Christmas With The Houstons (Acceptance #4) (4 page)

“You know that’s
not
an option.”

“Look, April, you knew this discussion was going to come up eventually. I want you home with our kids.”

“Why don’t you stay home with the kids if you want someone home so badly?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he answers with a laugh.

The nerve of him.

“Ridiculous? I’m not being ridiculous. You’re the one with the money, you’re the one who hates his job right now, and you’re the one who doesn’t need to work. So why should I quit
my
job?” Now I’m screaming, and Jake doesn’t do well with screaming.

“First of all, you’re the woman and you should be the one staying home with our kids, spending our money, and doing mom stuff. We have money, April. Not just me,
US.
You know as well as I do, children need to be nurtured by their mothers. Why do you want to go help other people’s kids all day, and sometimes night, when your own kids will need you at home? Have you ever given any consideration to that?”

He did
not
just go there!

“Children need to be nurtured and loved by
both
parents, Jake. My job fulfills me. I’m damn good at it and I know I’m doing something good in the world. I’m helping kids whose lives have been turned upside down and inside out. You saw Mia today. There are so many workers who don’t care, Jake. These kids need someone who cares.
I
care!”

Tears are streaming down my face but he isn’t budging. Not that it surprises me—he’s used to my crying when I’m angry. I’m just not sure he realizes how much he’s just hurt me with his words.

“Then care about your own damn kids, your own family, and give them the hundred percent you put in at work,” he yells angrily while putting on his clothes. When he reaches for his keys, I’m shocked.

The gasp escaping my mouth is loud and comes from deep within my soul, cutting through my heart on its way out. But he’s not affected by it in the least as he turns his back and walks away.

“Where are you going? You know we don’t leave when we’re mad!”

“Out.”

“Out where, Jake? Somewhere with the stroller patrol?”

He flashes a glacial look at me at me and storms out the door with his words trailing behind him, “At least
they
find the time to stay home and take care of their kids!”

With those parting words, the dam of tears unleashes. This is the worst fight we’ve ever had and when I feel Jaxson kicking, the tears fall even harder and faster. I’m not sure we’ll ever get past this. I’ll never be like those women; I need to work and it’s
not
going to make me love my son any less.

Damn, I wish I could have a drink right now. My eyes dart around the room in disgust. I used to love this house but now I hate it—hate our stupidly perfect neighbors, hate that we’re so far away from our friends and family, and
really
hate that I’m all alone crying right now when this should be the happiest time of my life.

Jake

A few months ago, Daniel sold me his beach house so he could buy a bigger one a little further up the beach. This one is perfect for me, April, and Jaxson. I was going to surprise her with it at Christmas when Daniel surprises Kate with their new house. I know she’ll be angry, but I’m hopeful if Kate’s gracious and happy about her new home, April will be, too. If things keep going the way they are, this may end up becoming my home instead.

Don’t be stupid. You’re not getting divorced.

When I left home, I drove straight here other than a minor pit-stop for lots of alcohol. It’s Friday and if I decide to, I’ll drink the whole fucking weekend away. Mike got here a few minutes ago; he’s the only one I’m in the mood to talk to right now.

“You just left?” Mike asks, surprised, as he passes me the bottle of tequila.

“Yup, I’ve never been so pissed at her as I was today, Mike. Not ever.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “When you called and said you wanted a guys’ night, I figured you needed to get away from the hormones. I didn’t realize you were fighting them. It’s a losing battle. I swear, Grant is two months old and Misty is just
now
starting to become the woman I love again.”

After another shot, I shake my head. “It’s not just that. April and I have fundamental differences of opinion about things. She’s still arguing with me over money.”

“She’s proud, Jake. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Are you kidding? There’s
everything
wrong with that. April and the baby are my
entire
world. Money is just money, but it’s a part of me and every time she pushes it away, it’s like she’s rejecting who I am… what makes me,
me
.”

“Jake, you’re
way
overthinking this.”

“I’m not, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You should have seen her today, working with the little girl at the mall. It took my breath away, Mike. It was so inspiring to see her in her element, working with Mia. All I could think about was how fucking blessed our kids will be to have her as their mom.”

He nods in agreement and takes a shot.

“But then I realized our kids won’t get
that
part of her. She’ll go to work every day and put all her effort and energy into all the kids less fortunate than our own while our kids go to daycare or sit with a nanny and never get to experience that side of their mom. April comes home and shuts off. She doesn’t talk about work, not ever. She’s emotionally exhausted by the end of the day and keeps things light at night.”

“Do
you
come home and talk about work? Fuck, the last thing I want to do is talk work when I get home.”

I take another shot of Patron before responding to him.

“No, but when I get home I don’t want to think about numbers and portfolios. I want to lose myself in my fucking wife. I can’t wait for those family moments. After being with kids all day, is April going to want to come home and spend time with hers? It could go either way… she could just shut down completely or she could cherish what she has even more.”

“Jake, come on. She’s going to cherish you and your kids forever. You’re just upset and being a bit ridiculous.”

“She never wanted kids this soon, Mike, but when Lucas and Hailey showed up, she changed her mind. What if she’s regretting that?”

“Jake, if we weren’t drunk I’d be calling you a fucking idiot by now.”

“I’m not an idiot, Mike.
We’ve got fundamental differences
. How many times do I have to say it? And why didn’t I realize them before now?”

Holy shit, my world is closing in around me. Why I didn’t I notice this before?

“Let’s rewind for a minute. This all started because some guy was checking her out at the mall?”

“No, yes, sort of. It wasn’t some guy… it was a co-worker. Well, a cop she works with.”

“Did April give you any reason to think she was interested in him?”

Fuck… did she? I was so busy watching him ogle my wife I didn’t pay much attention to her reaction.

“Now that I think of it, she seemed uncomfortable,” I admit sheepishly.

“Of course she did because she fucking loves your possessive ass. Even when you’re being…
a possessive ass
. So what happened at home and who is…” He pauses as he checks his phone “Malibu Barbie?”

Of course. April must have told Kate and the rest of the girls.

Great.

So I spend a few minutes catching him up on the stroller patrol and Trina, AKA Malibu Barbie.

Mike leans back and laughs. “So let me get this straight, after you got all possessive on April twice at the mall and acted like a fool, she took a nap and
you
stripped for the housewives of Thousand Oaks? Does that about sum it up?”

“When you put it that way, it sounds really bad but it wasn’t.”

“Fucking hell, Jake! April has about a million and one body image issues. She is one of
the most
gorgeous women I’ve ever seen. BUT her issues are hers and they’re legit in her mind. I know you can’t stop women from looking at you or hitting on you… just like she can’t stop men from doing the same to her.”

My head is swimming in a nice, drunken fog to the beat of the waves crashing against the shore and yet even with my muddled state of mind, I
know
there’s a ‘but’ coming.

“
But
it probably wasn’t the best idea to work in the yard with your shirt off. Let alone continue to do it while you knew the housewives were watching.
Especially
since you
know
that Trina chick doesn’t like April and has the fucking hots for you.”

“I don’t know that for sure,” I answer stubbornly.

“Cut the shit, Jake! If you want to hit it with the hot neighbor, that’s a whole different conversation we need to be having.”

“Fuck you, Mike! I don’t want to hit it with the hot neighbor. The only person I want to hit it with is my goddamned wife!”

“So you
do
think she’s hot?”

“Sure, she’s hot in that ‘calendar girl’ kind of way. You’ve seen her… Super skinny, thigh gap for days, curvy ass, and fake-ass titties. If you like that kind of girl, she’s smoking hot.”

The suspicious look he’s giving me makes me uneasy.

“
But
she’s not my type. I’ve never been one for blondes, no offense.”

“None taken,” he replies with a smirk

“And while that thigh gap shit works for some men, I don’t give a fuck one way or the other about a thigh gap. Honestly, sometimes that shit looks creepy as fuck. I like April’s curves. I fucking love that she isn’t too petite and dainty. I’m a big fucking guy. I was a mother fucking football player. Do you have any clue how awkward it would feel to have someone that small under me? Hell, I don’t want to feel like I’m going to break a woman during sex. I want someone I can fuck as hard as I want, who will fuck me back just as hard. I need a woman with curves everywhere. I just need my fucking wife, Mike.”

His answering smile is proof that’s all he wanted to hear.

“Alright then, back to Trina. She’s been rude to April at every event you’ve hosted at your house when you’ve invited your neighbors. April has always been nice to her even though it’s visible it kills her to do so.”

Has she really been that nasty to April? Did I really never notice?

“I’ve never noticed.”

He nods and shoots me a smile. “I know, because as much as we all love our women, I’ve never seen a motherfucker in love with his wife as much as you are with April. You don’t notice because you never take your eyes off of her. A single, rich mom in the neighborhood is going to be your worst nightmare. Especially one who provokes your wife and eye fucks you every chance she gets.”

“I can’t help how she sees me. I don’t want her.”

“So how can you fault April for the same?”

Bastard.

“Touché, Mike.”

“Look, Jake, I’m happy to stay here with you tonight and drink away every issue we have. It’s been a long time since we’ve done this, but do me a favor and text your wife. I don’t care what you say to her as long as you let her know you’re okay, with me, and you’ll see her tomorrow.”

“Yeah, okay.” As I pull out my phone from my pocket, I’m trying to figure out what to say to my wife. I was an ass of epic proportions tonight and I don’t know how to make this right.

With Mike – drunk off my ass. I’ll be home tomorrow. Sorry I was an ass. You never have to worry about Malibu Barbie. My heart belongs only to you.

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Nah, I needed to text her. She’s going to be fucking pissed. I broke our number one rule…never leave angry.”

“It will be okay. You might just have to grovel for a while. So you want to tell me what else is going on with you? I haven’t seen or talked to you in a month or more. You guys just trying to enjoy your alone time before the baby comes or what?”

The first bottle of tequila is empty so I open the second one and pour us both a shot and then another.

“I hate my brother,” I tell him bitterly.

“Whoa, that’s harsh and completely unlike you. What’s the deal?”

“The deal is this… Connor has completely fucked up my life.”

Mike keeps the alcohol coming at a pretty consistent pace and pretty soon, bottle number two is almost empty and neither of us are feeling any pain.

“Okay, I get why you’re pissed at Connor. I’d be pissed, too. Connor is a good guy and I’m sure he means well. He probably doesn’t even understand what he’s doing wrong because you keep cleaning up his mess.”

Ding. Ding. Ding.

“So what do you suggest? Not to clean up after him anymore? Let the business crash and burn?”

I try standing so I can go take a piss, but the ocean starts spinning around me and I have to grab the rail for support.

“Dude, fuck no. But before he goes home for the day, hand him all the files he still needs to work on. Stop letting it fall on your head.”