Picturing Perfect (27 page)

"And I you." I smiled, drawing zigzags repeatedly on his palm. My heart was racing and I felt more turned on than I had in years. I wanted him so badly I could feel it all the way to my toes.

"You wanna get outta here?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Yes," I said with a nod.

Within seconds, we were walking out of Bill's Pub and climbing into Jason's Jeep.

"Where to?" he asked, glancing at me before focusing on the road.

"The tree house," I said brazenly.

"Are you serious?" Jason asked.

"Completely serious."

"My parents are there, ya know…"

"I know." I was not backing down. I wanted him in the tree house. And I didn't want to wait a second longer.

Thunder struck as we drove to his parents' place. They lived in one of those subdivisions where the houses are far away from one another. Jason parked the car a few houses down, walked around and helped me out of the Jeep. A nervous laugh escaped me as we walked hastily toward his parents' home.

Drops of water landed on my arms. I looked up to see drop after drop pouring from the sky. Jason pulled my arm a little tighter and we ran to the backyard, laughing as we brushed the rain from our hair. Luckily the tree provided plenty of shelter from the impending storm. Water pounded around our feet as we stood beneath the tree, panting for breath. Our laughter subsided as Jason placed one hand on my cheek and the other against the tree. He eased me back, pressing me against the oak. I swallowed hard as he looked into my eyes, my hand pressed against his chest. The rapid beat of his heart was hypnotic.

"You're the sexiest woman I've ever laid eyes on," he said, stroking my cheek with his thumb. He looked down at my lips and then up to my eyes again. I nodded furiously, knowing I needed him to kiss me hard.

He crushed his lips to mine, pushing me back into the tree. His tongue twisted with mine and I felt myself coming apart at the seams. He was all I'd ever imagined he would be.

His strong hands raised my arms above me and pressed them against the brittle bark. My hands extended and felt strong branches on each side of me. I grasped the branches and pulled myself up, wrapping my legs around Jason's waist. He pulled away briefly and gave me a naughty smile before kissing me again with so much fervor I could barely contain myself. My heels dug into the small of his back as he placed both hands on my ass, gently kneading with his fingertips, making me moan into his mouth.

He pulled away and placed his forehead on mine. His breathing was harsh, his chest heaving up and down.

"I should take you home," he said softly.

"What? Now?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. I needed to see him, to see the expression in his eyes. I couldn't imagine that he didn't want this just as much as I did.

His glasses were fogging up and I had to laugh since I could barely see his irises peeking through the white fog of the glass.

"We can't do this, Haddie. Not yet."

"Are you sure?"

"No." He laughed, putting his head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his neck and slowly eased my feet to the ground. I stroked his hair with my hands.

"I want you…so bad."

"Me too…but, not like this. You deserve
so
much more."

"What, like flowers and candles and all of that?"

"Why not? You deserve it. Absolutely all of it."

"Thanks." I smiled, feeling modest. "I guess I should get home to the baby."

He took my hand in his and we walked slowly in the pouring rain, back to his Jeep. As he helped me into my seat, he gave me a wicked grin.

"Ya know, the fact that you wanted to do that with my parents just a few yards away was risky."

"Yeah?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"And a total turn on. I didn't know you were such a rule breaker."

"Well, you know now," I flirt.

"Yes, I do."

Jason drove back to my apartment building. The rain had stopped and we were able to say a proper goodbye outside my door. Jason kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, each of my cheeks and finally my lips. It was the most exquisite kiss of my life.

"Goodnight, my sweet," he said, lifting my hand and kissing it softly. My skin tingled from his touch as he turned to walk back to his car. I watched as he drove away. With a deep breath, I unlocked my door and prepared to return to my role as Mommy, knowing Marty would be awake (and hungry) in just a few short hours.

"This is nice," Haddie said as we walked through Target, sipping our coffee. Marty slept in his carrier, the motion of the cart kept him in dreamland. Haddie's cheeks were pink and I swear, she still had a glow to her skin, just like she did during pregnancy.

"Motherhood suits you," I observed, running my finger across her cheek. Haddie leaned into my hand, nuzzling against it.

I'm not sure I've ever been as happy as I am right this minute.

"You think so?" she asked, gazing into my eyes in the middle of the diaper aisle.

"Absolutely."

I leaned in for a quick peck on the lips before Haddie placed a box of Pampers under the cart. I pushed the cart into the main aisle and just as we made our way to the grocery department, Haddie gasped next to me. Her feet were suddenly glued to the floor.

"What is it?"

"Mrs. Montgomery," she said, her face ghostly white.

I was still confused. That last name escaped me.

"Marty's grandmother."

"Oh," I said, doing my best not to show how much that word stung. I wasn't a moron. I knew my parents weren't Marty's grandparents. But, Tucker had basically been nonexistent since his birth, so I usually thought of them that way. I tended to see us as a family. Maybe I was kidding myself. Maybe Tucker and his family and his fucked up ties to this little boy would never go away. Maybe it was time I got used to it.

"Let's say hi," I urged her, rubbing her back gently. Before Haddie had a chance to answer, the woman approached. She looked like someone you'd see at fancy cocktail parties and charity banquets. Wearing pearls in the middle of Target, hair in a bun and at least two layers of makeup caked on her wrinkled face. She could be a fantastic villain in my next book.

"Hello, Hadley," she said as she approached. Her skin paled when she noticed the baby carrier inside the cart. She immediately glared at me with daggers in her eyes.

She had no idea this was her grandson. She thought he was mine and that Haddie had deceived her son. Her Mama Bear claws were about to come out. How could I protect Haddie?

"Hello, Lydia," Haddie said, her voice cracking. Her hands were shaking as she placed them on the handle of the cart. I quickly reached for her left hand and held it in mine. Standing tall, I was ready to defend her if necessary.

"Who is this?" Lydia Montgomery said in a fake perky tone as she gestured towards the baby. Haddie looked shocked, completely taken aback.

"This is Martin," Haddie said. She hesitated, waiting for recognition from the woman standing before her. But, nothing. Nothing at all. Haddie's breathing picked up, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took.

"Your grandson," Haddie said. Her voice strong and assertive…and completely calm.

Lydia stopped dead in her tracks, looking at Haddie as if she'd just been poisoned.

"I don't understand."

"Tucker didn't tell you? This is his son."

We stood in silence for what felt like several minutes. Haddie looked angry and disappointed. Lydia still looked shocked…but, not the good kind at all. She looked furious…and skeptical. I felt anger rising in my chest.

"No," Lydia said, "you two broke up months ago."

"After he found out I was pregnant," Haddie asserted.

"He wouldn't do that."

"No, he backed me into a corner and made
me
do it."

"I don't believe you."

"Honestly, Lydia, I'm not sure I
care
. This is your grandson. Tucker obviously didn't want you to know."

"He wouldn't lie to me…not about this."

"He did."

"And who are you?" she asked, glaring in my direction.

"I'm her boyfriend."

"That's convenient," she scoffed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Haddie asked defensively.

"How do I know you're not trying to trick my son? You
know
how much money our family has."

Haddie stopped, shook her head and resumed pushing the cart.

"I'm not listening to this. Go talk to your son. Until then, you don't deserve to be anywhere near
my
baby." With hands still shaking, Haddie pushed the cart away from Lydia. Lydia's eyes followed us as we turned the corner, walking to a different department of the store. I put my arm around Haddie, comforting her as best I could. As my hand squeezed her shoulder, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"I'm so proud of you," I said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you. But, I've never been more ashamed in all my life."

"Why? Because Tucker's an idiot?"

"Because he kept my pregnancy a secret. I obviously meant nothing to him. So many years wasted on a selfish prick who can't even take responsibility for being a father."

"That's not about you. He's an asshole. And so is his mother."

"I haven't heard from him at all. He doesn't call. He doesn't check on Marty. Every so often there's a check in the mailbox. That's it."

"He has no idea what he's missing," I said, stroking Marty's tiny foot with my finger.

"I wasn't worth it to him. I wasn't worth anything to him."

"That's his loss. You're everything…everything."

Wrapping her in my arms in the middle of Target, Haddie sighed into my shoulder. No tears, but I could feel her body shaking as I held her. It took everything in me not to drop her off at her place and continue on to Tucker's apartment. My love for Haddie and her son was the only thing that would keep me from wiping the floor with that dipshit. He was lucky…for now. But, the deeper I fell in love with this woman, the stronger the desire became to pummel him until he couldn't see straight.

He's put her through so much…so goddamn much. Karma's a bitch, though, and that bitch had better get to work.

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"What is it?" Jason asked, unloading the groceries as I stared down at the angry text from Tucker.

"
WTF did you say to my mom
?" I recited, reading the message on my phone.

"Is he serious? He lies to his parents, denies the existence of his own kid and he's coming after
you
because you bumped into her?" Jason said, fists clenched, his cheeks getting redder by the second.

I texted back:
Grow Up, Tucker.

His response:
Whatever. I was going to tell them.

And mine:
Your son is 8 weeks old. Shit or get off the pot.

There were no more text messages from Tucker. He knew he was in the wrong, even if he denied it. But, I'd had enough. If he didn't want to be involved in raising Marty, that was fine. I wouldn't force him. But, to pretend he didn't even exist? That was completely unacceptable and I wouldn't tolerate it any longer.

"Should I go talk to him?" Jason asked, his feet planted to the floor, his muscles tense. I hated that Tucker had so much power over us. We had a brand new relationship and yet he was able to completely ruin a perfectly pleasant Sunday afternoon.

"No, no. Don't let him ruin our day. Marty will be waking up soon. Let's just finish up here and watch a movie or something."

"Okay." He smiled reluctantly and kissed me softly on the cheek. I knew he was fuming. I knew he wanted to beat the living hell out of Tucker. But, I also knew his feelings for me were stronger than his rage. And I was immensely grateful for that.

About thirty minutes into "Better off Dead," Marty stirred in his carrier. He was hungry. I loved that I was learning his cries. I knew when he was tired or when he was wet. Each cry was slightly different. Just knowing I'd figured that out was building my confidence. Maybe I could handle being a mom. I was learning to understand my son. He was communicating with me and I loved it.