CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Langston
The first gallbladder surgery went smoothly, the operating room staff competent and flexible as they grew to learn my preferences and surgical style. I actually found myself chuckling along with them as they talked about things. They were friends, or at least friendly with each other. I liked it there.
After the second surgery was done, I took a break, knowing I had about an hour before the next patient was due to arrive. I headed to the doctors’ lounge, hoping to find something decent to drink. I ended up getting a prewrapped sandwich too. I was starving.
Then I sank into a chair and took a first bite, grateful the room was empty. The silence gave me time to think without someone telling me how sorry they were about my father.
I stared at my phone, trying to summon the energy to pick it up and call my mother. When two doctors entered the lounge, I pushed to my feet and headed to the elevator. I’d make the call outside on this relatively cool spring day.
There was a bench that seemed to be waiting just for me, but I bypassed it and kept walking, needing to force the nervous energy from my cells.
Tapping Mom’s number, I frowned as her tired voice answered. “Langston, honey. It’s so good to hear from you.”
It had only been a couple days, but mothers were like that, always missing their children, no matter the age. I thought about the twins, about how badly I wished they were near me now. I guessed that instinct wasn’t only for the female version of parents.
“How are you feeling?”
“Better, sweetheart. Tired, but I think the shock of having lost him is fading away and I just feel numb.” She sniffed, her voice breaking at the end. “But Gran and Pops are wonderful and giving me good company. Just the distraction I need.”
Well, there was an opening if I’d ever seen one.
“Mom, speaking of distractions, I have some news, but I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
Worry sharpened her tone. “What is it? What’s wrong? Are you hurt? Sick? Are you—”
“No. None of that. I’m perfectly healthy, I promise.”
I almost felt her sag with relief. “Then what is it?”
How did I break this news?
“Remember the night I left for Nigeria?”
“Well, of course I do. It was one of the most stressful days of my life.”
Yeah, she just had to stab me with a prick of mother’s guilt. I didn’t let it distract me from my purpose though and plunged ahead.
“After I left the party, I ended up getting a drink.” I thought it was best to leave out the part about Josh and I attending opening night of an erotica club first. “I met a woman there. She spent the night with me. She was, um, special. Very special. But since I was leaving, I didn’t get her number. I left her mine instead.”
Mom snorted, and I could almost hear her thinking typical man in her head. “And…?”
“I never heard from her, so I wrote it off as me being the more interested one, but yesterday, I was called to fill in at St. Mary’s Hospital. There was a widespread food poisoning among the medical staff and they needed immediate backup.”
“And you found the girl?” Mom guessed, her voice pitched high with interest.
“Yes.”
“Is she a doctor there?”
“No, she’s a nurse.”
“And you found her, just like that?” Mom sighed, and I could tell she was already planning a wedding in her head. My mom was a romantic of the worst kind.
“Yes, I found her, but not just like that.”
There were a few beats of silence as she attempted to puzzle that out. “What do you mean?”
“I was sent to the labor and delivery floor. There was a laboring mother who might need a caesarian, so they needed me there in case anything went wrong.”
“Oh my.”
In addition to being a romantic, my mother was smart, and I could hear her mind shuffling the pieces of the puzzle together.
“Yes. The patient was Scarlett. She was having a baby. My baby.”
“Oh. My. Wow. I think I need to sit down.”
“Are you sitting?” I should have asked that before I even started this conversation.
“Yes.” Her voice was weak but also something else… excited?
“Mom. I didn’t just deliver my own child. I delivered two children. A boy and a girl. I’m a father of twins. You’re the grandmother of twins. Surprise.”
The silence stretched long enough that I glanced at the phone to make sure the call hadn’t disconnected. I couldn’t even hear her breathing.
“Mom?”
“Yes. Yes, I’m here. I’m just… well, I just… I…”
I smiled and scratched at the scruff on my chin. “Yeah. I remember feeling the same way.”
“Langston…” her voice was breathless, “I know this will sound insensitive, but I have to ask. You don’t know this woman that you met in a bar. Are you sure they’re yours?”
“Yes. They’re mine.” They had to be. “We’ll have the results of the paternity test soon, sometime today, but I know they belong to me.”
She exhaled a long breath. “And yet you told me before the results arrived?” It sounded like she said it more to herself than me. “That must mean something.”
“They’re mine, Mom. Just like I can’t explain how I ended up in her delivery room at the exact right time, I can’t explain how I know, but I know.”
She sniffed, and I could hear the emotion taking her over. “I’m so… I can’t believe it. Are they healthy? Is Scarlett, did you say her name was, healthy? Are you okay?” With the questions, she was regaining some of her composure.
“Yes. Both babies are perfect. Scarlett is perfect.”
Mom sighed, the eternal romantic side of her coming to the surface. “What’s their names?”
“Sofi Elizabeth and Samuel Joseph.”
Mom gasped and began to cry for real. “Oh, Langston. It’s perfect. I’m on my way. I want to see them.”
I knew better than to argue. “I’ll text you the address. There’s a code you’ll have to give the staff to get through the door. I’ll text that too.”
In the background, her shoes were clicking on the wood floors. “I’m bringing Gran and Pops too.”
I laughed. “Okay. I have another surgery in a few minutes. I’ll be there by four at the latest.”
“Four? That’s good. That gives me time to go shopping. Oh, Langston. I’m a grandmother. I had always hoped you’d settle down, but I didn’t think you would. I have so much to do!”
I chuckled into the phone, relieved that she was taking this so well. “Don’t go overboard, okay?”
“Overboard? Me?” She laughed, and I groaned. “We’ll need to call the decorator. Oh! The third floor of the carriage house will be perfect!”
“Mom—”
“We’ll have bookshelves installed for all the books I’ll be reading to them. Is there room for a nanny? Does Scarlett want a nanny? If she does, we’ll use that extra space in the back to build a third room and private bath.”
“Mom—”
“I’ll call the contractor and have them increase the security system. Cameras inside and out. We’ll replace the fence with a taller one, maybe razor wire at the top.”
“Mom—”
“Oh, the backyard is small, but we can make it work. I can just picture a little swing. We can build a playhouse. Sofi and I can have tea parties there. Samuel and I can—”
“Mom—!”
“What?”
I softened my voice. “Scarlett and I still have a great deal to work out before—”
“Pish posh.” I had never, ever in my entire life heard her say that. “Of course you’ll work it out, don’t be silly.”
“Mom, it’s complicated.”
“Then uncomplicate it. Can’t you see this was just meant to work out? Don’t fight it or try to answer all the questions. Enjoy, my baby boy. Don’t overanalyze it. Just hold it with both hands and never let it go.”
I sighed, surrendering to her happiness. “I will, but right now, I have to go scrub up. I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
“Yes! I’ll be the one with a big smile on her face.”
That made me smile too. “I love you, Mom.”
“Darling, I love you too. If only your father was here to see this.” Her voice grew quiet again and there was a soft laugh. “Of course, he’s probably smiling down from the heavens.”
“Yes. I miss him too.”
“See you later, baby boy.”
“Bye, Granny.”
She gasped. “I will not be called that.”
I laughed. “See you soon.”
I was still chuckling to myself as I walked back into the hospital, texting Scarlett to let her know I had only the one surgery left.
She replied quickly: Take your time. All is well here. Another text followed with a picture of the babies in her lap.
I replied: I wish I was with you.
I stashed the phone in my locker and scrubbed my hands and arms under warm water, but I was also going through my mental checklist.
Mom had good ideas about the nursery, fence, and security cameras. I’d ask Scarlett about a nanny. Nothing full time, but someone who could help out as needed. Should I hire protection too? As a wealthy man, my children would be easy targets for anyone hoping to make a quick buck.
That thought led to a trail of anxiety crawling down my spine. I’d never worried about my own protection, but when I was small, a hired bodyguard followed me and Mom everywhere. It wasn’t until I was a teen that I’d rejected the security, but of course by then, I was in a private, gated school with other rich kids. I was probably safer there than I’d ever known.
As I began the colon surgery, I forced all those thoughts and worries from my mind. For now.
When I was finished with the surgery, I would call the decorator and have her start making plans for the third floor. I’d call my attorney and have him immediately change my will. I’d talk to the contractor about a new fence. A security consultant about protection, increasing my security system, and maybe adding a safe room to the house.
Whatever it took, I’d keep my children safe. Comfortable.
Whatever it took, I’d make Scarlett fall in love with me. Want to live with me. Marry me.
I’d give her time to adjust, but in the end, she would be mine.
And I would be hers.
***
After the surgery was completed and the patient sent to the recovery room, the next person I called turned out to be Josh. I needed to walk off some of the stress of the past twenty-four hours and had decided to start walking back to Scarlett’s hospital, knowing I could catch a taxi whenever I was ready.
“Hey, man. How are you?”
It was good to hear his voice. I hadn’t seen him since Dad’s funeral.
“That’s actually why I’m calling.”
He cursed, going automatically to concerned. “Shit. That doesn’t sound good.”
Josh was going to laugh his ass off at this.
“Well, it actually is good. A surprise, but a good one.”
“Man, you hate surprises.”
He was right. I did hate surprises.
I just needed to say it.
“I’m a father.”
For several long beats, there was total silence on the other side of the line, then Josh began to laugh hysterically. I waited, letting him get it out of his system. It took a while, then, “You’re serious?”
“Very much so.”
The laughter went on a while longer as I navigated the busy street. “How?”
I rolled my eyes. “Immaculate conception, Josh. How do you think?”
The laughter faded abruptly. “You’re really serious, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
I smiled, trying to imagine the stunned look on his face. “Seriously, man. How? Who? How’d you find out?”
I gave him an abbreviated version of the chain of events. He interrupted with a few questions, but he mainly only muttered things like, “you’re fucking kidding me” or “no shit.”
“You seriously delivered your own twins? How were you not passed out on the floor?”
“I have no idea. Thing was, after the initial shock, I was… happy.”
Josh blew out a breath. “Well, that’s telling.”
“Agreed.”
He blew out another breath. “When exactly will you be getting these test results back?”
I checked my watch. “As early as now and as late as tomorrow.”
Josh’s voice softened. “What if they aren’t yours?”
“They are.”
“Except if they’re not. What do you know about this girl, Lang? You met her in a bar. You fucked her within an hour of knowing her.”
I bristled at the truth in his words. “She’s different.”
“How do you know that?” he pressed, pissing me off.
I understood why he was doing it. He was my best friend. It was his job to defend me, protect me. But he hadn’t been there. He hadn’t known.
“I just know.”
“Does one of the kids look like you? Is that how you know?”
Their tiny, wrinkled, squishy faces flashed in front of my eyes. “They’re a day old. They look like Yoda. How the fuck am I supposed to tell?”
Josh barked out a laugh. “Beware the dark side. It’s the number one rule, man.”
I so wished I hadn’t called him.
“Josh, she was special. What we had together was special.”
“Then why didn’t she call you?”
He might as well have kicked me in the nuts.
“I don’t know.” I squeezed the back of my neck with my hand, trying to release some of the tension that was shooting darts of pain into my skull. “She mentioned something about me hating to be tied down. That night, I told her it was one of my worst fears.”
“You talked?” Josh sounded incredulous. “The night you fucked her back in the fall, you two talked about fears and shit? Wow.”
“Talked. Laughed. Like I told you, she was special.”
His voice dipped low again. “Do you think she set you up?”
I squeezed harder at my neck. “She didn’t even know who I was.”
“Maybe she did.”
“How? I picked a random bar after I left you. Her friends were already at a table when I arrived. She arrived a few minutes later. Any other theories?”
“Needle in the condom? That has been tried before.”
“No. She didn’t have access.”
“Hmmm… you did use a rubber, right? She didn’t bewitch you that much? Swear she was on the pill or some shit, right?”
I wanted to punch my phone. “The rubber failed.”
“Mommy, what’s a rubber?”
A woman with a young boy was standing next to me at a crosswalk, and she glared at me as she covered her son’s ears. I gave her an I’m sorry look, but she didn’t appear to be the forgiving type. I turned my back on her and walked several paces away.
“It didn’t work, okay. And how it happened isn’t as important as what I’m going to do about it now.”
Josh grunted, and I took it as agreement. “What are you going to do?”
Marry her. Raise our family together. Have more babies someday.
“I’m going to help her with the babies. I’m going to get to know her better, give her time to know me. Then we’ll see where it goes.”
If Josh was the gasping kind, I would have sworn he gasped. “You’re in fucking love with this girl.”
If I was the gasping kind, I would have gasped. Instead, I let out some kind of strangled sound. “What? No way. I barely know her.”
“Liar.”
I blew out a breath. “I admit, she’s someone I could love, but it’s too early for all that.”
“You did put the baby carriage before the horse, but you’re really serious about this, aren’t you? Just changing everything in your life like this?”
“Well, yeah. Scarlett had to change her life too. She could have aborted the babies, given them up for adoption. She didn’t. She damned quit school so she could a have them.”
“School?” His voice dipped low. “How old is she?”
“College. Graduate school. She’s twenty-four.”
Josh whistled. “You almost have three babies to take care of.”
I growled into the phone. “Not funny.”
“It is a little funny.”
“She’s a woman. A smart, sexy, beautiful, strong woman who pushed out two babies like a badass right in front of my damn eyes.”
“That must have been something.”
I stopped at another crosswalk, waiting for the light to turn. “It was. Man, I’d delivered babies before, but there was so much going on in my head. I mean, it was her. The girl I couldn’t stop thinking about. Before she even told anyone I was the father, I knew. And then the kid’s head was practically out when I sat down.”
Josh made a sound that I took as a shiver. “I would have puked.”
“No. No, you wouldn’t have. It was something. I got one baby born, thought I’d done my job, then learned there was another.”
Josh laughed. “I really wish I could have been there just to see your face.”
“I’m sure it was priceless. Her friend probably caught it on camera.”
“Is her friend cute?”
It was my turn to laugh. “Her friend is gorgeous and probably one of the scariest people I’ve ever met.”
“Hm. When can I meet her?”
I rolled my eyes. “Zip it up. I’ve got babies to worry about.”
Josh laughed again. “Do you have any idea how much child support you’re going to have to pay for two kids? What’s that dude’s name who’s paying a million a month per kid?”
I didn’t even bother to answer. “Look, I’ve got to go. I need to get back to Scarlett and the babies.”
“And… it begins. The best friend gets shoved out the door.”
“You’re stupid. You’re welcome to change diapers anytime.”
“Wow. Thanks. Sounds like so much fun I might just skip the erotica club.”
I laughed. “I’ll just have to live life vicariously through you. Don’t let me down.”
There were a few beats of silence. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you? Settling down and being a family man.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
“Well, congratulations then. I’m happy for you. When can I see the kids?”
“I’ll text you the hospital details, or if you’d rather wait until we’re home and settled, that’s good too.”
“Where’s home?”
Now that was a good question. “I’m not sure. I’m hoping the carriage house. We really haven’t had time to talk it all through.”
“What are you going to do about your dad’s practice?”
Another good question. “He’d slowed down a lot. More than I thought he did. It’s practically a part-time schedule right now.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah. I had been thinking of ways to build it up, to stay busy. But—”
“Sounds like you’ll be busy enough.”
Careful what you wish for.
“It does appear to be the case.”
“Well, all the best to you, Lang. Seriously. If this is what you want, then I hope the paternity test comes back with the proof you need to never question it, and I hope Scarlett is who you think she is.”
“Thanks, Josh.”
“Anytime. And don’t forget to hook me up with her friend.”
I grinned. “I’m serious. She will bite your balls off.”
“Mmm… the best ones always do.”
I hung up on him mid laugh and kept walking a few more blocks before hailing a cab. Walking was taking too long, and I had things to do.
A woman to see.
Babies to kiss.
I was whistling when I got into the cab.