His curvy craving, p.6
His Curvy Craving, page 6
I nodded even as my palms started to sweat.
“She’s nervous,” Karissa said.
“Everyone is. We’ll be quick and get to the ultrasound as soon as possible.”
She moved around the room as she spoke. She dipped a pregnancy test in the urine sample and let it sit on the counter while she took my blood pressure, recorded my pulse, and listened to my heart and lungs.
“Are there any changes to your medical history since your last visit?”
“Aside from the whole pregnancy thing, nope.”
Ally smiled. “Totally understand. Is there a reason to do an STI test?”
I looked at Karissa wide-eyed.
“The father is a stranger. They used a condom, but obviously it wasn’t effective.”
“We can add that if you’d like.”
I nodded. “I probably should. God, I feel so stupid.”
“There’s no reason to feel stupid,” Ally said. She tied a band around my bicep and gave me a stress ball. “People have sex with strangers all the time and it’s no big deal. You’re just unfortunately the one who ended up with a big deal. Have you been able to locate him to tell him about the baby?”
Karissa snorted.
“Yeah. He pretty much accused me of being a whore and said there’s no way the baby is his since we used a condom.”
“You know it is, though.” It wasn’t a question.
“He’s the only person I’ve slept with in a year.”
“Pretty solid proof,” Ally said as she stuck the needle into my arm. “We can also do a paternity test. Chances are you’re going to need one, eventually. During pregnancy, it comes with risks. You’re not a high-risk pregnancy, but Julie will likely recommend waiting until the baby is born if that’s an option.”
“I doubt I’ll need to worry about it. I’ll never see him again.”
We were all quiet as my blood pumped into the small tube that would tell me if I got more from NotALocal than pregnant. God, I hoped not. I couldn’t handle more surprises.
Ally withdrew the needle and stuck a cotton ball and bandage on my arm. She shook the tube, then put a label on it. “Julie will be in shortly to check on you and do your ultrasound. This will take a little while, usually a few days. We’ll be in touch with the results. And the test is positive so officially, I can say congratulations.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
Ally left herself out of the room, leaving Karissa and I alone. I wanted to sink back onto the exam table and forget about everything.
“It’s going to be fine,” Karissa said.
I nodded and prayed she was right.
A minute later, a knock on the door proceeded Julie. “Hello, ladies. How are you both doing?”
“Good,” we said together.
“Excellent. And how are we feeling about the baby? I saw Ally’s notes.”
“Anxious,” I admitted.
“What are you anxious about?”
“I don’t know anything about the dad, and I’m worried he might have given me something. And I’m worried about the heartbeat. And I’m pregnant and single and own my own business and—”
“It’s a lot,” Julie said calmly. “I get it. Let’s go through one thing at a time. I’m going to start with a quick physical exam, then we’re going to listen for a heartbeat.”
I nodded, letting her calm persona wash over me and soothe me. Her exam was quick, over in a few minutes. Then she wheeled the ultrasound machine over to the side of the table.
“At nine weeks, we should be able to hear a heartbeat. I’m looking for a lot more than that, so this will take a few minutes. Are you ready?”
I nodded.
“Okay, lean back and lift your shirt. I’m also going to need you to roll your pants down since your uterus is still low.”
I did as she said.
She squirted gel onto the wand and positioned it below my belly button. She clicked a few things on the computer and a whooshing sound filled the room.
“There’s the heartbeat. Strong and steady. Just what we want to hear. If you look right here, this is your baby.”
I looked at the blob she pointed to on the screen. My eyes watered. Karissa grabbed my hand and squeezed tight.
“Hi, Baby,” Karissa whispered. “It’s so nice to meet you. You’re a lucky baby because you have the best mommy in the whole world.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks at her words. I couldn’t say anything around the massive lump lodged in my throat.
Julie kept working, taking measurements of things I couldn’t make out. She was quick and efficient, and when she was done, she handed me two printed pictures and a jump drive. “That has all the pictures I took so you can share it with family and friends, and the father if you want.”
“Thank you,” Karissa said for me.
“Ally said she spoke to you about a paternity test?”
I nodded.
“I always recommend waiting until the baby is born. I know that isn’t always possible, though. What do you think?”
I shrugged and shook my head. “I don’t see a need to rush. I told him, and he left, so I’m guessing I’ll never see him again. You need a sample from him, right?”
“We do. Let’s hold off on that for now. We can do the test after the baby is born if it’s still necessary. If you aren’t able to reach him, it’s not something we can do. But we’ll figure that out another time.”
All I could do was nod.
Julie patted my hand. “Keep taking your prenatal vitamins and doing what you’re doing. Your morning sickness should get better by the second trimester. If it doesn’t, or if it gets worse than it is now, we can talk about other things we can do.”
“Okay,” I breathed, still struggling to do anything other than cry. I stared at the picture of my baby.
“I know this isn’t easy, Finley, but you have a great friend here. You’re lucky to have her with you.”
I nodded. “I know. I’m very lucky.”
Julie handed me a box of tissues and wiped the gel off my belly. She told me to schedule my next appointment in a month and said she’d see me then.
When she was gone, I took a breath and tried to calm my racing heart. I was having a baby. Alone.
“Do you feel better?” Karissa asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s still terrifying, but knowing he’s okay makes it all easier.”
“You’re not alone in any of this.”
I laughed, wondering how she read my mind. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. How about some lunch? O’Kelley’s?”
I nodded, feeling hungry and not at all queasy for once. “Sounds good.”
“When are you going to tell everyone else about the baby?” Karissa asked me on the drive back to MacKellar Cove.
I sighed. “I don’t know. I feel bad keeping it from everyone, but I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.”
“You talk about it with me.”
I laughed. “You didn’t give me much of a choice. And anyway, I couldn’t have gotten through this much without you. I know you aren’t judging me, but…”
“You think everyone else will?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Blake told me at Sebastian and Zoey’s reception that she and Ian are trying. What if they have trouble getting pregnant? Then there’s me who got pregnant without even trying with a guy who not only do I now know, but he wants nothing to do with me or the baby. I already feel like shit for getting knocked up, and the guilt is really hard.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty about. Even if you were married and got pregnant and they didn’t, it wouldn’t be to rub it in their faces. I know this isn’t how you wanted to start a family, but this baby is loved. And it will be loved even more when it arrives.”
I smiled and parked the car in front of O’Kelley’s. “Thanks.” I put my hand on my belly. “It’s weird, you know. There’s a person in there. A real live little baby. He’s growing and developing and one day he’ll be out there getting women pregnant and acting like an ass like his daddy.”
Karissa snorted. “Or he’ll be kind and compassionate and love all things love like his mommy and he’ll change our opinions about men.”
I chuckled. “I like that one better.”
“Me, too. Let’s get some lunch.”
I nodded and followed her into O’Kelley’s. Karissa hadn’t been out much since her surgery, especially not to O’Kelley’s where it could get busy and she could get bumped. But the place was quiet for lunch and we grabbed seats at the bar without running into anyone.
“This is a nice surprise. What are you two doing out and about? How are you feeling, Rissa?” Hudson asked.
“I’m good. We’re just out enjoying the day. Wanted some lunch.”
“We have that. Want a minute or do you know what you want?”
“Turkey club for me with cheese curds,” Karissa said. “And a club soda with lime.”
“And Fin?”
“Same. Sounds good.”
“Coming right up.”
Hudson filled our glasses, then went into the back to put in our orders with Karissa and I watching him walk away.
“I really wish I could find Hudson attractive,” Karissa said. “He’s such a good guy.”
“I agree. I should have gotten knocked up by him instead.”
Karissa snorted. “He’d be a doting daddy. If he ever falls in love again, that is going to be one lucky woman.”
I nodded just as the front door slammed open. Karissa and I turned to see Anna Charlotte stomp her way across the bar.
“Have you seen Hudson Grant?” she barked at us.
“He’s in the back,” Karissa said.
“Hiding, most likely,” Anna groaned.
“What’s going on?” I asked. I didn’t like the idea of stepping in between Anna and Hudson, but I’d already faced her wrath. If she was going to lose it on Hudson, I wanted to fend her off if possible.
“I should have known you were friends. Does everyone think we need handouts?”
“Whoa, I did not try to give you a handout. And whatever is going on with Hudson, I’m sure that’s not the case with him, either.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“What did he do?” Karissa asked.
“He hired my son to work here!” Anna shouted.
I opened my mouth to ask her why that was an issue when Hudson walked out from the kitchen looking less than pleased. “What is going on out here?”
“You!” Anna growled. “How dare you!”
“I’m sorry, but who are you and what the hell are you accusing me of doing?”
“This. This is what I’m talking about. You hired my son, my teenage son, without even speaking to me. He’s fifteen years old!”
“Whoa, are you talking about Joey?”
“Yes, I’m talking about Joey. My son. The one you hired without parental consent because you feel bad for us or something. We don’t need charity. I work. I have two jobs. We get by. We don’t need you, any of you, to do us any favors.”
“Okay, calm down, I—”
“Calm down? Really, you’re going to tell me to calm down. You insult me, and I’m the one who’s being ridiculous.”
“Listen, woman, I’m not insulting you. I didn’t give Joey the job because I feel bad for you. I needed a busboy. Someone who could be here in the afternoons. It’s slow most afternoons, so my regular employees aren’t real happy about working that shift. I was looking for someone who could. I asked around, and James said he’d get in touch with Joey. I had no idea you weren’t aware of what was going on.”
“Well, now you know, so you can put a stop to it.”
“Hell, no.”
“Excuse me?” She reared back like he slapped her. She dropped her oversized purse to the floor and balled up her fists. The woman was ready to fight.
“I don’t know what you think I’m going to do, but I’m not firing Joey. He was in here at the end of last week for an interview. He’s polite and capable of doing the job. He can only work limited hours, which means he’s perfect for what I need. He wants to work, and I wanted to hire him. If you have an issue with it, then you have to tell him he’s not allowed to work here. I’m not doing your dirty work or being the bad guy for you.”
“You never should have hired him without speaking to me.”
“Maybe not, but when a teenager shows up and says he wants to work, I assumed his guardian knew where he was.”
“I work two jobs so I can support my children. I’m not home all the time.” Her spine went stiff as her cheeks went red.
“And Joey wants to work. Why is that a problem? Are you pissed off because you won’t accept help from your son or are you pissed off because you think everyone in here is feeling sorry for you? I’ve got news for you, lady. I have my own shit to deal with. I’m not looking to get in the middle of your world.”
She drew in a sharp breath and glanced around the bar. Aside from Karissa and me, no one was paying her any attention.
“Joey gets my younger son off the bus in the afternoons. He’s only eleven. I don’t want him home alone all day.”
“The bus runs right past here. I have an office in the back. Your son can use it to do his homework. When he’s done with homework, if Joey is still working, your other son can sit out here.”
“In the bar?”
Hudson nodded. “We don’t ID at the door, just at the bar, which means legally this place is all ages.”
She chewed on her lip and shook her head. I felt like I was waiting for an important decision as I watched her debate internally. When she sighed, Karissa and I did, too.
“Fine. Joey can work here. But it’s limited.”
“That’s the law.”
“I’ll pay you for the after school care for Matty.”
“Do you expect him to be a pain in the ass?”
“No. He’s a good kid.”
“Then there’s no need.”
“But—”
“Just accept one little thing and let it go,” Hudson groaned.
Anna clamped her mouth shut and nodded. She picked up her purse and drew a deep breath. Then she turned and walked out, leaving us to stare after her.
“That was interesting,” Karissa said. “Trinity really likes her. I wonder why she’s so mad at you.”
Hudson shrugged.
“She was in my store the other day. I mentioned my trade in program and setting up a shelf for her. She was the same way. Said she didn’t want any favors.”
“You offer that to all of us.”
I nodded. “I know, but she thought I was doing it because I thought she couldn’t pay or something.”
“Woman’s got more pride than sense if you ask me,” Hudson grumbled. He glanced back at the door, then went to the kitchen.
“It can’t be easy raising two kids alone. Especially here, where everyone knows her business. I feel for her,” Karissa said.
“I’m about to be her.”
Karissa rubbed my arm. “You’re not alone.”
7
Trent
I really wasn’t sure what I was doing back so soon. I told myself I wasn’t going to go back to MacKellar Cove. Even after Finley Jameson told me she was pregnant, I knew not only was the whole thing a lie, but it was a trick. A trap. A way to get money out of me.
I should have let it go, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I kept digging even after what Mr. Whiteside found out about her. I stalked her social media and read everything I could find about her and her life. If she hadn’t already lied to me, I would have said she was the kind of person I could trust. The kind of person who wouldn’t treat me like Trent MacKellar, Golden Boy of MacKellar Cove.
I was wrong.
Even though I hated setting foot in town again, I needed more about her. Some twisted part of me wanted to know why she did it. Why she decided to lie to me and try to use me. I knew I’d find out at O’Kelley’s. Hudson Grant was a good guy. Not a friend, exactly, but someone I trusted to be discreet. Someone I knew would tell me the truth, but not get high and mighty about shit. I knew he knew her. His bar was where I met Finley the night we slept together. And where she told me she was pregnant.
I was not expecting it to be the place I saw her again.
She was in the corner, huddled in the middle of a large group. I recognized a few of them, including Karissa Thomas. They sat next to each other, whispering and talking. It almost made me like Finley, but not enough to forgive what she did. What she tried to do.
“Can I get you anything?” Hudson asked quietly.
“Whatever you have on tap,” I answered, turning my focus back to him. “They having some kind of party?”
His gaze slid to the group I’d been watching, and he nodded. “Engagement party. Want me to introduce you?”
I snorted and reached for the beer he set in front of me. “Nah, I’m good. Just going to sit here and be invisible.”
Hudson nodded and moved on. There was something in his gaze that made me wonder if he knew something. Not that there was anything to know. Except for the lies.
I’d spent my life, and my career, reading people. Learning when they were telling the truth and when they were lying. I’d staked my future on being able to tell the difference between the two, even when it came to complete strangers.
It was a gift, my dad once told me, to be able to read people. In my job, it was more than a gift, it was a requirement. In my personal life, it was even more important. For years, I’d managed to hide who I was from my coworkers and pretend I was a regular guy instead of a wealthy heir to my father’s fortune. I thought I’d even managed to hide who I was during my visits to MacKellar Cove. I couldn’t help but wonder how Finley knew who I was, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to get a dime from me for her nonexistent, or at least not-mine, future child.
The cheers from the group behind me had me turning and watching them again. Flushed cheeks and free-flowing champagne were all around the table. Including in the hand of the woman who claimed to be having my child.
Wow. She couldn’t even keep up the lie for three weeks.
I eased off my stool and left my beer sitting where it was. I walked over to them, my eyes locked on Finley the entire time. She didn’t see me approach, which was good. I enjoyed having the element of surprise and being able to catch people off guard.
