“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Trent made it very clear that he doesn’t want this baby. I won’t let my child feel his hatred—”
“Whatever Trent said, he doesn’t hate this baby. You’ve seen how he is around Faith. He’ll make an excellent father.”
“He doesn’t want to be a father.”
“He may not, but he is. Okay, enough of that. Let’s finish you up and get you in to Dr. Hallowell. I want to hear this little heartbeat as well.”
Chapter Thirteen
Trent
Knowing his sister wouldn’t pester him this much unless something was wrong, Trent answered his phone. “This is the tenth time you called today. Is Faith okay?”
“You got Rayne pregnant and completely abandoned her?” Claire yelled through the phone. So much for keeping that one a secret. He already felt like an ass; he didn’t need anyone else to confirm it.
“Leave it alone, sis.”
“I will not!”
“Yes, you will.” He yanked open the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer. Rummaging through the junk drawer, he finally found the bottle opener, ripped open one of bottles, and chugged until it was gone. Letting out a loud belch, he uncapped the second bottle and walked into his living room.
“The caveman act won’t scare me away. I’ve seen and heard far worse.”
Yeah, from their father. History repeating itself. First Michael Kipson drowns his sorrows in a bottle of beer, and now his son.
“You’re pathetic.”
“So leave me alone.”
“No. Why didn’t you tell me Rayne was pregnant?”
Trent shrugged. “It’s none of your business.”
“That baby is Faith’s cousin. My nephew or niece.”
“Who said I was the father?”
That shut her up for a good minute. “No, I don’t believe that for a second.”
“Really? ‘Cause your silence spoke a lot.”
“My silence says I don’t believe it. Rayne loved you. Loves you. I can see it in her eyes.”
“You talked to her?” Careful not to seem too eager, he crossed his foot onto his knee and reclined in his La-Z-Boy.
“Yes. And the baby is yours.”
He knew that. He never doubted it but couldn’t control the garbage that came out of his mouth that night or the lies running through his head for the following days. Weeks. Trent figured Rayne would have called, tried to convince him of that love and marriage crap. But she didn’t.
“I’m helping out at Southern Maine Women’s Clinic in South Portland. I’ve been on a waiting list to move over to that facility. There was a temporary opening. It means steady hours for the next few months, which is perfect timing with the holidays coming up. I won’t have to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas. And speaking of holidays—”
“No.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“Doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not coming home.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. You’re coming to our house for Thanksgiving next week.”
“I’m busy.”
“Faith will miss you. It’s her first Thanksgiving.”
“Faith doesn’t care what day it is and neither do I.”
“You know what, I don’t blame her. I don’t want my child to be forced to spend time with someone who doesn’t love her either. It’s no wonder why Rayne doesn’t want you near her child.”
It wasn’t until his sister hung up on him that Trent finally let out the breath he’d been holding. Rayne doesn’t want you near her child. So she did think of him as some monster, just like Michael Kipson. Damn history. Damn genes.
Claire was right. Faith shouldn’t be exposed to an ass of an uncle and neither should Trent’s child. He had two options. Stay away from the people he cared about or change his freakin’ attitude.
***
Rayne
For the past five years Thanksgivings were spent at Rayne’s apartment. As soon as Thyme turned eighteen, Suzie and Neil Wilde began traveling during the cold New England months, leaving their daughters to fend for themselves. Rayne didn’t mind. She liked the intimate dinner feast she and her sisters collaborated to prepare.
There had been other dinner guests too. Sage never brought boyfriends, but Thyme usually did—no one serious, but whomever she was dating at the time. Ironically, Rayne never had a boyfriend come to Thanksgiving dinner. Her brief engagements were in the spring and over before the end of the summer. Typical summer romance. That was Rayne.
This year it would only be the three of them, but next year they’d have a little one at the table. Rayne thought of adorable Faith enjoying her first Thanksgiving. Claire invited her to Brian’s family’s house but she respectfully declined, even after hearing Trent wouldn’t be there.
Faith and the Wilde child in Rayne’s belly would be a little more than a year apart. Already Claire was planning play dates. Rayne accepted recent invites to lunch with Claire and Faith and discovered how much she missed the two. Learning Trent had moved across the country without a simple goodbye hurt as much as him denouncing his parentage of the child.
When the Thanksgiving dinner had been eaten, Sage and Thyme told Rayne to sit and put her feet up while they did the dishes. Rayne smiled as she listened to her sisters argue in the kitchen. Placing a hand on her belly, she felt her wild one kick and shuffle around. She’d definitely make a great Zumba dancer, Rayne thought with a laugh.
Peace and serenity. She’d finally gotten there. She didn’t need a man in her life to make her happy or complete and neither did her baby. Rayne had enough love in her to make up for an absent father and two negligent grandparents. Her child would never go without and never, ever feel the emptiness that Trent, Rayne, and her sisters felt growing up.
***
Trent
Trent pulled out his cell phone and texted his sister.
Trent: In parking lot Where r u
He drummed his fingers on his steering wheel while he waited for his sister to leave for her lunch break.
Claire: Running late. Come inside. I’ll meet you in the second floor waiting room.
It was just like his sister to spell, capitalize, and punctuate her texts correctly. Shutting off his engine, he got out of his rental and made his way into the medical building. Not bothering to read the signs to the different offices, he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor. It smelled faintly of flowers, which was better than the stale, sterile scent of the hospital where she usually worked, and was decorated with light pink walls, plants, and feminine prints. He smiled at the receptionist.
“I’m looking for my sister, Claire Smart.”
“Yes, she said to have a seat in the waiting area.” The receptionist pointed toward an open space. Trent thanked her and started heading toward an empty chair when he heard a familiar voice.
“Well, that sucks.”
“Sage,” Rayne reprimanded.
“I’m sorry, Miss Wilde. Only one guest is allowed in during the exam,” a nurse said, looking from Sage to Thyme.
Trent’s breath caught in his throat. He could pick Rayne’s butt out of any line-up. Her jeans molded to her rounded globes. She turned to talk to Sage and his head spun. Her long-sleeved shirt clung to her body, accentuating her curves. Her breasts were larger, as was her belly. Just a slight bump to it, nothing like the flat, smooth stomach that he licked chocolate sauce off a few months ago. His groin swelled and his jeans grew tight. He knew her body better than his own. Knew being the operative word. Not anymore.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I could only bring one person in with me. Can you give me a minute?”
The nurse nodded. “Sure. Let me process some paperwork. I’ll be right back.”
“I’m the oldest. I should go.”
“No fair. I’ll probably be the next one to have a baby, so I should go.”
“Thyme? Is there something you need to tell us?” Rayne asked.
“No
. I’m not pregnant, but we know Sage never will be.”
“Easy, brat. I could—”
His brain shut down and his legs took over. Trent walked over to the trio and said, “I’m going.” The girls stopped squabbling.
“Well, I’ll be dammed. Look who’s risen from the dead.” Sage put a protective arm around her sister.
Rayne crossed her arms under her breasts, which only accentuated their fullness. He lifted his gaze back to the pools of chocolate.
“You weren’t invited to this party, bud,” the sassy sister said.
“Miss Wilde. I’m ready for you. I can’t wait any longer or it will cut into the next patient’s slot.”
“He should go,” Thyme said. God bless the youngest sister.
“I don’t think she wants him to go,” Sage bickered.
“He’s the father.”
“That’s not what he said.”
Great, so Rayne told them everything.
Rayne stayed conspicuously quiet while her sisters argued around her, her eyes changing from round and shocked to small and distant.
“Miss Wilde?” the nurse prompted again.
Despair filled her face, her eyes and mouth turning downward in defeat. “He can come,” she whispered and turned to follow the nurse.
Instead of feeling like the victor, he felt like a fool. She didn’t want him in there. He didn’t need to be there. Hell, he didn’t even know where there was, but he followed Rayne down the hall, ignoring her sister’s warning, “Don’t you dare hurt her.”
Once in the dimly lit room, the nurse asked Rayne to hop on the table and pull her pants down under her belly. She sheepishly peered over at Trent and then turned her head, ignoring him once again. The nurse squirted some gook all over her belly and glided an instrument around.
“First, I need to take some measurements, check out the heart and lungs, and then we can play around.” The room was quiet as she pressed some keys on the keyboard attached to the wand and pointed out various body parts on the screen. “See the four chambers? That’s the heart. Nice and strong and steady.”
Trent didn’t know where to look. At Rayne’s smooth, slightly rounded belly, completely unfamiliar to him, or at the screen where the nurse pointed. At first the blob on the black and white screen didn’t look like anything, but as his eyes became familiar with the tiny object, he started to make out the head and arms and legs. And a foot. Trent smiled. And a hand. Five tiny fingers stretched. He did that. He and Rayne made that little ball of bones and fingers that would soon be a baby.
“Oh.” Rayne flinched.
“Are you hurt?” Trent jumped to her side and the nurse laughed.
“Saw that. This baby’s an active one. Just gave you a one-two punch.”
“Yeah. I call it my Wilde child.”
Trent almost laughed but stopped himself.
“Would you like to know the baby’s sex?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Rayne turned and glared at him. “No.”
He stared at her, soaking in her radiant skin. God, he missed her. Missed her hair that always made its way to his pillow, causing him to sneeze. Missed her laugh; the way she challenged him and kept him on his toes. But that wasn’t the woman who lay before him. She was gone, replaced by this serious, pregnant woman. He hurt her. He was the one who changed her.
“Okay. Whatever you say. We’ll wait until the baby is born.”
Rayne didn’t comment on his use of “we.” It was out before he could think of the consequences. This meant he was sticking around. He was going to be a father.
***
Rayne
Seeing Trent in the waiting room knocked the wind right out of her already squished diaphragm. She couldn’t form a cohesive thought. Part of her itched to jump into his arms but most of her was wary of him. How did he know she had an ultrasound scheduled?
Claire. Rayne would see her after the ultrasound and give her a piece of her mind. How dare she betray Rayne like this?
Or did she do Rayne a favor? It was hard to tell if the flutter in her belly was the baby or her anxiety at seeing Trent after two months. Rayne figured he’d be tanned, the California sun bringing out blond highlights in his hair. Instead he looked like he’d lost some weight, the scruff on his face making him appear worn out instead of tough. She couldn’t look at his emerald eyes without remembering their frantic lovemaking in the woods. So consumed in each other that they forgot to use protection. His accusation still stung and she’d never forgive him for the way he treated her, thinking she trapped him into getting her pregnant.
Oh, the nerve. The moment of weakness passed quickly, hurt and anger consuming her once again.
The nurse wiped the gel from her belly. “Okay, Miss Wilde. I’m done on this end. You can have a seat in the waiting room and a nurse will be with you shortly. You can keep these.” She handed Rayne four pictures of her baby. The first was a headshot, the second showed most of the head and torso, the third was an adorable little foot, and the fourth was a hand, as if waving to its mama.
“Thank you. I’ll cherish them forever.” Rayne studied each picture over and over as she walked back to the waiting room.
“You have pictures! Let me see.” Thyme leaned in and admired her little niece. Or nephew.
“You okay?” Sage asked Rayne, but her sharp glare was fixated on Trent.
“Yes. It was amazing. The baby moved around a lot so the nurse had a hard time getting some shots. It was…wow. There’s a little baby inside me.”
Sage laughed. “You’re just now figuring this out?”
“I had no idea it would be so…amazing.”
“So you say. Thyme, let me see the pictures of my niece.”
“Can I keep one?” Thyme reluctantly handed the pictures to Sage.
Rayne was grateful that her sisters were happy for her, but she couldn’t part with any of the pictures.
“Rayne? I can see you now.” Claire smiled apologetically at Rayne, her gaze shooting to Trent and Rayne’s sisters before settling on Rayne again. “You’re not all coming with her.”
“I need to get back to work anyway. Call me later.” Sage kissed her cheek and handed back the pictures.
“I’ll go make sure everything is okay at In Motion.”
“Thanks, guys. Really. I’ll call you both later.” She hugged Thyme and followed Claire, not looking back at Trent, although she sensed him behind her.
Claire, Trent, and Rayne walked in awkward silence down the hall to the exam room.
“How was your lunch?” Trent crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb before entering the room.
“Um, I worked through lunch. Sorry for cancelling on you.”
Trent pulled out his cell phone. “Funny. No text about you cancelling.”
“Funny. No text from you telling me you were moving to California.”
“Can you two bicker about your lunch later? I’d like to finish my exam and get out of here.”
“Rayne, I’m sorry. I—” Claire started.
“No. Don’t say anything.” She tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t relax with Trent in the room.
“Okay. Here’s your gown. Dr. Hallowell will be right in. Trent, you can leave now.”
“No. I’m staying.”
“She’s had enough, Trent.”
“It’s my baby too. I should be a part of this.”
“Even if I trapped you into it?” At least he had the decency to cringe.
“I don’t think you trapped me.”
“Really? Maybe I stopped taking my birth control pills hoping that in the throes of passion you’d forget to use a condom while I was ovulating and then you’d be stuck with me and my baby forever.” She’d never heard herself speak so nasty to anyone before. And it felt good. No more Miss Pollyanna seeing the glass as half-full. Trent hurt her and she wouldn’t let him off that easy.
“Trent. You didn’t,” Claire scolded. “The doctor beli
eves the antibiotics she took when she had the flu made her pill ineffective and—”
“Claire, don’t. He doesn’t care and neither do I.” She turned to Trent. “I’m not asking you for anything. I don’t need child support. I don’t need your pity and I don’t need you around my baby making her feel unwanted.”
“I won’t be like—”
“Bullshit.” Rayne hardly ever swore, but that felt good too. “You’ve made it clear from the first day I met you that you don’t want kids. Nothing has changed.”
“I feel guilty about—”
“I don’t want your guilt and neither does my child. Now, please leave. I need to change.” She turned her back to him and Claire, hoping they’d leave soon before she lost her composure.
The doctor took longer than usual, which was a blessing. Rayne had time to dry her tears and calm her shaking. The exam was quick and painless. She checked out at the front desk and bundled up in her winter coat as she walked to her car. With her head down to avoid the cold, harsh wind on her face, she didn’t see Trent until she was a few feet from her car.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m starving. I figured you haven’t had lunch either. Let’s go grab something to eat.”
“No thanks.” She unlocked her car, but Trent put his hand out so she couldn’t open the door.
“Rayne,” he said softly. “Please. Just lunch. At a restaurant. I need to talk to you.”
Two months ago she would have fallen at his feet. Two months was a long time to build walls. Hers were pretty thick.
“Please.”
In all the months she’d known him he’d never begged. God, he looked helpless. And handsome.
“Fine. I’ll meet you at the Bistro.” She shoved his hand aside and slid into her car. Checking her rear-view mirror, she saw him jog over to a vehicle. By the time she got to the first light he had caught up with her. The restaurant was only ten minutes away and that was not nearly enough time to conjure up an escape plan. Somehow he managed to be at her car when she parked and opened the door for her before she could unbuckle.
Sweet on You (The Wilde Sisters #1) Page 15
