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Chapter Fourteen
Zack stood outside, on the patio in Tobi’s backyard. Neither looked happy but Travis looked pissed.
“What the fuck, Zack?” Travis said again. “Why the hell aren’t you planning a wedding? What’s wrong with you?”
“You seem to have it all figured out. You tell me.”
Harlan put a hand on Travis’s arm. “Let him talk.”
“Oh, I intend to. I have one question for you,” Travis said. “Do you want to marry Laurel?”
Zack wished for a beer. A nice, cold beer. And he really wished he wasn’t having this conversation. He didn’t like baring his soul. Not to anyone. And that’s what he was about to do. “More than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
Zack took a seat on one of the patio chairs and waited for their response. They both looked mollified. And thoughtful.
“Why aren’t you getting married, then?”
“Didn’t you hear Laurel? She doesn’t want to get married. I asked her to marry me. Several times. She said no. Every time.”
Harlan’s eyebrows rose. “Why?”
“I don’t know. She either doesn’t love me or she won’t admit it.” Which made him depressed and angry and confused. “She says she ‘cares’ about me,” he said, making air quotes. “But she is dead-set positive that we are not getting married.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“How do you think I feel? I feel like shit. I love her, she’s having my babies, and she won’t marry me.” He got up and paced away. “At first I thought she’d get over it. That she was just spooked because of that bastard she was married to. But I’m beginning to think she’s not going to change her mind. Ever.”
“I don’t think you should give up yet. Give her some time,” Harlan said.
“Does she know you’ve been in love with her forever?” Travis asked.
“He has?” Harlan asked, clearly surprised.
Travis looked at his brother. “Yeah, he told me after I found them together. At his apartment where she’d obviously spent the night.” He turned back to Zack. “So you told her how you felt.”
“Goddamn it, Travis, I’m not an idiot. Of course I told her. I said I loved her and had for a long time. She doesn’t believe me because I didn’t tell her until after I found out she was pregnant.”
“Damn stubborn woman.”
“No shit. I asked her again after we found out she was having twins. She said no. Again.”
“Do you want me to talk to her? Tell her what you told me when you first got together?”
“It won’t matter, but thanks.”
“I could try.”
“She won’t believe you, Travis. She knows you and Harlan want her to marry me, so she’ll just think you’re lying to get her to agree.”
“Damn. You’re probably right.”
“At least she hasn’t kicked me out of hers and the kids’ lives,” he said, searching for something good to think about. “She says she won’t and she would never stop me from knowing my children. But damn it, Travis, that’s not all I want. I want the whole thing. I want Laurel, Cody, Katrina and the new babies. Maybe more kids. I want to marry her but she won’t and she won’t tell me why.”
“And you don’t know?” Harlan said. “She hasn’t said anything more?”
“No. Not really. But I’m almost sure it has something to do with that son of a bitch Stan Lewis.”
“Besides the fact that the bastard ran out on her and the kids and took all the money?” Harlan asked.
