She unwrapped the cellophane around the box and pulled out the paper instructions. She wished it would tell her what to do about Griffin. If the test came out positive, she would tell him about it, no matter what, but she wouldn’t expect anything from him. The last thing she wanted was to be that girl.
She looked at her watch and realized her time was almost up. She told Walt she would be there in about an hour, and she was never late. She refused to be late, even if sometimes her body had other ideas.
With a big breath, she put everything back in the box and carried it into a stall. In just a few minutes, her world might change and all her planning would be for nothing. But maybe, just maybe, planning wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be.
***
While waiting for the pregnancy test results, a minute felt like forever to Keira. As more people came into the restroom, she felt self-conscious about taking so long. When someone knocked on her stall door, she jumped up, dropping the test into her bag and letting the woman have the stall.
Flustered, she washed her hands and rushed up to the fourth floor before she realized she never looked at the test results.
As the elevator door opened, she saw him. The man of her dreams, the father of her…no, scratch that. She didn’t want to think about that now, not when she couldn’t find out until later. With all her fretting about the pregnancy test and making it on time to meet Walt, she completely forgot that she might run into Griffin.
He was leaning against the wall opposite the elevators waiting for her. His black suit fit him perfectly, like the wrapping on a Christmas present. With a tilt of his head, his eyes met hers and one corner of his mouth slowly pulled up.
Griffin was undeniably sexy, and seeing him reminded Keira of their week in Bora Bora, a week she considered to be the best of her life. She smiled back at him as she exited the elevator and walked towards him like he was a beacon drawing her in.
“I know you’re not here to see me,” he said, “but there are a lot of things I need to say to you. Things I should have said before, a long time ago.”
“Like what?” she asked.
Keira was aware that Walt was standing in his office doorway watching them. It didn’t surprise her that he told his son she was coming, what surprised her was that Griffin must have told him something about their time together. She didn’t think she mattered that much to him despite how he had left.
In the back of her mind, she was still that nerdy little girl ogling him. She didn’t see herself as he did.
“Do you remember that Valentine’s Day that you got a card from a secret admirer?” he asked.
“The Snoopy card?” She would never admit it, but she still had that card in her memory chest. It was the first Valentine she got that wasn’t from a friend. “How did you know about that? Did my mom say something?”
He grinned at her while she connected the dots. She shook her head in confusion.
“But why? I don’t understand. Why would you do that? That’s mean. That was my first real Valentine’s Day card. I thought someone really liked me.”
He touched her cheek while he laughed softly.
“Someone did really like you,” he said. “It wasn’t a joke or anything mean. I was too young and stupid to say anything to you then, but I thought you were too pretty and too smart for me.”
“Give me a break. How could you think that? You’re full of it.”
“Think about it. You were there at all my tutoring sessions. You learned what I was learning at the same time. It didn’t matter that you were a few years younger, all that mattered to me was that you were you.”
“But it makes no sense,” she said. “I mean all those years we were apart, even before then, you dated constantly. If I meant that much to you, why didn’t you just ask me out?”
“I dated so much because I was trying to forget about you. And by the time I was old enough to feel comfortable in my own skin, you were gone.”
Keira was so confused, she didn’t know what to think anymore. She believed every word he said, but it was too much to process at once. She made her plans, she figured out her life on her own and in her own terms, and now here was someone who just a month ago was asking her to move in with him.
“That day I arrived at Bora Bora when I saw you at the end of the pier, something called out to me. I knew then you were mine, and I didn’t even know it was you. We were meant to be together, Keira.”
“But none of this is how I planned,” she said more out of habit than anything. “It’s not how you planned it either.”
The longer they spoke, the more Keira thought about the what ifs. What if he doesn’t want children. What if he finds out I’m pregnant and changes his mind about me?
Deep down, she knew the answers to her what ifs. She knew she was just freaking out, but she couldn’t help herself anymore. The test in her purse was like a ticking time bomb and if she didn’t find out the answer soon, she was going to do the exploding.
“Not everything needs to be planned. Our meeting last month wasn’t planned. None of what we did was planned. And you know what? To show you how serious I am about you, here’s something else that isn’t planned.” He lowered himself down to one knee and took Keira’s hand. “Will you marry me?”
Every single cell in her screamed ‘Yes!’ Here he was, the guy, down on one knee, and she didn’t know what to do. Should she say yes? That was crazy. Who did anything so impulsive?
Her eyes met his, and for a moment she was lost. She would have run away with him to collect garbage on the side of the road if that’s what he was asking, but the stubborn part of her, the part that was afraid of getting hurt had control of her mouth.
“No, I can’t,” she said.
Did she hear herself correctly? Did she just say no to the one guy, the boy she had a crush on her entire life, the man who gave her the most amazing week? Why did she say no when all she wanted to say was yes?
She turned around, looking for somewhere to hide, when she noticed Walt’s caring face. She bee lined directly to him and closed his office door behind them.
As she leaned against the door, her eyes started to burn. She squeezed them tight as she tried to stop the tears.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
She shook her head. She couldn’t answer because she didn’t know the answer. Not knowing the answer was exactly what her problem was. She couldn’t say yes to Griffin if she didn’t know the answer, and he couldn’t really ask her without his knowing that either.
Everything was too complicated. She opened her eyes and looked at Walt, who was waiting for an answer.
“Did you hear him?” she asked.
“Of course I did. I’m old, not deaf.” He laughed then pulled out a chair for Keira. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, and I’m not the meddling type, but I think I know you both well enough to give you some advice. Interested?”
“Yes. You know I’ve always respected your opinion. You’ve been like a second father to me, and I’ve always appreciated that.”
“I know you have, dear. And I also know that you really miss your parents. I’ve seen you hold back with me. You keep me at arm’s length, and I know it’s because you’re afraid of losing the people who get close to you.”
She nodded, happy to not have to explain that.
“Griffin loves you very much,” he said. “I’ve known this for years. Not because he ever told me, he would never do that, but because I can tell. I saw it back when you were kids, and by gosh, I see it even more clearly now. Talk to him. Whatever’s going on, I have every faith that you two can work it out. Just talk to him. I know he’s my son, but really, that’s all I’m asking of you.”
Keira knew Walt was right, it just wasn’t like her to wear her feelings on her sleeve or to talk about things like that. She was used to dealing with things herself, on her own.
She left Walt’s office and found Griffin still standing by the elevators. He pulled her close t
o him and took her hand again. She loved being so close to him. She loved him. There was so much she wanted to tell him, so many things she needed to say, but she didn’t know how to start.
Chapter Eleven
Keira’s answer ripped through Griffin’s heart, but he refused to take no for an answer. Her hand was still in his and she couldn’t tear her eyes away. He could see she felt the same as him, but there was something she was keeping from him. Something she was hiding.
“Keira, what’s this about?” he asked. “What’s going on?”
Her brow furrowed as she shook her head quickly. Confusion crossed her face before she grabbed hold of her emotions and covered them up.
“It’s just that I had plans,” she whispered. “I didn’t think things would happen this way, and I’m sure you didn’t either.”
“Talk to me.” Griffin stood and put his hands on her shoulders. He could feel her trembling, and he wanted more than anything to comfort her and make it stop. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“No,” she said. “I just need some time to myself. I need to think. I need to be alone.”
She stepped back from Griffin and shook her head.
“Keira, please. Whatever it is, we can figure it out together. I love you, and that’s all that matters.”
She spun towards the elevator, but her heel caught on the rug. As she fell to the ground, Griffin caught her, but her bag flipped over and emptied its contents onto the floor.
Keira scrambled around as she started shoving her things back into her bag.
“Where is it?” she muttered as she looked around.
Griffin spotted a pale pink stick just out of her reach. He picked it up and at the same time, their eyes met.
“Give me that, please,” she said.
“When were you going to tell me?”
He turned from her and glanced at the pregnancy test. He saw the result clearly and even though he was surprised, he couldn’t help the excitement and joy it brought him.
“When I knew something for sure.”
“You mean you don’t know?” he asked.
“No,” she said as she stood up. “I took it before I came up but never got to see the results.” She reached up for the test, but he held it away.
He was stunned she had no idea and decided to use that to his advantage.
“So you’re saying that I know something you don’t,” he said. As much as he didn’t want to give anything away, he couldn’t help but grin.
“Then just tell me.”
“No, not until you say you’ll marry me.”
“I’m not going to say that,” she said. “Right now you have the test, you know the answer. So I don’t know if you’re saying you want to marry me because it’s negative and you don’t want kids but you want to be with me, or because it’s positive and you feel obligated.”
“Have I ever told you that you think too much?”
“You used to all the time when we were younger.”
“It’s good to see that some things don’t change,” he said. “I asked you to marry me before I even knew this was a possibility. A month ago, I asked you to move in with me.”
“Technically you told me to move in with you.” Keira fought a smile spreading across her lips but lost.
“I know that none of this goes along with your planned-out life, but sometimes the most spontaneous and impulsive things are the best moments,” Griffin said. “Sometimes unexpected plans are the ones worth having.” He balanced the test between the tips of his fingers. “Did you mean to say no before?”
“No,” she said sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m just scared. The only people I loved died. I was afraid of losing you like I lost my parents. Don’t try to make sense of it. It’s just my whole life has been turned upside down since you came back into it. That week we were together was amazing, and it had nothing to do with where we were.”
“I know it didn’t, all that mattered was that we were together. That’s how it always was with us. So why did you really say no?”
“I just needed to know the results before I said anything. Can you tell me now?”
“No.”
“No?”
He shook his head. “I know you love planning things and you know how impulsive I can be, but you know what? I think that’s what makes us work. We balance each other out.” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close but still kept the test out of her reach. “There are only a few things in life I’m sure about, Keira, and one is that I love you, I’ve always loved you. Two is that no matter what, I want us to spend the rest of our lives together.”
“And three?” she asked as she looked up into his eyes.
“Three is that you’re going to make an amazing mom.”
Chapter Twelve
Eight Months Later
Keira watched the scenery speed by as Griffin drove to his parents’ home. Shortly after the first ultrasound, he insisted they needed an SUV so he purchased a Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with every available option. She had to admit she liked the car, even if today the curvy roads were adding nausea to her usual heartburn.
Last week had been her last day with Turner and Turner. After accepting Griffin’s proposal, she had read through the case against him, and one thing stood out from the woman’s complaint. It was her signature. Keira did a little digging and discovered the woman was using an alias. She was part of a large syndicate of con artists and thought Griffin was an easy mark after she read an article in a magazine.
As they drove up the curved driveway leading to the Goodrichs’ Georgian-style mansion, Keira felt a cramp run through her abdomen. She winced and rested her hand on her round belly.
“Everything alright?” Griffin asked, his face filled with concern.
“Yes, I’m fine. Just a weird cramp.” She grabbed his hand and put it on her moving belly. “He’s stretching.”
As they approached the house, Nilsson came into view. He was gently wiping his Ferrari with a shammy.
A cramp shot through her abdomen again and she gasped.
“I saw that,” Griffin said. “We’re going to the hospital.”
“No, I’m fine. It’s probably just the breakfast burrito.”
“Better safe than sorry, Keira. I’ll just run in and tell my parents.”
As Griffin ran inside, Nilsson waved and walked over to the Porsche. Keira lowered the passenger window.
“Everything okay? Where’s Griffin going?” he asked.
“I’m having some weird cramps,” she said. “Griffin thinks I should go to the hospital—”
“The hospital? Oh, then we should be on our way.”
Griffin stepped outside with his parents as Nilsson ran towards the garage.
“I’ll bring the Maybach around front,” he called out. “I’m driving!”
“No, wait,” Keira said, but it was too late. Everyone was going to the hospital with her.
Keira sat in the front passenger seat to make it easy for her to get in and out of the car. Griffin sat behind her and held her hand while Nilsson drove.
The hospital was at the other end of the old downtown. Keira was feeling better and hadn’t had a cramp since they left. She was looking at the old buildings as they drove through the town’s main street when she noticed City Hall.
“Stop!” she screamed.
Nilsson slammed on the brakes.
“What is it? Did your water break?” Griffin asked.
“No, I’m fine. But that’s City Hall. I know we’re planning a big wedding after the baby is born, but I don’t know. I want to get married now.”
“Now?” Nilsson asked. “I’ll find parking.”
Walt, Emme, Griffin, Keira, and Nilsson entered City Hall, and Keira took the lead. She found the department that issued marriage licenses and as she took the form, another cramp shot through her abdomen.
The form floated to the ground as Griffin put his arms around her.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“I’ve never been more sure about anything.”
“I can’t believe you’re being so impulsive.” Griffin leaned closer to Keira. “It’s sexy as hell.”
She giggled before another cramp stopped her. Tears filled her eyes.
“How long is this going to take?” Walt grumbled to the woman seated behind the counter.
“Well, once the form is completed, they’ll have to wait for the next available judge unless they make an appointment,” she said. “We always recommend appointments.”
“We don’t have time for that. Where’s the judge?” Walt looked around then noticed a tall man in robes heading towards the men’s room. “Excuse me, Your Honor.”
The judge turned around. “Yes?”
Griffin helped Keira sit on a wooden bench as she started to regulate her breathing.
“My future daughter-in-law is in labor and wants to get married now. How long will this take?” Walt asked.
Keira gasped as pain wracked through her middle.
“I’m in the middle of reviewing documents, plus I’m not on duty for officiating weddings today,” the judge said.
Walt’s face scrunched. He glanced over at Keira and nodded his head before turning back to the judge.
“I will give you $100,000 if you come with us to the hospital and marry my kids on the way.”
The judge’s jaw dropped open. His eyes moved from Walt over to Griffin and Keira. Slowly, he started to nod.
“I have kids of my own,” he said. “And grandchildren, too. Let’s go.”
The clerk waved the license in the air, and Walt grabbed it as they joined Nilsson in the waiting car.
Griffin squeezed in the front of the Maybach between Nilsson and Keira while the judge sat directly behind them.
“Fly, Nilsson,” Griffin said.
With a nod, Nilsson pulled the car onto the street. He had spent a summer working as a New York City cab driver when he was younger, and it was time to put that driving experience to good use.
Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Unexpected Plans (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 6
