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PROLOGUE
Heidi gave me a son and then I killed her Lucky were the bastards who learned life lessons from close calls I envied those lucky bastards
“Don’t drink tonight I want you to put another baby inside ofunder the table surrounded by twelve of our closest family and friends Heidi picked my favorite steak house in Omaha and reserved the party room for my special day I had no idea until everyone yelled surprise
I loved her beyond words
“And for the birthday boy?” The brunette waitress winked at ainst the pad of paper in her hand
“Whisky neat”
Heidi frowned
I grabbed her hand and pressed it toyour request”
“We’ll see” Her curt response held little confidence
My parents drove in from Denver to surprise me, but my two-year-old son, Harrison, stole the show They took turns gushing over hi a father before I graduated college; I also didn’t anticipatethe woman I couldn’t live without at the exact moment I needed her the most
She was a nursing student at the hospital they sent me to the day an ACL injury shattered el Heidi insisted it was the drugs they gave me for the pain
“Monaghan said you’re going to be his agent when he goes Pro” My dad gave me a curious look
“Monaghan is full of shit No tea to be a teacher That right there shows you he’s too much of a pussy to have a serious chance in the NFL”
The Cornhusker’s young quarterback shot me a so Pro, but I wasn’t going to inflate his ego on my birthday
“Language, Hopkins,” Heidi warned
When she called me by my last name, I squirmed in my chair It always meant a punishment would follow—and all of her punishments were doled out in the bedroom
I loved her beyond words
The nightone perfect beat
Dinner Friends Family Food Drinks
My wife outdid herself She excelled inEvery time the waitress placed another drink in front offrown
I let it slide without argument Before he died, her father drank a lot of alcohol and was abusive When we ht I didn’t drink At the time, it was true Football was my life I treated my body like a temple But after er a temple and the occasional drink was exactly what I needed to ease the pain of lost dreams
Heidi thought every guy who drank was an abusive alcoholic Iso maybe someday she, too, would relax a little and have a drink on special occasions
“Happy birthday, Flint Take care of ed hts
“That’s code for hand the keys to your wife” Heidi nudged me with a playful smile that I kneas not at all meant to be playful
Sandy squeezed my cheeks and looked intolike your father was so give him some slack”
I shot Heidi an I-told-you-so look Herher father hadn’t been Heidi hated that I could do no wrong in Sandy’s eyes, but I loved it A dangerous pride came with so much confidence
After she fastened Harrison into his car seat, Heidi held out her hand
“I’m fine” I opened the driver’s door
“You’re not You drank a lot tonight”
“I weigh a lot”
“Flint”
I slipped into the driver’s seat “Call me Hopkins, baby I like where that leads”
“Flint, I’m serious Our child is in the backseat” She stood between me and the door so I couldn’t shut it
“I want to be in et Harrison to bed”
She crossed her ar in all directions, blue eyes piercing mine
“I’m Fine”
Heidi shrugged “Great Then don’t be a chauvinistic pig Just let me drive”
Thunder ruht sky
“You’re going to get wet”
She huffed and stomped to the other side of the car “Stubborn ass,” she mumbled as she buckled up
“Language, Mommy” I chuckled as I started the car
“There will be a special place in Hell for you, Flint Hopkins, if you kill us or anyone else with your drunk driving”