by Zoe Hart
“What? And miss out on all the single ladies who might be needing some Braxton loving? I think not.”
“God, you’re disgusting. Just sit back and look pretty in there, okay?” I led the way since he had no idea where we were going. He followed me at the elevator to the second floor. And he parked himself in a seat in the corner and started looking for magazines.
“I can’t believe there’s no Sports Illustrated in here.” Braxton continued to mumble under his breath. I was used to ignoring him, so I did.
Not soon enough I was called back to be weighed, have my blood pressure checked, and provide a urine sample. Then I waited in the exam room. The nurse came in first to provide me with a gown.
“You need to get undressed. Clothes go in the locker. Gown open to the front. And open the paper blanket to cover your lap. Any questions?”
“Nope. I’ve been having these exams since I was sixteen.”
As soon as she exited the room, I changed just as she’d requested. I’d barely sat down on the exam table when there was a knock on the door and Dr. Marino entered.
“So, how are you doing today, Taryn?” The doctor opened the chart and barely gave me a glance while talking.
“I’m fine.” I shrugged.
“I see you’re here for your annual exam, and college physical. We’ll get your shot record prepared. Looks like you’re all up to date. Oh, new results from your urine sample.” She worked the mouse and scanned the screen. A second later she murmured, “And the date of your last menstrual cycle?”
I opened my phone and checked the app. I’d been on birth control for two years to help regulate my cycles, and protect me from unwanted pregnancies. “This can’t be right. Looks like the end of May.” I reached into the purse and pulled out my pills. Then I groaned. “I know it’s wrong. After Drew and I broke up I stopped taking the pills. So I guess I haven’t taken any for…a while now.”
“It’s the beginning of August. When did you break up?” Dr. Marino folded her hands in her lap and studied me.
I bit my lip for a second. This was gonna sound terrible when it came out. “Graduation night. In June.”
“Lay back. Slide your heinie to the end of the table. When it feels like you’re about to fall off, you’ve gone far enough. And let’s get those feet in the stirrups.” She hit the button for the nurse to come to the room. And as soon as there was a knock and the nurse entered, she took a seat in the stool at the end of the exam table.
This exam was different. I could feel her pushing from the outside and the inside. I frowned.
“Okay, let’s get you to ultrasound. We need to get an exact date on this to see that everything is okay.”
“To see that what is okay?” I sat up and felt a little dizzy.
“Have you been more tired than normal? Any queasiness, nausea, vomiting? Doesn’t have to be morning, could be all day long.”
I shook my head. “Is something wrong with me?”
“Taryn, you’re pregnant.”
Thank God I was sitting. Otherwise, I might have fallen over. I was numb while going through the motions of the rest of the exam. This was a small office and there were few patients. I was in and out of ultrasound so quickly I barely had time to register the little bean growing inside me. I saw it on the screen. The last time Drew and I had sex was the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.
He had gone away with family for the holiday, and I’d stayed here with mine. In retrospect, I realized this was probably when he and Amelia started getting close. He didn’t touch me after his return. And he couldn’t even blame it on my cycle, since it happened while he was gone.
“Looks like your projected due date is March 30th,” the ultrasound tech announced, “which makes you roughly ten weeks pregnant right now.”
I tried to do the math, but I don’t know why I bothered. After all, I had only been with one guy in all that time. It didn’t make sense. “But I was on the pill and he used a condom…” My voice trailed off. “Could it be because I stopped taking the pill that night?”
“Younger women are more fertile,” Dr. Marino explained. “You wouldn’t be the first girl this week who ended up pregnant after using a condom. In fact, there have been several of you this month.” She shook her head.
“This doesn’t comfort me at all. What am I going to do?” I stared at the ultrasound images in my hand. I was supposed to be going to school in two weeks. I was supposed to be a veterinarian. And now I was already ten weeks pregnant. Worse, I was pregnant from a one-night stand. We hadn’t even kept in touch.
I had a decision to make. And I had no one to talk to at the moment. I wasn’t sure who I even wanted to talk to. Although, this would give me an excuse to reach out to Hawk. Braxton was the first one to guess that something was wrong. My usually selfish brother had been remarkably quiet ever since I emerged from the office.
“Are you okay? Did you get some bad news or something?”
“Something like that. Hey, I don’t suppose you know where Hawk lives?” I gnawed on the inside of my cheek and stared out the window, afraid if I looked at him, the fear in my eyes would give everything away.
“Hawk McKenzie from St. Thomas Academy? Yeah, I know where he lives. I mowed their lawn one summer. How do you think I ended up with such a sweet ride?”
I hadn’t really thought about it. And I didn’t really care. I just waited for him to pull up at the house. Based on our conversations from that night alone, I should’ve known it would be a mansion. Braxton drove up the driveway and when he pulled to stop in front of the doors, I muttered, “Crap.”
I’m pretty sure I was shaking as I emerged from the vehicle and made my way to the front door. I knocked a few times and waited. Finally, the door opened. And I guessed that the man I was talking to wasn’t the homeowner. “Is Hawk around?”
The gentleman replied, “I’m sorry, miss. He’s at boot camp. There’s no way to contact him.”
“Thank you.” I returned the vehicle. I wasn’t sure whether I was relieved or destroyed. The results were the same. I was on my own. Abortion, adoption, or keep the baby. I had no one to rely on. I’d have to figure it out on my own.
“I’m here for you, Taryn.” Braxton murmured.
It’s like he knew. Then I looked at him and realized he was staring at the ultrasound pictures stuffed in my purse. I nodded. “Want to stick around when I tell Mom and Dad tonight?”
“Of course. I know I tease you mercilessly, but I’m your brother. That’s my job. Just never doubt that I’m here for you, Taryn.” He pulled me into a hug and I actually believed him.
We went swimming. We made hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill. And after we ate dinner with the family on the back patio, Braxton nudged me. I looked up at him and realized he was right. This probably was the best time to talk to everyone, since they were particularly happy this evening. My parents were already sipping a bottle of wine.
“So, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you.” I took a deep breath. Then I let it all out like one giant whoosh. “I’m pregnant.” And not only did all the air escape from my lungs, but they seemed to deflate like balloons.
To their credit, no one tried to tell me to get an abortion. No one tried to tell me to give the baby up for adoption either. Still, the result of the discussion left me feeling pretty hopeless.
“I’m done raising babies, Taryn,” my mother grumbled. “I was going to tell you over dessert, but I was hired today. I’ll be working full-time Monday through Friday.” She threw her hands up in the air.
“I don’t expect you to pay for my mistakes,” I mumbled. I figured this would be like everything else in my life. I’d do all the paying alone.
“What did Drew have to say? I know you two aren’t together anymore, but he should know. He’s responsible too.” My mother frowned.
Braxton saw me struggling and interceded. “Drew isn’t the father. We went to tell the father and discovered he’s in boot camp, completely unreachable.”
Mom whispered something under her breath that sounded a lot like “I can’t believe this shit.”
“How much time do we have to figure all this out?” my father asked.
“I’m due March 30th.” It felt weird saying that out loud. I figured I’d have to get used to it. This was my life. Somehow, I had to be big enough and strong enough to live it. I guessed I wasn’t going away to college anymore. I wasn’t going anywhere at all.
5
Hawk
Present day…
“Where’s my dog?” I glanced around the base where we’d just landed. We were all supposed to be gathering our bags and lining up. I wasn’t interested. I needed to find Bishop, my black Belgian Malinois.
Before we boarded our plane, we loaded our dogs with the company who was transporting them back to the states for us. I hadn’t been home in close to five years. When I left, I’d signed on to a four-year contract, but then I had the opportunity to become a dog handler. There was only one slight change of plans. If I wanted to do that, I’d have to add another ten months to my contract. I didn’t even hesitate.
Back then, Bishop was barely more than a puppy. I’d been sent to Texas to learn right along with him. We meshed instantly. He’d been more like family than my parents ever had. They didn’t even write to me while I was in boot camp. They didn’t show up for graduation. And in my first of many acts of defiance, I didn’t come home for my ten days of leave. Instead, I traveled from Parris Island, South Carolina to Jacksonville, North Carolina with my rack mate and we shared a hotel. We’d have to be there for a month for Marine Combat Training. After all we’d been through together, no wonder Palmer is my bro for life.
“What’s wrong, McKenzie?” He came over and clapped me on the shoulder.
“The dogs. They’re not here. I need to find Bishop.” I raked a hand through my hair. It wasn’t regulation length and up until now, I’d thought that was my biggest concern, getting one last write-up for my hair.
“I’ll help you find him after. Let’s line up so we can go check out. I’m ready to get the fuck out of here. If I don’t get some sushi tonight…” Palmer’s voice trailed off. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
And I knew he was right. There was nothing I could do. Line up. Sign out. Then find my pup. I refused to go home without him. He’d be my excuse for not moving back into the house while I took on my new role in the family business. My mother never allowed pets in the house.
Twenty minutes later, we had gathered our sea bags and Palmer followed me from one office to the next while we gathered our signatures. At the last office, I inquired about Bishop. “Any idea when my dog is returning, sir?”
The Sergeant looked me over. “None. How old is your dog, McKenzie?”
“Five, sir.”
He nodded grimly. “Did they tell you that he’d be coming home already?”
I took a deep breath. I didn’t like where this was going. Inside, I was feeling like a bottle of shaken pop. I had no idea when I was going to blow, but it was going to be ugly. “We were told to load them into the trucks and they’d meet us at the base,” I replied. I was still trying to be respectful, to stand at attention, but I was close to lashing out.
“They normally don’t retire military dogs before seven.” He frowned. “I suppose you could be a special case.”
He didn’t need to explain. I knew what he meant…because of my family. I’d never once asked for special treatment. I’d tried to completely disassociate myself from them. I wanted to sink or swim on my own. And it turned out, I was one helluva swimmer.
Oh, and for a guy who’d never owned a pet, I was great with dogs. In fact, I was never going to not have a dog again.
Hours later, I still had no answers. Palmer was off to the airport. He had a flight to catch. I was supposed to be on my own plane back to Michigan, but I didn’t want to leave without Bishop. That’s when the base commander found me.
“McKenzie, there’s a car waiting to take you to the airport,” he barked.
“But…my dog, sir.” I swallowed hard. I’d escaped death on more than one occasion with my bomb-sniffing best friend. He’d never let me down. And I wasn’t going to abandon him.
“Go home, McKenzie. We have your information. We’ll be in touch.” Then he ordered me into his Humvee, drove me to the information building on the other side of the gate, and left me with a driver and a town car.
I flew home on a private jet. I didn’t drink. I didn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I needed to find Bishop. I tried to write down everything I knew. The truck had a logo on it. MK9. I couldn’t remember seeing anything else. In my defense, it was late. The sun was going down, and they were rushing us out of the country. I helped load Bishop and promised him I’d see him soon. He whined, but after at least sixty thousand dollars in training, he knew better than to disobey.
Now I was breaking my promise to my dog. And there was no way I was going to break a promise to my dog. Still, there wasn’t much I could do about it now. For once, maybe I would use my connections. After all, in this case, it was for the greater good. I couldn’t imagine that Bishop would be fit to live with anyone but me. I was the only family he’d ever known.
When we reached the airstrip, I was surprised to find my father waiting in the limo. He stepped out of the vehicle and shook my hand. “Nice firm grip. Looks like the military made a man out of you.” He grinned.
I knew he thought he was being clever, but he mostly annoyed me, especially since he was now wiping his hands after glancing at mine. I hadn’t had time to shower before leaving because I’d had to pack my gear and Bishop’s too. Then, to be safe, I’d taken the time to photograph all his papers in case they lost anything in transit. I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Hot shower, good meal, you’ll be good as new,” my father proclaimed.
“Can you help me find my dog?” I asked quietly. I already felt defeated. I didn’t expect much from my father, since he’d let me down time and again my whole life.
“Your dog?” His brow furrowed.
“Yeah. Bishop. The bomb-sniffing dog. I’m his handler.” My shoulders sagged and I climbed into the limo.
Once we were settled and he’d nodded to the driver, he raised the partition between us and the driver. “You were the handler. The dog belongs to the military. They spent a lot of money training him. Really, he’s Marine Corps property.”
I stared out the window and struggled to remain calm. “The dogs are supposed to be offered first to their handlers, for free. We wouldn’t have to pay for him.” I glanced at him. Money talks. That he could understand.
“Right. Well, I’m sure that he’ll turn up.” My father scowled.
“He’d turn up faster if you made a call or two,” I explained. “You know you have pull. You could find him.”
“Maybe once you start working with the family business, you can find him yourself.” My father avoided my eyes as he spoke and I somehow knew that he was trying to lure me in, but had no intention of helping me find Bishop.
“Of course. Monday, right?” I blew out a breath. I had all weekend to find him. I settled back into the seat.
Fifteen minutes later, we pulled into the driveway for the family estate. I saw three vehicles with ribbons on them. I’d seen this before with my cousin Crawford.
“You’ll need a way to get around now that you’re out of the military.” My father gestured toward the options. “Pick one. I’ll have the others returned to the dealership.”
I nodded. Part of me wanted to accept nothing from him. The other part, the sensible part, knew to take what I could get because this was the path of least resistance. And I was out of fight. There was a black Ford F-150 with a Super Crew Cab, a black Lexus SUV, and a Hummer. Every single one of them came with the weight of familial expectations.
Closing my eyes, I tried to picture which one would truly serve me…and Bishop. I wasn’t going to be riding alone. “The truck, thanks.” I forced a
smile.
“Nice choice.” My father nodded, but despite his reaction, I had the distinct impression he wasn’t pleased.
I started toward the garage door. At the moment, I didn’t feel like hanging out with my family. I could see by the vehicles in the driveway that there were already more people assembled than I felt like entertaining. All I wanted was a hot shower, a long sleep, and some brilliant idea about how I was going to reclaim my dog.
“Wash up. Dinner is in half an hour. We waited for you.” My father gave me that look, the one that meant I couldn’t argue, I had to comply. This should’ve been all the training I needed for the Marines.
I inhaled deeply to regulate my emotions before I nodded. Then I let myself in the house, rushed up the back stairs, stepped into my room, and closed the door behind me. Everything looked the same and yet I felt completely different.
After peeling off my clothes, I adjusted the shower, found a plush towel, and stood under the rainfall showerhead while watching the dirty water pool at my feet before disappearing down the drain. I braced myself on the wall and waited. Who did I know?
Obviously, my father wasn’t going to intercede on my behalf, but I knew people. There had to be someone who could do something. As I stood there with the water beating against my back, an idea came to me. There was a guy in our class who was really good at computer stuff. In fact, several of us were convinced that he was a hacker. There was no other explanation for his grades. He never did any homework outside of school, and yet he was always at the top of the class. High enough to be respectable, but not so high as to draw attention to his suspected misdeeds.
Finn came from money. His father had founded some software company. And he seemed to have picked up everything he could learn from the man. I dried off as quickly as I could. Before I wasted time on styling my hair, I grabbed my phone and reached out to Sebastian. I had no idea if he was still around, but if he was, he would know how to get in touch with Finn.
