Page 21 of Cash

“Anyone hurt?” I bark into the phone as I’m exiting my house.

“No. Everyone’s whole, but you need to be here. I’ll explain then,” Axel states then disconnects.

I pocket my phone, straddle my bike and start it up. Mind whirling with what’s going on, I make the short trip faster than usual. I pull in behind the gym and park my bike next to Axel’s truck. As I’m dismounting, I see Axel and Pooh standing at the back door, both wearing identical serious expressions.

“What’s going on?” I ask as I approach them.

“Follow me,” Axel answers.

I follow as we wind our way through the gym and to the office. Walking in, I see Bailey sitting on the couch holding a tiny infant. Sitting next to her is Alexia, Axel and Bailey’s little girl. It takes a moment to register that the baby Bailey’s holding isn’t her child. There are tear tracks running down Bailey’s face when she looks up at me.

“What’s going on?” I bark.

“When we got here this morning, we found that infant seat sitting next to the back door. In it was that baby,” Axel says while pointing to a beat-up infant seat sitting in the corner of the office.

“Who’d do this? Who’d leave a baby on a doorstep?” Bailey asks quietly with a sniff.

“This envelope was tucked in with the baby,” Pooh tells me while holding out an envelope with my name written on the front of it.

I stare at the envelope like it’s going to bite me. My mind’s a complete blank as to why it has my name on it, but my gut’s telling me it’s going to be life-altering. While I’m standing stock still, the baby starts fussing. My attention jerks to the baby, and my stomach tightens. I watch as Bailey tries to soothe the infant, but it’s not working. I wait a few seconds and instinct kicks in.

I approach Bailey and reach for the infant. I know nothing about babies except that they’re loud, messy and don’t always have that awesome baby smell moms speak about. But I do know this one’s upset, and it’s pulling at something deep inside me. Bailey stands and carefully hands the baby to me, adjusting my arms and hands to where they should be. I look down into a tiny angry face, and my heart gives a hard thump.

The baby gives another good wail before opening its eyes and looking up at me. I have no idea what its eyes are seeing, but mine are looking into light blue orbs framed by blond eyelashes and brows. The baby quiets immediately as I continue to stare down at it. It takes another minute before I realize Pooh’s been speaking to me.

“You need to read the letter, Cash. We need to know who and why someone abandoned an infant on our doorstep. I’ll hold the baby, you read the letter,” Pooh says as he holds it out in my direction.

“Read it,” I order.

“Why’s the gym not opened yet, you lazy fuckers?” Vex asks as he and Taja hit the doorway, hand in hand.

“We have a situation,” Axel answers.

Looking toward the door, I see Taja’s eyebrows go upward while her mouth drops open. She looks from the infant to me and back again. I see pain flash through her eyes before she buries it.

“What the fuck?” Vex mumbles as he too sees the infant I’m holding.

Taja approaches and looks down at the now quiet baby. She softly runs a fingertip across the baby’s cheek before pulling her hand back and taking a deep breath. It’s shaky but she remains calm as Vex wraps his arms around her from behind.

“Who’s that?” Vex asks quietly.

“Don’t know. Found it abandoned next to the back door,” Axel answers.

“Holy hell. Who’d leave a baby behind a gym?” Taja asks in an anguished whisper.

“If Cash would read the letter, we might know that by now,” Pooh says in an agitated tone.

“Read it, Pooh,” I tell him again.

Pooh opens the letter, scans it quickly and then reads aloud:

Cash,

I’m so sorry to do this to you, but I have to. I’m not cut out to be someone’s mommy. This isn’t the life I want. I tried, but I just can’t. I have things I want to do in this world and having a baby isn’t one of them.

I didn’t find out I was pregnant until after we quit dating, and I had moved out of town. By the time I found out, it was too late for an abortion. I was going to put him up for adoption, but I didn’t want a paper trail that might end up ruining my life someday. I know this is selfish of me, but I know you’ll do the right thing.

I never named him, but he’s 4 weeks old today. He has no birth certificate because I had him at home, alone. He’s healthy as far as I know. I know this must be a shock to you, but I didn’t know what else to do.

---