The Current Between Us (34 page)

“
Yep,
now get up
! We have to open presents,” she said, pushing away from him and landing on her feet back on the floor.

“
Wait, Em, I need to look at you, see if you look older,” Trent said, lying back on his pillow, giving a big yawn.

“
I do, Daddy, now
get up
,” Em said, pulling at his arm.

“
You don’t look older at all, Emalynn,” Hunter said from where he’d climbed onto the end of the bed.

“
Daddy, get up! I’m so excited!” Em started jumping up and down and Trent looked over at his alarm clock, it was six forty-three on Sunday morning.

“
All right, I’ll meet you in the living room. I have to brush my teeth and start the coffee, and then we’re gonna open those presents,” Trent said, feigning excitement that sent Em barreling from the room.

“
I’ll go with her and make sure she doesn’t open them without you,” Hunter said.

“
Thanks, Hunter, my man,” Trent said, ruffling his hair as he walked by, heading toward the bathroom.

Trent brushed his teeth and washed his face. He took a hand towel and ran it over his face, then through his hair and almost wet himself when he rose to see Gage standing in the doorway of his bathroom, holding Em in his arms. Both Rhonny and Hunter started laughing at his shocked expression.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, turning quickly, slinging water everywhere.

“
I just couldn’t miss today. I was afraid I was getting here too early, but my driver insisted Em would be up. His children all get up at the crack of dawn on their birthdays,” Gage said, Em bouncing in his arms.

“
Daddy, come on! Let’s open presents,” Em begged. Gage put her down and she took off again to the living room. Hunter followed, but at a much slower pace.

“
I’m going to start the coffee,” Rhonny said, and she turned following Hunter out.

“
What’re you doing here?” Trent asked again, running the towel over his hair, patting it down into some semblance of order while coming to stand in front of Gage.

“
How can I convince you I want to stand by your side if I miss the first big thing in our lives?” Gage asked. Trent stayed quiet, staring with an occasional blink, speechless. He’d never expected any of this, but most certainly not those words. That one sentence revealed so much more than the desire to show up for his daughter’s birthday. Before he could formulate a response, Gage continued, “Exactly, you have no answer, because there is no answer. Now, how about a kiss, handsome? I flew all night.” Trent leaned in, but Em tore her way between them before their lips could make contact.

“
Daaaadddddyyyy
, he came to spend the day with me and you.
Come on
!” Em pleaded. They both laughed as she grabbed his hand, pulling him along with her to the living room with Gage following closely behind.

In a place of honor sat a huge stack of wrapped gifts thanks to Gage
’s generosity. Em went nuts the day before when the delivery driver had dropped them off. Six packages, of all different sizes, wrapped in bright pink gift wrap and giant pink bows. It drove her crazy having to look at them all day without being able to open them. And if she couldn’t open them, the next best thing was to speculate as to the contents. She must have guessed a million different things they could be, and last night, when they were decorating the house in streamers, balloons, and Barbie party decorations, she moved them all by herself from place to place trying to find the best spot for them to be opened this morning.

“
Let me get a trash bag and the camera, sweet girl,” Trent said, and retrieved both, before pouring coffee. Em had Gage sit in the spot of honor next to her on the couch as she opened her gifts. Hunter sat on the floor close to Em, his two gifts nearby, waiting to be opened. Gage had thought of giving Hunter a present as well, adding to Trent’s family tradition.

“
Did you know he was coming?” Rhonny asked while she grabbed the cream, then Gage’s cup of coffee.

“
No, it’s a surprise. He said he might, but I didn’t think he would with everything going on,” Trent whispered back as they slowly made their way from the kitchen.

“
I like him, Trent,” Rhonny said, quietly walking back to the living room.

“
Me too,” Trent said, following behind her.

“
Good,” Rhonny teased back, giving him a grin.

Em waited impatiently for their return. Her hands were ready to pull the paper away from the first gift, and she started with the biggest gift from Gage. Once the paper was torn, the present revealed, it took all of five seconds for her to scream, jumping up and down.

“It’s the Barbie Dream House! I wanted this so bad! Daddy, I wanted this!” Em cheered.

“
Say thank you to Gage, baby,” Trent said, smiling at her enthusiasm.

“
Thank you! Thank you, Gage!” Hugs were given to everyone in the room and so started the experience for every gift she opened. Hunter gave about the same response, perhaps a little more sedate, but he was equally thrilled with his monster Lego set and duel pack action figure set. When Em got to Rhonny’s gift, she opened it and everything stopped until the tiara was placed properly upon her head.

The rest of the morning passed with Trent building the Barbie
Dream House, Rhonny cooking Em’s especially requested breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and ice cream, and Gage who sat with Hunter, building the Lego set. Em stayed close to Trent while he worked, giving him advice on what she thought about the progress he made and playing with her new Barbies, changing clothes from outfit to outfit. The time flew by. After breakfast, they all dressed to begin the official celebrations of the day. Auntie Crazy came over and a whole new round of squealing started when she brought them presents. Auntie Crazy bought a life size Barbie, which came with a matching dress for Em. Without hesitation, Em made an abrupt wardrobe change, exchanging the dress from the grand opening for the Barbie dress. With the addition of her tiara, they were ready for Chuck E. Cheese and the movies.

It was a perfect day and each minute solidified Gage deeper inside Trent
’s heart. Though thoughts of Lynn never strayed too far, Gage made everything bearable, easier, and Trent fell more deeply in love with him. With his easy going and fun attitude, Gage fit his family perfectly. He played with the kids the entire time they were at Chuck E. Cheese. By the end of the day, Trent could see that both Rhonny and Sophia fell to his charms as well.

Trent didn
’t know how, but every time his thoughts drifted toward Lynn and his feelings of loss resurfaced, Gage would pick that exact moment to engage him, draw him out of the melancholy, and bring him back into the celebration of Em. They played together for hours, the adults right alongside Em and Hunter, and it became a competition over the tickets they accumulated from each game. When it looked like Gage might lose the battle of who won the most tickets, he broke the rules and purchased whatever the kids wanted from the prize wall. Later, as they sat in the theater watching the latest Disney film come to life, Gage held Trent’s hand and leaned in a couple of times, placing simple sweet kisses on his lips. Gage seemed genuinely happy to be with them.

By nightfall, both Hunter and Em were completely wiped out. There weren
’t going to be the normal challenges of getting them to sleep that evening. Sophia left for home directly from the theater, and Rhonny scooted off to meet Gary for a late dinner, which left Gage and Trent to take the kids home together. Both tuckered tikes crashed on the ride home, sound asleep before they’d reached the driveway.

Trent carried Hunter inside, while Gage carried a sleeping Em. Gage hadn
’t been a part of his nightly parenting duties before, and Trent wasn’t sure it was a good idea to involve him now, but it did make things easier with both the kids passed out.

“
If you can put her in bed, I’ll be there in a minute to get her in her PJs,” Trent whispered, taking Hunter into his room. The boy never woke as he undressed him and put on his pajamas. As he passed by Em’s bedroom door, he heard Gage talking quietly to her. She laid in her bed, changed into her pajamas, and Gage sat on the edge of her bed, reading to her. Her little eyes drifted closed again, and he knew Gage wouldn’t be in there too much longer.

Leaving the doorway, he went to get Gage
’s duffle bag from the entryway where he’d left it this morning. He assumed Gage would be spending the night. Gage’s car sat parked in the driveway where someone had dropped it off at some point during the day. As he picked up the bag, he started to put it down again, wondering if he were reading the situation correctly—maybe Gage didn’t plan to stay. A sudden movement caused him to turn with a start and Gage stood behind him.

“
Shit, you scared me,” Trent said with a grin, putting the bag down.

“
What are you doing?” Gage demanded.

“
I was gonna put this in my room, then I thought you might not be planning to stay,” Trent said, looking Gage over. Something was clearly wrong. His smile faded and he felt the crease begin in his brow as he tried to work through the change he saw in Gage. Gage’s face was masked in anger. Trent stepped toward him, concerned at what might have happened in the last thirty seconds to upset Gage. “What’s wrong?”

Gage stood there staring at him, the anger radiating in waves, but Gage said nothing. Gage finally moved, walking around him, grabbing his duffle, slinging it over his shoulder in a possessive move. The gesture clear
. Nothing lost in the translation of the action, but it was still one Trent didn’t understand at all. Gage put miles of distance between them in that one move. The ache forming in his heart threatened to win against the confusion crashing through his brain. Trent then noticed the framed picture Gage held.

“
What are you doing with Em’s picture?” Trent asked, but took a step back. Everything Gage put out to him told him to back the fuck off, so he did.

“
Who is this, Trent?” Gage said, thrusting his hand forward, showing Trent the photo.

“
It’s my sister and her husband; it’s Em’s parents,” Trent said, and crossed his arms over his chest. The pain there crushed him as he looked at his sister on this day, the day of her death, and up at this man who made everything better until this very moment. What had happened?

“
These are Em’s parents?” Gage said, turning the picture back around to look it over. A sneer formed across his face.

“
Yes, Gage, what’s going on?” Trent asked, almost pleaded, as he spoke.

“
You tell me,” Gage demanded.

“
I don’t know,” he said quietly back, and took another step back in sheer protection mode. The man in front of him wasn’t the one he’d spent the day with; this man was threatening, and he had no idea what was going on, what had upset Gage so badly.

“
Who are you?” Gage stalked toward him, getting in his face.

“
What?” Trent asked.

“
Did you draw me here on purpose? Did you forget to put this up? Have I walked into a trap?” Gage demanded, stepping in farther, directly into Trent’s personal space, just short of bumping his chest.

“
What are you talking about?” Trent said and took another step back. His own anger starting to surface.

“
Am I being recorded? Are you being paid? Don’t fucking lie to me anymore, Trent.” Gage yelled the last sentence, and Trent heard the kid’s rustling in their beds.

“
I have no idea what you’re talking about, Gage,” Trent said, glancing down the hall to see if either was up yet. A sound beeped on Gage’s phone, and he finally backed off, going to the front door.

“
You can tell whoever the fuck you’re working with I have you completely surrounded. When I walk out this door, I’m being watched. All my men are being watched. Take me down, and it won’t save him.” Gage didn’t wait for a response as he pushed through the door, leaving it open, and jogged to his car, the lock clicking open as he ran. The framed photo still in his hand. He took off in the car, pealing the little Prius out of the drive, and two cars started in the neighborhood, following behind him. Trent went out on the front porch and stood, staring after them. Nothing about what just happened made any sense. Why would he record Gage? Record him doing what? Trent looked out into the night, took several steps out on his porch and looked around. Was he being watched? Had Gage lost his mind? Why would he be watched?

****

Gage wasn’t out of Trent’s driveway before he had his head of security on the phone. He’d sent a Code Red via text while standing in Em’s room after seeing the picture, in order for him to get out of the house as safely as possible. Code Red indicated the highest possible alert for his security team. Everyone went on lockdown the moment it was given. Over the years, they’d only had three Code Reds. Hopkins answered on the third ring, and Gage knew his entire team would be in a frenzy of work right now.