The thing about the period of time right after a big fight is that you have a lot of time on your hands and nothing to do with it — that’s what I was plagued with right now — boredom.

Outside of my trainers and handlers, my relationships outside of the ring were strained and few to say the least. My marriage was a disaster and fame had alienated any friends I ever had before everything changed. After I got famous, all kinds of people pretended they wanted to be my friend. It didn’t take long for me to realize that what they really wanted was a little bit of that fame to rub off on them like some kind of life enhancing potion.

Or, they wanted a handout.

Whichever was easier.

Usually, that was the handout.

And I wasn’t about that. I worked hard for my fucking money and maintaining this lifestyle cost a lot more than one might think. There wasn’t a lot left over after all the trainers and lawyers and publicists got paid.

Not to mention the insane amount of money that Lily spent, but whatever. That was expected. I knew how much she loved money when I married her. At the time, I was young and dumb and full of cum, as they say. And she was a hippy with a shopping habit.

As you can see, the years have altered my perception.

Now, I’m just some fucking schmuck financially trapped in a loveless marriage and bored out of his fucking mind because my trainer thinks taking a break for a few weeks between fights is good for my health.

I wasn’t the type to run off to frolic on the beaches of fucking Cabo or something, you know?

So, for some fucking reason, I’d come back to Portland out of duty to Lily, which I knew now was a dumb ass idea, even if I only intended to stay for a little while. My plan was to see Lily, spend a few nights at a hotel with Scarlet and then disappear to the woods.

Years ago, I’d bought an old log cabin in the Columbia River Gorge, in a tiny little town called Bridal Veil. Down a long, winding driveway, it was secluded from the world and everyone in it. If I had to take a break, it was going to be a real break. A break from everything and everyone.

The cabin’s only a small hike away from my favorite place on Earth - a rushing two-tiered waterfall that splashes into a clear, rocky pool. If I don’t feel like hiking, I can jump in my car and drive to another half-dozen waterfalls within miles. It’s the most beautiful place in Oregon, if you ask me, and I’d live there full time if I could.

Someday, I’ll retire there and spend all my days running up and down the winding trails all day long, with not a soul for miles.

If it wasn’t for Lily, I’d live there already.

Instead, I sneak away to it as much as I can when I’m not training somewhere else. I can’t train there, not in any serious way. There’s too much solitude, too much peace, making me feel as if training here would somehow soil the sacredness of this place.

There was no room for violence at the cabin.

It was my church.

And I was beyond ready to get back to it.

Now that I’d discovered Scarlet was gone and I’d had more than enough of Lily, it was time to retreat to my own little paradise.

I packed up the car with some warm clothes and boots and said goodbye to a pouting Lily, just as a delivery truck pulled up to the curb.

“Did you order more shoes?” I asked her.

“Nope,” she shook her head. The driver pulled a crate from his truck, and brought it down the sidewalk. Lily signed for the package and opened it up.

“What the hell?”

“Apricots,” she said, lifting one from the box and holding it between us.

“That’s a shitload of apricots,” I said, eyeing the crate. There were at least three dozen, maybe more. “What are you going to do with them?” Lily wasn’t much of a cook.

“I’m doing a fast,” she said, with a wispy smile, putting the apricot back in the box and picking it up.

“An apricot fast?” I asked. “Never heard of it.”

“I saw it on a commercial,” she smiled.

“What’s it supposed to do?”

She paused and smiled, looking almost serene and young again, if only for an instant.

“It’s supposed to clear energy and open up any spiritual blockage one might be plagued with.”

“Spiritual blockage, huh? With that much fiber, you won’t be blocked at all.”

“Don’t be gross,” she said, shaking her head.

“Apricots,” I replied, shaking my head in disbelief.

“When will you be back?” she asked, turning before closing the front door. I knew she wanted to come with me, of course. But after the other night, I think she also knew not to cross me by insisting.

I was thankful for that, because I didn’t like hitting her. She made me do it, every single time. I always felt bad afterwards. Mostly, I was disappointed she’d pushed me so hard.

If only she’d stay in line…but she didn’t seem to be able to go too long without fucking up. Maybe it’s in her blood, I don’t know. Maybe she can’t change. Once a fuck up, always a fuck up, I guess.

“I’m not sure,” I replied. “A few days, probably.”

She smiled and nodded, before closing the door.

The silence of the car was comforting as I wound down the winding roads that led out of the West Hills, through the offensive stench of wealth, away from the self-righteous condemnation that hung in the air. With each turn, I was able to breathe a little better, my shoulders slowly relaxing, just thinking about the peacefulness that awaited me at the cabin.

I passed by the turn off to the parking lot of the rose gardens, ignoring the sound of Ma calling my name. I didn’t need her darkness throwing a shadow over my day.

Today was all about the good stuff.

I drove down the back way, hoping to avoid the touristy traffic that plagued the park. The scent of roses hung heavy in the air up here, and I smirked when I realized these rich bastards had even managed to buy better smelling air than the rest of the city, passing it off as a tourist attraction.

The weather was cooperating, too. Big, puffy white clouds drifted against a bright blue sky, sunshine pouring over the city. It was a perfect day for a drive, and I was pretty sure nothing was going to be able to mess with my mood today. I knew I’d hit a little traffic on the way out of town, but if that was the worst part of my day, I was fine with it.

There was nothing much more that I enjoyed than being alone.

Maybe I felt that way today because I knew it wouldn’t last. Not because I had to get back to the gym in a few weeks, with all the chaos that brought with it, but because before long, as soon as this fucking investigator did his job — I’d have a son.

I couldn’t wait to hold my boy in my arms, watch him smiling up at me and wrap his tiny little hand around my fingers. I imagined what it would feel like to have him fall asleep on me. How peaceful it all must be, how comforting, how empowering to know that I’d been the one to create such a beautiful boy.

The investigator told me it would take him a few days, so in the meantime, I was ready for the alone time. I sped through the neighborhood, zigzagging down the side streets, the imposing mansions sulking silently as I passed by. Speed bumps slowed me down in the middle of random streets, and as I slowed to a crawl to go over them, I turned my head to gaze at the elaborate yard of one of the houses.

That’s when I saw her.

A flash of red curls, a black and blonde German shepherd circling around her legs. A baby with a tuft of red hair, hitched up on her hip as she stared at my car passing by like she’d just seen a ghost.

The closer I got, the more her features came into view.

The freckles. The upturned nose.

“No fucking way,” I muttered to myself. The woman leaned down, grabbing the dog’s leash and turning to go inside.

That’s when I knew for sure.

That ass.

I’d spent so much time staring at that ass, I’d memorized every delicious curve. She’d given birth, and yet it looked exactly the same. Hell, it looked even better — tighter, harder, rounder.

My cock stirred in my jeans as I shook my head.

“You little bitch,” I said, my heart racing. “You beautiful little bitch! Looks like I found you, Scarlet. Now, what the hell is a whore like you doing at this fancy ass house?”

I passed by the front door, watching as she closed it, looking over her shoulder quickly before disappearing from view. I drove around the block once, noting the address, before I pulled over a block away and out of sight.

Rosen answered on the first ring.

“I found her,” I said.

“What?”

“Yeah, maybe you should be paying me. Listen, the job has changed,” I rattled off the address quickly. “I need you to find out who owns this house. I want to know everything you can find out about who lives there.”

“I'm on it,” he said.

“How long?”

“Give me fifteen minutes. I’ll call you right back.”

“Hurry up.” I hung up, watching the house.

A slow smile spread across my face, all thoughts of going to the cabin fading away.

I’d found my boy.