“Well, I’m about to meet them, and you’re not inspiring a lot of confidence right now,” I pointed out. “Besides, I’ve got your back in there. Don’t worry. Just be you.”
That seemed to be all the encouragement she needed because her features softened, and she tilted her head back and smiled up at me.
It was that damn smile that got us started.
“Also, don’t you want them to think of you as grown up and mature? Mature enough to handle a baby at least. You don’t want to give them the wrong impression,” I added as an afterthought.
Jesus, if she walked in like this. They’d laugh us out of the house for sure.
And she didn’t need that right now.
Kaitlyn drew herself up to her full height and scoffed. “Of course, you’re right. Just hang on.”
She spun on her heels and marched to her car with renewed determination. She bent over the trunk, took out a pair of heels and took off her flats. She tossed them into the car along with the barrettes. Next, she finger-combed her hair, giving it volume and causing her curls to fall in loose ringlets.
After that, she undid the first three buttons of her dress, leaned down and ripped the fabric, so that it had a slit down the side. She tossed her hair behind her shoulders and smiled brightly at me.
“What do you think?”
She twirled to give me a better inspection, and my mouth nearly fell to the floor. I was pretty sure Kaitlyn could pull of anything because she looked stunning. My heart skipped a beat as she came to a complete stop and gave her a genuine smile.
“I think you should never dress like that again,” I said, admiration creeping into my tone. “You look stunning, and it’s better to go in as yourself. It won’t be that bad, you’ll see.”
She sighed as she gazed at me through doe eyes. I could see the fear reflected in their depths, and my stomach squeezed in on itself when I realized she was letting me see her being vulnerable.
New territory for us.
“I don’t know. What if they can’t accept this?” she asked, in a small voice, and I could see a glimmer of the small girl she used to be. I could imagine her hiding behind her door, uncertain and unafraid, always toning her personality down to please others. Until one day, she decided she wouldn’t, and the response she got was harsh.
Nobody should ever have to face that.
“They will.” I took her hands in mine and squeezed. “And if they don’t right away then they will in time, Kait. You just need to be brave enough to face the music and let the chips fall where they may.”
She clasped onto my hands tightly. “You sound like a fortune cookie.”
I chuckled. “So, what you’re saying is if my career as a vet doesn’t pan out, I should go work in a Chinese restaurant, dispensing my sage wisdom?”
Kaitlyn snorted. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ghandi. It was one compliment. Sheesh, don’t let it get to your head.”
“It’s too late. You’ve given me delusions of grandeur now,” I said as I began to scratch my chin thoughtfully. “I should come up with a name and a cool backstory because mine just won’t cut it.”
She tugged her hands out of mine and laughed. “Oh, boy I think I’ve awakened a fame hungry monster.”
I nodded. “You have no idea. Now, you will suffer the consequences.”
She shook her head at my antics as she gestured to the three steps that would lead to her front door. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. You?”
“Not really, but let’s get this show on the road.” She squared her shoulders and climbed up the steps slowly as if that would somehow prolong the inevitable.
I walked next to her, as slowly as possible, trying to project confidence and tranquility onto her. She paused in front of the door, a myriad of emotions playing out across her face as her hand hovered over the doorbell.
“It’s not too late to go back,” she said, weakly as she turned to me with pleading eyes.
I was about to open my mouth to say something, but the front door swung open. I found myself looking at a slightly older version of Kaitlyn. He was slightly taller than her, but he had the same eyes, same hair color, and the same mouth.
“Adelaide,” he called out. “Kaitlyn Nicole is here.”
He left the door open, so that Kaitlyn and I could step in.
In my experience, middle names were never a good thing, but I gave Kaitlyn a bright smile anyway.
9
Kaitlyn
Shit.
I hadn’t heard my father use my full name and my middle name since that night I snuck out to go to prom with Spencer. Spencer was a senior too, but he’d had to repeat the year a few times because he kept flunking his classes. He towered over me, had tattoos up and down his arm, and a punk rock attitude.
At the time, I thought I was in love.
Obviously after a while, I discovered that Spencer was nothing but a self-absorbed jerk, but I swallowed back my pride rather than admit that to my parents, who wouldn’t miss a chance to gloat and say, ‘I told you so’. Instead, I just pretended that I lost interest in him until we all forgot about him.
Spencer was the quintessential bad boy. The one who didn’t care about anything, and I gravitated towards like that because of how liberating it felt to be with someone who just didn’t give a damn what people thought.
Over time, I started dating adults who were like that too. The only difference was that they were only concerned with their career, and in most cases, staying in shape. Beyond that, they didn’t really care for much else.
It suited me just fine because unlike most women, I didn’t want a guy who would be adoring and such. I just didn’t know how to deal with that.
It wasn’t me in the slightest.
Guys with commitment issues, or who simply didn’t want to commit at all, I knew those type of guys like the back of my hand, and we got along well because of it.
Average joes?
Yeah, they confused the hell out of me.
Like Dean.
I was far from equipped to handle a guy like him. His flaws, as far as I could tell, were perfectly ordinary. In fact, if it weren’t for the baby growing in my belly, he might’ve even tried to romance me.
Maybe there would’ve been flowers involved.
The idea was completely foreign to me. As was his reaction to my father brushing me off. Most guys that I would’ve brought home would’ve rolled their eyes and scowled behind my dad’s back.
They might’ve even given me the stink eye and treated me coldly for the rest of the night. Dean, on the other hand, took it in stride and seemed to understand that it wasn’t about him.
Actually, he seemed to radiate this calm inner peace, and I had no idea how he was doing. Out of the corner of my eye, I studied his profile, and I realized why. His hands were slightly clenched, and a muscle ticked in his jaw, but other than that, he gave no indication that he thought this was an unusual situation.
When he caught me looking at him, he craned his neck, and gave me a bright smile. His eyes sparkled with reassurance, and I understood why.
He was trying to stay calm for me because he knew how tense I was.
My heart did an odd little flip at the thought, and I found myself feeling disconcerted.
Dean Bennett, who are you?
My hand accidentally brushed against his, and instead of pulling back like I normally would, I was filled with the sudden desire to hold his hand, so I did. I loosely clasped my fingers around his.
If he was surprised, he didn’t show it because he just squeezed my hand back and held it tightly for a few seconds before he gently released it.
I instantly felt better, and I had no idea how.
Suddenly, I lamented the fact that we were in this situation. If I hadn’t been between birth control pills because of my allergies, and if the condom had worked the way it was supposed to, none of this would’ve happened.
We would’ve just had mind blo
wing sex, went back to being complete strangers, and if we happened to run into each other again then lather, rinse, repeat.
That was how it should’ve happened.
I sniffed as familiar scents hit my nostrils. The house smelled like cinnamon, and this other woodsy smell that permeated the air. It was because of my mom. She had this belief that cinnamon was supposed to go on everything, and she planted something similar to pine trees in the backyard.
It gave the house a smoky woodsy smell that my dad loved. Whenever he was tense or stressed, he’d just inhale, and his shoulders would begin to sag after a few minutes.
I’d grown to love the smell myself, but right now it just made me queasy and anxious. I wondered if it was because of the pregnancy, or because I was nervous.
I’d done a lot of stupid shit over the years, and sometimes, it was just out of pure defiance without any other reason. Even though my lifestyle choices confused my parents, they were relieved that I had a steady job and a nice apartment.
They were finally starting to be okay with it, and now all of that was about go right out the window. Because of one wild night.
Just the thought of it made my cheeks flame in embarrassment, and I left a little space between Dean and I, as if he could somehow sense my thoughts.
I stepped into the living room and wanted to groan when I caught sight of my sister and her brood scattered in various positions. Tenley, Knight, Everly, Cal, Bear and Lexi all looked like they were ready for a cult sacrifice if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.
I wanted to scowl in their general direction, but I was trying to be calm, especially when Dean stepped in, and I could swear I saw their faces light up at the new offering. They considered Dean a victim now.
He’d crossed the point of no return.
Silence descended upon us as we each took turns staring at each other until Bear finally got up off the floor, dusted off his pants and held out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Bear.”
“I’m Dean, the sperm donor.”
I grimaced as I smacked my forehead. Obviously, Dean was trying to ease the tension by making a wildly inappropriate, but incredibly relevant joke. Unfortunately, it landed on deaf ears as nobody even cracked a smile.
I swear I could almost hear crickets in response, and I gave him a sympathetic smile in response. Poor thing had no idea what he was getting into.
Bear gave Dean an odd look before he went back to his original position. Everyone was staring at Dean with open curiosity now, but to his credit, he didn’t flinch nor back down. He just offered whoever made eye contact an easy smile, and he remained still for their inspection.
Seriously, who was this guy?
Just then, my parents entered the room, and I was struck anew by how petite my mother was. I tended to forget because of her larger than life personality. What she lacked in height, she more than made up for with spirit.
I may have looked like my dad, but I got my personality and my height from my mom. There was no doubt about it.
It was what made it harder for me when she didn’t take my side growing up. I was supposed to be like her, but I realized as I entered my teenage years that my mom had long since been conformed.
Any resemblance she had to me had been silenced. There were rare moments when I thought I glimpsed it, but it was gone before I could identify it.
“Everyone, please sit down.”
My mother’s voice rang out with clear authority and precision as she leveled everyone with a look. Obediently, they all began to shuffle to make room for each other, and I had a sudden eerie feeling that I was six years old again, with my pigtails hanging down, and my head ducked in shame as my parents prepared to scold me for stealing cookies from the jar.
Immediately, I went for the seat closest to me which was next to Tenley on the ottoman while Dean chose the spot closest to him, and the one that happened to have space. He crossed his legs Indian-style as he sat amongst the kids.
“I thought you weren’t going to be here,” I whispered furiously to my sister who kept her eyes trained ahead.
“I came back early,” she responded, quietly as she stared at me in pity. “Good luck.”
“How did you handle it when you told them?” I asked as my heart began to beat wildly against my ribcage.
I needed it to calm down, or I was not going to be able to get a word in edgewise.
“I didn’t. I just kind of blurted out the truth then hoped for the best.” She smiled faintly at the memory.
“Do you ever regret it? How it all went down.”
She paused for a moment as she considered my question. “I love Cal. I wouldn’t trade him for the world, but I know I could’ve been smarter about this, especially in the weeks that followed.”
I remembered what she was talking about. My parents had taken it as a personal affront, a sign of their own failure as parents when Tenley told them. For weeks, they treated her with polite indifference. They were courteous, but cold, and it killed Tenley, but she tried not to let it bother her.
I wondered if they would adopt the same technique with me.
My parents sat across from me, looking at me expectantly as they waited for me to say something. The conversation quieted down until it eventually faded away completely, and all eyes turned to me.
I sought out Dean in the sea of faces, and he nodded slowly.
I took a deep breath and slowly released it. “Mom, Dad. I’m sure you have some idea as to why we are all here today.”
More silence.
“You’ve already met Dean.” I gestured to him, and he gave a small smile as they turned their attention back to me.
“You all know how much I love my single life, but I wasn’t feeling too great about it when Tenley called with the news. Not because I wasn’t happy for her, of course I was. It’s just that suddenly, all my friends who shared the same views, were getting married.”
“Out of the blue, it seemed,” I continued. “These women that I thought would continue on like I was, were giving it all up for the white picket fence, two kids and a dog. I couldn’t understand why, but I had Tenley.”
Tenley bumped her shoulder against me in solidarity.
I felt a lump rise in my throat, so I cleared my throat to dislodge it. “So, when Tenley told me she was engaged, I felt sad. Inexplicably and inconsolably sad. So, I went out to a bar, and yes, I know that trying to drown my sorrows never works, but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind then.”
Someone began to hack which interrupted what I was saying. I waited till they got a glass of water, not daring to look and see who it was.
The quiet was really starting to get to me.
I could already feel beads of sweat rolling down my back, and a thin sheen of sweat was on my forehead. My mouth felt dry, and my hands were clammy.
It really did feel like I was back in school except this time, the stakes were higher, and I was on trial for something I didn’t mean to do. My parents were judge, jury and executioner.
Much to my dismay.
“Anyways, I went to the bar with no ulterior motive in mind other than to just forget for a little while until I met Dean.”
Bear wolf whistled in the background until I shot him a dirty look, and someone elbowed him.
“As I was saying,” I said, pointedly, pretending like I hadn’t just been interrupted, even though the flush in my cheeks completely gave me away. “I met Dean, and I thought nothing was going to happen because I had too much drink, and I was miserable.”
“She actually almost fell off her chair, and she patted my cheek when I righted her,” Dean piqued. Tenley snickered next to me, so I elbowed her in response, and she rubbed her shoulder defensively.
“Well, regardless of how I acted. I obviously wasn’t thinking clearly because of how upset I was, so I didn’t think it would amount to anything…. just one night of….” I trailed off as I remembered that there were plenty of kids present, and I couldn’t possibly
finish that thought.
“Er, just one night of playing games,” I added, lamely as Lexi raised an eyebrow in the back and gave me a disbelieving look.
“What kind of games?” Cal asked, innocently.
“The kind you will not know about till you’re older,” Lexi said, sharply as she gave him a stern look.
“So, yeah. Dean and I never thought we’d see each other again, much less be having a baby together. Please believe me when I say none of this was intentional,” I finished.
The sound of heavy breathing filled the room as I folded my hands in my lap and stared at them.
“Oh, one more thing. Just to clarify. Dean and I are not together. We are not going to get together in the future, and we aren’t getting married either. I just wanted to address that before it came up. He’s just here to support me,” I added.
I caught an odd look pass across Dean’s features before his expression resumed their earlier impassiveness.
My father stared at me intently, his mouth twisted into a frown. Suddenly, he stood up, walked past me and stopped in front of the cabinet. He swung it open, rummaged around before he produced a bottle of whiskey and a glass.
That was the good kind of whiskey too, and I rarely saw my father drink, so I dreaded what was going to happen next. He didn’t say a word, and we all watched him in equal measures of confusion and weariness as he uncapped the bottle, poured a generous amount then downed it one gulp.
He sighed loudly and pressed his fingers to his forehead as he spun around to face us, his dark eyes landing on my mother. “Where did we go wrong, Abigail? With Kaitlyn and Tenley? I thought we were doing so well and then Tenley messed up—“
“Hey,” Tenley interrupted. “That’s not fair.”
“But I thought hey, it’s okay. Parents make mistakes, but now Kaitlyn is going through the same thing,” he finished, his tone ringing with dismay as he grimaced and stared at his whiskey shot.
My mother just stared back at him, a puzzle expression on his face as she shrugged. “I don’t know what to say, Walter.”
“There’s nothing to say. We clearly haven’t done our job as well as we thought,” he said, his voice laced with frustration.
A Baby for the Vet (Boys of Rockford Series Book 4) Page 7
