Daddy’s Best Friend

by Crowne, K. C.

  “Thanks for telling me what I already know.” I helped Amelia with the rattle, helping her shake it. Her eyes lit up when she heard the sound it made. “You’re really not going to do anything? What if they call you to the stand, would you lie and commit perjury about what your parents put you up to?”

  “I won’t turn on my family, Jeremiah. I can’t.”

  “So that’s a yes? You’d commit perjury for them? After everything they’ve done to you.”

  “Goodbye, Jeremiah. Please don’t call me again.”

  The line went dead.

  Shit.

  I tried Elle again. No answer. Straight to voicemail.

  “Elle, please listen to me. I’m sorry, for everything. I’m sorry about how I reacted. It was just a shock to me. I was terrified to be the father of two children, and to find out I’m going to be a dad to another one? Well, it scared me, but—”

  There was a beep signalling that my message was cut off. I had the opportunity to re-record it or delete it.

  I deleted it. She wouldn’t listen to it anyway, and it had been a mess. It likely would have made things worse. I needed to get my shit together, form a coherent thought. But with everything going on, I wasn’t sure if that would happen anytime soon.

  Elle

  I pushed the grilled chicken around on my plate. I couldn’t blame morning sickness for my loss of appetite today. It was lunch time, and I was sitting in Smothered in Love by myself. I sat by the window, watching the people pass by. A couple with two little kids walked by, all of them bundled up in their winter clothing. They held tiny cups of hot chocolate they’d picked up down the street at the bakery.

  I wanted a happy family like that so badly.

  Instead, I was sitting in a booth, pregnant and alone, my emotions getting the best of me and my food going to waste.

  I hadn’t felt like eating since the run-in with Jeremiah.

  I looked down at my plate, managed to take a few bites as the family passed by and out of sight. I looked out again and saw a familiar face. I don’t know what got into me, but I pushed myself out of my seat and out the door. I walked past the black Jaguar with the ridiculous vanity plates.

  Lauren Holt was standing on the sidewalk, putting some change into a meter and cursing to herself. She looked tired.

  “Hey, I heard you left town,” I called out. “Decided to come back and see your girls?”

  Lauren looked up, eyes wide. “Elle, what—”

  “Oh, wait, that’s right. You want nothing to do with them. I don’t know how a mother could just throw her children away like that. Put them up for adoption, sure, but you know where they’re at, you know Jeremiah could end up behind bars, yet you do nothing.” My voice was shaking with rage.

  “Elle, please,” she said, her voice cracking. For a second, I almost felt bad for her, but she stiffened her spine. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she spat. “You should just go back inside the restaurant before you make a fool of yourself.”

  “You should do something about your family,” I seethed, my hatred clear in my voice. “I heard they want to take the babies away from Jeremiah. You can’t let that happen.”

  Lauren’s face blanched. “I told Jeremiah I can’t help him.”

  “If he goes to prison, you really want your father raising those girls?”

  Lauren opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. She no longer looked me in the eye. Disgusted, I said, “Yeah, I didn’t think so. But if you don’t do something, it very well could be your dad - and dare I say it, your brother - raising those babies, and we both know how terrible they are.”

  I didn’t want to say it, but I could see the broken woman behind the façade. The drinking during the interview, the way she acted around her father and brother, it was clear she had been damaged by them. Maybe she wouldn’t have been a half bad person had her family not stuck their claws in her.

  “There’s nothing I can do,” she reiterated, and for the first time in her life, she sounded helpless. The rich and powerful Lauren Holt was nearly whimpering. “I can’t speak against them. I can’t.”

  “I know somewhere inside, you care about those girls. You wouldn’t have carried them for nine months, given birth to them, and made sure they were cared for if you didn’t. I want to believe part of you loves them, even if you try so hard not to.”

  My own baby wasn’t even the size of a soybean, and I loved him or her more than life itself. I couldn’t imagine carrying my child for nine months and not loving it. Even giving the girls to Jeremiah to raise was an act of love.

  Lauren still wouldn’t meet my gaze, but I saw the tears sliding down her cheeks. I’d hit on something, that much was clear. I just prayed it was enough to make her do the right thing. Because we were running out of time.

  “You’re right. There’s no way my dad can get near those girls. Not after what he’s done to me.” She stopped there, but I didn’t need to hear more.

  I already knew there must have been abuse. Whether it be mental or physical, I could see it all over Lauren’s face. Her father had hurt her. And I had to believe she wouldn’t let him do it to those girls.

  “I have to go,” she said abruptly, turning away from me and hurrying down the street.

  I waited, debating on going back inside to finish my chicken salad. But I decided against it. I had to see where she was going and why she dared come back into town. She was probably better off staying far away from the mess, but something had brought her back to Liberty.

  I kept my distance from her and watched as she turned down an alley. I waited and then turned down as well, ducking behind a dumpster. I could hear Lauren talking to her brother. No, not talking. She was yelling. She was screaming.

  “I can’t do this anymore, Alex. I’m done.”

  “What are you going to do, Lauren? Run to the cops?” Alex scoffed.

  I glanced around the side. Lauren was pacing, her arms wrapped around her as if to warm herself or to protect herself.

  “You and dad set me up. I wanted to shame Jeremiah, not frame him for murder. It’s gone too far,” she pronounced.

  “Your car was in front of James’ place that night, Lauren. If anyone is going down for the crime, it’s you. I made sure of it.”

  “Yeah, well, I have an alibi, Alex.” Lauren stopped in front of her brother and stared him directly in the eye. “I was in the hospital giving birth to the twins, and I stayed there for several days. I have proof. I have witnesses. You have nothing.”

  Alex raised his hand, and the slapping sound echoed throughout the alley. I jumped, covering my mouth to avoid making a sound. Lauren stood her ground, her hand rubbing her cheek.

  “You can’t continue bullying me forever. I used to have nothing to lose, but that’s changed now. I will do whatever I need to in order to protect my children.”

  Alex lunged toward her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pressing her into the wall. “You won’t live long enough to talk to the cops.”

  My heart stopped. A coughing sound caught my attention, and I turned to the end of the alley to find Abe Hammond, world-renowned doctor and a very respected member of our community standing at the end.

  “Is there a problem here?” he asked.

  Alex let go of Lauren. “No,” he said, storming off toward the end of the alley. He stopped and turned to Lauren. “But there will be if you talk. Don’t be stupid, Lauren.”

  Alex hurried towards my end of the alley, passing by the dumpster close enough that I could have reached out and touched him. I pressed against the back, and Abe’s eyes met mine. He saw me, but I knew my secret was safe with him. He walked down the alley toward Lauren, and I knew she was safe. She was in good hands - a doctor’s hands. I hurried out of there as quickly as I could, making sure to watch for Alex.

  I returned to the diner and stopped outside. My head was spinning. I didn’t know what to do. Should I go back inside, pretend that everything was normal and finish my lunch - if it
was still there? I looked around, careful to watch for Alex or any of the Holts.

  Lauren came out of the alley with Dr. Hammond, and she saw me standing in front of the diner. We shared a look. I didn’t know if she knew I was there, listening in. Mascara stained her pale cheeks. She’d been crying. Her cheek where Alex had slapped her was bright red and would likely bruise. And she had witnesses to all of it.

  As the two of them walked down the street toward Lauren’s car, she stopped. “I’ll go to the cops,” she muttered. “I’ll head there now.”

  “Thank you. You’re doing the right thing,” I whispered.

  She didn’t look at me, she just stared at the ground, but she nodded.

  It would soon be over. The Holts would go to jail. Jeremiah was safe. And his girls would have their father. I prayed it would turn out that way.

  Jeremiah

  When someone knocked on my door, I prayed it was Elle. She still wasn’t speaking to me, but we needed to talk. I needed to apologize and make things right.

  But when I opened the door, dread set in. “Teddy? What are you doing here?”

  “May I come in, Jeremiah?” The sheriff just had that look about him - he had bad news.

  My heart sank, and I feared the worst. “Is it Elle?” I asked him, my legs turning to jelly at the very thought. I stepped back to let him enter, closing the door behind him.

  “No, as far as I know, Elle is fine.”

  Relief washed over me. Knowing that, I could walk again. I led Teddy down the hallway and into the dining room. “Would you like a beer?”

  “I’m working, I can’t,” Teddy said.

  “Coffee then?”

  “No, I’m fine,” Teddy said. “Have a seat, Jeremiah.”

  I was antsy. Even knowing Elle was fine, something was obviously wrong. I nodded and took a seat across from Teddy, trying to prepare for the news.

  “Look, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it. Lauren Holt was found dead earlier this evening.”

  The news hit me hard, and I leaned back in my chair, at a loss for words. Teddy let the news sink in, as I went through a series of emotions. She was the twins’ mother. Even if she was fairly awful at times, she was still a person.

  “Damn. What happened?” I asked.

  “She was shot in the back of the head. We found her in her car, not too far from here. Someone reported a gunshot, but no one saw anything.”

  I had a pretty good idea who was behind it.

  “Jeremiah, I know she was the mother of your twins, so I expect this news is hard for you, but I have to ask - where were you between 5pm and 7pm this evening?”

  “I was here, with my daughters,” I said. “You can’t possibly think…No way, not this again. I didn’t kill her.”

  Teddy held his hands up. “I have to investigate all angles, Jeremiah. Please understand it’s nothing personal.”

  I wiped at my face as if I could wipe the whole fucking nightmare away. I stared at Teddy, trying to piece everything together. “Have you talked to her family yet? Do they have alibis?”

  Teddy sighed. “We’re talking to them now.”

  Yeah, I was sure they’d paid for some alibis. They always managed to find a way to prove their innocence, no matter the crime. I gripped the corner of the table so hard I feared I might crack the wood.

  I sighed, furious and saddened at the same time. “I’m not going to answer another question without a lawyer present.”

  “I understand,” Teddy said, standing. “I’d encourage you to give him a call. I’m sure we’ll be in touch.”

  I walked Teddy to the door and leaned against it, cursing everything in the world. The only good thing to have come out of all this were my girls. And Elle. But she wasn’t talking to me right now. She had my child growing inside her - another child who might grow up without a father because of this shitshow.

  There was another knock on the door, and I swung it open. “Teddy, I told you—”

  I stopped when I saw Elle, wrapped in a wool coat and her hair windblown. Her mascara ran down her cheeks.

  “Oh Jeremiah, I heard the news.”

  She rushed into my arms before I knew what hit me. I held her, still trying to decide if it was real. Her sobs were very real.

  Between gasping and crying, Elle managed to get out, “It’s her brother. I know it is. I saw them—”

  “You saw them?”

  She calmed down, hiccupping from all the crying. “Yes, and so did Dr. Hammond,” she continued. “We have witnesses to prove that Alex threatened Lauren.”

  “But you know the Holts, Elle. They will find a way to get around this.”

  “We have to try, Jeremiah,” she insisted, taking my hand in hers. I brought my other hand to her face, to wipe the tears from her cheeks. God, she was so beautiful. Inside and out.

  “Elle, we need to talk about the baby.”

  A pained look crossed her face. “I know it’s a lot to handle, Jeremiah. I can raise the baby on my own if needed, but—”

  “No, you won’t. I mean, unless I end up behind bars. But as long as I’m a free man, we will raise that child together. We will be a family.”

  Elle raised her face to look at me, and more tears pooling in her eyes and falling. But these weren’t sad tears. “Oh Jeremiah,” she croaked. “That’s all I want. Just for us to be a family.”

  I lifted her chin and pressed my lips to her. “I want that too.”

  I wasn’t sure if we’d get our happy ending, considering our circumstances currently. But I wanted her to be with me forever. I wanted to be there for all my children. And the idea of having a child with her, of giving Grace and Amelia a sibling, actually filled me with excitement - once I got past the initial fear.

  “I’m sorry I reacted the way I did. It was a shock and I didn’t know how to process it.”

  “I shouldn’t have told you like that,” Elle said at the same time.

  I leaned into her, our foreheads touching. “It’s scary thinking I might not be there for my children.”

  “You will be, Jeremiah,” she said, her voice impassioned, taking my hands in hers. “I’ll tell the cops everything I know, and I’m sure Doc Hammond will do the same. He’s a good man.”

  “I just hope it’s enough.”

  “It has to be.”

  We were silent for a long time, standing in the front hallway, holding each other. When I realized she was still all bundled up from being outside, I stepped back.

  “Oh God, come in,” I said. “Let me take your coat.”

  I slipped the coat off, and even though it was too soon, my eyes fell on her belly. My child was in there, growing. Soon, she’d be showing and the whole world would know. The idea of her carrying my baby turned me on more than I expected it to. Once I hung up her coat, I kissed her deeply, and we moved to the couch.

  The girls were asleep, we had the living room to ourselves, and it was clear we wouldn’t make it to the bedroom. I stripped her down, her clothes falling as we moved across the room.

  She was just as turned on, obviously. She stripped me down, her hands fumbling with my belt, then my zipper. She slid my pants over my hips and dropped to her knees in front of me.

  Her big, brown eyes stared up at me, her mouth open. Her perfect pink tongue darted out and teased the tip of my cock. She licked the precum, then took me inside her hot, wet mouth, though she couldn’t take me all the way. Her hand made up the difference, moving up and down as her mouth sucked and licked.

  My hands were tangled in her soft, silky hair. I’d never met anyone as beautiful as her. I felt like the luckiest man in the world as she sucked my cock, bringing me very close to the edge.

  I pulled her back, gently tugging at her hair. “Stop,” I groaned. “To the couch.”

  She followed me, and together, we fell to the couch. She was in my lap, straddling me, her breasts free and bouncy as she moved, grinding against me.

  I grabbed my cock an
d guided it into her, watching the look on her face as I entered her. Her eyes popped open wide; her head fell forward. She rested it against my chest, feeling me deep inside of her. She was so tight, gripping my cock so snugly with her lips. I could stay like that forever, savoring the warm, velvety wetness of her pussy, but she slowly began rocking back and forth.

  She raised her head, and I kissed her deeply, gripping her hips and helping guide her.

  This is Heaven, I thought. Fucking the woman I loved, who was pregnant with my child. It was everything I’d always wanted, and my dream girl had been in front of me for so long.

  I’m glad I finally stopped fighting my destiny.

  Elle

  I stared deep in his eyes as I rode him, our bodies united as one. His beard brushed against my cheek, sending chills down my spine. His hands moved up and down my hips, stroking my skin with those rough hands.

  It didn’t take long for me to reach climax, my entire body tightening around him, my pussy clenching around his cock as I came.

  “Yes, yes, cum for me, baby,” he whispered into my ear, his breath warm against my flesh.

  He knew my body well; he knew I was orgasming without me even telling him. And from the look on his face, he enjoyed it as much as he did his own, doing everything he could to extend it - to make it last as long as possible.

  And once my orgasm ended, I collapsed on top of him, but Jeremiah wasn’t done with me. No, I never just came once with him. He always made sure I came multiple times. No man had treated me to so many in one session, but Jeremiah wasn’t like most men. I’d known that my entire life, and now I witnessed it for myself.

  He rolled us over, hovering above me on the couch. He slipped his cock free from my pussy and moved down my body, kissing every inch of my belly. Soon, my belly would be growing, no longer flat but full with his child.

  He kissed it lovingly, and I thought I might melt.

  Then he moved lower, spread my thighs open, and kissed me in my most intimate spot. His tongue darted in and out of my pussy, licking up all the juices from my orgasm. I was so wet, and he was only making me wetter.