Guns: The Spencer Book (Rook and Ronin Spinoff 4)

I stop in there at least once a week to f**k her with frosting. That shit gives candy pu**y a whole new perspective.

I’m still building bikes, mostly because I love building bikes. But if that show was canceled tomorrow, eh. I’m fine with it. I have a new definition of success these days and it has nothing to do with reality TV.

My idea of success is Bombshell’s fat stomach. I smile at her as she comes back down the stairs with her shoes and sweater on.

“What’s got you looking so guilty?” she asks.

“Not guilty, Bomb. Just happy.”

She leans up and wraps her arms around me. “I love you for your smile.”

I kiss her head. “I love everything about you, Veronica Vaughn. And that wedding day can’t come soon enough for me.”

She sighs. “I know, me too. But I’m not getting married while I’m pregnant. Ashleigh never had a real wedding, so I’m trying to talk the girls into a triple wedding next spring.”

“I’ll see what I can do on my end.” I’m so pu**y-whipped. But so are Ford and Ronin. These girls mean everything to us. If they want us to dress up in suits and tell a shitload of people we love them… well, we’re on board.

We drive into Fort Collins talking about Ford and Ash. They don’t know what the baby’s sex is, Ford wanted to be surprised, so this is pretty exciting. When we get to the hospital I hold Ronnie’s hand up to the maternity ward and then we stop at the nurse’s station to get the room number. I’m just looking around when Ronin comes down the hallway. “Hey,” he calls out. “Ronnie, the room’s down here.”

“Where’s Ford?” I ask Ronin as he walks up to me.

Ronin points down a narrow hallway that ends at a little alcove with a large picture window that overlooks the mountains. “I think you should go talk to him. He’s freaking out and Ash is starting to ask what’s wrong.”

“OK, I’ll meet you guys in there.” I kiss Ronnie and then walk down the hallway towards Ford.

He’s got his hands in his pockets, his chin up. Like he’s just taking in the view and not having a baby today.

“Hey,” I call out when I get close.

He doesn’t turn, so I just walk up next to him and wait.

He swallows hard. So hard it’s audible. Something is wrong. “It’s genetic, you know.”

“Huh? What’s genetic?”

He lets out a long breath of air. “What’s wrong with me. It’s genetic.”

“Dude, there’s nothing wrong with you.”

He looks over at me and I can see the fear on his face. “Spencer, you’ve always said that. And I just want you to know, I appreciated that you treated me like I was normal my whole life.”

“You are normal—”

“No,” he interrupts. “I’m not. I’m defective. And all these months with Kate, parenting a child who accepts love and touch like all other children, well…” He breathes deeply again. “I’m just afraid, Spencer. That this baby will not let us touch it. I’m afraid the baby will be like me.”

I squeeze his shoulder but I don’t know what to say so I opt for technical stuff. “You don’t know it’s genetic, anyway. You have no clue what caused your issues.”

“It is genetic, Spencer. I’ve studied everything about my symptoms since I was eight years old. I’ve cross-referenced every research paper done on neurological touch syndrome.” He throws me a sideways glance. “I even coined the term for it. I have commandeered grad students at the medical center in Denver to figure this out. But these things take so long. I’ve run out of time. The baby is coming today.”

Ford looks over at me now and God, I feel so bad for him. I try to give him a smile but he looks away.

“The baby is coming today and I have no answers. I’ve failed.”

“Ford?” Ronin calls from the hallway. “She’s ready, dude. Ash wants you with her.”

I grasp his shoulder again and squeeze. “Come on, it’s time. There’s no sense in worrying about it now, you’re gonna know soon enough, right? I mean look, Ford. You really need to learn to just… let go, man. I get it, you’re worried. But you can’t control everything.”

“Says who?” he asks, all serious.

“You’re such a dick. You know that? But you’re not defective. You’re just… a special snowflake.”

I get a real laugh out of him for that remark.

“Really, Aston. Think about it. God would not put another Ford on this Earth. There’s no way he’d do that to humanity.”

Ford laughs again. “True.” He turns to look at me. “God is so damn serious. He needs to learn to go with the flow.”

It’s my turn to laugh and I clap him on the back. “Right. Come on, it’s time to meet your kid.”

He turns and walks down the hallway. I follow him as far as the waiting room where Ronin, Rook, and Ronnie are waiting. Kate’s at home with Ford’s mother, so it’s just the Team here today.

Ronin and I pass the time drinking coffee and talking shit about the Broncos on the TV while the girls talk about babies. Rook’s not pregnant, but she’s almost ready. I can tell because she’s never looked so happy. She wasn’t the world’s greatest model. Or the world’s greatest student. But Rook is a damn good filmmaker. She entered her first short in a film festival and got an honorable mention.