by Violet Paige
“You bought her a Vella bag?” Her eyes bulged.
I stuck my hands in my pockets. “Looks good on her, don’t you think?”
“I need to give Marcus a new Christmas list,” she added, walking toward the door. “That bag is going at the top of it.”
Mrs. Rossi and Frannie walked outside and Evie paused in the doorway. “I don’t think I’ll be gone long. Girl stuff, you know.”
“I have plenty to do. Don’t worry,” I assured her. “Have a good time.”
All I wanted to do was pull her back to the couch and finish what we started. We were only in town for the weekend. The party was tomorrow night and we had to fly home Sunday. She didn’t have much time to spend with her family. I didn’t know what happened at bridal luncheons, but I had a feeling it was something Evie wanted. It was one more chance for her to get back the bridal traditions we had annihilated when we eloped.
A gust of cold air blew through the open door.
“Go,” I urged. “They’re waiting for you.”
“We won’t have much time when I get home before the family dinner.”
It was the one thing I wasn’t looking forward to doing, but it came with the package. I was going to have to face her father eventually. Maybe around the Rossi family dinner table was a better option than at our reception.
“Got it. Have fun.” I winked.
She pulled the latch and was gone. I turned around and faced the empty townhouse where my wife used to live. I could have poured over spreadsheets. I could have gotten on the phone with Sasha and prepped her for the ball tomorrow night. I could have read the investor profiles.
I never touched my laptop. Instead, I walked to the laundry closet and found a folded stack of cardboard. I searched drawers until I found packing tape. One by one I assembled the boxes. I started with the pictures of her nieces and nephew on the console table. Then I tackled the books by the fireplace. I kept moving through the room until it was packed.
I hit the kitchen next.
I’d leave enough plates and silverware to use over the weekend, but everything else was going to New York. I didn’t care what it was. If it was Evie’s and had been a part of her life, it was moving with her.
9
Evie
As soon as I walked into the Blueberry Café, I realized just how much I had robbed my family. I might as well have looted Bella’s and walked out with my father’s favorite brandy. The betrayal I inflicted was just as painful.
There was an explosion of tulle in the small cafe. I swallowed as I walked between the chairs and admired the white roses and the place settings. My mother was two steps behind me pointing out every detail. She didn’t want me to miss any of the small touches.
“It’s beautiful. Really.” It was the only thing I could think to say. I couldn’t undo what Jer and I had done. And why would I? It had been the catalyst that brought us together.
We were the couple we were because we were stupid enough to get plastered on bottles of expensive wine and elope to another state. If we had tried to date, it wouldn’t have brought us together. There were no stakes in dating. There were no must-haves. There were no sacrifices. Our marriage created us, not the other way around.
Regardless, I couldn’t pretend it hadn’t hurt my family. I didn’t want my Jeremy to always be a black cloud that hung over the Rossis like it was something dark and sinister.
Frannie gave instructions to the servers. “That’s the bride,” I heard her say. “Make sure she is always served first.”
“The girls will be here in about fifteen minutes.” My mother worked on the center flower arrangement.
“Girls?” I was instantly nervous. “Who did you invite?” I asked.
“Your aunts, cousins, and I thought you’d want Megan and Kelsey.”
Shit. This had the potential to be an awkward luncheon. The cousins were expected. My friends were not. I hadn’t talked to either one since I left Newton Hills. I had lived in a time warp the last few weeks where only Jeremy and I existed. I had received a few texts and social media messages, but I wasn’t great at responding to my friends. It wasn’t that I didn’t care. I was focused on one thing—my husband.
The trip to Tahiti only exaggerated how strong the bubble was we created. It had been almost two glorious weeks of baby-making sex. Would my friends really expect me to come up for air if they knew what kind of sex I was having?
“Great.” I plastered a smile on my face. I couldn’t disappoint my mother now.
I took my seat in the center of the long table and waited for the luncheon to begin.
My cousins clustered around me, asking questions about what it was like to be married to a professional athlete. Cecilia wanted suggestions about Tahiti. She and her fiancé were considering it for their honeymoon. They couldn’t decide between the Caribbean or the South Pacific. Aunt Sophia cried, but she cried at all family functions. She blamed allergies, but no one believed her.
Megan and Kelsey arrived together. I pushed through my family to greet them at the first table. It was on me to welcome them an apologize.
“Hi.” I smiled weakly. “I’m so glad you decided to come. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t show up.”
Kelsey hugged me first. “Of course we were going to be here. It’s your bridal luncheon.”
Megan hesitated before leaning sideways for half a hug. “Kelsey said I had to.”
“It doesn’t matter. I appreciate it.” I wanted them to be honest. I could take it. I deserved it. I had committed the cardinal sin in our girlfriend circle. I let a man come first.
“Jeremy Hartwell, huh?”
I wasn’t ashamed of my husband. I never would be. But how did I explain that the guy they knew in high school, the teenage heartbreaker who became the baseball playboy, was a different man? Would I ever be able to convince anyone that he was witty and smart? That he was well-read and a brilliant business man? He was more than a Hartwell. He was more than his reputation. He was funny and romantic. He was clever. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was thoughtful. How did I explain all of that?
I nodded. “Yeah. Jeremy, after all this time.”
“I didn’t see that coming. I heard you two met online. Where was that?”
It was a lie we had fabricated for my family and the press. I had to stick to it now. Something changed on our honeymoon. We were no longer afraid of someone trying to discredit our marriage. There wasn’t any evidence to prove we hadn’t been madly in love from the beginning. Things were so good between us now I dared Byron Lancaster to try to find dirt on us. He would come up empty. We loved each other.
Kelsey squeezed my arm, cutting off Megan’s question. “We’re happy for you, if you’re happy.”
“I am extremely happy in the best mushy gushy way.”
“Then, that’s all that matters. We can congratulate him tomorrow night at the party?”
“Yes, of course he’ll be there.”
Kelsey and Megan would bring their husbands. I had been a bridesmaid in both their weddings. Maybe it was why Megan felt the snub even more. I liked to think I spared them from mine. They didn’t have to throw a bachelorette party or bridal showers. They didn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars for dresses they’d never wear again. This was a good deal. All they had to do was show up.
We chatted a few more minutes before my mom corralled us to the table to start lunch. The salad was being served.
By the time the last plates had been cleared and the bottles of champagne were empty, my mouth hurt from smiling. Everyone wanted a selfie. My mom took a hundred pictures. I hugged my aunts and tried to tell Aunt Sophia to stop crying. She left holding a tissue to her eyes.
I exhaled and turned to Frannie. “Can you drive me back to the townhouse? I need a quick cat nap before dinner tonight.”
“You’re kidding right? You know we have mani-pedis scheduled after this.”
I stared at her blankly. “No. I had no idea.”
The h
ope I had of restoring my energy and spending some time with Jer faded. I couldn’t cancel. Not now. My time with Jer would have to wait, along with getting any sleep.
We loaded in the car and Frannie drove us to the salon. My mom grabbed a ride with Aunt Lucille. She said she had too much to do to get ready for dinner.
I pulled my phone out to text Jeremy as soon as we were in our pair of leather chairs and our feet were in soaking tubs. Frannie snatched the phone from my hand.
“No. This is girl time. Our time,” she emphasized. “You don’t see me calling Marcus do you?”
I could argue that she and Marcus had been married for a lot longer than Jer and I, but that would invite a backlash about my relationship. I didn’t want to get into it with my older sister. I didn’t want an argument about how impulsive and selfish we had been.
“Fine. Girl time,” I relented.
Frannie pressed the button for the back massager. “Isn’t this great? I needed this.”
“Mmmhmm.”
“The kids are driving me crazy. Marcus needs a day to wrangle them on his own. He thinks it’s so easy.”
I closed my eyes. There was always something happening with the kids.
“Ok, so now that it’s just us. Talk to me.”
My eyes opened. “About?”
“About Jeremy. I want all the details.” Her eyes widened. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
“Frannie.”
“Why else would you elope? You’re not showing yet. You’re lucky. I always show instantly. It’s not fair how different we are sometimes.”
“I’m not pregnant.” I wasn’t sure why I was offended.
Pregnancy was our number one goal. Jeremy and I talked about getting pregnant every day. I wanted Jeremy’s baby so badly. It was the way she said it that pissed me off. As if Jeremy wouldn’t have wanted me otherwise. As if the only reason to marry me was to honor a mistake he had made. Frannie had no idea what she was talking about.
She chewed on her lip. “I was sure you were. I even watched you at lunch. You ate next to nothing. You look exhausted. And I didn’t see you drink any champagne. All signs point to a bambino.”
I picked up a magazine. “I haven’t adjusted to the time difference yet. I have a clear case of Tahitian jetlag.” I pretended to read an article.
But as soon as the words were out of my mouth, my stomach flipped. She was right. My mother had offered me a mimosa and I couldn’t take a sip. I’d never felt so tired in my life. I thought it was the constant travel that made my appetite suffer, but I counted backward in my head. We had crazy amounts of sex when I was ovulating. What if I was pregnant? Holy shit. I wanted to run out of the salon before my pedicure started and buy the first pregnancy test I could find.
I wanted to call Jeremy. I wanted him to be there when I took it. I wanted to see the look on his face when we got a positive result.
“Are you ok?” Frannie looked at me. “You are very pale right now, Evie. Should I get you something? Do you need sugar.”
“No. I’m fine. I’ve been telling you. I’m exhausted. It’s been a hectic week. We’ve only been back in the States for three days. I thought I’d bounce back faster.”
I didn’t know how to be present with my sister. I didn’t know how to let my feet soak while she rattled on about the kids’ soccer teams and dance lessons. Marcus’s schedule was becoming a problem, she admitted. I tried to listen. I tried to stay engaged, but all I could think about was peeing on a stick.
“Oh, I need to text Jer about picking up something for Mom and Dad tonight. Is that ok?” I asked.
“Of course,” Frannie acted like she hadn’t turned into my cell phone warden.
I dug in my Vella bag and texted Jeremy. He was going to freak out.
I’m with Frannie. I just did the math. Can you pick up a pg test for me before I get back? Hope I’m home in 2 hours.
I held my breath, waiting for his answer. I stared at the screen.
Already in the car.
I giggled.
“What did he say?” Frannie looked over my arm, trying to take a peek at the screen.
I quickly threw it in my bag. “Just a joke.” I shrugged. “He makes me laugh all the time.”
“I don’t remember him being funny.”
“Well, he is. Very funny.” I wiggled my toes in the water. They had turned a bright pink in the heat. Where was the technician? I wanted to get this over with.
“Hmm. Can’t wait to get to know him better.”
“Everyone is going to love him.” I needed to see it out loud. Whether to make it a reality or to convince her, I wasn’t sure. It had to be true. Because tonight my parents could be welcoming the father of my child into the family.
10
Jeremy
The clerk at the counter scanned five different tests. His arms might have been pushing through molasses, he moved so slowly. I shuffled from one foot to the other. It didn’t make him scan any faster. Neither did the line of customers forming behind me.
I wasn’t expecting the text Evie sent. Not in the middle of packing the townhouse. Not today.
I had a reason for choosing this particular pharmacy. Being the most recognizable face in Newton Hills had its drawbacks. Today wasn’t the day for kids to ask for my autographs, or to run into my mother’s bridge partners picking up their prescriptions. I needed discretion and as much anonymity as I could create.
I decided to drive out of Newton Hills to buy the tests. I had time to kill before Evie would be back.
She said she did the math. I didn’t know what the window was. I didn’t know when we were supposed to try. I’d never paid attention to that shit. I wore condoms for a reason—to make sure I never had to face a slow-ass man behind a register, scanning every brand of pregnancy test I could get my hands on. The last thing I ever wanted to do was get a girl pregnant—until Evie.
“Thanks.” I yanked the bag from the guy’s hand and jogged to the rental car.
I cranked the engine and pulled onto the road. The tests rattled next to me in the passenger seat. I glanced at them at every stoplight. Our future was possibly going to be determined today. Evie could be pregnant. She could be carrying my baby. Our baby.
The car behind me honked and I looked up at the green light. When had it changed color?
I pushed the accelerator as I climbed into the Georgia mountains back to town. I thought too much on the drive home. I didn’t think enough. I kept zoning out, picturing Evie pregnant with my baby.
I spun into the parking space in front of the townhouse and hurried inside as if going faster would give me the answer I wanted. Evie wasn’t home yet. I was going to have to wait. Fuck. I didn’t know how to do that. I was unreliable when it came to patience. Why did the bridal luncheon take so long?
I tossed the bag of tests on the couch and went back to packing. The biggest thing that was supposed to happen today was a sit-down dinner with Evie’s family. There was a possibility I was going to meet her father after having just found out I’d knocked up his daughter.
My chest fucking swelled with pride. What if we had done it? What if we had made a baby together? I looked at my watch. Where in the hell was she? I wanted her to walk through that door. I wanted her to answer our prayers. The next hour was going to be torture. I could pack or I could watch baseball, but neither was going to distract me enough from what was about to happen.
The second the townhouse door swung open, I pounced like a tiger.
Evie waved good-bye to her sister, but I was already pulling her inside, wrapping my hands around her waist.
“You couldn’t get back any sooner?” I crushed my lips against hers. She moaned lightly as I pushed my tongue inside her mouth. I wanted to kiss her breathless.
“No,” she whispered. “Frannie was especially demanding.” Her eyes lifted to mine as I cupped her ass and squeezed.
“I bought what you asked me to pick up for you.” I nodded toward the couch. “Do you
know how hard it has been to wait?”
She looked around my shoulder at the pharmacy bag. “Maybe I shouldn’t take it. Maybe we should wait a little longer.”
“Wait for what?” I asked.
“My period has been late before. It could be a false alarm. I’ll know in another day or two,” she explained.
I dropped my hold on her and picked up the plastic bag. I handed it to her.
“How many did you buy?” She opened the handle.
“Every brand on the shelf,” I reported. “There are two per box.”
“I only need one box, Jer.”
“Ok. Then take one. Let’s do this. Let’s find out you’re having my baby.”
I expected her to run to the bathroom, but she froze in the hallway. She wasn’t bouncing off the walls like I was.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve done this before.”
“This is the first time I’ve done this. And it’s your first time with me. Think about it that way.”
“It’s never been positive before.”
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Remember that night in Bella’s when you told me about how you wanted to have a baby on your own? That you were willing to do whatever it took to be someone’s mother. You said anything.”
She nodded slowly. “Of course I remember that.”
“It’s the same night we decided you were going to have the baby you always wanted. That we were going to make that happen. Only with me there are no more fertility treatments. No more sperm donors. We’ve been doing this the natural way. That’s behind you. You’re not on your own anymore.”
She looked at the bag and selected one of the cardboard boxes. “I’m not alone. You’re right. This time I think I feel even more pressure.”
“Don’t.” I shook my head. “We’re going to have a baby. Let’s find out if it’s in nine months or if we have to wait a little longer.”
