Unexpected Bond: Unexpected Arrivals #4

by Kaylee Ryan

  “That was pretty cool to be that close to the falls,” Dawn says, looking through what I assume is her camera too.

  “The lights at night.” Amelia tears her eyes away from the pictures. “It was unlike anything. I’ve always heard it was beautiful. It’s definitely something to see.”

  “I’m glad we did this. I love my husband and my boys, but it’s nice to get girl time,” Reagan says, tossing herself back on the bed with a sigh.

  “It really has been fun. We should plan our next trip,” Dawn says at the same time I get a text.

  * * *

  Seth: Hey, babe. We just wanted to say hi.

  * * *

  It’s a picture of Seth and Finley sitting out on the back deck. She’s wearing sunglasses that I’ve never seen before and a big pink floppy hat. The smile on her face tells me she’s having a blast with Seth. I turn my phone around so the girls can see. “Looks like she’s having fun.”

  “Are you kidding? He’s spoiling her rotten.” Amelia laughs.

  “I have no doubt.”

  * * *

  Me: Looks like you two are having a good time.

  * * *

  Seth: We are, but we miss Mommy.

  * * *

  Me: I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon.

  * * *

  Seth: We’ll be here.

  * * *

  “What do you say we head down to the hotel restaurant and grab a bite to eat? I’m exhausted,” Amelia says.

  “Yes.” We are all in agreeance. This trip has taken a lot out of her, but she’s never stopped smiling. Well, unless you count on the way here in the van, but even through her sadness, you could tell she’s at peace with her decision.

  “Okay, I’m ready to see my babies. All three of them.” Reagan laughs.

  We all murmur our agreement. It was nice to get away, but I’ve missed Seth and Finley something fierce. Speaking of, my phone vibrates with a text message.

  * * *

  Seth: Are you almost home? Finley and I have a surprise for you.

  * * *

  Me: About 30 more minutes.

  * * *

  Seth: Have the girls drop you off first.

  * * *

  Me: Oookay??

  * * *

  Seth: Humor me, future Mrs. Jennings. Have them come inside with you.

  * * *

  “Well, ladies, I think Seth is up to something. In fact, I know he is. He says that he and Finley have a surprise for me, and to have you drop me off first, but you all have to come inside with me.”

  “Do you have any idea what it is?” Reagan asks from her place behind the wheel.

  I look over at her. “No, I have no idea. I know better than to ask. He’s not going to tell me either.”

  “Sounds like Ridge,” Kendall comments from her seat in the third row.

  “Y’all are lucky. You have a man in your life who cares enough to surprise you.” This from Amelia.

  “Shh, don’t let them hear you say that.” Dawn shushes her. We all laugh, but in the back of our minds, we’re all thinking the same thing. Number ten and number eleven on her list will never happen for her. She’s never going to fall in love and get married… nor live happily ever after. But she does get to be a mom. Speaking from experience being a mom, that outweighs a fancy wedding, and it’s an all-new kind of love. One only a parent knows. I’m happy for my friend that she’ll have at least that.

  “Thank you for this. Watching the sun rise and set at the Falls was truly magical,” Amelia says as we pull into my driveaway.

  “It really was. I can’t wait to print some of these pictures,” Reagan says, turning the ignition off in the van. She looks over at me. “Ready for your surprise?”

  “Wait? Do you know what it is?” I ask her.

  “Nope, but I know these guys and whatever it is, it’s going to be sweet. I don’t think they have it in them to be anything else.”

  “You know, when I first met them all, they were rather intimidating with the ink and the bad-boy vibes they have going on,” I admit.

  “Pft, a bunch of teddy bears.” Reagan chuckles.

  “Okay, let’s go see what the surprise is.” One by one, we climb out of the van and make our way to the front door. Before I can turn the knob, the door is pulled open and my heart, both halves, are there smiling at me.

  “Mommy!” Finley cheers and rushes toward me. I scoop her up in my arms and hug her tight before kissing her cheek.

  “Hey, sweetie. Did you have fun with Seth?” I feel weird calling him dad in front of our friends. It’s not something we’ve done, and for some reason, I haven’t told them about that conversation. Well, not all of it. I told them about the proposal and how he wants to adopt her. They didn’t ask and I didn’t tell.

  “Hey, baby.” Seth steps forward, slides his arm around my waist, and kisses my lips. “Missed you,” he mumbles.

  “Daddy, no, my kisses,” she says, reaching for him.

  “I’m sorry, baby girl. Daddy missed Mommy.” He easily takes her from my arms and settles her on his hip.

  My heart, it’s doubled in size; at least it feels as if it is at their easy banter. “This is new,” Amelia leans in and whispers. She doesn’t say anything else, but I know I’m in for it later for not telling her.

  “So, where’s this surprise you’re teasing us with? We have some husbands and babies to kiss.” Reagan grins at Seth.

  “Of course.” He smiles. “Right this way, ladies. Finny and I worked on this all weekend. Didn’t we, Finny?”

  “I’s go shopping.”

  “You were Daddy’s big helper,” Seth praises, bouncing her in his arms.

  We follow him through the house and to the steps for the basement. One by one, we make our way downstairs, and my eyes scan the room. Nothing looks out of place. “What am I missing?” I ask.

  “Nothing yet. But in there.” Seth points to one of the doors that leads to an extra room. There are two of them down here, along with a full bathroom, a kitchenette, and a huge entertaining area. There are french doors that walk out to a patio, which is where the hot tub sits. Above the walkout, is a huge deck that leads to the backyard where Seth has informed me will be Finley’s new swing set he wants to build her for her birthday.

  With each step I take, I can feel the girls behind me. Slowly, I turn the knob and push open the door. Flipping the light switch, my mouth drops open when I take in the room. There are two large white tables with drawer units on each end. There are a couple of bookshelves with what looks like organizing bins. Another table that sits against the wall holds a Cricut box and a printer box.

  “You said scrapbook central, right? I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but Finny and I went to the local craft store and bought a few things. The lady there suggested IKEA for tables. So after we made our purchase there, we headed to get furniture. I started out just picking up a few supplies to get you started, but then well, it turned into this.”

  He steps next to me, and with our daughter still in his arms, kisses my temple. “You said a long time ago, when we were just messaging, that one day you’d like to get into scrapbooking with all of Finley’s pictures she’s drawn and the ones that you’ve taken. When you said that all of you were going to start making it happen, I wanted to get you started.”

  “Seth, this is… incredible. How did you manage this with an almost-three-year-old?”

  “Finny’s my big-girl helper.”

  “I’s am.” She nods her little head up and down.

  “Seth,” Amelia speaks up, but her voice cracks and all she can get out is his name.

  Reagan walks up to him and wraps her arms around his waist. “You did good,” she whispers, but we all hear her.

  “I can’t believe you did all of this.” I survey the room.

  Finley wiggles in his arms, so he lets her down, and she rushes toward Kendall and Dawn to tell them all about how she helped. “This is your home, Mara. This is something you told me that
one day you’d love to find the time to do, and when you messaged, I figured I’d help make that happen. We have the space, and now that we’re a team, you’ll have time to come down here and do your thing. Finny and I can hang out, and who knows, when she gets a little older, she might want to start helping.”

  “I love you.” I stare up at him, my eyes wet with tears, but I don’t move to wipe them away. “Thank you, Seth.”

  He opens his arms, and I don’t hesitate to walk into his embrace. Wrapping me in a hug, he buries his face in my neck. “Making memories, baby.”

  Making memories.

  I’ve been dwelling on the time I’m not going to get with her. The time that Seth and their baby isn’t going to get with her. Hating the fact that Finley is losing such an amazing woman in her life, the one who has been there from the start. However, what I need to be worrying about is making the most of what time we do have. I can’t change the outcome, but I can make a memory, lots of them. And that’s what I plan to do.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Seth 19

  * * *

  Sliding my phone in my pocket after checking it for the tenth time in the last five minutes, I try to keep my cool. Amelia and her parents flew to see the Grand Canyon, marking two more items off her bucket list. They’re supposed to be coming home tomorrow, but I haven’t heard from her since yesterday. Her parents are in their seventies. They tried for years to get pregnant, and then one day, after years of accepting they would never have a baby, her mom found out she was pregnant.

  I was uneasy about her visit with them. They’re both older, and she’s fragile, no matter if she wants to admit it or not. However, in the end, I know they needed this. All three of them needed this time together. I made her promise to check in every day and here it is, almost four in the afternoon, and nothing. I’ve called her twice, and sent three text messages and still no reply.

  “What’s with you today?” Tyler asks as I toss the tools into the toolbox.

  “Nothing.”

  “Yeah, right,” Mark scoffs. “It’s not just nothing. You’ve been a moody dick all day. What gives?”

  “I said nothing,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Might as well tell us.” Kent keeps the jabs coming.

  My anger is building, but not really. I’ve been a spark, just waiting for the wind to turn me into a blazing inferno for weeks. “Fuck off.”

  “Oh, I think we hit a nerve,” Ridge chants.

  “You know what, fuck you. Fuck all of you.”

  “You’re not really my type.” Tyler shrugs as if I’m letting him down easy.

  “FUCK OFF!” I roar. They don’t bother to jump or move or even look pissed off. “She’s not answering her phone, and she checks in every day. What if something happened to her or the baby? Huh? What the fuck am I supposed to do for them from here? Even worse, how will I know?” I begin to pace back and forth, running my hands through my hair.

  “I’m sure she’s fine,” Mark says gently.

  “Keep going,” Kent says.

  “What?” I stop pacing and look up at him.

  “That all you got?” he taunts.

  “Fuck you,” I spit. “Until you’re in my shoes, fuck you,” I say as I begin to pace again. “I mean, this is so messed up. Our best friend is having my baby, and she’s dying. Dying. How the fuck am I supposed to handle that? What’s worse is I’m madly in love with her best friend, and I’m fucking scared as hell I’m going to lose her over this. Sure, she says she’s with me, and all is good, but what happens when things get tough? Huh? What happens when the baby gets here, and I’m raising it in the house we share? What happens when…” I swallow hard. “What happens when Amelia dies? What will she do then? Can she raise this baby with me? Will she?” I stop and crouch to my knees, letting them hit the plywood floor we just installed. Hunched over, I can’t stop the onslaught of emotions that take over. A sob breaks free from my chest and my shoulders begin to shake. Lifting my hands to cover my face, they’re shaking too.

  I’m fucking losing it.

  My heart can’t handle this.

  The baby.

  Losing Amelia.

  Loving Mara.

  “I don’t know if I can do this,” I stutter through my confession.

  I feel a strong hand land on my shoulder. “You can and you will,” Kent assures me.

  “You’re right,” Ridge adds. “This is fucked up, but our family will rally. That’s what we do.”

  “Let us help you,” Tyler says.

  “Don’t hold that shit in, Seth,” Mark scolds.

  “The worst part about it all? I’m a selfish bastard. I want Amelia to live for our baby, for all of us, for her. I want the baby, because well, he or she is my blood. I want Mara and Finley to have my last name, and I want to know that it’s all going to be okay.” Lifting my head, I see my four best friends sitting on the floor gathered around me.

  “It’s not going to be okay. Not at first. It’s going to hurt, and you’re going to ask yourself why,” Ridge says. “My situation was similar, but I didn’t know my time with her was limited. I didn’t know that the one and only time she held our son was going to be her last. I didn’t get to ask her how she wanted to raise him. If there were any special family moments he should know about. You have the chance for all of that, Seth. It sucks, cancer fucking sucks, but you have some time. Time to take those pictures and make those memories that you will share with your son or daughter for years to come. He or she may never remember their mother, but they will know her through you.”

  “We’re in the same situation with Daisy,” Mark adds. “To watch Dawn lose her sister and become a mom to a tiny little girl the same day, a little girl who will never know who her father was? We have no idea. So what happens if she gets sick and needs something that Dawn or I can’t give her? Sure, Dawn is her aunt, but we’re not her biological parents. What if she needs something and we can’t help her? That is a real fear that my wife and I live with every day. However, we don’t let that stop us from loving her. She’s our daughter in every way that matters.”

  “Mara, she’s one of the good ones, Seth. Can you really see her leaving you because of this baby? Amelia is her best friend. Chances are even if you were not in the picture, Mara would have been Amelia’s first choice. We all know her parents are too old to care for the baby,” Tyler points out.

  “Can nothing we do be easy?” I ask.

  They all laugh. “Brother,” Tyler says, “if it was easy, would it be worth it? Fight for love, fight for the bond that the three of you have.”

  “Life has a way of working out. It’s not always how we planned, but in the end, things are how they are supposed to be.”

  “You sound like Amelia with all the ‘everything happens for a reason’ shit she’s been spouting.” I’ve heard her say that more times than I can count.

  “She’s not wrong,” Kent speaks up. “I’ve watched each of you fall, and although the road has been rocky, I believe that we are all where we are supposed to be.”

  “Yeah, and what about you?” I ask him.

  He shrugs. “I might have missed my shot. Then again, maybe I’ve yet to meet her, but I do know that seeing the four of you all happy and in love, it makes a man want to reevaluate where his life is going.”

  “Take it one day at a time, Seth. Learn to deal with this unexpected bond. Embrace it. In the end, that’s what’s going to get you and Mara through this.” Ridge offers his words of wisdom.

  I think about what they’re saying, and I know it’s true. I just needed to have some sense talked into me. “I’m sorry I’ve been a dick.”

  “No need to apologize. You’ve been holding this shit in, and that’s not good for you or them,” Tyler explains.

  I nod. There is no use in denying the fact that I have indeed been holding it all in. Trying to keep myself in check to stay strong for Mara, Amelia, and Finny. That little girl. She transitioned to living at my place as if it was the
most natural thing in the world. She definitely has my heart by a string just like her mama.

  “You gonna get that?” Kent chuckles.

  I break out of my thoughts to hear my phone ringing. Scrambling, I pull it from my pocket and swipe at the screen. “Hello?”

  “Hi.” Amelia’s tired voice is like music to my fucking ears.

  “Are you okay? The baby?”

  “We’re fine. I’ve been at the hospital all day.”

  “What?”

  “I’m fine, it’s my mom. She fell. Luckily it was at the hotel. We had just come home from a day at the canyon.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, just sore. They were worried about a broken hip, but luckily she’s okay.”

  “What do you need?” I can feel the guys’ eyes on me as I talk to her.

  “Nothing. Just checking in. We’re still flying home tomorrow.”

  “Okay, good. What about their place? Anything she needs?”

  “No, I don’t think so. They already have the wheelchair ramp since neither of them are the best at stairs these days.” She’s quiet, and I wait for her to keep going. I’ve known her long enough to know that there is something on her mind. “Seth,” she says quietly.

  “Yeah?”

  “They can’t take care of a baby.”

  “They won’t have to.” I’m confident in that. This baby is my son or daughter, and I will be raising him or her. This is something we’ve already discussed, but I guess she feels it’s worth repeating.

  She releases a heavy breath. “Thank you. I know this is weird, and it puts us in this crazy situation as friends who are going to be parents. I know that after I’m gone, our baby will be loved. Just promise me you will take the baby to see them? I don’t know how much time they have left, but… can you promise me that?” Her voice is soft.