Brett's Little Headaches(15)

I put that aside for now though. If there was one thing I’d learned from what little exposure we’d had to each other, it was that I needed to take charge. It was the only way to get under her radar and all those defenses she had put up around her and the boys.

I wasn’t even going to look too closely at my own feelings of surety. I’m not such a fuck that I would go after a young mother with two kids if I wasn’t planning on sticking around, because as much as I was beginning to feel for her, I was already halfway in love with her kids.

My mind turned to the sperm donor. I hadn’t asked her about him tonight, because I didn’t want him to be a part of our first date, but tomorrow I’ll bring it up.

It was obvious that he wasn’t part of their lives, I hadn’t seen any evidence of a man in her place, but where and who was he? I don’t like surprises I like to know everything that I’m dealing with. And I was fucked if I was going to be jealous of some faceless fuck.

As soon as I have a name I’ll start looking to see what’s what. I could go around her and take care of that shit, but I didn’t want us to start off on the wrong foot.

Though I was tempted to put my people on it. I’m sure I could have everything I needed by morning, but I’ll try doing shit the gentlemanly way first. If I didn’t like what I heard or she wasn’t forthcoming, well then I’d go ahead and make an end run around her.

My phone rang and brought me back, to the here and now. That reminds me, I hadn’t given her my number.

“Hello.”

“Mr. Cantone, this is Pete, we’ve taken care of that issue for you.”

“Good was it any trouble?”

“No sir, it was just as you said. She had everything hidden away in that safety deposit box. The cops have it per your orders and should be rounding her up any minute now.”

“Thanks a lot Pete, good job. I’ll see you on Monday then.”

“Sure boss, goodnight.”

“Night Pete.”

I hung up the phone feeling ten pounds lighter. It’s weird, but I hadn’t given my latest troubles a second thought since meeting my new family.

Something that had consumed me for the better part of a month, had just drifted into insignificance when I met her, them.

That can only be a good thing right? A man with my load needs that kind of calming influence in his life; that shit is worth ten therapists.

It was still early, but I didn’t feel like doing anything. I wonder what she’s doing right this minute, but that wasn’t so hard to guess.

No doubt she was giving thought to everything I’d thrown at her tonight, at least I hope she was.

I almost panicked when I remembered that I had no way of contacting her, but then I calmed myself. I’ll just go by there first thing in the morning before she could go anywhere. I’ll take breakfast, yeah, that’s it.

With that thought settled firmly in my mind I flipped on the tube for some background noise. I had a lot of planning to do myself. Like finding a house for us, my apartment although it had room, was no place to raise a family.

I wonder if my Laurie ever dreamed of a white knight coming to save her. I’m sure she would prefer something better for the boys, but my conscience pricked me at the thought of using that as an argument.

Did I really want to use her kids to get my way? It seemed a bit devious now that I think about it, but I know me and if that’s the only recourse opened to me then so be it.

I laid my head back against the couch and closed my eyes, reliving the day spent with them.

I can’t recall the last time I’d had that much fun, and I couldn’t wait for more.

I imagined all the places I wanted to take her and the boys, all the things I wanted to show them, share with them.

I had to keep cautioning myself to go slow, even in my thoughts. If it were up to me I’d have her moved in by next week or however long it took me to find a suitable home.

Speaking of which, there was something I could do. Jumping up from the couch I headed up to my home office.

I was in serious need of a sedative, not even when I was a boy was I ever this gone over a female, yet here I am, just hours after meeting and I’m ready to throw it all in.

Booting up the computer, I started surfing for homes in the area. It was too late to call a realtor but Monday seemed too far away.

I was moving pretty fast, too fast for her I’m sure, but we’ll see. I’ll see which way the wind blows in the morning and go from there.

The one thing I was sure of is, no matter how we get there, she was going to be my woman, mine and no one else’s.





Chapter SEVEN




LAURIE



I paced the floor all night and bit my nails down to the quick. There was too much going on inside my head for me to really get a hold on anything.