Chapter Ten

Jake

There was nothing like waking up and falling asleep next to the woman you loved. It had been exactly seven days since Mia agreed to be a couple again, and though I knew she had her own fears I personally thought she was doing great managing them.

    “When should we tell your parents?” I questioned over breakfast. I wanted everyone to know that Lola was mine now that Mia and I had fixed our problems. The problem was getting Mia to agree to tell everyone. She had done so much on her own, schooling, opening a bakery, raising Lola she was a super woman in my eyes and I wanted her to decide when the time was right.

    “Let’s give it a few more days and then we can get everyone together and tell them all at once.” Mia beamed joyfully.

    “Sounds fine with me.” I took a sip of my coffee admiring the two beauties before me. The one I would spend the rest of my life loving, until the day that God took her from me, and the other was made from the love her mother and I shared. A love that I hoped she would carry on with in her life.

    “Can you take me to the park today?” Lola piped up, her cute little face all scrunched up as she looked up at me over her bowl of cereal. This was the life I wanted to be living.

    “Not today sweetheart…” A pout formed in place of that sweet smile that had just crested her lips. “But I promise tomorrow. I’ve got some work I need to take care of in town today and I don’t want to say yes, just in case I’m not back early enough to get you.”

    Lola continued to stare at me with big huge blue puppy dog eyes. How the hell did Mia not give in to her every command?

    “That’s enough baby girl. You’ll just have to come into the bakery with Mommy today and help me mix up some homemade cookies.” Mia swooped in right at the perfect time, saving the day, and taking the heat off Dad.

    “Ooooh, homemade cookies?” This time it was me who was pouting, though I could imagine doing a whole lot more than just licking the batter off the spoon.

    “Not so fast Mr. you’ve got stuff to do, today…” Mia smirked, knowing all to well that the only thing I really wanted to be doing, was her.

    “Well as soon as I’m finished with my tasks, I’ll drop by for lunch… sound good?” Mia and Lola looked at each other and then back to me nodding their heads at the same time in agreement. 

    I got up shoving away from the table and placing my coffee cup in the kitchen sink. I needed to get Mia out of this little ass house, and into something that was going to support a growing family.

    “Don’t stay inside that pretty little head of yours too long…” Mia’s voice resonated through my thoughts, her tiny arms wrapping around my mid-section as she spoke.

    “I wasn’t thinking anything bad. Just that I can’t wait to fill your belly with more babies, and that this damn house is too small for all of us and our soon to be growing family.” I twisted around right then to see the look on her face. It was a mixture of happiness, laced with a smidge of fear.

    “You want… more kids?” Her voice wobbled a bit, causing me to laugh.

    “I want tons of kids. I want an entire family with you. I want a legacy to leave behind when we die of old age together.” My eyes dropped to her perfectly pouty pink lips. I wanted to kiss them.

    “But we haven’t even told Lola yet…” Mia’s voice was low and the worry that filtered through her words clung to me. Was she afraid Lola would react badly?

    “We will…” I started trying to defuse a bad situation from taking place. Mia was anxious about damn near anything nowadays and I wasn’t going to let something so small cause an argument. She was fragile as glass and I was the bubble wrap she needed to be secure.

    “I hope she understands…” Worry creases formed against her forehead.

    “Stop worrying. We will cross that bridge when we get to it, baby. For now, take some deep breaths, and relax. I’m going to go into town and talk to my ole’ man…” I all but growled the last part.

    My parents weren’t people I cared to interact with for more than one reason, still, my father made me part owner of the local hardware store in town so being back meant I had to keep up my end of the bargain up even if I truly wanted to beat the living shit out of him.

    “If he starts something with you, you know you can come by earlier. We can hire a lawyer, maybe find a way out?” There was an urgency to Mia’s words that I understood all too well. She wanted the best for me, but I had made my bed and now I had to sleep in it. Signing that contract, and taking over half of my father’s business was once a dream of mine. Until I discovered what he had been doing to my mother behind my back. Now the business agreement was nothing more than a trap, a way to keep in contact with my mother and me.

    “It’s fine baby. I’m fine. Everything is perfect. I love you. I love Lola. It’s going to be fine. Now get that perfect ass of yours to the bakery and bake me up some cookies. I want something delicious to devour when I come by at lunch…” I winked, placing a kiss against her temple wishing so badly that I could take her back to our bedroom and make good on the promise of putting more babies deep inside her belly. This woman owned me. There was no doubt about that.

 

***

 

Hate wasn’t a strong enough word for the way I was feeling right at this moment. My father was thrilled to see that I had survived two tours in Iraq with all my limbs still attached what he didn’t know was how close to losing one of his he was. I ran a hand down my face in frustration.

    “You know I meant no harm son.” Here he was once again, lingering, speaking about the past that I didn’t care to relive. When he cheated on my mom with one of the high school girls that would come by and clean the house every weekend everything went to shit. My mom always said there was no saving a marriage where love no longer existed.

    “No harm is doing something on accident. Your dick didn’t just land inside her. You fucked her plain and simple. Own up to it, and move on with your life. God knows everyone else already has….” I huffed out a breath and squeezed my eyes shut daydreaming of Mia and Lola and the future that was paved before us.

    “Umm Mr.…” A voice I knew all to well resonated through the storefront.

    “Jake?” Sofia appeared right before me. She was wearing a skirt that barely covered her ass cheeks and a low cut button down flannel t-shirt that showed all but her nipples.

    Attractive.

    “Hi, Sofia. How can I help you?” I tried not to sound too annoyed, thinking of the way that she had acted towards me at Mia’s brother’s wedding. She knew I still loved Mia and that she didn’t have a chance in hell at getting with me, yet she continued to try. It was exhausting.

    “I needed some help loading some items into my SUV. I bought some bricks and potting soil, and honestly, the stuff is way to heavy for a girl like me to lift.” She laid on the moves thick, batting her eyelashes, as she bent over the front of the register. I guess anything is better than listening to my Father bitch and moan. Plus, nothing bad could come from helping her load the shit in her SUV. If anything it would get her out of here faster.

    “Alright, let’s see what we can do.” I moved from behind the counter, following behind her as she strutted her stuff out to the SUV.

    How could a man let his daughter wear something like that?

    “It’s all right here,” Sofia commented pointing at a rolling cart loaded to the top with supplies for gardening.

    “I wasn’t aware that you gardened.” I coughed, grabbing the first bag of potting soil and placing in the back of the SUV that was already open.

    “It’s a new hobby of mine…” She purred trying to rub her body against mine. The blood in my veins turned to ice. Sofia knew better than to try something with me. I had warned her once, nicely, a second time and I wouldn’t be nice about it.

    “Great.” I hissed, hurrying to get the rest of the items into the back of her SUV. Sweat dripped down the back of my neck as I placed the last couple of bags inside.

    “Thank you for everything Jakey…” Sofia chirped shoving her chest against mine as her lips ghosted across my cheek.

    “What the absolute fuck are you doing?” I shouted, enraged that she had taken things yet again further than they ever needed to be.

    “Thanking you…” She seemed afraid. I wasn’t the type of man to hit a woman, nor would I hurt Sofia, but I was going to give her a lashing with my words.

    “Then say Thank You. Don’t try and kiss me. Don’t try and come into my store and seduce me. I’m with Mia now and I don’t need anyone trying to ruin what we have going on…” I was fuming, the anger inside of me spewing out the sides.

    “You and Mia won’t last. We all know that. Her daughter isn’t even yours so why would you want to be with someone that had a child with another man?” I clenched my fists at my sides. Sofia was so disrespectful and hateful that it took everything in me to turn around and walk away from her instead of staying right where I was and telling her where the fuck she could go.

    “Call me when you get board with her…” She called after me, making my steps flaunter. I wanted… no, needed to give that woman a piece of my mind, but she wasn’t worth it, not when she couldn’t respect that I wanted to be with Mia. So instead, I kept walking and I walked until the anger inside me dissipated. I refused to be a bear when I went to see Mia, and Lola at the bakery.

    “Oh fuck!” I said out loud, pulling my cell phone from my pocket.

    “God Damnit!” I shoved the device back inside and jogged back in the direction I had just come. I was late, and it was all because of that bitch. I shook my head in frustration. My anger only growing, as I got closer to the bakery noticing that the sign on the door said closed.

    “What the hell?” Confusion laced my words as I spoke under my breath. I didn’t understand. Didn't we agree that I, would come here for lunch unless maybe she changed her mind?

    Fishing my phone from my pocket I dialed her number, the phone going straight to voicemail.

    “What the hell?” I slammed my fist against the door. My heart was beating furiously against my rib cage, and I hoped like fucking hell that what was taking place was mere coincide and not what I thought it might be.

    More heartache.