“I’m gonna be sick,” Madi whispered even as she pushed Brett’s hand away and moved to stand.
She ran to the ladies’ room just feet away and barely made it to the toilet as her stomach emptied its remnants for the third time that day. Her head pounded along with her heart as her head hung there in the commode for several minutes. She hadn’t heard Brett enter behind her but took the paper towel he offered, placing it against her forehead.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I—”
“What did he say?” she whispered again, tears clouding her vision.
“That he was sorry, that he loved you…” Brett bowed his head then squatted down, taking her hand. “He made me promise to take care of you. Although that was something I didn’t even need to promise. I would’ve done so, no matter what. You know that!”
Madi gulped. She needed to know more and waited for him to continue.
“He begged me to keep you from finding out about the affair—as if I had any damn control about that… He regretted it, said it was the biggest regret of his life, that you were the perfect wife.” Brett paused, overcome with emotion as tears fell down his cheeks. “He said, ‘This is your second chance.’” Brett covered his face with his hands. “Like I even deserve a damn second chance. It only took losing my best friend for that to happen.” He sobbed, and it broke Madi’s heart in two as she turned and pulled him to her frame, cradling his head to her shoulder. “I don’t know how he knew about my love for you, but he did. I never told him, I never told a soul. He said it was supposed to be me with you. Is that supposed to make it all better? Because it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter. If I would’ve done what I was supposed to do to begin with, it would have been me. Don’t you see how bittersweet this victory is for me?”
“Shhh,” she murmured even as the sting of his words sizzled her heart. “I know, Brett. I know. It’s ok though. You have to let it go now. It’s the past. We only have the future.”
He pulled his head from her shoulder and wiped his eyes, giving her a weak grin. “You always were the strongest one of us.”
Madi shrugged, getting a laugh out of Brett. “Hera, right?” She arched her brows.
Brett bowed his head again. There was more. “He told me to give you children.” He looked up at her, his green eyes full of regret, sorrow, and hope all at once. “He said you wanted a boy.”
Madi felt her heart rip in to pieces. She’d never told anyone but Hunter that tidbit of knowledge. She wept then, herself. She cried for Hunter, for the life lost, the good soul he’d been despite his many flaws, a past that had damaged yet renewed her, for the pain that six months hadn’t fully healed. She cried until her tears were spent, wetting Brett’s shirt as she had so many times before. But finally, she pulled back as her lover stroked her hair and back and cupped her cheek, wiping her tears away. He was so good at that, after all.
“You’re always wiping away my tears, Brett.”
“And I always will, Madison. You’re the love of my life, my sweet Sunflower. I’ll never miss another chance to tell you so. I want to be with you always.”
Madi gave him a bright smile, her heart overflowing with joy.
“Well, you’ve fulfilled all of Hunter’s requests, it would seem,” she stated and a grin teased at the corner of her mouth.
Brett stared dumbfounded back into her eyes, brows furrowed, truly perplexed. Then realization hit him hard, and he looked down at her abdomen, his fist coming to his mouth in shock. “Madi, you—you’re…” he was speechless, and she giggled and nodded.
“Yes, my love. You and I are going to have a baby.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Brett smiled as he looked down at the gravestone. He took the vase of flowers he’d brought today, a dozen sunflowers, and set it on the base of the headstone, alongside the others there. It had taken months for him to be able to look at the name chiseled into the stone and not feel his heart tear into pieces. Today, was different, it felt different because it was the next chapter in the book of Brett’s life. He’d been coming every morning on his way to the complex for the last several weeks, simply to talk to his best friend, fill him in on the goings-on of his life, give him the latest news. Not like Hunt probably couldn’t see it for himself, but it made Brett feel more at peace so there he was.
“Tonight’s the night, Hermes,” he said and sat down atop the grave, leaning in to rub the headstone, his usual spot that made him feel more connected to Hunter. “I’m hoping she’ll say yes, but I’m not certain. Maybe you could sprinkle some magic, kinda like Cupid. Wasn’t he a son of Hermes or something? I can’t remember. God, I’m nervous, can you tell?”
Brett laughed and imagined Hunt was getting a kick out of it, himself.
“Yeah, I still can’t believe she’s gonna have my baby, man. It seems so surreal. We’ve already picked which room will be the nursery, and she’s got me tryin’ to come up with a good solid name for this little tyke. You know he’s gonna be a looker for sure with how gorgeous his momma is.”
Brett had begun to call the baby a boy for some reason unknown to him, he couldn’t stop himself. “I figure he’ll be either a QB or receiver, either works for me. If he comes out
