Wes Dalton

There wasn't a second thought when I followed Sarah into the house. One moment she had been sitting beside me, socializing and eating. Next, she bolted from the table and ran inside.

Excusing myself, I went after her. I knew the sound as soon as I walked through the door, she was throwing up. There wasn't much I could do except hold her hair and so I did.

I waited as she finished, rubbing her lower back and trying to think of what may have caused her to be sick.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Peachy." Sarcasm drenched her words as she wiped her mouth and stood up.

"You didn't tell me you were feeling sick." I stepped away as she started to clean up. Tempted to ask if she needed help, I knew she would shoot me down.

"I'm fine, really." She swished some water in her mouth before saying, "I'm going to run home real quick and clean up. I'll be back in a few."

Something seemed off. She wasn't acting like everything was fine.

I headed back to my seat on the spacious patio. Starting to eat, again, I glanced around. Jill, Sarah's mom, was staring at me. When we locked eyes, her gaze darted to the side of the yard where Sarah had left. Questioning me with her facial expression, I took a decisive breath and walked over to her.

"She seemed to be in a hurry. All good?" She asked.

"Not entirely sure. She got sick inside and wanted to refresh at home."

Her expression quickly changed and she smiled up at me. She grabbed my hand and nodded towards her home. "Looks like one of us should go check on our girl. I think she would much rather see you, but I'm happy to go if you don't want to."

"I don't mind going."

"Great. The side door is unlocked. It leads straight into the kitchen and her room is upstairs to the left." She gave me a shove towards the side gate.

"Got it, thanks."

Their home was beautiful. Clean and well kept, I took my shoes off and placed them on the mat by the door.

"Babe?" I called out to her but didn't get a response. As I wandered in, I heard a loud slam upstairs. "Sarah?"

Racing up the carpeted stairs, I checked the room to the left. She wasn't there. Then I heard her. Crying.

I stepped out of her room and followed the noise. Bathroom?

"Babe?" Knocking softly on the door, she stopped.

"Um... Yeah... I'll be right out." With a sniffle and a small sob, she clattered around the bathroom.

"Sarah, I just want to make sure you're okay. You have me worried. Open up." Trying the knob, it was locked.

"Give me a minute," she huffed in a frustrated snap.

Something scraped against the tile floor and then a drawer closed. Opening the door, she stood in front of me. Eyes red, cheeks stained with tears she had tried to wipe away, and nose more pink than usual.

"Babe?"

"I'm good. Just brushed my teeth and had to pee."

"What's really going on, Sarah?" Placing a hand on the doorframe, I blocked her path. Tilting her chin up to look at me, her bottom lip quivered, and her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Nothing," she tried to say it out loud, but it barely made it past her lips. When she tries again it is slightly stronger. "I didn't sleep well last night. I'm just tired."

Swallowing hard, she pursed her lips and tried not to blink, but it was hopeless. I recognized the lie.

With a physical shiver, she shut her eyes and allowed the tears to run down her face. Helplessly, I brushed them away with my thumbs as I held her face in my hands.

I couldn't take it anymore, wrapping her in my arms and holding her to me. Sobs wracked her as she melted into me. Taking a large inhale, I calmed myself for her.

Standing in the doorway of the bathroom, she lay her head on my chest and relaxed. When the tears slowed, I scooped her up. Sliding my arm beneath her knees and supporting her back with the other, I took her to her room at the opposite end of the hall.

Sitting on the bed, I held her closer. "Talk to me, Sarah, please. Can you tell me what's made you so upset, at least?" She shook her head before wiping her eyes with her palms.

"I'm sorry. I could really use some rest. Can we talk tomorrow? I'm feeling really drained."

"Of course. I'm not going to forget about this, though Sweetness. I'm worried about you and I really—" In a rant of my own I hadn't felt her hands against my cheeks. Turning my head to look down at her.

Cutting me off, she guided my head down, pressing her mouth to mine. I could feel her tangle of emotions in the kiss. Most overwhelming was an aching desperation for comfort, and it felt familiar.

The familiarity was tied to the shitstorm of events that happened when I met Sarah. I didn't like this.

"Please," she pleaded into my mouth. "I'm fine, I just need you. Please."

Rolling us onto the bed, she hid against my chest and I stayed with her as she fell asleep in my arms. My shirt was wet from her tears and careful not to wake her, I slid my arm from under her and replaced it with a pillow. I watched her for a moment as she stirred and then settled.

Shutting her door, I headed for the stairs but stopped. I glanced at the bathroom. I thought about the kiss. It reminded me of how it had felt when she kissed me when we'd gotten together after sharing the news of Romeo and Ben. Relief, worry, and something else... but now...

Looking at the bathroom, I thought to myself: Had she gotten sick again? Was she not feeling well or was it really that she was tired? What the fuck had her wound so tight that she couldn't talk to me?

Turning, I took the last few feet, I leaned on the doorway of the bathroom and looked in. Nothing seemed to stand out, but that didn't mean shit. Using my training, I knew I could get some of the story.

Stepping into the small room, I found the trash can. Tissues, an empty TP roll, and a wrapper of some sort. I took another look. The wrapper had pink writing on it, a brand. Without taking it out, I could see the name.

Hitting me like a ton of bricks, I recognized the brand. I looked back at Sarah's door and then back at the trash. There were a lot of things I didn't know, but I did know this. The brand on the wrapper belonged to a pregnancy test; one that was often advertised as being accurate.

Clearing my head and closing my eyes, I thought back. Her sobs. A clatter. Something shuffled. A drawer closing.

Looking at the vanity, there weren't many drawers. Quietly opening one by one, I finally found it. Hastily thrown in the back of the bottom drawer, the pink tip of a test protruded from behind a small first aid kit.

Was this what she was hiding? Was this why she didn't want to talk?

When I pulled it from the drawer, I could see the droplets on the inside of the translucent cap. It had been used recently. The results were something that I didn't know much about. As I turned it in my hands, I realized I didn't know what I was looking at.

If it were Sarah's, she would tell me about it when she was ready. Unless they had other company, there wasn't anyone else it could have belonged to.

I put the test back, washed my hands, and returned to the party.

As soon as I was through the gate, Jill was making her way over to me.

"How is she?" She asked with concern creased on her brow.

"I don't know. I think she is okay. She wanted to lie down for a bit, so I left when she fell asleep."

"Hmm... How about you stay with the kids and enjoy the party, and I'll go check on her. I think I have something to help her."

"Moms know best, go for it." With that, she patted my cheek affectionately and headed towards her home.

The kids were playing with a few of the neighborhood kids. They were throwing a beach ball up in the air and attempting to keep it in the air. I watched them for a while before my brother joined me.

Handing me another beer, we sat in silence until I asked, "Did you know?"

"I had a feeling, but no, I didn't know." Jace kept his eyes ahead of him, watching as the kids squealed and stretched for the ball as gravity brought it back within reach.

"And now?"

"Makes me want to protect them more now that I know." I could feel his eyes on me, then, but I didn't meet them.

"How much do you know? How much have you found out?" I had remembered the conversations we had about his neighbors, specifically a grandmother and her grandkids, I just never thought that they would be linked to Sarah. It made sense now. Especially what I knew from Sarah and then everything Jace had told me. How did it take me this long to put it together?

"Jill's ex-husband is a piece of work. White supremacist, abuser and wife-beater, and overall a shitty human being. He has tried to come into the neighborhood a few times, but we have stopped him. Jill has a restraining order against him."

"Does Sarah know?"

"No. Jill came to me and let me know she didn't want her daughter involved. I think I've talked to Sarah a handful of times on the phone about looking out for them, but most of my communication has been with Jill."

"What prompted it?"

"The order? She came home one night to him sitting in her kitchen with a loaded 3-57. Threatened the kids and threatened her. Thankfully, he was loud enough that I heard him and came over. Sent the kids to my house and slowly got the situation handled. Jill had called the cops and things went from there."

"And he still tried to come back?"

"Yup. Stubborn as his son, or so I hear," Jace gave me a knowing smirk.

I shook my head. There were things that Jace and I talked about that very few people knew. He had been the one person I knew I could confide in to keep my business. Being a former Navy Seal, he knew the stress of the higher priority jobs, and was my person to decompress with.

The biggest rule we had when we talked about the jobs, though, was keeping names out of it. The names of people and places were always left out. It was less compromising for both of us and it usually was a part of the contracts we signed.

"If he continues to be a problem, I will step in," I said. Fully serious, I was not expecting the punch to my shoulder. Whipping my head towards him, I found him gaping at me.

"You think I can't handle my own shit? I got this. My neighborhood watch is better than yours," he mocked.

"I don't think I even have a neighborhood watch." Rolling my eyes, I took a long drink.

"Maybe you should move to my neighborhood. I'll take care of you," he snarked at me.

We laughed and joked until someone called him away. As soon as I turned back to the yard, Sarah's son, Cason, was standing in front of me. Thumbs hooked into his pockets, he glared up at me.

"Hey bud. What's going on?" I asked him.

"What is your intentions with my mom?" His tone was as serious as his expression.

Suppressing my smile, I knelt on one knee. "Man to man, my intentions are to make your mom happy. She makes me happy, so I'd like the opportunity to return the favor."

"And what's to say you're not lying?"

"Good question. Being truthful is part of my job," I held up my hand as if swearing in. "I do some pretty dangerous jobs and have to keep people safe, so communication is a huge part of it. Plus, lying is messy. Trying to remember something made up can get people into a lot of trouble. Remembering the truth is much easier."

"My dad did some dangerous stuff too. He wasn't good to mom, though."

"I would never hurt your mom," I got serious. It was clear that Cason was worried about this relationship and I wanted to let him know he could trust me. "How about this? Will you try to get to know me and see that I am telling you the truth? Spend some time with me, that way you can determine for yourself what kind of guy I am. What do you think?"

"Oh!" Laurel stopped as she walked by, leaning heavily on my shoulder and nearly knocking me off balance. "We are going to the amusement park tomorrow. You should come! I know mom and Granny wouldn't mind. Are you free?"

"Laurel!" Cason chided her.

"What?! It's not like mom is going to say that her boyfriend can't come with us," she smiled and gave me a smug grin.

It warmed my heart to hear little Sarah call me her mom's boyfriend.

"It's not—" Carson started.

"It's okay. I wouldn't want to impose on family time," I tried to smooth over.

"What are you imposing?" Jill had joined us.

"Nothing," Cason muttered.

"Can Wes come with us to the park tomorrow?" Laurel asked excitedly.

"Of course he can! I don't see a problem with that. In fact, I think that's a great idea, as long as you're free." She turned her attention to me.

All eyes were on me. I shrugged as I answered them, "I'm free, but I don't want to wreck your family time. I know you guys haven't seen Sarah in a while."

"Nonsense!" Jill waved her hands in the air, "You would be a welcome addition to my little gang of shenanigan-nizers. Wait! What are you doing for dinner tonight?"

"I think Jace was planning something for us this evening, but I know that I am free all day tomorrow."

"Alright, that's fine. You just come over in the morning before eight and we'll all head out together. No sense in trying to take separate vehicles, unless that's not okay with you?"

"No, that is fine with me, ma'am," I said as my military training took over my respects.

"Oh no, that won't fly with me, pretty boy. I am not a ma'am. Just call me Momma."

"I can do that," I said as she shoved her grandkids towards the patio where Jace had pulled out a huge watermelon. "How's our girl?"

With a sly smile, she changed the topic. "You like roller coasters or are you a merry-go-round kind of guy?"

She slipped her arm beneath mine and we walked and talked. Steering clear of talking about Sarah only made my concern grow. Similar to Sarah, Jill seemed to be avoiding talking about what I wanted to talk about.

The rest of the party rolled on with little incident. By the end, Jill and the kids were the last to leave after helping clean up.

"Thanks for coming by, neighbor," Jace said as he wrapped Jill in a hug. Her smaller figure was swallowed by his taller one.

"I wouldn't have missed it." She pulled away and patted his cheek, "Thank you for having us, as always."

"Truly, I only invited you because of those lemon bars you make and maybe the kids, but those lemon bars! I can't get enough of them."

"I know. Why do you think I made four times the batch? Only half of what I made was put out, the rest went inside. Should still be in the tupperware on your kitchen counter."

"Woman!" He lifted her from her feet in a giant bear hug and swung her from side to side. "You treat me too well to like you only for your cooking and baking. Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah, now put me down, you caveman!"

"Uggh," Jace grunted as he set her down.

"Behave," she laughed as she scolded.

"But that's never fun," he joked.

The kids waved and shouted their goodbyes as they ran from the yard. Jill stopped in front of me, pointed a finger towards my chest, and said, "I'll see you in the morning. Full pot of coffee will be waiting."

"You got it Momma," I called back.

As they left, I could feel Jace's eyes on me.

"What?" I turned to him.

"Momma?" He arched his brow with the corner of his mouth.

"She told me to call her that. It wasn't my idea."

"Mhmm. Cute. When's the wedding?"

I punched him in his shoulder and locked my arm around his neck. A quick jab to my side, I released him and he took advantage. Wrestling our way into the house, we ended up settling into the cushy sectional of his living room.

We reminisced about our youth and caught up with each other about what had been happening. The afternoon turned into a great evening.

"You idiots ready for dinner?" Dad walked in from the guest room where he had gone to lie down.

"No," I groaned. I was still full from the barbecue.

"How about we just pick from what is left over?" Jace suggested. "There is so much food, I don't even want to think about cooking more."

Dad leaned on the back of the couch and nodded approvingly before disappearing towards the kitchen.

"I found what I'm having. These lemon bars have my name on them," Dad called out to us.

In one fluid motion, Jace was off the couch and running into the kitchen.

Smiling to myself, I was happy to have the time with them. Thoughts of my family morphed into thoughts of Sarah and hers and then the pregnancy test.

Turning inward, I thought of the two lines on the test. One wasn't nearly as dark as the other, but it was definitely two. If it were positive, shouldn't it have been crossed?

"You're thinking too hard," Jace leaned over the couch with his mouth full and powdered sugar across his mouth. "Wanna talk about it?"

I sighed as I chewed on the side of my cheek, "I think Sarah is pregnant."

Nearly choking on his bite of lemon bar, he quickly cleared his throat and said, "Get the fuck out!? Seriously? I'm going to be an uncle?" A huge grin spread across his face as he vaulted over the back of the couch, onto me.

Dad walked in in the middle of our rough housing and made a comment, "Some things never change with the two of you." He walked over to Jace's mini-bar and poured himself a generous amount of one of the brown liquors.

When Jace and I came up for air, he congratulated me and we filled in Dad on what was going on.

It wasn't certain, but her being pregnant would explain a lot.

One thing was certain, I really needed to talk to Sarah.