After Glow

by Autumn Jones Lake

  I glance down at the diaper-shaped magnet I’m holding. “I don’t like to lie to the people I love, so I’m pleading the fifth.”

  Trinity knows me too well to be insulted. She cackles and passes a magnet to Heidi, who is a much more enthusiastic participant.

  “I need to pee. Mara, you can have my turn.”

  I waddle down to the bathroom, passing Swan and Carter in the kitchen.

  Thankfully, Tawny couldn’t attend. She sent a lovely card and gift certificate. It certainly made the day a lot calmer. Mallory also couldn’t make the trip. Now her, I actually miss.

  “Hey, Hope—”

  “Be right back, Swan.”

  With an empty—for now—bladder, I return to the kitchen a few minutes later. “Okay, what’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing. I wanted to know if Trinity was ready to do presents.”

  “Oooh!” I squeeze my hands together. “Why didn’t we start there?” My gaze settles on Carter. “I haven’t seen you in a while. You know you’re always invited up for Thursday night dinners.”

  He shrugs and scuffs the toe of his sneaker against the floor. “Teller mentioned it a couple times.”

  “How’s Rock treating you down at the shop?” While I’ve witnessed how hard Rock can be on the guys, he seems to have a soft spot for Carter.

  “Good. He’s let me do a few pieces on my own since Bricks took off.”

  “That’s great. I know you’ve been a big help to him. So, thank you.”

  He blushes and ducks his head at the compliment, and I kind of want to ruffle his hair or pinch his cheeks, but I don’t think he’d appreciate that.

  “No problem.”

  “I better get back before Trinity hunts me down. Are you coming, Swan? I feel bad you’re out here.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  The girls used my time away to pack up the games and haul out the presents.

  “Open this first,” Mara says, pushing a large pink box at me.

  I dig through layers of pink tissue paper and finally find an assortment of baby lotions and… nipple cream?

  “What the hell?”

  “Trust me.”

  “Ugh. People should really warn you about these things ahead of time.”

  Mara brought a few other packages. After opening a travel crib, and diaper bag, I’m overwhelmed with my friend’s generosity. “You didn’t have to do all this, Mara.”

  “Are you kidding? I loved shopping for baby stuff. But it’s much more fun to do when you know you’re not the one who’ll be in labor.”

  “Gee, thanks.”

  Cora and Alexa scamper onto the floor to play with all the discarded wrapping paper.

  “Give it to me,” Mara asks her daughter patiently. “Sorry, Charlotte. She loves to shred.”

  Charlotte waves her hand in the air. “We’re baby friendly here.” She rubs her hand over Alexa’s hair, making her tip her head back and giggle.

  Heidi points upstairs. “They set Alexa up with her own room.”

  “Aw, that’s so sweet.”

  “Oh, oh! This came for you from Lilly.” Trinity pulls out a huge box and sets it in front of me.

  “You’re kidding. How sweet.”

  “Well, I sent her an invite, and she called me.” She taps the box. “Open.”

  “All right. Calm down.” Inside I find a card and note from Lilly.

  Congratulations, Hope!

  I’m so happy for you. I hope this helps ease some of the sleepless nights after the baby arrives.

  Love,

  Lilly

  Inside is a high-end bouncy chair in dusty rose pink.

  “Oh, that’s a nice one,” Heidi says. “My friend Dawn swears by hers. I didn’t discover them until Alexa was a little bigger.”

  I hadn’t gotten around to registering for anything before the shower. “How’d she know I’d need this?” I ask Trinity.

  She shrugs. “She just asked if she should get pink, blue, or neutral. Since it wasn’t some hideous Pepto pink, I said I thought you’d like that one.”

  “That was so thoughtful. I’ll have to call and thank her.”

  More than one heavy set of footsteps thud over the hardwood floor, and a few minutes later Rock joins us. “How’d you make out?” he asks.

  “Like a bandit.”

  He jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “I picked up a stray who wanted to say hello.”

  Z peers around him. “Hi, ladies.” He waves at me. “Hey, mama bear.”

  “You want to join us?” I ask.

  “Nah, came over early to help out. Thought I’d say hi, though.”

  Rock nods to the pile in front of me. “You want me to load that into the truck?”

  “Sure.”

  He takes a glance at the specially shaped body pillows Charlotte gave me and laughs. “You add any more pillows, and pretty soon I’ll be sleeping on the floor.”

  “Sorry,” Charlotte says.

  “Nope. I want my girl to be comfortable.” He stops and rubs my shoulders for a few seconds, then leans over me. “You okay?”

  I nod and rub my cheek against his briefly.

  “Theee!” Alexa squeals and toddles over to Z.

  He bends over and scoops her up. “Hey, princess. You having fun?”

  She bobs her head up and down and points toward Cora.

  Z smiles at her. “Hi, Cora.”

  Intrigued, she wanders over.

  “How are you still single, Z?” Mara asks.

  He grins at her, dimples flashing, but doesn’t respond.

  Rock reaches for the biggest box first, easily picking it up. “It’s lighter than I thought.”

  “It’s a bouncy chair. Lilly sent it. Wasn’t that sweet?”

  Z sets Alexa down and takes the packages Rock hands him.

  The look on his face really makes me wish I hadn’t mentioned Lilly’s name.

  Chapter Ten

  Hope

  After the baby shower and a successful glucose test, both of us seem to feel the pressing need to start working on the nursery.

  “I don’t think all this stuff will even fit in the room,” Rock says as he hauls another load of baby goodies upstairs.

  “Might want to start on that addition now.”

  He kisses my cheek as he brushes past me. “Whatever you want, baby doll.”

  We place the items in the corner. I still haven’t decided where to move my desk, filing cabinet, and chaise lounge.

  “Don’t touch any of that stuff. I’ll help you when I get back.”

  “I won’t. Promise.” I let out a yawn. “I think I’m going to nap while you’re gone.”

  “Good.”

  I’m not kidding either. I change into my comfy pants and a T-shirt, with every intention of snuggling under the covers for a little while.

  I’m on the verge of sleep when my phone rattles against the nightstand.

  It’s the lab. I scramble to sit up and flip on the light before taking the call.

  My heart’s hammering as we get the initial pleasantries out of the way. Finally, he gets to the point.

  “I just sent over some lab results.” He hesitates. “The information within only pertains to your clients, so I don’t feel it’s appropriate to send them to the other side.”

  That doesn’t sound ominous or anything. “What do you mean?”

  I race over to my office and power up my laptop while he hems and haws through a nonanswer.

  “Give me a few seconds. I’m not at my desk.”

  “Sure.”

  The silence from the phone is excruciating while I find his email and download the attached results. I want to scream in frustration.

  There are three separate reports. Each one has a DNA test profile with rows and columns of numbers and letters. I have no idea what any of it means.

  The silence between us has gone on for so long that I’m too flustered to focus enough to puzzle it out. “I don’t understand. What is this?
Where are the rest of my reports?”

  “The conclusion is at the bottom, Ms. Kendall,” he says as if I’m an idiot.

  Yup, that’s what I’m looking for.

  Rochlan North: excluded as the biological father of Baby Boy March.

  I blow out a long, slow breath. Thank God.

  The tightness in my chest finally eases.

  The next report is the same except for the bottom.

  Marcel Whelan: excluded as the biological father of Baby Boy March.

  Phew.

  “This is good news. Two of my clients have been excluded. Where are the rest of my reports?”

  “Ms. Kendall, please continue reading the third report so we can discuss it.”

  This time I zoom in on the bottom right away.

  “Oh my God,” I breathe out. “What? Why? How did you…?”

  “There was a delay in receiving the DNA sample from the child. We made a mistake… since the other sample wasn’t here.”

  It seems to pain him to admit their mistake. But I’m too distracted by the results to care. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. We can perform another test if you’d like. Or—” He clears his throat. “—if you’d be more comfortable with a different lab after this… well, I can recommend a few places.”

  “But how?”

  “I didn’t realize the error right away. And I apologize. That’s why we ran it twice. Ms. Kendall, did you know?”

  “No,” I whisper.

  I can’t speak.

  “Ms. Kendall?”

  My stomach cramps. Ice swirls in my gut, chilling me from the inside out.

  “Ms. Kendall, are you there?”

  His voice sounds like it’s a million miles away.

  Numbness spreads from my chest to my fingertips.

  The phone falls out of my hand and clatters onto my desk.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hope

  * * *

  Rochlan North: Not excluded as the biological father of Marcel Whelan.

  Probability of Paternity: 99.687%

  Does Rock know?

  I can’t imagine Rock keeping something like this from me. Not after everything we’ve been through. Not unless he and Teller both know and agreed to keep it a secret for some reason.

  Shit.

  After shaking off the news, I discuss the rest of the results with the lab. Reluctantly he gives me the results for everyone else. The official reports will be in the mail by the end of the week.

  We hang up, and I immediately send Rock a text. I don’t think I’ll be able to handle speaking to him on the phone without blurting out the news.

  And this is really something I need to tell him face to face.

  “Hope? Are you ready?” Rock asks, standing outside the chapel doors.

  I had to let him know the club’s good news.

  Every single one of them had been excluded as the biological father of Baby Boy March.

  I glance down at the papers in my hands.

  The club is off the hook.

  But Rock? And Teller? What do I say to them?

  Rock already has a child.

  I thought… well, it doesn’t matter what I thought.

  Rock’s already a father. He has a child with someone who, as far as I’m concerned, took advantage of him when he was a child.

  My hand rubs over my stomach, thinking of our daughter.

  She already has a big brother.

  There’s irony here somewhere. Rock’s treated the guys like sons for years from what I’ve witnessed and the stories they’ve shared with me.

  How do I break this to Rock? To Teller? What can I say to make this better? Make it hurt less? Because I know it will devastate them both.

  “Hope?” Rock calls again.

  “I’m coming.” I toss my hair back and march into the war room wearing what I hope passes for confidence.

  Rock closes the door and nudges me toward the head of the table, near his seat.

  “You’re killing us, Prez,” Stash says. “Why you making us wait?”

  “You’re making us wait by running your mouth,” Ravage points out.

  “Shut up,” Wrath barks.

  “Okay, guys.” I pause and try to push a little excitement into my voice. “None of you are the father.”

  “Woo! Yes! Thank fuck!” Ravage shouts, jumping out of his chair. “This is the best Jerry Springer episode ever!”

  All the brothers erupt with cheers, high fives, and relieved breaths.

  Sparky runs over and wraps his arms around me. I’m nearly knocked over by the scent of his latest crop. “Thank you, Hope.”

  “Thank science, Sparky.”

  “That too.” In his excitement, he runs into the door. Wrath has to steady him and open the door for him.

  “Simmer down before you hurt yourself, Sparky!” Rock shouts. He tilts his head and smiles at me. “Thank you,” he mouths.

  I don’t return the smile or have any witty comments. Rock’s happy expression quickly fades. His gaze zeroes in on my shaking hand holding the piece of paper with the devastating secret in black and white.

  “Thanks, Hope. You’re a champ for putting up with us,” Z says on his way out.

  Dex doesn’t seem as overjoyed as everyone else. I reach out and brush my fingers against his arm. “This is good news, right?” I ask in a lower voice.

  It takes a second, but his mouth curls up, and he gives my hand an affectionate squeeze. “Yup. Coulda ended up being a real fuckin’ mess if it’d gone the other way.” His gaze drops to my stomach. “Glad you won’t have to be stressed out any longer. Worried about you.”

  For a brief moment, his hand hovers over my belly.

  That complaint about everyone thinking a pregnant lady’s tummy is somehow public property is true. I’ve swatted more hands off me when I’m out and about than I can count. But around here, the guys wouldn’t dare without seeking Rock’s permission first.

  Okay, and maybe once or twice when Grace has been extra busy, I’ve stopped and pulled whoever was closest to me over to feel her kicks. Most of the guys—even Wrath—think it’s pretty cool. Although, Ravage did ask me once if I was worried the baby would try to bust out of my belly Alien-style.

  But Dex stops himself, dropping his hand to his side and shaking his head.

  With no understanding of what’s bothering him, I try to give him a reassuring smile. “She’s sleeping now,” I say to cover the awkwardness.

  “You okay, Cinderella?” Wrath settles a big hand on my shoulder, drawing my attention up to him. “You must be relieved you won’t have to deal with Inga again.”

  Honestly, I haven’t given Inga a single thought since I received the news about Rock and Teller. Soon I’ll need to call the other attorney and prepare my motion to dismiss.

  But that can wait.

  Everyone except Rock, Wrath, Teller, and Murphy have moved into the living room. There’s already talk of riding up to Fletcher Park to celebrate the news and throwing a party later.

  Teller stands and pushes his chair in.

  “Teller, can you stay for a minute?” I ask softly.

  I can’t keep this to myself another second.

  Should I wait and tell Rock alone first? Knowing Rock, it’s not something he’d want to hide from Teller, so I dismiss that idea. They’re both here now.

  All I’m doing is making excuses to delay blowing up their world.

  Murphy quirks an eyebrow, silently asking if he’s needed too. I shake my head, and he slaps Teller’s shoulder before walking out.

  Wrath also seems reluctant to leave, but after a head-jerk from Rock, he walks out, shutting the door behind him.

  “What’s the matter, baby doll?” Rock asks.

  How do I say this?

  My stomach cramps and I wince.

  “Shit. Sit down, Hope. What’s wrong?” Rock asks, jumping up to help me into Wrath’s chair.

  Teller leans forward, watching me with a careful e
xpression. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I take a deep breath and compose myself. “The lab discovered something else. I, uh, don’t understand the why of it, but they tested the samples against each other… gosh, I don’t even know—”

  “What, Hope?” Teller asks. “Are we sick or something? You’re freaking me out.”

  Rock reaches over and grasps Teller’s hand in a quick hold. It’s a brief gesture, meant to reassure. Brotherly.

  No. Fatherly.

  A tear slips down my cheek, thinking of all the years they’ve lost. All the years they’ve known each other, but not known this.

  My gaze darts between them.

  Spit it out! They’ve waited long enough.

  I force a smile that probably borders on deranged because I can’t stop crying. “There was a match.”

  “Who?” Teller asks. He sits back and smirks. “Are we related to someone famous or something?”

  Rock turns slowly, running his gaze over Teller. Staring at him as if seeing him for the first time.

  “Rock?” I plead. “They matched.” I gesture helplessly between them. “You two. Teller’s your… Teller’s your son.”

  The easy smile vanishes from Teller’s face. “What the fuck?” He jumps out of his chair, slamming his back against the wall. “What are you talking about, Hope? That’s not even possible. That’s crazy.”

  Rock sits back, staring at the far end of the room as if he’s trying to conjure up a memory. “Are they sure?” he finally asks.

  “They tested it a few times… because of the age difference, they tested it a few times.”

  “Rock, that’s insane. That can’t be right.” Teller tears his gaze away from Rock and drops into his chair. He stares at me. “How is that possible, Hope?” His voice is full of so much anguish it breaks my heart, but I’m afraid to go to him.

  Afraid and too pregnant to easily get out of the damn chair. Finally, I can’t stand it anymore and push myself up.

  Rock’s still trying to absorb the information while Teller looks like he’s ready to come out of his skin.

  Teller watches me approach and tips his head up. “How?” he asks again.

  Leaning over, I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “I don’t know.” He turns, hugging me back—almost clinging. After a minute, he pulls the chair next to him out, offering it to me. I take it and grasp his hand while we both watch Rock.