Page 32 of The Biggest Sacrifice

“Thanks for taking the girls, too. I know that’s not your usual age group.”

“It’s fine. Ms. Johnson was with me, so it was easier today. Anytime you get stuck, you know you can drop them off.”

I listen to the back and forth. It’s an easy conversation, but something about the sweet simplicity of it is pulling at my heart. Maybe because it’s my girl helping out my sister-in-law?

My girl. Shewasmy girl.

Why was I in such a hurry to leave all of this?

“Do you watch them often?” I ask Farrah.

She looks at me with a slightly furrowed brow. I wipe at my face, thinking there’s something there, and that’s why she gives me a quizzical look.

“Do I have something on my face?”

She shakes her head; her face taking a natural look again. “No, I just, um. No. I don’t watch them often. Only if there’s something going on where your mom and Chelsea are down at the office with your dad.”

Now it’s my turn to look surprised. “Mom’s been going to the office again?”

She looks a little uncomfortable with my questioning. “Um, yeah. So has your dad. House O’Love has expanded. I thought you knew?”

“Expanded?” I look at Adam. “Adam, what’s with the business?”

He turns around on the bleachers. “You mean the new company? I merged with a neighboring flooring company. It’s been a good move, we’ve been getting a lot of new business with it.”

“Flooring?”

“Yeah, they’re an older mom and pop shop, like how we started out. It made sense for me to take them on. The owner was looking to retire and his kids didn’t want the business. He wasn’t ready to let go entirely, so we came to an agreement. It’s been lucrative all around.”

I take a breath, taking it all in. Fuck, in just a year, I’ve missed a ton. But when I think about it, I’ve missed more than a year. I can't help but feel like I've been on autopilot for quite some time. Vaguely, I remember hearing about this merger, but wasn’t in the headspace to absorb it. Or care, frankly. I worked, and I fucked. And Farrah allowed me to take it from her. My guilt has had me blurred to the world for too long.

I need to wake up.

“Hello, Casanova family.”

And it starts now.

A chorus of ‘Hey, Cash’ and ‘Hey, Officer O’Brien” ring out. He’s on duty tonight, keeping the peace at the field. My eyes narrow on him as he makes his way up the bleachers to us. He stops at the row in front of us and walks down, slaps my brothers on the shoulders as he passes, and kisses my nieces. Ruffles the hair of my nephew. “Officer,” he greets me, then stops in front of Farrah, running his hand down her arm. “How was school today?”

Her face eases and they fall into a conversation about the kids and Ms. Johnson. I don’t even know who Ms. Johnson is.

But Cash fucking does.

And I don’t fucking like it.

The horn goes off, signaling the end of the first quarter, but the noise jolts me. I’m physically sitting here, but my mind is wandering again about how well Cash and Farrah really know each other. I know she didn’t sleep with him. I could tell by the way her anger rolled off her when I asked. Plus, her eyes held a look of desperation everytime she glanced at me. She’s needy as fuck so I know she hasn’t had dick since I left.

Mines the only one she’ll ever have.

“You okay there, Tom?” Cash questions.

“Tommy?” Farrah repeats my name.

I’m pulled again from my daydreaming when I hear my name. I nod my head. “Yeah, why?”

Cash stares intently at me, but doesn’t say a word. His eyes dart between me and Farrah. I turn to her and she says “You jumped at the horn. And your hands…”

I look down and realize I’m grasping the bleacher seat so hard my knuckles are white. I loosen my hold, shaking out my hands. “All good.”

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