Best Friends Forever

Mick dropped to his knees on the green grass. Preston was being chased now, and it was as if he was watching Frank running down the sideline, soccer ball at his feet, joyously eluding defenders in his youth league back in Sheffield. The same loping, gangly run, all arms and legs.

In Mick’s mind’s eye, Frank was alive. His father was alive, shouting encouragement from the sideline. His mum was yelling at a referee.

They were all back home again in Sheffield— shit. He had a flight to catch. But that was the last thing he wanted to think about. His entire life had just been turned inside out and upside down. He had a family? At the very least, a son. Who knew what Ayla was, or what she wanted to, or could become, to him? She took his breath away, always had, from that first night, and still did. But in truth, he barely knew her.

But she’d had his baby.

This beautiful, sexy girl, who he’d spent so much time thinking about, and pining away for, without even knowing her name, had given him a priceless gift. A gift he didn’t know he’d received, or even wanted, but now it was all he could think about. Introducing Preston to his mum. Teaching him rugby. Taking him to Bramall Lane to see the statue of Preston’s uncle. Telling him about his grandfather. So much catching up to do.

Where to begin?

Ayla held her head in hands. The way Mick backed away from the table when she told him the truth about Preston tore her guts out. He looked like he wanted to run. To run and keep running, all the way back to Sheffield, and then to just keep running. She’d made a terrible mistake. What had she been thinking?

But suddenly he’d stopped. And he was crying, too. He was watching Preston and Desiree playing and he was weeping. Ayla couldn’t read him at all.

She was devastated. The emotional roller coaster that began at the gas station had gone horribly off the rails and ended in a fiery crash at the park, because she couldn’t contain herself. Couldn’t take things slowly, get to know him, let him get to know her. What did she really know about Mick Merryweather, anyway? Even if he wanted to be part of Preston’s life, which seemed beyond unlikely now, she barely knew him. It would be doing her son no justice to give a virtual stranger access to him.

Just like she shouldn’t have given a stranger the unfettered access she’d given that same man to her body…

She blinked through her tears to watch Mick stand up and return to the table, where she sat.

He walked around to her side and opened his arms, beckoning her to rise.

Ayla did, and Mick wrapped her up in a warm, loving embrace. Both their shoulders shook. He released and held her at arm’s length, smiling.

“It’s good. It’s so good. Thank you, Ayla.”

Her face found his chest, and she cried, anew, tears this time of joy. Of peace.

Of relief.

“I never thought… I never imagined I’d find you,” Ayla gasped.

“You’ve found me. I’ve found you. Fate found us,” Mick assured her. “I’m right here. I’m not letting you go again. Ever.”

Preston noticed his mom and the man from the gas station who’d bought him a slushie were hugging. He’d never seen his mom hug a man before, and he felt a twinge of jealousy. He rushed over, with Desiree trailing. “Preston! Preston, wait!”

But he was too quick, and he reached Ayla and Mick before she could intervene. He wrapped his wet arms around his mother’s waist, staking his claim to her.

Mick stepped back, deferring to Preston. “Go on, big man, hug your mum. I’m sorry, mate.”

Preston looked up at him defiantly, then smiled and stuck out his tongue. Mick tentatively reached out a balled fist, which Preston bumped with his own fist.

“Hey, Preston, I was thinking about going to get pizza,” Desiree suggested. “Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” he answered, keeping his hold on Ayla.

Ayla and Mick made eye contact and shared a nod and a smile.

Chapter 14

“I want to take you to dinner, but I desperately need a shower,” Mick told Ayla. “If you hadn’t noticed.”

“You seem fine to me,” Ayla admitted. “But I definitely need to rinse the road off. So, yeah, let’s each go home and take showers.”

“Do you like Thai food? There’s a great place called Lotus of Siam. It’s off Sahara, a few blocks from the Strip.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever had it, but I like Chinese, is it similar?” Ayla asked.