“Olive,” he called softly.
I had not seen this man for close to ten years, and the sound of him saying my name threw me back to a naïve seventeen-year-old.
I hated this man. When I had been at my most weak and vulnerable, he had tossed me aside and wanted nothing to do with Rocky and me. When Rocky was six days old, his father, Tag Martin, died in my world.
Now a dead man was standing in my hospital room.
“I don’t need you here, Tag,” I whispered.
“Is that why the hospital called me and told me you had been in an accident?” he asked.
I gritted my teeth and scowled. “I didn’t ask them to call you. You were still listed as my emergency contact from when Rocky was born.”
“That was ten years ago,” he pointed out. “You telling me in ten years you never thought about changing that?”
I sighed and looked off to the side.
Cue Ball moved toward Tag and held his hand out to him. “I’m Cue.”
Tag shook his hand. “I’m…” his words faltered, and he dropped his hand to his side.
He was a sperm donor. That was it.
“He was leaving,” I interrupted. “I’m sorry that you came all this way, Tag. I’ll make sure to have your name taken off my emergency contact list.”
“Uh, I moved back to town a few months ago,” he explained. “It only took me a couple of minutes to get here. Are you okay?” he asked.
I had never heard those words from Tag before.
He was ten years too late.
“I’ll be fine. Cue will make sure of that,” I blurted. “He’s been here the whole time.”
Tag tipped his head to the side and looked Cue Ball up and down. “You’re together?” he asked. His eyes lingered on the patch on Cue Ball’s chest.
I didn’t even have time to think about what to say or do next.
Cue Ball grabbed my hand and threaded his fingers through mine. He stood close to the side of the bed and nodded.
I know I had said that Cue Ball would make sure I was okay, but I was surprised Cue was going to take it this far.
I also didn’t owe Tag an explanation about anything, though.
Tag looked around. “Is…”
He was looking for Rocky. The rat bastard was looking for my son. My blood boiled at the thought of Tag even being able to get a glimpse of Rocky. He didn’t deserve to see Rocky, let alone be in the same room as him.
“He’s home with Grandma right now,” Cue Ball explained. “We just talked to her.”
“Oh, uh, well, that’s good.” Tag ran his fingers through his hair. “I guess I’ll just get going.”
Thank god. “Yup, bye.” I didn’t owe Tag the decency to be nice to him.
“Uh, thanks for taking the time to check on Olive. I’ll make sure everything gets changed with the hospital computers.”
Tag nodded. “Uh, that would be good.” He hesitantly turned and pulled open the door. “I’m glad you’ll be okay, Olive.” He disappeared out the door, and it closed softly behind him.
“You should give up the motorcycle gig and take up acting,” I whispered.
“No shit, doll,” Cue Ball chuckled. “I’m going to be a fucking natural on Tread.”
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head and dropped my hand. “Nothing, doll.”
“Uh, thank you for helping with Tag,” I muttered.
“Your kid’s dad?” he asked.
I scoffed. “Sperm donor is more like it. He saw Rocky two times and then signed his rights over.”
“Damn, doll. You sure you don’t want me to go track that guy down and punch his lights out?” he asked.
Ten years ago, I would have said yes, but these days Tag wasn’t worth my or Cue’s time. Not once did he try to contact me, and if it hadn’t been for the hospital calling him, I probably would have never seen him.
Though he did say he had moved back to town a few months ago.
How had I not known that? Mt. Pleasant wasn’t a super small town where we all knew each other, but it wasn’t a bustling metropolis either.
“No. If I never see him again, it will be too soon,” I sighed. I laid my head back on my pillow. “First, I get blown up, and then I have to see Tag? Lordy, give me some good pain meds and knock me out.”
“Knock, knock,” Nurse Gene called as he pushed open the door. “I know who we called.”
“I know, too,” I growled.
“Oh, hello,” Gene called. “Is this who we called? You don’t look so happy to see him.” He nodded to Cue Ball. “You much be Tag.”
I rolled my eyes. “Wrong, Gene.”
Cue Ball sat in the chair next to my bed. “You can call me Cue.”
“Like the ball or like a line?” Gene asked. He pushed a few buttons on the machine I was hooked up to, and the blood pressure cuff on my arm started to squeeze.
“Ball,” Cue Ball replied.
“Good at pool?” Gene asked.
“Decent,” Cue Ball shrugged.
I bet that was a lie.
“Mmhmm,” Gene hummed. “Sure.”
“Uh, do you know when I am going to be able to get out of here?” I asked. “I need to get home to my son before my mom has to go to work.”
“Shouldn’t be too long, sugar.” Gene sat at the computer and scanned his card.
The door swung open, and a woman walked in. “CAT scan?” she called.
“Speak of the devil,” Gene called.
“How many times have I told you not to call me by my real name in front of the patients?” the woman cackled. She smiled at me and winked. “You can just call me D, honey. I’m gonna take you for a spin.”
“And how many times have I told not to scare the patients?” Gene asked D. “She’s got a big ol’ biker keeping watch over her.”
“I can take him,” D laughed. She fiddled with the IV on my arm and raised the side rail on my bed. “He may look tough, but I’m sure he’s a teddy bear inside.” She winked at me and removed the brakes on my bed.
I glanced at Cue Ball, who had a smirk lingering on his lips.
“We’ll be right back, okay, biker boy?” she asked.
Cue Ball held up his hands. “I should probably insist on coming along to make sure Olive is safe, but I’m pretty sure you could take a wild cougar down with one hand.”
“Damn straight,” D muttered. “Sit tight.”
D wheeled me out of my room and down the hallway.
“You good?” she asked.
I closed my eyes. “Sure.”
She tsked. “Child, with that man at your side, I know for a fact you are good.”
I didn’t argue and tell her I had just met Cue Ball tonight. I didn’t have the energy to tell her the truth. “Can I take a nap?” My headache was coming on strong, and I just wanted to sleep.
“As long as you’re not moving, I don’t care what you are doing.”
My exhausted body relaxed into the bed, and I let the darkness take me over again.
*
Chapter Three
Cue Ball