Tap (Men of Lovibond 1)

We’re not just fucking. And she’s not a random chick. “It’s not like that. We met at the festival but didn’t talk or see

each other until later.”

“How do you feel about her?”

“We’ve not been a couple for long but I really like her a lot.”

“You see this relationship turning into something more?”

“I think it could.” I hope it does.

“Does she know you were married? And in an open marriage?”

“I’ve told her everything. Even introduced her to Bridgette.”

“Dude. Girlfriend meets ex-wife. That’s serious.” Wren wasn’t my girlfriend when they met so I can’t really take credit for making it happen.

“I think I’ve misjudged you, Tap.” This could be a turn in the right direction.

“I’m not shitting you. This girl has turned me into a one-woman kind of man. No other woman has been worth looking at or thinking about since I met her.”

“I think Porter and I are going to have to change your nickname from Tap to something different. Hmm. I think Whipped has a special ring to it.”

“Fucking hilarious.” Stout can make fun of me all he likes. As long as, when the time comes, he understands how much I care for Wren.

* * *

Ava runs into my arms. “Hello, my sweet Bebelle.”

She presses her precious cheek to mine. “Unky Bou, where you been?”

“I was in Georgia visiting my friend, Wren. Do you remember her?”

“Yesss. What behind yo’ back?” Busted.

I hold out a gift bag with colorful tissue spilling out of the top. “Wren heard you got a little brother so she sent you a big sister present.”

“Yay.” Streaks of pink and lime green fly in all directions.

“Mmm hmm.” Bridgette lifts a brow. “You were visiting Wren, huh?”

“Sure was.” Did a lot more than that while I was there, too.

“How long did you stay?”

“Three days.”

Ava holds her gift in the air. “Unky Bou, whut ’dis s’pose to be?”

“Wren has a store where she sells very special things. She made this and it’s called a dream catcher. You hang it on your bed and it protects you from nightmares.”

“I lub it.”

“Ava honey, why don’t you go to your room and find a place for your dream catcher while I talk to Uncle Boudreaux?”

“’Kay.”

I’m not surprised Bridgette wants to have a powwow. “That was very nice of Wren to think of Ava.”

“She’s probably the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met.” I point at the other bags. “There’s something for you and Tripp too. But I have to warn you. She’s into some weird stuff so there’s no telling what she sent you. You should probably expect the unusual.”

Bridgette lifts Tripp from her lap and holds him out for me to take. “Here. I know you’re dying to hold him.”

I happily take the baby from Bridg. “Hey, little man. I think you’ve grown an inch since I saw you.”

Tripp isn’t mine but he is my son’s half-brother. I can’t look at him and not wonder how similar they would have been. Would Eli have been a happy baby like Tripp? Would he have wanted a pacifier like his brother? Or preferred to suck his thumb instead?

“Wren is a little different, isn’t she?”

That’s an understatement. “She’s a lot different. But in the best kind of way.”

“You haven’t mentioned a word about her since we were introduced. What’s going on?”

“We spent time together at the festival. We clicked but had a lot of factors working against us so it didn’t seem logical to pursue anything. But then I spent the next month going batshit crazy thinking about her and I said to hell with it. I gotta go see her.”

Bridgette chuckles. She’s loving this, seeing me go stupid over a woman. “She must have some good stuff if she pussy-whipped you in one weekend?”

Tripp squirms in my arms and wails. “Tripp, tell your mommy Uncle Boudreaux didn’t fuck Wren the weekend of the festival,” I say in my best baby voice.

“Heads up.” Bridgette tosses Tripp’s pacifier and I catch it midair. “You’re shittin’ me, Boudreaux.”

A ferocious odor invades my nostrils. “I’m not but your son may be.”

Bridgette flashes a smile. “Why do you think I gave him to you? Smeller is the feller who gets to change him.” Just like her to do something like that.

“Let me get this straight. You met Wren, genuinely liked the woman, and then went after her in another state?”

“You hit the nail on the head.”

“My God, Bou. Are you in love with her?”

“I think I could be well on my way.”

“You totally are. Shit. I never thought I’d see the day.” Bridgette shakes her head. “Does she know about us and the kind of marriage we had?”

“Yeah. She was completely non-judgmental about the whole thing.”

“That’s a wonder within itself. Did you tell her about Eli?”

“Everything.”

“You’re such a dumbass, Bou.” What the fuck did I do? “I knew this was going to happen one day.”

She lost me. “You knew what was going to happen?”

“You went and had that stupid vasectomy and now you’ve found the one.”

Bridgette is totally jumping the gun. “Whoa. Don’t put the cart before the horse. I like Wren a lot but I don’t want to go marrying her and start having sick kids.”

Bridgette’s mouth forms a hard line. “You’re such a motherfucker for saying that.”

“Why? You know where I stand on this.”

“You might as well say I shouldn’t have had Ava and Tripp because they could have had problems.”

“We’ve made different decisions. Having those beautiful babies was the right one for you.”

“And it can be for you too with the right woman. What if she’s the one for you?”

“I don’t want to do that again.” I couldn’t do that again. The terror in her eyes. The pain. The deep, soul-destroying depression. Losing the lively, sweet Bridgette to the shell of despair she became. Holding my beloved baby as he took his last breath. Ripped. My. Heart. Out. Losing Eli hurt like hell but seeing Bridgette in so much pain—both physically and emotionally—almost killed me.

No. Never again.

“Your babies would be fine if she doesn’t have the gene for renal agenesis. Does anyone in her family have one kidney?”

“I don’t know and I’m not asking.” It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve had a vasectomy. No babies are coming out of this dick.

“I don’t get you, Boudreaux. You could have healthy children with her.”

“What if something different goes wrong?” I couldn’t stand to see another woman I love go through that, especially one I was in love with.

“That’s such irrational bullshit. The brakes on your truck could fail but does that keep you from driving?”

“Well, bullshit or not, Wren knows about the vasectomy. She says it isn’t a problem for her.”

“Talk to me about this in six months and tell me if she’s still okay with it. No, wait. I give it three months.”

I know what Bridgette is thinking but she’s wrong. Wren isn’t like other women. She doesn’t need marriage and babies to be happy.

* * *

Eleven fucking days. I left Savannah with the misbelief our reunion would be here before we knew it. I even thought the topless pics Wren texted me might help ease our time apart. Wrong. So much worse. Who knew it could feel like an eternity? I think that’s a testament to how bad I’ve missed Wren.

We decided she should come to Birmingham this trip since Bridgette and Warren have four tickets to the James Bay concert. This feels sort of weird. I’ve done all kinds of concerts and festivals with Bridgette and Warren but I’ve never brought a woman along. Should be interesting.

I hope Bridgette keeps her big mouth shut about the whole marriage and baby thing. Sometimes she’s under the misconception she knows what’s right for everyone else even when the

y don’t.

I finally see Wren’s tiny hybrid car coming up my drive. Definite tree-hugger automobile. Damn thing looks like something my truck would eat for breakfast.

She dashes toward me and crashes against my chest. Her arms quickly wrap around my shoulders. I put my hands on the back of her upper thighs and lift her from the ground so she’s straddling me. “Damn, baby. I’ve missed you.”

She’s kissing every inch of my face. “I’ve missed you, too.”

I carry her through the door and kick it closed with my foot. We land on the sofa, her on top of me. “It was bad, wasn’t it? Tell me it wasn’t just me.”

“Being without you for that long was fucking brutal.”

She grabs my bearded face only moments before her mouth descends on mine. Our teeth bump but it doesn’t stop our tongues from rolling in waves against each other.

Now, that’s a warm hello. Hope I always get this kind of heated reunion. I love it. “You’re the one taking my breath away this time.”

“Sorry. I’m a little excited. I had the whole drive here to think about it.” I’m guessing six hours of fantasizing about sex would rev you up for sure. It would me.

“Bridgette and Warren want to go out for dinner before the concert. It’s their first outing since Tripp was born so they want to make the most of it.”

Wren grinds her pelvis against me. “Oh, that means we won’t have time to play.”

I would love to have some playtime with her right now. “I can tell them we can’t make it.”

“I hate to do that. I’m sure they’re looking forward to a kid-free night.”

“I’ll do whatever you want, babe.”

She sighs loudly and I know it’s a sign she’s conceding. “We’ll go; I don’t want to disappoint them.”

“We have two days. We’ll make it count.”

She holds up her hand displaying three fingers. “We actually have three. I got Wynter to take Monday so I could stay over Sunday night too. I have to pay her time and a half but it’s worth every penny to get an extra night with you.”