Against the Odds (Fighting to Survive #2)(7)

“Well, for today this is good.” I try to sound upbeat for Dove and for everyone.

Robert asks, “Do you want to go to the shop?”

“I would love to. I’ve missed that place — the smell and the feel of it.”

Dove smiles and says, “It’s very relaxing there, and Jo’s cinnamon buns… I think I gained five pounds just working there this week. If you ever need me to fill in again, let me know.” She looks at her watch and says. “Speaking of which, I need to get back to work. Break times over.”

“You and Dove drive the Jeep over and Gus and I will take the Hummer,” Robert says as he holds opened the Jeep’s door. I look at him in confusion. “I just wanna see who they’ll follow.”

“Okay, be careful, Ace.”

“We’ll be there shortly.”

Dove and I didn’t get followed on the way to the shop in the Jeep, but Robert said he and Gus did.

Robert smiles and says, “They thought they could keep up with is.”


“They almost did,” Gus says.

“Nah, they didn’t stand a chance.”

“How did you lose them?” I ask.

Gus looks to Robert and Robert looks to Gus, but neither of them says anything. “You outran them?”

Gus laughs and says, “He was driving.”

Gus, Robert, Dove, and Bethany all hang out at the shop while I do the books and deposit. I am thrilled to see the increase in sales. I call Brooke to let her know I mailed out another check for her and to let her know we once again need more books. She tells me she hired Christina, the owner and operator of CBB Productions. I’m not surprised, she needed an assistant. I’ve been monitoring her books sales and ratings on the online selling platforms. It’s just a matter of time before a publishing company picks her up.

Robert helps me with the ordering and we all help with the cleanup. Robert surprisingly resisted Jo’s cinnamon buns. I’m happy to see that he is taking this fight with Kennedy seriously. I know he wants the championship, but I also can’t help but feel there is a personal vendetta I don’t know about.

Later the night Robert reminds me that we have a doctor’s appointment in the morning. With all the things that’s been going on, I totally forgot about it. When we go to bed, I pray extra hard for thanks for our many blessings and for things to work out for both families involved in the baby swap. Robert reads from Jamie’s baby book and I fall asleep on his chest in the middle of it.

Our appointment went well and the baby is growing as it should. They did another ultra sound and we still declined to know the gender. I think I would like to know, but Robert is right, the sex of the baby isn’t important. On Friday, we still haven’t heard anything from the attorney. Robert calls Bruce and Bruce says he hasn’t heard anything. I get a call from Emma asking if I would mind if she came over Saturday. I am excited to see her and excited to have someone over. It’s been a long time. Robert and I used to entertain a lot when Jamie was alive, but since her death, we mostly just stay to ourselves.

On Saturday I am shocked to see a large pickup truck pull into the driveway. I am even more surprised to see Angel, Sara, Brea, Emma, and Molly get out of it. I’m wearing a summer dress and heels and they are all wearing old jeans and t-shirts. I smile and hug each of them. Robert stands in the doorway smiling with his arms crossed over his large chest. He’s wearing his signature t-shirt, jeans and boots. Even in the summertime, he wears boots. Sometimes I wonder if he wasn’t meant to be a country boy. Rugged and masculine — that’s my Robert.

“What are you guys up to?” I ask.

“We miss you,” Angel says, hugging me back.

“I miss you guys, too. Where are the kids?” I look at Emma, Angel, and Molly.

“With their dads,” they say in unison.

“Adam and Raelynn are at the church setting up for a play for tomorrow.” Molly adds, “She wanted to come.”

“You should have brought her; I would have loved to see her.”

“Thank you, you’ll have to go to church tomorrow; she and James are in the play.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I hug everyone and Brea opens the tailgate of the truck. “Bobby, can you help with this?”

“What’s going on?” I ask as I walk with Robert to the back of the truck.

Angel says, “Don’t be mad. But we’re here to get the nursery ready.”

“What? Why?”

“When are you due?” she asks.

“In a couple months.”

“Is it ready for the baby?”

“No,” I admit.

“This is what I do. I decorate. And we wanted to do something nice for you. So, here we are.”

I watch as Robert removes the gallon cans of paint from the back of the truck. My eyes get teary and my lip begins to quiver as I say, “Thank you.”

After a group hug, we all walk into the bare nursery.

“What color paint did you guys get?” I ask.

Sara holds up a paint sample and it’s the same sage green color that Robert and I talked about.

“If this isn’t right, blame Bobby,” she laughs.

“You did this?” I ask, hugging him.

“I wish I thought of this. I can’t take the credit. This was their idea; I just told them what we were thinking of.”