Wyatt
***
“Wyatt I don’t need self defense classes. I don’t have time for self- defense classes. I have a wedding to plan in like two days because the crazy person I decided to fall in love with is nutso. I have a study load that would choke a horse, and I have my internship. Hello, tell me where in there am I supposed to fit in this self defense class?”
I wasn’t paying her any damn attention. I was going to be leaving soon and t was killing me. I wasn’t happy about the circumstances, but I wasn’t willing to push the wedding back to a later date no matter what she and my nosy ass mother had to say.
In the last week and a half, I’ve had little to no peace with this one and the one downstairs. Women can make a mountain out of a molehill like nobody’s business. If it wasn’t one thing it was another. When the two of them kept bitching about how hard it was to get things just right for the wedding in such short notice, I made some suggestions that almost got my ass scalped.
I don’t see what was so wrong with a backyard wedding with close friends and some kind of catering job, but they didn’t see things the same way. I was accused of not having any respect for the hardships entailed by undertaking such a monumental job and when I was dumb enough to say ‘you’re damn straight, I just want my ring on your finger and your signature on the license.’ I was banned from the kitchen, which had become their war room.
Now I was trying to give myself a piece of mind by making sure she could take care of herself while I was gone and she was pitching one of her fits. “It’s either the classes or you don’t leave the house while I’m gone Red.” I didn’t have to look to know she was rolling her eyes at me.
“How do you plan on pulling that one off hotshot?”
“I can lock your ass in here and find a way to keep your partner in crime from getting in or getting you out.” Weak I know, but I’m sure I could find a way. “You ready?”
She folded her arms and glared at me. She hates exercise or anything to do with it, go figure, I’m damn near a fanatic. I had got her as far as putting on the workout clothes, which had been a trial in itself, but now she balked at going to the gym so I could show her some moves.
“You need me to carry you?” She grinned through her mad until I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder and headed out. In an hour she was singing a different tune and trying to kick my ass. “Good job baby, see, I told you-you would like it.”
I’d shown her the basics after warming her up, now her ass wanted to overdo it. “I wanna do some more.”
“No that’s enough baby, you’re gonna hurt tomorrow as it is, I don’t want you overdoing it, besides you have somewhere to be don’t you?”
Of course she had to fight my ass on that one or she wouldn’t be Traci. Ma had signed them up for some motivational feminist shit that was bound to make my ass nuts, but they were both raving about this successful woman who went around the country giving speeches.
Dad was the designated driver for this little shindig because I had somewhere to be. Now that the time for her to leave was drawing near I didn’t feel too good about it, but knew if I said anything her and ma would tear into my ass so I kissed her goodbye with that bad feeling following me to my meet with my trainer.
***
Traci
***
“I hear she’s very good, my girlfriend in Phoenix went to her seminar last year and just raved and raved about her so I figured two sophisticated ladies such as ourselves might pick up some pointers seeing as how we’re in love with two of the last remaining cavemen in existence.”
“You’re telling me, I swear Wyatt was about to tell me about going tonight but he had the good sense to keep his lips zipped.” We both had a good laugh at that. “Good for you-you’ve got to put your foot down now or he’ll become a terror just like his father. That man still rides my ass about everything.”
I love that I could talk to her like this. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to turn into the monster I’d heard rumored all mother in laws were, but she’s been true this whole time and even seemed to get better the more time we spent together.
When my parents came out a week ago I was a nervous wreck, especially when Marie and Jack had insisted they stay at the house instead of the hotel they’d booked, but I needn’t have worried. My parents had been accepted with the same warm welcome I had.
There was no fighting over details about the wedding and I was beyond pleased when Marie so graciously took a step back and let my mom shine. Then of course there was all the hoopla over my ring. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the man had added a bigger stone but he was keeping mum about that and who am I to complain?
It was a nice seminar, though I’m not sure I would agree with everything that was said, and I was sure Wyatt would have a fit if he heard half the things she had to say. “Oh dear I’m not sure about all that, maybe we shouldn’t tell the guys about what we heard here tonight.” Marie seemed to be in agreement.
We clasped arms and headed outside the building in the throng of other excited women who were leaving at the same time. Jack was supposed to pick us up right out front. It was a nice starry night, though a bit brisk and everyone was bundled up.
I got a weird feeling as soon as we stepped out into the night. One I hadn’t had in a long time, not since Wyatt had all but shanghaied me and moved me in with him. It took my mind to a place I’d convinced myself was in the past, Carl.
Jace hadn’t been able to locate him yet and I knew Wyatt was still a little pissed, but I had pretty much pushed it aside. Who had time with all that I had on my plate? But now standing there in the falling darkness, I suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed.
“Are you okay?” Marie tugged on my arm as my mind had wandered off in the middle of her conversation. “Yes-yes I am do you see Jack?” The fear was sudden and unexplainable. I knew there was no need for it with all these people around, but it was there all the same.
“He’ll be here, probably a lot of traffic heading this way.” I tried to find some solace in the bright holiday lights that were strung along the street and in the windows of the various storefronts, anything to get my mind off the things that were now plaguing me.
Someone bumped into me on the crowded sidewalk and I felt a sting in my side. I didn’t think anything of it, after all there were about fifty other people milling around out here. But then my arm went numb and my vision blurred. Had I not been holding onto Marie or her to me I would’ve fallen flat on my face.
“Traci, Traci can you hear me?” I heard her voice as if through a void just before I felt arms around me lifting me. “Jack I don’t know what happened, one minute she was fine and then she was falling.” There was so much worry in her voice and I struggled to answer, but couldn’t move my lips.
“I’ve got her Marie let’s get her out of here.” He placed me in the car as my head swam and I went in and out of consciousness. I tried to speak but my tongue felt heavy and my limbs were suddenly lax. “Wyatt…” It felt like I was screaming but the sound was barely above a whisper.
“We’ve called him sweetheart, he’s going to meet us at the hospital.” Hospital, I don’t want to go to the hospital. I just want to go home. Before I could make that point everything went dark.