Page 46 of Outlaw Heartstrings
I’m met with silence.
“Uh. Easton? Did you hear me?”
“Yeah!” he shouts. He suddenly sounds wide awake now. “Hell, yeah. I just didn’t think I heard you right, but you want to tell him? You’re sure about this?”
“I am. It’s not fair to keep him in the dark.”
“Yes. One hundred percent yes!” Easton agrees. “Yes, we need to tell Jagger the truth.”
I find myself smiling at his enthusiasm. “Okay. That’s good. So let’s figure out—”
“And child support,” he cuts in. “I’m going to pay you child support. I’ll figure out how to get that set up. What about bills? What are the bills I can help you with?”
“Money…?” My head is already spinning. Everything with Easton seems to move from zero to sixty before I can even put my seatbelt on. “I…I don’t know, Easton. I’ve been doing it on my own for a long time. But I guess if you want to set something up for your son’s future, I won’t stop you.”
He pushes a fiery breath through his nostrils. “Okay, fine. That’s a good idea,” he concedes. “I’ll have a discussion with Lincoln about my financial options for Jagger’s future,” he decides.“Maybe there’s some kind of investment thing we could do. Some fancy stock market things.”
I’m laughing now. “Whoa! Whoa! Slow down. You’re making me dizzy.”
He chuckles along. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m fully on board, Alba. I promise, you won’t regret this.” There is so much excitement in Easton’s voice.“Anyway, I think we should tell him together.”
This is happening. This is really happening.
Yet still, I feel a wave of anxiety rolling in. I doeverything in my power to keep it at bay. “We can’t do it tomorrow. I work in the evening. But the next day? Are you free around dinner time?”
“I’m all yours,” Easton says, making my stomach do that funny thing again.
“O-okay. Good.” I find myself smiling.
We say good night, and I sit there in my bed, replaying the whole thing in my mind. I don’t know why, but I expected this conversation to be more difficult. Hearing how excited Easton is about this brings a tiny smile to my face. And I feel a little lighter.
Like the weight of the world might not crush me this week.
17
EASTON
I’m pacing my living room, pausing briefly to peek out the front curtains every two minutes. Each time I see that they’restillnot here, I resume my pacing.
I’m feeling unusually antsy. My hands are tingly. Heck, I’m even getting sweaty from all the damn stress.So, I relocate to the front porch to wait for Alba and Jagger to arrive.
I’m going to do right by my son. Tonight is the first step.
Mom is away at her place in Sin Valley for a few days, and my brothers left town too, off doing their own thing. So I’m glad to have the property to myself tonight for Jagger and Alba’s visit.
I’m sitting on the front steps, knee bobbing up and down, when they eventually show up. A wave of relief hits me, only to be followed by a new sense of anxiety for what's to come.
Heck, this feels scarier than entering the professional hockey draft.
But I squash my nervousness, hustling down the driveway and greeting them both.
“Hey, little man!”
“Hi Easton!” Jagger shouts excitedly, running up to give me a hug. “Mimi said we get to hang out again. Are we playing hockey?”
“Not today, Buddy. I thought we could hang out at my house this time. Do you want a tour?”
Jagger shrugs. “Sure.”
