The Harrington Series Book #4: Chasing Naila

Chapter 40: The Baby Party Part 2

Cole's POV
We have played the silliest games.

I have never been to a baby shower before. These women have clearly been planning this forever or they are exceptionally good at this kind of thing.

"Finally." Tony closed the doors to the den, shitting out all the laughing and screaming from the other room. "Help yourself to something strong."

The six of us settled around a poker table. Tony loves to gamble. He says he never loses. It's true. He learned how to gamble from Don Giovanni and apparently, he never lost either.

"Congratulations Cole. We bought you a gift." He informed me with the slyest smile.

"I don't want your gift."

"Don't offend us mate. It cost us a pretty penny!"

"You sound very devious right now."

"It's the after effect of being stuck in that." Ferrer pointed to the party outside the doors.

"You are one to speak." Nick did not let it slide.

"What does that mean Nicko?" Ferr responded sounding borderline aggressive.

"I raise your kid for you."

"Whoa! Guys, guys," I intervened. "...how about we don't do this tonight?"

They both toned it down.

"Glad to have you back." Bruce told me. "We haven't had a referree for almost six years. We just usually let the madness play out. The chios fall where they fall."

"Guys. I want to apologize for my demeanor in the last couple of months-"

"Two years." Ferrer pointed out. "Not months, two years. Acknowledge that."

"Like you acknowledge Terrence." Nick took another jab.

"Do you want to take thiw outside?" Ferrer asked him. "Let's take it outside!"

"Hey! When did you get so aggressive?" I asked Ferrer. "Nick stop trying to provoke rage out of him! Come on you two!"

"My bad." Nick apologized.

Ferrer didn't. "My old man is back."

"Seriously? The guy who abused you and your mother?" Tony asked him.

"And killed my mother. He wants me to forgive him. He always told me I'll amount to nothing. How he is proud of me for being a big shot doctor. I can't tell if he's being genuine or he just wants to be part of the success story."

"That sucks." Bruce sighed.

I think of all of us, Bruce has the best relationship with his father. The rest of us have clashed with our fathers at some point.

"What do you want to do about it?" I asked him.

"Ignore him until he goes away."

"Not a viable solution. Just talk to him. Tell him that he fucked up and he should piss off." Nick. He can't be helped.

"If it's within your heart to forgive him-" the boys broke into jeers at my opinion. "Guys! Seriously! Stop it! Let's have some order!" They quieted down. "I know this, Nick knows this, Sinclair knows this, Tony knows this. It's easier to let go of animosity than to hold onto to it."

They all mattered in agreement. "Even when I don't trust him."

"If you don't give him a second chance you will never know if he is a changed man."

"I'll think about that. Nick, it's not that I'm not acknowledging Terrence. I don't know how to be a father."

"None of us do." Nick answered him. "There's no manual that comes with the firstborn, the middle ones or even the last born. Half if the time I'm not even sure what I'm doing."