother. And if you drink, may you drink with me.” His smile was genuine and heartfelt, and we all echoed, “Aye,” and clinked our bottles. If there was anything about Woody, he took his toasts to heart. It was just his way. He wasn’t a man of many words, but a man of toasts and truisms.
We wrapped up the day after a late lunch, and we were the last ones out of the studio. I checked my watch and it was already after five o’clock. I grabbed my cell off the table and checked for any messages from Beauty. Nothing. She spent the day with Chance looking for a wedding dress for after the baby arrived. My concern was that she was taking it easy and not overdoing it. The mention of wedding both thrilled and scared me. If I had it my way…we’d be married. I was impatient went it came to her becoming my wife. However, I understood Beauty’s position. She wanted to enjoy our wedding. And I wanted her to be happy. So, we were set to be married early fall, and the baby could come anytime now. Our pasts have been rocky, and the thought of something interfering was prevalent. That scared the fuck out of me.
This promise I could keep. My bride dreamed of a fantasy wedding…I’d give her the dreams she’d always been denied as a child. A second chance, and hopefully, break through some of those barriers she still held in place. It was my job to restore her beliefs in dreams and romance. I am the man who’d cherish and promise her romance every day of her life.
And that was my dream.
The drive back to the house was quiet, despite the traffic on the freeway. I used this time to mentally catalog everything I needed to remember. We agreed to host July Fourth at the house. Which reminded me…I needed to call my father. He and my mother would be coming, and I didn’t think it wise to have them stay with us.
Thankfully, he agreed. I haven’t forgiven her, and I’m not sure I would. I promised Gia I’d try, and my compromise was letting her help decorate. And if I’m being honest…it wasn’t out of forgiveness but more for selfish reasons. I didn’t have the time to hire someone I could trust. And that in itself was a laugh, because I really didn’t trust her. However, she was the better alternative and I knew it would make Gia happy.
I’d do anything to make Beauty happy. I knew better than anyone what she felt…contradictory, strung tight, coiled with tension. She was an emotional time-bomb. I prayed like fuck every day that her pregnancy hormones would balance out. But I still worried she might detonate. This party couldn’t come at a better time. It would provide a social outlet, and Cindy being there was the bow that tied it up nicely. Cindy’s colorful personality and friendship was the perfect antidote.
I walked into the house and heard the familiar sounds of Lethal Abel playing through the speakers. Beauty sang at the top of her lungs and Chance sang backup. The smell of garlic, wine, and pasta filled the bottom floor. They must be in the kitchen, I thought. I walked through the entrance, dropping my keys and phone on the side table. Then continued through the hallway that lead to the kitchen. While the fragrant smells of cooking drove my stomach wild, the smell of her perfume hit me square in the balls and I wished nothing more than to have her right there in the middle of the kitchen.
Pull it the fuck together.
I stopped