Family E-Book

Mary E. Thompson

• Herausgeber: BluEyed Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

The last words Adrian ‘Rocky’ Malone expected to hear when he went to donate a kidney to a stranger were “he’s your son.” A first-names-only weekend fling years ago left Rocky with a lifetime of memories. He wondered what happened to the woman he only knew as Nikki. He didn’t think he’d see her again, and he sure as hell never thought she’d be the mother of his son. 

Nicole Parker would do anything for her child. As a single mom, her son always came first. She never thought twice about giving up dates or jobs or friends to take care of him. When all hope was lost, she dove deep into a dark world she never knew existed and made a deal with a man she was sure would just as soon kill her as help her. 

Rocky showing up was the answer to Nikki’s prayers, until he said he wanted to know his son. Too many people let Nikki down for her to trust again, but her son is the most loving person she’s ever known and welcomes the tough, strong, sexy former SEAL into their lives with wide open arms. 

The happy reunion doesn’t last long. Threatening phone calls and late night visitors make it clear the man Nikki went to for help is ready for his payment, and he is more than willing to take his fee from her. By any means necessary.

Leseprobe

FAMILY

F-BOMB: SEALS LOVE CURVES, BOOK 6

MARY E THOMPSON

Family

F-BOMB: SEALs Love Curves, book 6

Copyright © 2020 Mary E Thompson

Cover Copyright © 2021 Mary E Thompson

Cover Photo from depositphotos, Copyright © puhhha

Background from depositphotos, Copyright © yupiramos

Flag from Pixabay, CC0

Published by BluEyed Press, All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, businesses, locations, and events are either products of the author’s creative imagination or are used in a fictitious sense. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-944090-79-1

Print ISBN: 978-1-944090-80-7

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-944090-81-4

Created with Vellum

F-BOMB: SEALS LOVE CURVES

Welcome to the world of F-BOMB where a group of former SEALs have come together to protect the curvy women they love and the country they call home from the dangers of the world. They have the training and the knowledge, and they have the ability to kick some ass when needed. And it’ll be needed.

F-BOMB: SEALs LOVE CURVES

Freedom

Fiancée (subscriber exclusive)

Forgotten

First

Failure

Friends

Family

Forbidden

Future

Finally

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT MARYETHOMPSON.COM

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

About the Author

To the people who give us strength…that they never take it away.

1

Adrian Malone rolled his neck to the side to work out the kink in it. He was sore and stiff and in desperate need of a shower and a few hours in a bed. After spending the last thirty-six hours on surveillance in the back of one of the team’s SUVs, he was dead on his feet.

Even worse, they didn’t catch the guy they were after.

Adrian, known as Rocky to his closest friends and teammates, was a member of an elite group of former SEALs who spent their days and night protecting the borders. Stationed in Niagara Falls, New York, they did everything they could to make sure no one came in or out of the country without permission.

Unfortunately, people always slipped by. Which was why Rocky was part of a multi-day surveillance. A failed one.

Rocky sifted quickly through the mail and tossed it on the counter. He barely noticed what was in there and figured there wasn’t anything that couldn’t wait until he got some sleep and food. Preferably something that didn’t come out of a bag and wasn’t room temperature.

“Anything good?” his friend and roommate, Ryker ‘Dex’ Hamilton, asked. Dex was on the same surveillance as Rocky and just as tired, but he wore it better. His eyes actually stayed open on the drive home.

Rocky shook his head and walked toward the fridge.

“What about this?” Dex asked, holding up one of the envelopes.

“What is it?” Rocky asked without looking.

“From the living donor registration place. You could be a match for someone.”

Rocky shrugged and continued his search for food. He’d been registered as an organ donor forever, but it was only in the last month that he’d signed up as a living donor, willing to give pieces and parts of himself while he was still breathing to help others. He wanted to give back, but at the moment, food was a higher priority.

Their fridge was sparse and the cabinets worse. He debated ordering a pizza, but after the chips and sandwiches and junk he’d eaten lately, he couldn’t stomach the thought.

“You need to open this,” Dex pressed.

Rocky wasn’t sure about it. They were in the middle of a huge case that required all hands on deck. They’d been working around the clock for weeks. He was starving and exhausted and not looking for something else to do at the moment.

The sound of tearing paper met his ears, and he spun around. “What the hell?”

Dex shrugged and pulled the letter out of the opened envelope. “It says you’re a match. Someone needs you.”

“The team needs me,” Rocky said, his senses of duty warring. “I can’t leave right now.”

“You can always leave,” Dex said. “We always have a big case, and we’re always working crazy hours. You wanted to do this. You chose to do this. How can you walk away now that it’s here?”

Rocky shook his head and turned his back on his closest friend. He and Dex went through BUD/S together, then were matched to the same Team. Rocky had spent most of his career with Dex by his side. They knew each other better than most people knew another person, but at the moment, that only meant Dex knew how to push Rocky’s buttons.

“What if it’s a kid?” Dex asked. “Can you turn your back on a kid?”

“They don’t give out any information about who it is. I’ll never know. And right now just isn’t a great time. I’m starving. Do you want food?”

“Yeah,” Dex said. He continued to stare at the letter while Rocky pretended it didn’t exist.

Rocky settled on veggie pasta and a meaty sauce in the freezer. While the water boiled, he defrosted the sauce. Dex went to his room to shower, leaving Rocky alone with the letter. He shook his head at himself and tried to ignore it, but he couldn’t. All his life, he’d been called to give back, to serve. His mom was a nurse, and his dad was in construction. They always helped people and taught Rocky and his two sisters to do the same. It was why Rocky trained as a medic in the Navy and became a SEAL. And why he signed up to be a donor.

He added the pasta to the boiling water and stirred the sauce. He continued to stare at the letter without actually picking it up or reading it. It scared him. No matter how much he felt the pull to help, the act of surrendering his health for another person was terrifying.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, startling him. He dropped the spoon he used to mix the sauce, cursing when red splattered all over the floor. He left it there and dug his phone out of his pocket.

“Yeah?”

“Can you come in for a meeting?” Daniel Dunn was his XO as a SEAL and his boss as a civilian. Rocky trusted Dunn with his life.

“What time?”

“Thirty minutes.”

Rocky groaned and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Thanks.”

Dunn hung up, and Rocky hung his head. He was not in the mood to go into work. He knew if he did, he would spend the day there and get even less sleep. But it wasn’t the first time and wouldn’t be the last he had to spend the day at work without any rest.

He finished cooking and wolfed down his breakfast, adding a cup of coffee to the mix. The combination would have made him sick years ago, but he learned as a SEAL to eat what you had and not worry if it went together.

Dex got the call, too, and shoveled his food in as quickly as Rocky had. They were out the door in fifteen minutes and on their way to work. When they arrived, the rest of the team was rushing around the office. Rocky didn’t know what was happening, so he followed Dex to the conference room to wait, knowing the team would fill them in. Rocky put his head on the table and closed his eyes for a minute.

The next thing he heard was a mug of coffee placed on the table in front of him. A soft hand on his back would have made him jump a few years ago, but he stifled the urge to attack whoever touched him and looked up at Kyra.

“I figured you could use this,” she said with a smile.

Rocky nodded and accepted the mug gratefully. Kyra was their office manager and friend. She was also crazy in love with one of Rocky’s teammates, Slade.

“Thanks,” Rocky said, smiling at her. He brought the mug to his lips and drank. The hot burn of the coffee and the jolt of caffeine helped him as the others walked in and took seats around the table.

“We have a problem,” Dunn said as he set his stuff down on the table.

Rocky just closed his eyes and groaned internally. He was definitely not getting any sleep.

* * *

It was dark when Rocky and Dex made it home again. Exhaustion had set in and neither of them were in the mood to talk or think or eat. They bypassed the kitchen and went straight to their rooms without a word. Rocky didn’t bother stripping out of his clothes before he headed for bed, falling onto the covers and passing out almost instantly.

His internal clock woke him far too soon, but Rocky knew it was useless to fight against it. He never slept past six, and even sleeping that late was a challenge most days. He went for a run and lifted with the free weights he kept in his room, then showered and returned to the kitchen for breakfast.

He groaned when he opened his fridge and saw the same nothing he had the day before. He shook his head, grabbed his keys, and decided to stop for something on his way to work.

The letter caught his eye, and he paused to read it. It ended with a phone number to call for more information if he was still interested. He pocketed the letter and went straight to work, forgetting all about breakfast.

“I need you to check this out. Tell me if it’s legit,” Rocky said, handing the letter over to their resident computer expert, Liam Johnson.

English looked up at him when he saw what the letter said and simply nodded. Then he went to work and within a few minutes, he had his answer. “It’s legit. Are you going to do it?”

Rocky took a breath and shook his head. “It’s a shitty time to be out of the pocket. I wanted to, but I can’t leave the team. Not when we’re this close to closing this case.”

“Want to know who it’s for?” English asked.

Rocky snatched the letter away and shook his head. “No. I think it’s better if I don’t.”

English shrugged and went back to whatever he was doing.

* * *

Nicole Burke sat across the desk from Dr. Andrews and held her breath. She knew finding a donor was a long shot with her son’s rare blood type and antibodies, but she had hope that somewhere out there, someone was a match.

“I wish I had better news,” Dr. Andrews said. “There is a match registered in the system, but the person has declined.”

“Why?” Nicole asked. Her throat seized, taking all her breath with it. She was out of options. Out of hope. Her son was only six. A six year old shouldn’t have to go through what Sly had gone through. But things were only going to get worse for him. Without a donor, and soon, her son was going to die.

“We have no way of knowing that. Sometimes donors change their minds, sometimes they aren’t available for some reason, and sometimes they have medical issues that prevent them from donating. We really don’t know.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

Dr. Andrews said the words Nicole never wanted to hear. “Enjoy the time you have and prepare yourself.”

She sucked in a breath and nodded, but inside, she wasn’t accepting that answer. She would find another option, a solution that didn’t involve waiting and struggling and praying for someone else to do something. She was a mother, and she was not going to let her son die. She didn’t care what it took, she was going to fix this. She was not going to sit back and watch him fade away. That wasn’t an option. There had to be another choice.

And she was going to find it.

* * *

The next two weeks were a whirlwind for Rocky. He worked nights with Dex, and they were called into the office half the time for meetings. Every time they thought they were getting close to closing the case, something happened, and they ended up three steps backward. Until it all blew up in their faces and months of work led nowhere.

“Dammit!” echoed down the hall when the team returned.

Fists beat against the walls as each member of the team took out their frustrations on the inanimate objects around them. It was going to be a busy day in the gym with all that anger.

Rocky stood at his doorway and waited for Dunn to reach him. He didn’t need confirmation from Dunn that everything went sideways. He already knew, but Dunn jerked his head toward his office for Rocky to follow.

“What’s up?” Rocky asked, taking a seat across the desk.

Dunn took all his weapons off, setting each on the desk before pulling off his bulletproof vest. When he looked more like a normal guy, he sat down and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were a match?”

Rocky groaned and closed his eyes. “Dex needs to stay out of my business.”

“He came to me because we all know you signed up for a reason. He knows this will eat at you if you don’t go. What’s going on?”

“The timing sucks,” Rocky said simply.

“There’s never a good time. Never will be. But whoever it is you’re helping needs you now, so you have to go.”

“I just⁠—”

“When I was off with Ashleigh and Junior, you guys survived. We’ve all been out of commission for injuries. This team doesn’t function if we’re not all at the top of our game. You’re distracted by this because it’s what you want to do. So, why aren’t you?”

“If I do this, I won’t be at the top of my game. I’ll be down a kidney.”

“And you think we’ll give you desk duty?” Dunn asked. He leaned back and cross his arms over his chest.

Rocky shrugged.

“Will you be able to forgive yourself if you don’t go through with this? If you know someone out there is out of options and you said no?”

Rocky blew out a breath and closed his eyes. He’d been pushing the entire thing out of his mind for that very reason. He didn’t want to think about who wouldn’t make it.

“You’re a healer, Rocky. You’re the guy who takes care of everyone else. If you decide not to do this, I’m not going to think any differently of you, but I think you will. I think you’ll regret it.”

“It’s a month,” Rocky said.

“What is?”

“I would need to be there for a month. Because of what we do, I would have to be observed for a month by whatever doctor so they know I’ve healed completed before they’ll let me return to work.”

Dunn shrugged. “And?”

Rocky shook his head and ran a hand over his face. He hated missing anything, but missing a month was not going to be easy. “I⁠—”

“Don’t,” Dunn said. “Whatever it is you’re feeling guilty about, don’t. You are saving someone’s life. That’s why we do what we do every day. You’re just doing it in a different way. An easier way than we usually have to do it.”

Rocky stared at his boss and friend and admitted the truth. “I’m not sure I can walk away from this.”

“Then don’t. Do what you need to do and go save someone. We’ll survive without you, but this other person might not.”

Rocky took a breath and nodded. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest. He was going to help. To give back. To do what he knew was right.

He was going to save a life.

* * *

It took a few weeks to get more testing done to confirm Rocky was, in fact, a match. When he was finally given the go ahead, he booked his flight to Tennessee and headed south. Rocky checked in with Dunn and Dex when he arrived and ordered a car to take him straight to the hospital. His surgery was scheduled for the next morning, and they wanted him admitted overnight so they could monitor him and start surgery at the crack of dawn.

Rocky walked into the waiting room and glanced around. He didn’t know who he was donating his kidney to, but he was still curious. Could it be the teenaged girl in the corner with her mom and dad? Or maybe the toddler sleeping against his dad’s shoulder? Or the young boy…

Rocky tilted his head to the side. Wow. The boy looked just like Rocky’s dad. Same shape of his eyes. His ears stuck out a little too far. His chin was long and thin.

His father died when Rocky was at BUD/S. He was repairing a weak spot on the roof of his house and lost his balance. He was on life support for two days, but his mom knew he would do more for the world if she agreed to donate his organs. Rocky wasn’t there when the rest of his family said goodbye. His dad was proud of him, and his mom assured him his dad would have wanted him to stay at training and finish, but the guilt of not being there and not having patched the roof before he left ate at Rocky.

Rocky smiled at the boy and knew he made the right choice. If he was seeing his father’s face, there was no doubt in his mind that walking away from his team and giving up his kidney to help a stranger was for the best. He’d go back to his team when he was healed, but the person he was matched with couldn’t wait any longer.

His phone buzzed. Rocky pulled it out and smiled at the screen. His teammates had been sending him texts since he left, mocking him and saying he was a hero. He shook his head. They were teasing, but they meant it, too. Every single one of them was signed up to donate their organs if something happened. Rocky was the only one who signed up to be a living donor, and even though it scared him, he felt good about finally agreeing to go through with it.

Someone sat down next to him, and Rocky shifted to give her space. He glanced over and smiled, then did a double take.

“Hi, Rocky,” she said, sounding less than happy but not surprised to see him.

“Nikki?” he asked.

She nodded and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear.

“What are you doing here?”

She chuckled. “I’m here for the same reason you are.”

“You’re a donor?” Rocky asked, surprised at the coincidence. He met her on leave seven years earlier. They spent a weekend together, more time in bed than out. Rocky told himself she was better off not knowing his real name and refused to tell her who he was, using only his nickname when they were together. She played along, only giving him her first name.

Rocky thought about trying to find her after she disappeared their last night together, but he figured it was for the best. Still, he never forgot her, or the connection he thought they had.

Nikki shook her head and looked at the boy Rocky had been staring at. “I’d almost given up hope. I never thought you’d be the person who showed up.”

“What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “You’re here to save my son’s life. His name is Sly. Sylvester. I named him after Sylvester Stallone.”

Rocky chuckled. “What are the odds? I got my nickname after his iconic character.”

Nikki nodded. “I always assumed. That’s why he has that name.” Her eyes filled with tears, and she let them fall when she met his gaze. “He’s named after you. You’re his father, Rocky.”

2

Nicole looked at the man she saw in her son’s face every day and drew a breath. He was in everything Sly did. She hadn’t known Rocky long or well, but she knew him intimately. She knew him in ways she hadn’t known any other man before or since. And those little pieces of domesticity she saw when they spent a weekend together years ago were in her daily life with her son.

Sly was her world. When she found out she was pregnant, she was scared, but every decision she made since then was for him. Right up to and including telling Rocky her son was his.

“How is this possible?” Rocky asked, staring at Sly from across the room. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She stared at him for a long moment, letting the reality sink in. She knew Rocky wasn’t his real name, that it was a nickname given to him by the SEALs. It didn’t bother her at the time because there was no reason she’d see him again, or need to. She only told him her first name, never a last name. They agreed to keep things anonymous. She had no way to find him once she found out she was pregnant.

“You didn’t know my name,” he said after a moment. “Shit, Nikki, I’m sorry. I… I’m sorry. How is he?” He shook his head. “Stupid question. What happened?”

Nicole shrugged. “The doctors aren’t completely sure. They said it could be hereditary, especially since I didn’t know your medical history. He also fell when he was little and could have damaged something that went unnoticed. It’s been tough, but I haven’t spent a lot of time looking for reasons why. I’ve been more focused on helping him feel better. I’ve done everything I could, but his doctor said a transplant is his only hope for a long life. Without it, he has a year at the most. Dialysis has been hard on him.”

Rocky ran a hand down his face and leaned forward. He stared across the room at Sly. Nicole tried not to be jealous of how longingly Rocky looked at her son. She hadn’t had a man look at her like that since she last saw him, either. He was her last lover, and the memory of their weekend together got her through some rough days and nights.

When Sly was little, she imagined life with Rocky by her side. Helping her with midnight feedings and diaper changes, kissing scraped knees and elbows, and holding and loving her all night long. But Rocky was a figment of her imagination. Just like the hope they would find a donor had been.

Hope that sent her looking at other options. Options that would cost everything she had, except her son.

“How are you? This can’t have been easy on you. Are you okay?” Rocky asked, turning to her suddenly.

Nicole took a minute to soak him in, all those memories of dreams she had, of him coming home after a long day and asking exactly that, fogged her brain and made it hard for her to think straight as she sat next to the man she never thought she’d see again.

Nicole took a breath and said the same thing she said to everyone else. “I’m fine. It’s not easy, but Sly’s a great kid. I wouldn’t change anything in our lives because we’re together.”

Rocky held her gaze for a long moment, as if he could see the lies buried beneath the surface. She cried herself to sleep most nights of his life. She used him as her crutch. She spent every spare moment and every spare dollar on him, and she loved him, but a part of her resented Rocky for it. Not Sly, because he couldn’t help being sick, but Rocky for not being there. Even though he didn’t know, Nicole resented him.

“You must hate me,” Rocky said, as though reading her secret thoughts. “I wish I’d been here for you. For both of you.”

Nicole pulled herself together while Rocky stared at their son. He’d gotten older in the years since she’d seen him. He was still as lean and strong as ever. She had memories of outlining his muscles with her tongue, of tasting every inch of him. He did the same for her, something she wasn’t sure about at the time. He loved her curves, and he wasn’t afraid to tell her and show her how much. Years later, with a son and not enough money for both of them to eat healthy, she had even more curves hidden beneath her oversized sweatshirt and jeans.

Not that it mattered. Rocky wouldn’t see her naked again. Ever.

“I did the best I could,” Nicole finally said.

Rocky’s dark gaze snapped back to hers. “I know you did. He looks happy and you’ve done everything to make sure he’s healthy. I’m not trying to say you didn’t do everything. I just wish you weren’t going through all of this alone. Well, I mean, maybe you’re not. I’m sorry to assume.”

The question in his gaze almost made her laugh. Nicole had been alone since she walked out of his hotel room in the middle of the night, leaving behind the only man she was ever willing to be her full, true self with. But he wasn’t supposed to be hers.

Nicole shook her head. “No, I’m alone.”

Was that relief or heat in his eyes? It didn’t matter. Nicole was both too tired and too over men to even think about getting involved with someone. Maybe if Sly got better… No. She couldn’t think about that. Her son was her priority. Her only priority.

“Mommy,” Sly said, running over to her. He held up a toy he’d grabbed from the play area. It was a humvee, his favorite vehicle. “Look, Mommy!”

“I see, sweetheart. That’s really cool.”

“Can I get one?” Sly asked, his brown eyes hopeful. That was the thing with Sly, he was full of hope and faith. He never gave up on it. He trusted he would get better and be able to have a full life. He trusted their situation would improve and he would have all the toys he wanted. He trusted everything would work out all the time.

Nicole didn’t have the same levels of hope or faith. She didn’t trust anyone or anything. If something was going to happen, she had to make it happen.

“We’ll see, honey,” Nicole said, giving him a sad smile. She’d looked at something similar for him as a gift for getting through surgery, but she couldn’t afford it. Not when the hospital bills were going to cost her thousands. She had insurance, but it wasn’t great insurance. She had a tiny bit of savings, too, but she was going to use that for a new car since hers was barely holding on.

Now that she didn’t need that money to buy her son a kidney.

“Okay, Mommy,” Sly said, his smile only fading a little. He knew he’d never have one of his own, and instead of getting upset about it, he went back to playing with it, soaking up as much fun with the truck as he could get while it was in his hands.

He raced back across the room to the play area and zoomed the truck around the mat on the floor. Nicole watched him, smiling at the one person who’d never let her down.

“Wow,” Rocky breathed, startling Nicole. She’d forgotten he was there for a minute.

“What?”

“He’s… He reminds me of my dad.”

Nicole smiled. She wasn’t going to tell him she reminded her of him.

“Even the way he talks and how happy he is. It’s like a piece of my dad is here again.”

“Your dad is…”

Rocky looked at her. For a second, she could see that he was somewhere else, but then he snapped back to reality. “He died a long time ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole said. It didn’t matter that she never met the man, she could see the pain it caused Rocky.

He nodded. “He was a great man. The kind of father and husband I always hoped I would be.”

Nicole glanced at his hands, panic rising up. “You’re married with kids?”

He shook his head. “No. I just always wanted them.”

“Ever been married?”

“Nope. How about you?”

Nicole shook her head.

“Any other kids?”

Nicole shook her head again.

“Boyfriends, girlfriends?”

“No one. It’s just been Sly and me since I last saw you.”

Rocky took a breath and leaned forward again. His gaze was zeroed in on Sly. “Does he know who I am? That I’m his father?”

Nicole shook her head. “I didn’t know it was going to be you until I saw you today. He has a rare blood type, one I assumed he got from you. I figured there was a chance you would be the donor, but I also thought it was just as likely to be a stranger.”

“So, he doesn’t know anything about me?”

“He knows his father was a SEAL and that if you knew about him, you would be a part of his life.”

“You told him that?”

She shrugged. “I figured you would never know so I’d never have to tell him I was wrong.”

Rocky held her gaze, then drifted back to watching Sly. “You weren’t wrong. I want to know him, Nikki. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to get to know our son.”

* * *

Rocky watched Nikki as she processed his words. He wondered if she knew how much she telegraphed her thoughts in her eyes. She didn’t trust him, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted him around her son.

He didn’t really understand it. It wasn’t like he walked away from them, or even from her. When he woke up the morning he had to leave, she was already gone. She snuck out during the night. He had always been a light sleeper, so Rocky had no idea how she’d gotten out of the room without him knowing, but she did. She didn’t leave a note for him. She just vanished.

For a while, he was pissed off about it, but Dex convinced him it was for the best. Rocky didn’t plan to keep in touch with her, so what difference did it make that she left without a word?

But it bothered him, and until that moment, when he was sitting next to her in the waiting room, getting ready to donate a kidney to their son, did he realize why it bothered him so much.

Because he didn’t want it to be over.

“I’m sure he’d like that,” Nikki finally said.

Rocky could barely remember what they were talking about. Oh, yeah, getting to know Sly. That was honest. He did want to know his kid. He just wanted to know Sly’s mom, too. But he wouldn’t use Sly to get to Nikki. If things worked out with them, that would be great, but if not, Rocky still wanted to know his son.

“So, Nik⁠—”

“Adrian Malone,” a nurse called from the open doorway.

Rocky stopped and looked up. He lifted his hand and stood so the nurse knew he heard her. He turned back to Nikki.

“Your name is Adrian Malone?” she asked with a laugh.

He raised an eyebrow.

“No wonder they call you Rocky.”

He grinned at her laugh and remembered the first time he heard it. She was across the bar, and he had to know where it was coming from. She was like a siren, calling to him, and she still was.

“Mr. Malone,” the nurse said again.

“Nikki, please come find me. Okay? Don’t vanish on me again. Please.”

She stopped laughing and sucked in a shaky breath. She looked up at him and nodded, her eyes locked on his.

Rocky took half a step toward her and stopped. He couldn’t kiss her. She wasn’t his. He couldn’t even hug her. But he wanted to do both.

“I’ll see you soon.”

She nodded again.

He held her gaze for another second, then followed the nurse through the security door. She verified his identity and took his vitals before showing him to a room.

“Your procedure will be first thing in the morning. You won’t be able to eat after nine o’clock, but we can have dinner delivered to your room if you’d like. There is a menu on the table next to the bed and instructions on how to order are on the back. Please change into the gown so we can monitor you overnight. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Rocky nodded at the nurse. When she left the room, he changed and packed his clothes into his bag. He pulled out his phone and charger and set them on the table. He had a few missed texts from the team, but nothing that couldn’t wait.

The nurse hooked him up to machines and left again. Since he wasn’t really a patient yet, he figured they’d mostly leave him alone.

He replied to the texts and debated filling them all in on everything that happened. Dex was the only one who really knew about Nikki, but he might not remember her. Besides that, Rocky wanted a little time to process what happened and everything he learned before telling anyone else.

He ordered dinner and spent some time looking through his emails. He turned on the TV and stared at the screen, his mind and body screaming at him to do something. He wasn’t used to sitting around.

He picked up the phone to call the nurse’s station. Maybe if he found out what room Nikki and Sly were in, he could go visit them.

“Can I help you, Mr. Malone?”

“Yeah, can you tell me what room Sylvester… um, shit. I don’t know his last name.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Malone, but I can’t give out patient information.”

“But his mom… he’s… Okay. I understand. Thank you.”

“Is there anything else, Mr. Malone?”

“No.”

Rocky hung up and stared at the four walls surrounding him. It was going to be a long, boring month.

* * *

Nicole fluffed the pillow behind Sly’s head and smiled at him. “Are you feeling okay?”

He nodded. “Who was that man you were talking to, Mommy?”

Nicole took a breath and avoided looking at her son. She assumed he would notice and ask her, but she thought she could tell him Rocky was just another patient. She didn’t expect him to want to be involved in their lives.

“He’s donating a kidney tomorrow,” Nicole said.

“I’m getting a kidney tomorrow,” Sly said with a grin. “Is he giving me a kidney?”

She sat on the bed and took her son’s hands. She forced a smile for him. “He is. He came here to give you one of his kidneys.”

“That was really nice of him. He’s a nice man. Did you tell him thank you?”

She smiled. “I… don’t remember. But you can tell him. After tomorrow.”

“I will? I’ll be able to meet him and tell him thank you?”

She nodded and took the plunge. “You will. Because he wants to get to know you. Honey, he’s⁠—”

“Hello, everyone!” Dr. Andrews said, bursting into the room.

Nicole chose him as Sly’s surgeon because of his reputation as a top pediatric specialist. She liked him because he was always bright and happy and positive. He made everything seem possible, even the impossible.

“Hi, Dr. Andrews!” Sly shouted. He loved the man, too.

“Well, now, Sylvester, what are you here for? Is it a nose transplant?”

Sly giggled. “No.”

“Oh, I know, a funny bone transplant.”

Sly laughed harder and shook his head.

“It has to be an armpit transplant,” he said, tickling Sly.

Sly giggled and struggled to get away. “No, Dr. Andrews, it’s my kidney.”

“Oh, kidney!” He slapped his forehead. “Silly me. I should have known that. How is everyone feeling tonight?”

He looked at Nicole even though he was really asking how Sly was.

“I’m great. Mommy met the man who’s giving me a kidney. She said I can meet him later and thank him.”

Dr. Andrews gave Nicole a funny look. She wasn’t supposed to know who was donating, but it wasn’t an issue if she found out. She knew he was going to ask.

“Well, that sounds great,” Dr. Andrews told Sly. “How about you let me check you out real quick, and we’ll get all ready for the morning.”

Sly nodded and stretched out on the bed. He did as Dr. Andrews told him and smiled when the report was good.

Dr. Andrews talked a few more minutes, then asked Nicole to speak to him in the hall. She knew what was coming.

“How did you figure out who the donor was?” Dr. Andrews asked.

Nicole took a breath and admitted, “He’s Sly’s father.”

“Really?” Dr. Andrews asked with a grin. “Well, that’s great news. I thought this was a registry match?” He flipped through Sly’s chart.

“It is. His father hasn’t been a part of our lives. I didn’t know how to contact him,” Nicole said.

Dr. Andrews nodded like he understood. “Well, whatever the reason, I’m happy to see things are going well and that Sly will be healthy. How are you, Nicole? Are you getting enough rest? The next month or two is going to be tough on you.”

“I’ll be fine, Dr. Andrews. As long as Sly’s okay, I will be.”

Dr. Andrews smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Tomorrow is going to be a good day.” He squeezed, a grandfatherly gesture from a man who really cared about his patients. Dr. Andrews was well into his fifties and shared with Nicole that he had grandkids close to Sly’s age. He said he enjoyed working with kids because they make the world a better place. She was sure he saw more than his fair share of heartache, but he still dealt with every child as though they were his favorites and they all had a great chance of recovery.

“Thank you, Dr. Andrews.”

“Do you want me to check up on the father? Make sure he’s good?”

Nicole smiled and shook her head. “He’s a good man. He didn’t run out on us. He never knew about Sly. I didn’t know how to reach him once I found out I was pregnant. But he said he wants to get to know Sly.”

Dr. Andrews nodded. “Well, if you change your mind, let me know. Try to get some sleep tonight, Nicole. I’ll see you both early in the morning.”

“Thanks, Dr. Andrews. See you tomorrow.”

Nicole went back into the room where a nurse was talking to Sly. She was showing him the options for dinner and flipping through the channels on the TV. Cable TV was a luxury they didn’t have at home, so Sly was in heaven.

“Hi, Mom,” the nurse said. “We’re talking about dinner. He’s hungry. He wants pizza and a cheeseburger and fries and a cookie and ice cream.”

Nicole crossed her arms and gave Sly a look that said not a chance. “Maybe about half of all that.”

The nurse grinned and winked at her. “That’s probably for the best.” She handed Nicole the menu. “I’m Shelly. I’ll be here until he goes into surgery tomorrow, but I’ll be back for nights through the weekend. Dinner for you is included, too, Mom, so order whatever you want. I’ll pull the chair out for you whenever you’re ready. And let me know if there is anything else you need.”

Nicole nodded. Shelly started to walk out when Nicole remembered Rocky. “Is it possible to tell me what room another patient is in?”

“It depends. Is the patient family?”

Nicole smiled and lowered her voice. She glanced back at Sly, but he was focused on the TV. “He’s my son’s donor, but he’s also his biological father.”

Shelly nodded and smiled. “What’s his name?”

“Adrian Malone.”

Shelly tapped the screen of her tablet a few times, then said, “Room 412.”

“Thank you.”

Shelly nodded. “Good luck.”

Nicole smiled. She was going to need more than just luck.