I don’t bother knocking and head around back once I get there.
“Hey guys,” I greet, lifting my hand to the guys on his team.
After Jake moved back to Ferncliff, he went into business with Jimmy, a local contractor. They wave and reply with their own shouts of greeting.
Jake breaks off from the group. “Hey Reils.” He waits until he’s closer to ask. “How was your appointment?”
He’s gross and sweaty so I don’t hug him, but I do kiss his cheek. “We got to hear the heartbeat.”
His head jerks before he runs his hand through his hair. “Wow. You can hear that already?”
I nod and he shakes his head, a smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. Before Jake moved back to town he worked on an oil rig. He rarely had a reason to smile those days but, since he’s been back and hooked up with Kacey, he’s been so much happier.
He’s like he was before our grandparents passed away. It’s good to see him like this again.
He leads me over towards a picnic table and offers me a bottle of water. “Are you nervous?”
“Terrified,” I admit, twisting the cap off.
He lowers himself to the bench beside me. “You’re going to make a great mom, Reilly.”
I press my lips together to keep my emotions from spilling out, then I whisper, “You think?”
He takes my hand in his. “Just look at everything you’ve already accomplished. I’m so proud of you, and I know you are going to be a great mom.”
“What do you remember about Mom?” I ask.
She’s been on my mind more than ever since I found out I was going to be a mother.
“Bits and pieces.” He pauses then says, “She used to read me Corduroy.”
“The story about the bear?” I ask, trying to place it.
He nods. “And, you look like her.”
That I already knew from pictures. “I don’t remember them, and I still miss them.”
“That’s because Gram and Gramps did a good job of keeping their memories alive for us while we were growing up.
“They did,” I agree.
He takes a larger than normal inhale before saying, “I want to ask Kacey to marry me.”
My mouth falls up and I launch myself at him, sweat and all. “I’m so happy for you.”
His big arms come around me and he rests his chin on my shoulder. “Will you help me pick out the ring?”
I pull back and he keeps a hold of me for an extra moment before letting go. When he does let me go, I grin at him. It’s funny, sitting at a picnic table in some random person’s backyard surrounded by piles of pavers, and sand, will forever be one of the happiest moments of my life.
“Kacey’s going to be my sister,” I sigh.
It’s only what every set of best friends dreams of.
“If she says yes,” Jake replies.
I smirk. “Don’t be ridiculous, we both know she’s saying yes.”
He grins full out.
“And,” I continue, “I’d be honored to help you pick out her ring. We’ll have to drive to San Diego if you want it to be a surprise. There’s no way the gossip mill in town will miss it if you buy it anywhere near here.”
“Good point,” he replies. “What will we tell her?”
“We’ll tell her we’re going to spend the day together to bond or something,” I say.
He raises a brow. “Because we do that all the time.”
His sarcastic tone is not lost on me. “Do you have a better idea?”
He shrugs. “We could say we’re going to go see Death Wish Ten, The Final Wish.”
Kacey hates scary movies. “Sure, if we were shopping in town that would work perfectly, but those movies aren’t long enough to be a good cover for a day trip to San Diego.”
He doesn’t argue, he changes the subject. “How’d meeting his mom go?”
“I liked her. She’ll be a fun grandma.”
“When Kacey and I have kids, they won’t have a grandmother and the grandfather they will have we aren’t even on speaking terms with.”
“Good thing they’ll have a kick ass Aunt Reilly,” I counter.
He leans forward to kiss my forehead before looking towards the half-finished patio. “I need to get back to it.”
“Is it cool if I hang out and watch for awhile?” I ask.
“Sure,” he replies before rejoining the other workers.
I watch as Jake, with his crew, continue to lay down patio pavers. After thirty minutes, I decide to leave. While it’s fun to hang out with Jake, watching them lay stones is about as exciting as watching paint dry. Also, since Jake is hefting heavy stones around, it’s not like he can chat.
I stand and wave over to him. “I’m taking off. We’ll figure out what to do about Kacey later.”
He gives me a chin lift since his hands are full before I walk out of the backyard and to my car. Not wanting to go home to an empty house, I drive to the Ferncliff cemetery.
I’m ashamed by how infrequently I visit. Heath’s mom’s funeral was the last time I’ve been there. Before that, it was months prior.
The cemetery doesn’t have a parking lot. There are spaces along the street and there’s a road of sorts that loops around a small pond. For the graves further away from the main street, people normally park on the road, the wheels of the passenger side pulling off onto the gravel for other cars to pass.
There’s a crypt-type building at the peak of the loop. My family’s plots are not far from there. Both my parents and my grandparents each share one double-sized stone.
They each have their own casket as far as I know. I was old enough when my grandparents passed away. For my parents, I’m not sure.
I should ask Jake at some point if he knows. Sinking down to the green grass, I sit Indian-style in the space between the two stones.
“I’m going to have a baby,” I murmur, my eyes moving from one side to the other.
There is, of course, no reply. I continue to speak anyway. “I got to hear the heartbeat today. Trip, the baby’s father, came with me to the doctor appointment. He wants me to marry him. So far, I’ve only agreed to move in with him. Sorta.”
Reaching out with both hands, I rest my palms on the earth on either side of me. “It’s a trial basis. I’m not sure why I’m scared to marry him.”
Closing my eyes, I call up his face in my mind. His frustratingly handsome face. His eyes coax me to shake off all my fears and trust in him.
“He’s a police detective. I met his mom last weekend.”
Lifting my hand, I trace the edge of the necklace she gave me. I’ve worn it every day since.
“She was a bit quirky, but nice.”
I stop myself from saying that I think she’ll make a good grandmother. Saying it will only be a reminder of how little family on my side this baby will have. My fingers drop from the necklace to my stomach.
“I want to be a good mom,” I whisper.
Only to myself, I add, “And I hope Trip is a good father.”
The afternoon is warm, the skies clear. Even though I don’t have anything more to say, I stay to be near them.
“Reilly?”
My head turns at the sound of my name, and I watch as Heath Mackey walks toward me. Shifting up and to my feet, I wave.
He gives me a hug once he’s close. “Hey, Reils.”
“Hey back, Mackey,” I reply.
He pulls away but leaves his arm around my shoulders with us facing my family’s gravestones.
“I came to talk to my mom and was about to leave when I saw you.”
“How are you doing with everything?” I ask.
He inhales and doesn’t reply right away. When he does, he says, “I miss her but I always will. My dad is reeling. His identity was wrapped up in taking care of her. Now that she’s gone, he doesn’t know what to do.”
“Gramps struggled after Grams passed.”
“We’re doing our best to keep him busy. He’s becoming a fixture at Lola’s.”
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt.
His arm falls from my shoulders as both of his hands grip my biceps turning me to face him. “Pregnant?”
I nod, giving him a tight smile.
His eyes roam my face before he asks, “are you okay?”
“Freaked but okay,” I assure.
“Does Trip know?”
I nod again. “He went with me to my first doctor appointment today.”
He drops his hands. “How does he feel about this?”
I shrug. “He seems excited. I met his mom last weekend.”
His eyes widen then he jokes, “Will we hear wedding bells soon?”
There are oh-so-many ways I could reply. First, Heath Mackey joking about wedding bells is about as ironic as it gets. It’s amazing that he would even go there after the crap he pulled with Kacey. Then, there’s the fact that Trip does want me to marry him and whenever anyone finds out, they act like I’m crazy for not agreeing to.
He reads into my hesitation in answering. “Wait, are you getting married?”
I shake my head. “Not anytime soon.”
“There’s more you’re not telling me,” he presses.
“He wants me to marry him,” I admit.
He regards me before guessing, “And you said no?”
Instead of asking me why like everyone else has, he continues, “You don’t want to get married for anything other than love?”
Finally, someone who gets me. “Exactly.”
“I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t his biggest fan after Sydney’s accident.”
I smack his stomach, making his next word come out as a grunt. “But, he is a good guy.”
“Not his biggest fan,” I mock parrot. “You were jealous because you thought he liked Sydney.”
He smirks. “I’m not proud of how I acted.”
Heath definitely made some bad choices, but everything worked out in the end. Sure, my situation isn’t ideal, but it could be worse.
The oil rig Jake worked on exploded, and Sydney was in a mudslide. I’m pregnant, so in comparison, I have nothing to complain about.
“Am I allowed to tell Sydney?” he asks.
I smack him again. “You’ll tell her either way.”
He laughs and pushes me toward my car. “I’m taking that as permission.”
“Whatever,” I mumble.
He hugs me again at my Jeep. Like a record skipping from a sad song to an upbeat one, Heath showed up right when I needed him.
“Tell Sydney to call me. We need a girls’ night, and I can be DD.”
“Man, Kacey is a lightweight and you can’t drink, so Sydney is going to try and drink for the both of you.”
I laugh because he has a point. “I’ll try and bring her home before she gets sloppy.”
“I’d appreciate it.”
I leave. When I get home, I pack. After my conversations with both Jake and Heath, I decide to pack more than I had originally planned. It’s not long before Trip shows.
When he sees how much I packed, he gives me a look of surprise.
Popping up on my toes, I surprise him further by kissing him. He lets me lead for a moment before taking the kiss over and deepening it. By the time he’s done, it’s hours later. It’s safe to say he likes the fact that I’m moving in.
“I’m going in with you,” I reply.
Reilly unbuckles her seatbelt. “You really don’t have to.”
I don’t, but nothing is going to stop me. She doesn’t argue when I get out of my SUV and walk with her to her old place. It’s been months since she’s slept here, and I’ve finally convinced her to let it go.
Jake, Heath, and I moved everything out yesterday. Today, she’s giving Julie back her keys.
When we reach the door, she hesitates before knocking. It doesn’t take long for Julie to answer with Dylan in tow.
“Hey guys. Come on in,” she greets, opening the door for us.
“Hi Julie,” I reply, and then bend down to give Dylan a high five.
“I can’t believe I’m not going to live here anymore,” Reilly whines.
Julie laughs. “Babe, you haven’t lived here in months. It’s time to cut the cord.”
Reilly reaches for her hand. “Are you going to be okay without me?”
Julie pulls her hand and then body into a hug. “I can’t thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
When Reilly first moved in with Julie, it was to help not only with occasional babysitting, but also financially with the rent money. Reilly and I still help watch Dylan every once an awhile, just at our place now. Also, in the past couple of months, the court-ordered child support she’s been fighting for has finally started.
“I feel like I’m abandoning you,” Reilly cries.
Julie pulls back, smiling widely. “You live a block and a half away silly.”
Julie sits on her couch and motions for Reilly to join her. Dylan pulls me across the room to show me his dinosaurs.
When confronted with a toddler and his toys, one must play. I take the T-Rex and roar at his stegosaurus. Dylan laughs wildly at my roar before trying to mimic it.
Julie and Reilly continue to talk behind us. “I have exciting news.”
“Oh spill,” Reilly exclaims.
“Well, I talked to Jimmy about it, and with his help we’re going to convert the house back to a single-family home.”
There’s a pause before Reilly replies, “You and Jimmy, huh?”
I glance back in time to watch Julie blush. It had seemed suspicious how many things Jimmy was fixing around the place.
“Jimmy home?” Dylan shouts, looking toward the door.
“Oh, Jimmy home?” Reilly repeats, with a twinkle in her eye.
Julie shushes her before saying, “Jimmy is coming later, honey,” to Dylan.
That seems to appease him enough for him to return his attention to dinosaurs. Julie and Reilly leave us playing while Julie gives her a walk through of all the changes she has planned for the place.
While they’re upstairs, Jimmy walks in.
“Hey man,” I say, standing.
Dylan charges him, throwing himself into his arms as Jimmy bends to greet him first. “Hey, little man.”
With Dylan now on his hip, he crosses the room to me, his hand out to shake mine. “How are you doing, Trip?”
“Good thanks. Reilly is upstairs with Julie. We heard the news that you’re going to convert the house back.”
Jimmy owns a contracting company in town, the same one Reilly’s brother Jake works for.
His eyes move to Dylan. “I’m happy she agreed.” He bumps his hip up, bouncing Dylan on it. “This guy needs more space now that he’s getting so big.”
“Are you and Julie . . .” I don’t finish my sentence, my eyes moving to Dylan.
“We are,” Jimmy replies.
“Julie is great and this guy,” I hold out my arms for Dylan and grin when he reaches for me. Tossing him up in the air, I finish, “is awesome.”
As fun as playing with me is, it’s clear Dylan favors Jimmy the second his feet touch the ground. He runs right to him and grabs onto his leg.
Jimmy drops his hand to rest it on Dylan’s head. “They’re both amazing.”
“My ears were burning,” Julies teases, walking into the room and straight to Jimmy.
“I love this,” Reilly sighs.
I do too, and mainly because seeing Julie thriving without Reilly will keep my girl from feeling guilty over living only with me. I still want her to marry me, but am taking things one step at a time.
Her finally letting go of this place was a big leap.
“We need to get going,” I say to Reilly.
Her eyes widen and she quickly hugs Julie. “Long story but he’s right. We have to run. It was good seeing you, Jimmy.” She leans down to kiss Dylan despite his attempts to avoid her kiss. “You keep these two in line, okay bud?”
He wipes off her kiss and goes back to his
dinosaurs waving his hand goodbye as Julie laughs.
“Are we late?” Reilly asks once we’re back in the SUV.
“Nope, we’ll be right on time,” I reply taking her hand.
We drive direct to Lola’s, which is closed to the public tonight. Heath meets us at the door, opening it for us. With the lights on and the people who were invited, Lola’s doesn’t look closed from the outside, which is the look they’re going for tonight.
“Are the tables all set?” Reilly asks Heath once the door is closed behind us.
“Take a look for yourself,” he replies.
Our eyes scan the diner. Sydney waves from behind the counter. The napkin holders and condiments that are normally there are all down and lined up on a shelf behind her.
On each of the booths opposite the counter are bell-shaped table displays and flowers.
“Where are all the balloons?” Reilly asks, walking over to the counter.
“Look under the tables,” Heath replies, and we do.
There, under each table, is a bundle of shiny pastel balloons.
Reilly claps. “I can’t wait for them to get here.”
Helping her up onto a stool, I slide onto the one next to hers. “They’ll be here soon. Until then, act natural.”
Without being obvious, my gaze moves toward the other guests playing patrons for the night. Sydney’s grandparents are here, sitting at one of the booths. At another booth are the Sonderveiks, the parents of someone Jake was close with from the oil rig he worked on.
Heath’s dad is sitting with them. Rounding out the rest of the booths are some people who work with Kacey at the eye clinic and the guys who are on Jake and Jimmy’s construction crew.
“They’re here. They’re here,” Sydney squeaks before coming to stand on the other side of the counter from us.
“Is her drink all set?” Reilly whispers.
Sydney grins as she nods. “She is going to freak.”
Heath moves from sitting next to Reilly down two stools to make room for Jake and Kacey. The door dings as Jake opens it, holding it for Kacey as she walks in.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis starts playing on the jukebox.
“Hey guys,” Kacey greets walking over to us. She kisses my cheek and hugs me and then does the same to Reilly before sitting on the stool next to her.
Jake pats me on the back and then moves to squeeze both of Reilly’s shoulders as he kisses the side of her head. “How are you feeling?”
Why Not? (Love Riddles Book 3) Page 13
