Page 95 of Tuck & Roll

“Yes. Where are you?” Tuck asked.

“Boulder. Why is she in Redemption?”

“She grew up here. This is where her parents live.” Shouldn’t Michael know this about the woman he was going to marry and have a baby with?

“Her parents are alive?” Michael growled. “She told me they died and that she grew up in Boulder. I’ve been here for a month trying to track her down.”

Tuck’s head jerked at that revelation. She told him her parents were dead? What a bitch. “Why did it take you so long to come looking for her?”

“I waited a few days, thinking she’d get over whatever set her off and she’d come home. She was staying at the hotel I own and I thought she’d be okay. I’d have my staff keep an eye on her.” He paused for a moment, then went on. “She has what I call tantrums from time to time and then she gets over it in a day or two. When she didn’t come home after a week and ignored my every attempt to reach out to her, I found out from my staff that she’d checked out but didn’t know where she went. They assumed home with me. I dropped everything and came to Colorado to look for her.” He sighed heavily. “Was anything she told me true?”

“Look, I don’t know what to tell you because I don’t know what’s she’s told you. Her parents are here and until recently, they didn’t know she was in town or that she was pregnant.”

“What?” Michael’s tone was incredulous.

“It’s a long story. If you hurry you can be here when your son is born or right after. She’s having a C-section. The baby is breech.”

“I’m having a son?” Michael whispered. He sounded a little choked up.

“Yeah, man. You need to get here. Call Taylor’s phone when you get here and I’ll tell you where to go.”

“Yes. I can do that. And Tuck? Thanking you for answering and letting me know what was going on.”

“Not a problem. Wish I would have known about you sooner.” Having concluded his conversation, he disconnected and switched out her phone for his. He called and told the Greens where to find him then took a seat. With a free moment to himself, he couldn’t help but wonder if Kylie was having a good time. He’d been reluctant to let her go out with the old ladies, but she’d convinced him that everything would be fine. They were at a club-owned bar and had two prospects on them. No one could get within ten feet of the women.

He was sitting with his elbows to his knees, his chin resting on his clasped hands when Taylor’s parents found him. He stood and went to shake hands with Martin. “Glad you could make it.”

“Of course. Taylor might be a pain in the ass, but she’s still our girl,” Martin said.

“Any news? Is the baby here yet?” Carol asked as she took a seat.

“No. No news yet.”

“I still can’t believe she never told us she was in town or that she was pregnant. We’re her parents, the baby’s grandparents for crying out loud. Why wouldn’t she tell us she was pregnant?” Martin still couldn’t seem to wrap his head around that.

“I wish I could tell you, but I have no clue what goes on in Taylor’s head.” Tuck took a seat angled to the Martins’ left.

“I could ring her neck,” Carol stated with a little heat. “I have half a mind to tell her exactly what a selfish young woman she’s turned out to be.”

“I know you want to see her, but maybe wait until tomorrow to give her hell,” he suggested. He raised his hand, “I’m not saying she doesn’t deserve it or that it’s not been a long time coming. I have as many reasons to be pissed at her as you do. I’m just saying give her a few hours to enjoy her baby before you do.”

“You’re right. We shouldn’t ruin her special moment. We’ll wait a bit, then she’s going to listen to what we have to say.” Carol nodded.

He took a deep breath and released it. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about.” Carol and Martin both visibly braced for what he might have to say next. He hated to be the bad guy in all this and for that, another mark went against Taylor for being a bitch.

“Do you know a man named Michael that Taylor would have been seeing?”

Martin and Carol frowned at each other before Carol said, “No.”

“I just spoke to him on Taylor’s phone and he says he’s the father. He was in Boulder and is headed here.” He explained what else he’d discovered during their conversation.

Martin and Carol were in shock and the deep hurt they were feeling was written all over their faces. He imagined they were wondering where they went wrong and if they could still have a relationship with the baby without having to deal with Taylor and her shit.

They all sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts as they waited for word on Taylor and the baby. He didn’t know how long they’d been this way when Taylor’s phone rang. It was Michael. Tuck answered with, “You got here fast.”

“Yeah. I also got a ticket for speeding. It’s not every day a man has his first son.” Tuck heard a ding in the background. “All right. I’m at the elevators. Where do I go now?”

After Tuck gave him directions to the waiting room, he turned to Taylor’s parents. “That was Michael. He’s here. When he called, I told him to hurry.” He smiled, “He got a ticket getting here. Said it wasn’t every day a man has his first son.”

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