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by Toni Aleo
“Oh yeah! Y’all are staying right?” Aiden asked, looking up at Lucas with wide eyes.
“Of course we are, bud.”
“Good! There’s cake!”
Lucas smiled. “We aren’t here for the cake, bud. We’re here for you.”
Aiden gave him a wide smile before running off towards his friends. Lucas watched him for a moment before turning back to Audrey. “Sorry to pull him away.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna con Fallon into letting him stay the weekend with us,” Lucas said with a grin.
“Good luck with that,” Audrey laughed. “I guess I need to make plans to stay home tonight, probably with a big bottle of wine.”
Lucas laughed even though he felt Molly’s watchful eyes on him. “Everything been okay?” he asked when he stopped laughing.
“Fine, he’s been missing you a lot,” Audrey said.
“I’ve missed him, too.”
“I’ve missed you too, Lucas. So much,” Audrey joked with a big grin.
“Oh Audrey, my heart hasn’t been beating steady since I left you,” Lucas said with straightest face he could manage. It didn’t work and both of them let out gut-busting laughs as Molly watched them like they were fools.
“Whatever, I know you are lying. I know who your heart beats for,” Audrey giggled as she gave him a knowing look. Lucas’ mouth picked up on one side as he shifted back and forth on the balls on his feet. He hated when he was embarrassed and being embarrassed in front of his mom and Audrey wasn’t helping his ego. Audrey gave him one last smile before she locked arms with Molly. “Molly, my mom and dad are so excited to meet you. Would you like to go meet them?”
“Well, even if I didn’t, I couldn’t say no when you started the request like that,” Molly giggled.
Audrey gave her a bright smile before the two started off towards William and Nora. Lucas stood there for a moment looking out at the party. Aiden was running with a bunch of little girls and Lucas’ face broke out in a grin. Before he would say ‘Like father, like son’ but Lucas had no need to chase females anymore. He had one woman in mind, and only one. As he searched the party her, someone slapped him hard on the back. Lucas turned to see Shea and Jakob looking out at the party.
“Hey guys,” Lucas said.
“Hey,” Shea said with a nod. “Have you seen my wife?”
“Or mine?” Jakob asked.
Lucas nodded his head before pointing over to where the two gorgeous women stood with their beautiful babies. “Right over there gentlemen and if I may say…”
“You may not,” Shea said cutting him off. “I like you right now Brooks. Don’t piss me off.” Shea cut Lucas a dirty look before walking with Jakob towards their wives.
Lucas chuckled as they walked away. “I was going to say you guys’ babies were beautiful,” he said. He loved messing with Shea — he didn’t like them getting along. It wasn’t how they worked; it was way better when they picked on each other.
“Sure you were. You have had eyes for my woman since you first saw her,” Shea called over his shoulders.
Lucas shrugged his shoulders. “She’s hot.” Shea turned around quickly, and Lucas smiled, “What? She is.”
“Unless you want me to gouge your eyeballs out, keep your eyes on your own woman. She’s over there,” Shea said, pointing to where Fallon was standing with some women he didn’t know. She had pulled her hair into a messy bun, and man, she was hot. He loved the curve of her neck, and with her hair like that it was all you saw.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Lucas said with a grin.
Shea shook his head while Jakob laughed as they returned to walking back to their women. Lucas turned back from them to focus on Fallon. She moved around the three women, placing plates and cups along the table as she laughed about something. Lucas decided that he could do a really great job of setting up cups and made his way towards her. Fallon looked up just as he reached her, so did the three women.
“Hey, Lucas,” Fallon said before she looked back down at what she was doing.
“Hey, Fal, I came to help.”
Fallon looked up. “I’m good. Thanks. Go find Aiden, enjoy the party.”
Okay, he was being dismissed.
“Okay, are you sure there is nothing I can help with?”
Fallon shook her head. “Like I said, I’m good.”
“Okay,” Lucas said, looking over at the ladies that stood around them. One gave him a cheeky smile and he returned it before saying, “Well, hello ladies.”
All three of them started to grin just as a stack of cups hit Lucas in the chest. He glanced over to see Fallon giving him the dirtiest look ever. “Put one by each plate,” Fallon sneered before going back to placing plates down. He glanced back at the women, shrugging his shoulders before following Fallon to place a cup by each plate she laid down.
“I thought you said you didn’t need any help,” Lucas said as they made their way down the long table.
“I don’t, but I rather have you help me then you flirting with Aiden’s friend’s mothers,” she spat out. Lucas chuckled to himself as he watched her basically slam each of the green paper plates down.
“Aww, is someone jealous?”
Fallon cut Lucas a look of death before rolling her eyes. “As if.”
An arrogant laugh left Lucas’ lips as Fallon started to place the plates down faster before almost reaching the end. He loved how she wore her emotions on her sleeve. He could tell that she was jealous to the core and all he did was say hi to the three women. None of them were even close to being as beautiful as Fallon was, so why would she think he was flirting with them? And why was she jealous if she didn’t want to be with him? Why did she fight what was so right between them? Just as he was about to ask, his mother appeared, eyeing Fallon.
Molly stood at the end of the table with a look on her face that told Lucas she wasn’t happy. Molly hadn’t talked much about Fallon — all she cared about was Aiden — but Lucas knew that Molly wasn’t happy with her. When Fallon reached the end of the table, she looked up and took a step backwards as Molly put her hands on her hips.
“Fallon Parker, I have a bone to pick with you.”
Fallon drew in a deep breath and took a step back. Her face was full of worry and Lucas didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know if he should protect Fallon or stay out of it. He was leaning towards staying out of it because Molly looked a little crazy. Molly turned on her heels and started for the flower gardens, leaving Fallon and Lucas by the table. Fallon glanced back at Lucas and he shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to do. She looked back at where Molly had stopped; standing with her hands on her hips, waiting for Fallon.
Fallon took a deep breath in and laid the plates down before smoothing out the bottom of her dress. She walked towards Molly like she had a death wish and Lucas still had no clue what to do. Since Molly would yell at him for following, Lucas decided to finish the job he started. The kids would need cups to drink from, so he basically had to finish. As he placed each cup by the respected plate he kept an eye on the two women that he loved, just in case Fallon needed him. He hoped she didn’t though, because Molly scared the shit out of him. He’d rather deal with 10 Fallons than one Molly.
At least with Fallon he knew he would like the fight and there was always a possibility of getting naked afterwards.
********************************
Fallon knew, with one look into Molly Brooks’ eyes, that she was in deep shit. Molly stood with her hands on her hips, watching as Fallon made her way to her. She didn’t know what she was going to say to Molly, and she sure as hell didn’t know what Molly was going to say to her. Her heart slammed against her chest with every step she took, her palms got sweaty and she knew that it wasn’t the sun that had her back drenched with sweat.
It was Molly Brooks.
Fallon swallowed loudly as she stopped into front of Molly. She looked up, meeting Molly’s angry eyes and took a step back. “Molly,” Fallon croaked out.
/> “Fallon, long time no see.”
“Very long time,” Fallon agreed, nodding her head. Both women looked into each other’s eyes, and all Fallon wanted to do was run. She hated being under someone’s scrutinizing gaze, and Molly was scrutinizing everything about Fallon. She probably noticed the extra weight Fallon had put on from her pregnancy with Aiden. Or the way Fallon’s hair was a complete mess from the wind. Or probably the way her dress was too damn tight! She should have never worn the dress! Damn her for needing to impress a man that she wasn’t trying to be with!
Idiot!
“How could you, Fallon? How could you?”
Fallon took in a deep breath, clasping her hands tightly together behind her back. “I did what I thought was right. I’m sorry.”
“Keeping a child from his father was right?” Molly sneered.
“It was at the time,” Fallon said as strongly as she could.
“How would you like it if Lucas had kept Aiden from you for seven years? Your parents? How would that make you feel?” Molly asked, narrowing her eyes at Fallon.
Fallon took a deep, pained breath before closing the eyes. She couldn’t help but imagine it, and boy, how it hurt. She should have never done what she did, but she did, and she had already apologized to Lucas. Fallon opened her eyes, standing a little straighter, trying to put on the image of being strong when really she was falling apart inside. “I said I was sorry Molly. Lucas has forgiven me.”
“Lucas forgave you because he loves you!”
Fallon took in a sharp breath. Lucas loved her?
No way.
“I will not be forgiving on this Fallon Parker. I have lost seven years with my only grandson. How dare you? At first I tried to defend you. I know Lucas did a number on you, but the more I thought about it the more I got madder and madder. He is my only grandson!”
“I’m sorry, Molly. I don’t know what else to say,” Fallon gasped out. Her mind was still reeling about Lucas loving her. Molly must be stuck back in the past or something, because there was no way.
“There is nothing you can say Fallon, all you can do is listen. Know that I am very unhappy with you, and that you hurt me. I know Lucas hurt you, but I did nothing but love you and you do this to me? After everything I’ve lost? You take the one the little boy that looks just like my James and Lucas and keep him from me? Me? You used to call me Mom.”
Fallon eyes filled with tears and she had to look away. “I know,” she whispered. “I feel horrible.”
“You should. You should feel like the scum of the earth because no man, or grandmother for that matter, should have to learn about a child seven years after the fact. What the hell were you waiting for?”
“I don’t know,” Fallon said shaking her head. “I was scared.”
“So you were a coward? I don’t remember my Fallon being a coward. She was quiet, but not a coward.”
Fallon looked up, moving her hand across her cheek to catch the tears that fell. What did she expect? Molly was a mother bear to the extreme. Fallon deserved this. Lucas should have done this, but he had let her off easily. All he cared about was Aiden. Fallon wasn’t thinking that Molly didn’t care about Aiden; it was obvious she did, but she also saw the wrong Fallon did to Lucas. Lucas was her baby. “I guess so,” Fallon said after looking into Molly’s eyes for a moment, “but let me ask you this — if James cheated on you with your best friend, would you have stuck around?”
Molly took a step closer to her, shaking her head. “Fallon, I don’t blame you for leaving. I would have left his ass too, but honey, a baby? You kept a baby from him? From me?”
“I know I done wrong Molly, I don’t deny that, but I had to protect my son.”
“From what? Lucas? Me?”
“From the asshole that broke my heart,” Fallon snapped. Molly’s eyes got big and Fallon took a deep breath in before saying, “I know that you think he hangs the moon, Molly, but he broke me and I couldn’t stand to look at him. So how was I supposed to raise a child with a man that couldn’t even stay true to me? How was I supposed to know that he was going to stand up and be a dad? I was a baby myself, only 20.”
Molly shook her head as she looked away. Fallon looked down at the ground, listening to the sounds of the party. She hated that they had done this here, but Fallon wasn’t one to back down from a fight.
At least not now.
“I know he did you wrong but he is his father’s son, and if I know anything of Lucas, it’s that he would have stood up and been a dad. Yes, he was strung out and drunk all the time, but I am pretty sure that he could have used the fact that he was going to be a father as a wakeup call. Maybe then everything that happened wouldn’t have.”
Strung out and drunk all the time?
What the hell?
Fallon shook her head, confused. “I don’t know what you are talking about, but I had to protect me and Aiden.”
“Of course you don’t know, because you left. You left at a time when Lucas really needed you.”
“Molly, you couldn’t have expected me to stay? He cheated on me!”
“I know he did. And no, I didn’t expect you to stay with him, but I wish you had.”
“Well I didn’t and I kept his son and your grandson from y’all, okay? I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say or do to express how sorry I am. All I can do is guarantee you that you will be in Aiden’s life now. If I could give you back those seven years, I would, but I can’t. All I can do is say I’m sorry. ”
“Okay,” Molly said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I said my peace and we can’t change the past. All we can do is just deal with your mistakes.”
They shared a long look before Fallon looked away, feeling horrible and that she was as Molly said — the scum of the earth. She hated that she had hurt Molly, and even Lucas, because she never meant to. She was trying to protect Aiden, and maybe herself. Yeah, she was selfish through it all, but she had Aiden in mind.
At least she thought she did.
When she looked up, Molly was walking away, shaking her head. Fallon felt like crumbling onto the ground and dying. She didn’t want their reunion to be like that. She wasn’t hoping for a bright and sunny homecoming, but she damn sure wasn’t expecting a verbal slap in the face. Fallon looked out at the party, wishing like hell that she could be excited to go back to it but she wasn’t. When Fallon’s eyes met her father’s knowing look, she cringed as she quickly looked away. She didn’t know what it was about William, but it was as if he knew every wrong thing she did. She hated his knowing looks and hated that she still to this day was the biggest disappointment in his life. No matter what she did, it didn’t seem to make things better.
Fallon closed her eyes and shook her head. She had never felt more like a failure than she did in that moment but it didn’t matter. She had a party to get to. Fallon opened her eyes and smoothed out the skirt of her dress. She had worn the dress to impress Lucas. Why? Who knew? But she did. And to add insult to injury, he hadn’t even noticed.
Another failure.
So all Fallon could do was smile and put on the best damn party in the world for her seven year old.
*********************************
The party was a success — awkward, but a success. Numerous times during the party Elli and Audrey asked if Fallon was okay, and she lied every time. There was no way she could rehash what had happened between her and Molly. Lucas stayed clear, only standing with his mom through the whole party. After getting everything cleaned up and packed into her car, she turned to see Lucas running around the park with Aiden on his shoulders. Aiden was laughing so loudly and looked so happy that everything that had happened that day didn’t matter. Aiden was happy and healthy, what else could Fallon really ask for?
Fallon leaned against the car and slid her heels off as she watched them play. After placing her shoes in the trunk, she started towards them. Fallon didn’t stop when she passed by her parents and Molly, she continued towards Lucas and Aiden
despite the looks. When she reached them, Aiden shot her a bright smile.
“I’m on top of the world!” Aiden exclaimed as he stood on Lucas’ shoulders.
“That you are! You have to be 30 feet tall,” Fallon exaggerated.
“Yup!” Aiden said. He then let out a loud scream as Lucas dropped him into his arms.
“Hey, do me a favor. Go bother your grandparents, I need to talk to your mom,” Lucas said, placing Aiden on his feet.
“Okay!”
Fallon and Lucas watched as Aiden ran off towards their parents. When he reached William, he picked Aiden up, throwing him up on his shoulders.
“Your dad is pretty agile for his age,” Lucas said.
Fallon nodded. “Yeah, he’s in better shape than I am.” Fallon turned to face him before saying, “What did you need to talk to me about?”
“Um, well. Mom is only in until Tuesday when I leave out for the west coast. We have a game tomorrow, and I wanted Aiden, you and Audrey to come. Mom will be there, and Elli said she’ll get you guys glass seats since it will be Aiden’s first game.”
“I haven’t been to a game in years. I really have no desire to go,” Fallon said.
Lucas rolled his eyes. “I think you can endure it for Aiden. He wants you there.”
Fallon glared at Lucas and he returned it. As Fallon stood there staring into Lucas’ eyes, she swore she was about to burst out in flames. He was just so gorgeous with his dark stubble that lined his jaw and chin. Since she was closer to him, she could see his mischief-filled, gray eyes. Fallon wished like hell that they were seven years younger and had no cares in the world, because she really wanted to jump his bones.
Lucas looked away and took in a deep breath before saying, “Like I said, Mom is here until Tuesday and I was wondering if I could keep Aiden while she is here.”
Say what?
“Excuse me?” Fallon asked. All thoughts about getting naked with Lucas went right out the window at the moment. He wanted to keep Aiden?
“I wanted Aiden to stay with me the next couple days.”
“He has school,” Fallon protested.
“He can miss one day. Mom won’t be back down until the end of the season.”