A Baby for the Vet (Boys of Rockford Series Book 4)

by Henley Maverick

  My eyes welled up with tears, and I felt the back of my throat clog up with emotion as my eyes remained fixed on my stomach.

  What was this strange feeling coursing through my veins?

  My heart felt like it grew to ten times its size, and a fierce rush of protectiveness surged through me. I lifted my head up and glanced around my empty apartment as I tried to process what I was feeling.

  I’d never felt this way before, but I knew one thing.

  I wanted to share this feeling. I needed to shout it from a rooftop, and there was only one person I could think of sharing this with.

  I paused, wondering about the ramifications of my actions before I finally decided to just go for it. I pressed the phone to my ear as I waited for the other person to pick up.

  12

  Dean

  I hated laundry.

  Not in a sexist I-think-women-should-do-this-kind-of-housework way, but rather, I genuinely believed that nobody should have to do laundry.

  Dishes, I didn’t mind. It was quite soothing.

  Laundry made me feel like the hours just dragged on, and what I hated worse was having to put out the laundry, so that it would dry.

  There was something so tedious and mind-numbing about the whole thing that it immediately put me to sleep.

  Charity liked to tease me about it, but we had a deal. I did the dishes every other day, and we were each in charge of our laundry. That way we avoided coming across each other’s personal clothes.

  No matter how close you are, there are some things you just don’t want to see.

  We’d both learned that the hard way when we first moved in together. Charity and I went to college together, and we hit it off right off the bat.

  So, when we were both fresh grads looking for jobs, and a place to stay, it made sense to room together temporarily till we each found our own place. Neither of us could afford rent on our own, so our little arrangement ended up working out for the both of us.

  Years later, and we still lived together because it made sense.

  Charity was like an annoying sister. She did give me a lot of insight though, and I tried to do the same for her, but unfortunately my advice didn’t always apply.

  It didn’t stop me from trying, but still, I did feel guilty.

  I scowled at my laundry as if that would somehow make it go away. Why can’t there be an app that just does your laundry? I’d pay money for that in a heartbeat.

  Sadly, no one has invented that yet.

  Still, I patiently awaited that day. I went through the motions of folding up my socks when my phone buzzed. I frowned as I held up my t-shirt and paused.

  Where did I put my phone?

  It sounded close, but I wasn’t sure how close.

  I tossed the shirt on my bed and patted my pockets, but it wasn’t there. Frustrated, I dropped to my knees and began tossing clothes left and right over my shoulder as I frantically looked for it.

  “Aha,” I said, triumphantly as I held the phone up to my ear and slid the answer button. “Hello?”

  “Dean? It’s Kait….Kaitlyn,” she corrected as she coughed.

  I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it in confusion. Why was she calling me?

  It’s not like we ended things on bad terms, but she made it abundantly clear that she wanted nothing to do with me on a personal level. I might’ve been persistent before because I thought she would change her mind, and I needed to prove I would be there. After what happened earlier tonight, it became apparent that nothing I did would change the outcome.

  So, I decided that I was done.

  I’d still be there, but only when she needed me. After all, I couldn’t force myself to be a part of her life if she didn’t want me there.

  “Yes?” I asked, slowly.

  “Something happened.” She exhaled.

  “Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” I stood up, abruptly and began searching for my keys. I mentally reviewed the list of closest hospitals, and I was relieved to remember that she didn’t live too far from where I was.

  “I’ll be right there. Just hang tight, okay? Did you call the ambulance?” I asked the questions in rapid fire succession, not giving her a chance to respond. “I’m just looking for my car keys, and I’ll get going.”

  “Whoa, hey, calm down,” she responded, her tone warm and full of laughter. “Relax. It’s nothing like that.”

  I stopped in the middle of the room and ran my hands through my hair. I blew out a sigh of relief. “Oh, then what is it?”

  If it wasn’t the baby, then why was she calling?

  “Kaitlyn, if you called to turn me down again, I think I got the—”

  “No, it’s not like that,” she interrupted, and she had the grace to sound abashed. “I was looking for the take-out menu to get some food, and my stomach went all weird.”

  “Okay,” I hesitated. “Are you sick?”

  She snorted. “No, it’s not like that. It’s just that well, you are the father of the baby, and I know I haven’t exactly been the nicest person in the world, but the baby…”

  She trailed off, and it was the longest minute of my life as I waited for her to tell me.

  “The baby?” I prompted.

  “It kicked,” she whispered so softly that I had to strain to hear.

  “It what?”

  “It kicked,” she said, a little louder. “I’m not sure if that’s something you want to know, but I mean, I thought it was actually pretty cool, and I wondered if you’d like to feel it.”

  “Feel it?” I repeated, dumbly, my brain working in quick succession to absorb what she said.

  “Yeah, Bean is a kicker.”

  “Bean?” I questioned, amusement lacing my tone. “I wasn’t aware that was the baby’s name.”

  “We haven’t picked a name yet, have we? And Bean is as good as any in the meantime,” she said, defensively. “I didn’t exactly go through a baby book or anything.”

  I wanted to laugh at her reaction, but I knew that wouldn’t be the right response. It might make her clam up again because I wouldn’t be able to explain it to her.

  I wasn’t sure I understood it myself

  A minute ago, I was ready to write her off and try to be content with whatever role she gave me. Now, I felt a little kernel of hope blossom within my heart, and I tried not to overthink it.

  “I’ll be right there,” I assured her, quickly before she changed her mind again. I stood there for a moment, smirking at my unfinished laundry like an idiot before I shook my head and took off like a bullet.

  I was out the door in less than a minute, happy to be away from my clothes, but even happier to get the chance to feel my baby kick. I got into the car, slammed the door shut and revved the engine.

  As I drove to Kaitlyn’s house, I whistled to myself and drummed my fingers against the steering wheel. It felt good to get a call like that, I wasn’t going to deny it.

  There was a tiny voice in the back of my head that warned me about Kaitlyn’s temperamental mood swings, and how by the time I got there, she could change her mind, but I told that voice to stuff it, and hit the gas a little harder just to be safe.

  Surely, she wouldn’t dismiss me if she was the one who called me to begin with?

  I finally pulled up into an empty parking spot and hastily yanked off the seatbelt as I hurried up the steps. Wet mud stuck to the bottom of my shoes and my jeans, but I didn’t care.

  I pressed the button to the elevator and waited impatiently for it to arrive. I would have climbed the steps, but I didn’t want to waste time exerting effort there. Not today.

  At long last, the elevator dinged to announce my arrival on her floor, and I eagerly pressed the doorbell. I shoved my hands in my pockets and nervously shifted from one foot to the other.

  A minute passed, and nothing happened.

  Not wanting to be deterred, I rang the bell again, for a bit longer this time, hoping that she was just in the bathroom or unable to hear t
he bell.

  My smile began to waver as I thought about what to do next.

  Did she really call me all the way out here just to stand me up? That seemed like a waste of time, and Kaitlyn may be a lot of things, but petty wasn’t one of them.

  I checked left then right, looking for any neighbors, but everyone seemed to be asleep. I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair. I hoped nothing bad happened to her or the baby. It was just a kick though.

  From what I’d heard, that was normal.

  I spotted the plant close to my feet and decided to try my luck. I crouched down, lifted it up and patted the ground looking for a key. It was an old hiding place, and one that pretty much everyone knew about now, but it was worth a shot.

  I was astonished when my hand connected with something solid, and I pulled out a gleaming silver key. I shook my head and couldn’t escape the amused scoff that escaped my lips.

  Kaitlyn seemed to be meticulous and modern in a lot of things, but this is the thing she wanted to be old fashioned about? I couldn’t believe it.

  I shoved the key into the lock, and it turned with a click. I poked my head in, propping the door open with my foot. “Hello?”

  No sound at all.

  I entered and carefully shut the door behind me. “It’s Dean.”

  Still nothing.

  I ventured forward even further when I heard a slight noise coming from the direction of the bedroom. For a brief moment, I thought maybe I shouldn’t invade her privacy, but I could deal with that if she brought it up.

  I paused at the doorway when I spotted Kaitlyn curled up on the bed, her eyes firmly shut, with one hand on her stomach, and the other underneath her head. A soft smile graced my features as I leaned against the doorframe and took in her sleeping form.

  She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. None of those bitter and cynical lines marred her face, and she had a serene smile. Not troubled or sarcastic.

  Her dark hair was fanned out across the pillow, and the TV was soft in the background. Crouching forward, I groped around for the remote till I found it and switched it off.

  She stirred slightly, but continued to sleep, unencumbered by the sudden lack of noise. I let out a deep breath as I stared at her stomach, wondering how it felt to be carrying a tiny life inside of you.

  Suddenly, I noticed that she was shivering, so I looked around for a blanket and found one. Gently, I covered her with it, and she sank into the plush softness, her mouth making a soft noise of satisfaction.

  That mouth.

  I wasn’t sure if I liked it better when she was telling me off, or when she was like this. I knew that she kept me away because she didn’t know how to handle me, and that was okay.

  I took one last look at them over my shoulder and carefully locked the apartment on my way out. I hesitated as I debated whether or not to put the key back where I found out, but decided it was her choice, and I would just have to mention the dangers of that hiding spot tomorrow.

  This time, I walked down the stairs.

  When I got outside, brusque wind tore through me, and I inhaled deeply as I decided to walk around for a bit. Kaitlyn’s house wasn’t too far from the downtown area, and I could use the fresh air.

  It would help me clear my thoughts.

  With that in mind, I set off at a leisurely pace, admitting the night sky, and the still of the night in a city that was usually bustling with life.

  Sure, I didn’t get the chance to talk to Kaitlyn, or feel the baby kick, but it still felt like tomorrow held that possibility, and that put a spring in my step.

  13

  Kaitlyn

  I woke up to a cute message from Dean telling me that he stopped by, and no recollection of how the blanket got on top of me. I touched the fabric, and the ghost of a smile flitted across my face as I credited Dean.

  He seemed like the kind of thoughtful person who would do something like that. He also mentioned that I needed to change where I placed the spare key because if he could find it, so could other people.

  I wanted to be mad at him for looking for it in the first place, but I was the one who invited him over then abruptly fell asleep. I didn’t mean to. I called him while I was sitting crossed legged in bed, watching TV and eating some popcorn.

  Then next thing I knew, the sunlight was streaming in through my curtains, and my cat was nudging me awake with his head butts.

  That wasn’t the strangest part. No, the odd thing was that my heart did an odd little summersault inside my chest when I saw his name flash across my screen. His concern made my heart feel all gooey and warm, and I had no idea what was happening.

  Maybe I was hungry this time, or maybe it was indigestion from all that popcorn I ate.

  Either way, I stared at my phone in confusion as I ran my hands across my face and bit my lower lip. Finally, I shot him a casual text thanking him for stopping by and informing him that I would take his advice under consideration.

  It was nice enough that I wasn’t being mean, but not too nice that the lines would get blurred. Whatever emotional moment I had yesterday didn’t need to affect anything between us.

  It happened, and it passed.

  Thankfully, I’d fallen asleep through it.

  There was a tiny part of me that lamented the fact that I didn’t get to see Dean when he stopped by, but I told myself that it was for the best. What would I have said anyways?

  Here, give me your hand, so I can place it on top of my belly and you can feel our unborn child kick?

  Yeah, that might’ve been too much awkwardness for me to bear.

  In any case, I needed to get out of bed and start getting ready for work because I had a huge client I was supposed to meet up with today.

  This client was high-profile with impeccable taste who also happened to nitpick like there was no tomorrow. Word on the street was she’d already gone through a slew of event planners before coming to me.

  That made me slightly nervous, but also excited. I liked a good challenge. I hopped out of bed and into the shower. Within thirty minutes, I was dressed and sipping on my coffee while I scratched the back of my cat’s ear.

  Content to have his ears rubbed, he purred as he leaned into my touch.

  “Next time there’s an intruder, at least meow,” I mock chided as I gave him a stern look. He gave me a bored look, meowed then hopped off the counter and flounced off.

  “If some serial killer breaks in, he’s going to go for you first, you know,” I called out in warning, but my cat didn’t seem to care.

  I grinned and shook my head as I washed my coffee mug and stepped out the door. I paused as I looked down at the dead plant, took back the spare key and placed it in the inside pocket of my purse.

  The sun beat down on my back as I stepped out into the light, so I decided to walk to the meeting. After all, the café was only a fifteen to twenty-minute walk from where I lived, and I needed the exercise.

  My heels clicked against the pavement steadily as I slipped my sunglasses on and enjoyed the weather. I got to the café a bit early and chose a corner booth, so my client and I could converse in private.

  It was a quiet, chic little café that reminded me of something you’d find on the streets of Paris. Artsy without being pretentious and sleek without being cold.

  I flagged down a waitress and ordered a cappuccino as I leaned back in my seat and placed the folder on the table in front of me. My fingers drummed against it steadily as I mentally went over what I was going to say.

  The trick to winning over a client is what you were going to say and how you say it. A well-timed phrase at the right moment and presto. You’ve got yourself a client. Since she was hard to please, I needed to appeal to her sense of pragmatism.

  This was right up my wheelhouse. It was the emotionally charged clients that were harder to win over. My phone buzzed, and I fished it out of my purse to glance down at the caller ID.

  I groaned quietly as I noticed the name that flashed across the
screen.

  It was Dean’s roommate Charity, who had apparently decided that I was her new best friend, and she was mine. I had no idea how that happened, or if I even agreed to it. I was pretty sure I didn’t unless I had a little too much to drink, but there we were.

  I debated whether or not to answer, but I decided I didn’t particularly want to. I liked Charity well enough, but she was Dean’s roommate, not to mention his friend, and it was weird for me to communicate with her sometimes.

  Especially since she minted herself my best friend.

  It’s not like it was a binding contract signed in blood though, so I’d figure it out. Finally, I shook my head and switched off the ringer, letting her call go straight to voicemail.

  I didn’t feel like getting the third degree about Dean.

  Perhaps it was childish of me to avoid Charity, but even though I did like her, I also knew that she was still Dean’s friend, and that distinction needed to be made.

  We weren’t at war or anything where the battle lines were drawn, but still.

  The waitress placed my order on the table, and I thanked her as I leaned back against the plush booth and cupped my hands around the warm mug. The heat seeped through the cup, and the smell of coffee soothed my frazzled nerves.

  I needed to land this client, and the thought of losing her made me nervous.

  I inhaled the smell of coffee and took a small tentative sip allowing the caramel shot to melt on my tongue. My eyes snapped open when the door opened, and instead of my client in walked Charity, her eyes scanning the room, no doubt searching for me.

  I wanted to make myself smaller, or the same color as the booth, so I just could disappear, but no such luck. I turned my head away and took out my phone pretending to be busy with calls or text.

  The sound of heels across the pavement let me know that, unfortunately, Charity had spotted me and was marching right over. I could already smell the strong scent of her perfume. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her stop in front of my booth and place her arms across her chest expectantly.