For No Reason (The Camdyn Series Book 4)

by Christina Coryell

  “You’re not going to use that excuse about eating for two?” Jake teased, folding his arms across his chest. Cole stiffened rather perceptibly beside me, and my eyes widened to an almost crazy level as I stared across at Jake. “Were you and Lily over there in the library talking about me?” he wondered.

  “Don’t be so smug,” I ordered him, trying to ignore the blood I could feel filling my cheeks. “We can certainly think of better things to talk about.”

  “That’s right, you were probably talking about Parker, the same way he talks about you all day,” Jake added with a laugh. “Isn’t that right, buddy?” Cole was peering down at me in a most uncomfortable fashion, so I tried my best to avoid meeting his eyes.

  “Sorry, I’m just trying to figure out how you knew my wife was pregnant, when I only found out last night,” he responded coldly. “Would either of you care to explain that to me?”

  “She didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Jake insisted. “I happened to be in the drug store when she was buying the tests. She had them all shoved back behind some adult diapers and was pretending like she was shopping. It was hard not to see her acting all secretive and weird.”

  “Camdyn, acting weird?” Cole scoffed. “I don’t believe it.”

  “I was not acting weird,” I informed them haughtily. “I was trying to keep my private business private, thank you very much.”

  “Well, I apologize to you then,” Jake began a phony act of chivalrousness. “I’m sorry for invading your diaper space, and I shouldn’t have assumed you actually were on the nest. You can blame Parker for acting too overly concerned and asking how you were feeling a minute ago. If he had been acting like a sane individual, this conversation might not have happened.”

  “You don’t think a man should ask his wife how she’s feeling?” I questioned him, lifting my fork and pointing it in his direction. I could tell by the smirking grin Jake shot my way that he was going to be teasing me, and I braced myself to reflect it back at him.

  “Listen, heartbreaker, it’s obvious to me that you’re feeling fine. I doubt you would have met us here for lunch if you weren’t. You don’t have me wrapped around your finger, though, so I have a clear advantage over Parker in that regard.”

  “Come on, man, I’m not wrapped around anybody’s finger,” Cole retorted, removing his hand from my shoulder as Rita placed his sweet tea in front of him.

  “Of course not,” Jake agreed with a smirk, stopping to take a big swig of his tea. “That little song you made up this morning, heartbreaker – gosh, it was adorable. ‘Now he’s losing his sanity.’ Honestly, you’re just so darn cute. I don’t need any sugar in my tea – you can just stick your finger in it and we’ll be good.”

  It was impossible not to laugh at Cole’s obvious embarrassment, and I pulled my hand over my mouth as I dissolved into giggles there at the table. My husband’s cheeks began to flush slightly red, and I was secretly loving it. Finding new ways to embarrass him now that we were married had actually become a fun new game that I enjoyed thoroughly.

  “Okay, whatever, I’m pathetic,” Cole muttered, resting an elbow on the table. “One of these days, Jake, you’re going to meet that girl and I’m going to get to make fun of you.”

  “I’m immune to that sickness,” Jake assured us confidently as Rita arrived with our plates. She ceremoniously set my chicken salad in front of me, afterwards shuffling the two helpings of brisket in front of the boys. Then, rather than walking away, she shoved her way in next to Jake, staring at me across the table. There was no doubt a slight grimace crossed my face, but I wasn’t sure how to make it stop, and I might not have wanted to even if I could. She couldn’t go from having zero relationship with me to plunking down at our lunch table like we were old high school friends or something. It simply wasn’t natural.

  “I should have enough money saved up in a couple of weeks,” she began excitedly, securing a blonde wave behind her ear. “Enough for myself, anyway, but I think I will wait even longer until I have plenty for two tickets. That way it won’t be quite so awkward.”

  “What won’t be so awkward?” I asked hesitantly, not sure I wanted to hear the answer.

  “Seeing Hannah.”

  Okay, sure, seeing Hannah is going to be awkward for you. You abandon a kid as an infant and never have anything to do with her, and she’s bound to be slightly distant at best. Hannah didn’t even warm up to me at first – and I never deserted her.

  “How exactly is making two trips going to make that less awkward?” I attempted to clarify, feeling Cole’s hand slide into mine under the table. Instinctively I knew that was his effort at protecting me silently, and I squeezed his fingers in understanding.

  “Two trips?” She sounded confused, and she shook her head slowly. “No, I meant two tickets for you and me, Camdyn. I’d like to go to Philadelphia together.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” I told her bluntly, picking up one half of my sandwich. “You’re a grown woman and you made your bed, so you can sleep in it without dragging me along.”

  “Sure, you’re right,” she mumbled, rising to her feet. “Well, I should get back to work and let you kids finish your lunch.” As she retreated to the kitchen, Jake used his fork to thump me across the back of the hand, presumably some sort of discipline for the way I had treated Rita. Narrowing my eyes, I glared at him across the table.

  “Keep your hands to yourself, Jake,” I insisted, sticking out my tongue in an attempt to be funny. He sort of deserved it, after all.

  “You really are weird, aren’t you?” Jake retorted, clearly not affected by my actions. “You two are a match made in heaven.”

  “Thanks!” I looked over at Cole and gave him a big grin, and he chuckled at my over-exuberance. Jake lifted his phone again, glanced at it, and dropped it to his lap. “What’s so important on that phone?”

  “I’m just waiting for Alexis to text me about this weekend. I’m supposed to watch Bailey while she’s at work.” Being an expert on Jake wasn’t my forte, but I knew enough about him to be slightly shocked by the news that he was going to be spending significant time with his three-year-old daughter. In fact, I specifically remembered him once telling me that Bailey might be better off without him. “You don’t have to look so surprised. I can take care of my own kid, you know.”

  “Sure,” I muttered, but I didn’t even sound convincing to my own ears. There were serious doubts banging around my brain about my own ability to take care of a child, and I was certain I was far better qualified than Jake. Rather than vocalizing that sentiment, though, I held my tongue and continued to eat my sandwich.

  “What have you done today?” Cole interrupted my thoughts. “You looked a little green when I left this morning – I was afraid you would be sick.”

  “Oh, I was,” I quickly answered, lifting my napkin to the corner of my mouth. “It didn’t take me long to toss my cookies after you left. Then I ran a few miles to clear my head, and I felt a lot better.”

  “Should you be doing that?” he was quick to interject, sounding slightly alarmed. Giving him a reassuring smile, I placed my hand on his arm.

  “I ran yesterday, too, and it was fine then,” was my slightly sarcastic response, before I popped a chip in my mouth. The expression he gave me indicated that he was not amused, and I twisted my mouth to the side a little guiltily as I met his eyes.

  “Obviously that was different, because I didn’t know you were expecting yesterday,” he said simply. “Jake, on the other hand…”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, man, but I am not expecting,” Jake slyly retorted, “and I don’t run, either. I can think of plenty of other extracurricular activities to keep myself in shape.”

  “Please feel free to keep that to yourself,” I insisted, hearing Cole quietly chuckle beside me.

  “I will – that’s a promise,” Jake offered, “and it’s like I told you before, heartbreaker: I always keep my promises.”

  Chapter Thr
ee

  Somehow I managed to make it through the weekend and Sunday lunch with Cole’s family without revealing any baby news, although I knew it was driving Cole absolutely insane. He was practically dying inside, in fact – I could see it every time I looked into his eyes. When I glanced over at Rachel, though – resplendent with her pregnancy glow and clearly overjoyed – I knew the decision to let her have her moment to shine was correct. Besides, there was still plenty of talk about me, without my having done anything new.

  One particular time, when I caught Cole’s eye across the dining room table, I averted my gaze to Rachel so I wouldn’t see his frustration. “How are you feeling, Rach?” I asked. “Any morning sickness or anything?”

  “Goodness, no,” Rachel answered with a laugh, smiling over at me. “I’m barely eight weeks, so that would have hardly even begun by now.”

  Okay, someone must have forgotten to tell that to the little pea currently turning my life upside down.

  Hey, you, down there!

  You’re not eight weeks yet, so simmer down, would ya?

  As if on cue, my stomach rolled slightly, causing me to hiccup, and Cole’s eyes locked on me, widened and accusing. I shoved my hair behind my ear and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

  “Did you hear Jamie talking about you Friday night, Camdyn?” Jeff wanted to know. Glancing over at Rachel’s husband, I slid my hand across my abdomen, a physical reminder to that tiny person to knock it off.

  “Jamie who?”

  “Jamie who,” Jeff repeated, mimicking me. “Your new friend Jamie Price, from TV? He was talking about you being on the show, and how you said you did a mean Gwen Stefani impersonation. Someone apparently asked her about it, and she said she’d like to see it someday. Jamie said he’d like to set it up – you could impersonate her, and she would impersonate you. Sadly, though, she refused to vomit on live television.”

  “Oh, very funny, Jeff,” I retorted, the excitement about Gwen Stefani knowing I existed momentarily eclipsing the nausea. “You had me going for a second.”

  “No, he’s not joking, Camdyn,” Rachel insisted. “Jamie Price really did say that. The audience laughed really loudly. I wouldn’t be surprised if he called you to try to set it up.”

  “As if I would impersonate Gwen Stefani on TV,” I muttered. “Impersonating Camdyn Taylor is difficult enough.”

  “But you’re so good at it!” Rachel lamented, pretending that I was foiling some plan she had stewing in her head. Rather than acknowledge her thoughts, I forced myself to take a bite of my green beans, swallowing hard.

  “You okay?” Cole asked as softly as he could, considering he was across the table. Everyone suddenly grew quiet and stared at me, causing color to rise to my cheeks.

  “We were just teasing,” Rachel muttered, and I immediately worried that Cole would blurt our little secret.

  “Of course you’re teasing – you know how overprotective he can be,” I emphasized, willing him to silence with my eyes. With a frustrated sigh, he went back to sliding a knife through his pork chop.

  “Isn’t it funny that Sara and I are pregnant at the same time?” Rachel changed the subject, giggling. “The only thing that would make it better would be if you were pregnant, Camdyn. We could all go shopping together. I’m sure you’d just be annoyed hanging out with us doing baby things all day, though.” I choked on a green bean and pounded on my chest a couple times to coax it down.

  “I’m really not that easily annoyed,” I finally squeaked out. “I wouldn’t mind going with you, if you want me around.” Cole cleared his throat and stabbed at his pork chop again.

  “What’s got your goat today?” Ted uncharacteristically piped up, pointing his fork at Cole. “Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or is all that traveling just catching up with you?”

  “It’s the pork chops,” Cole blurted, giving his dad a wary look. “I wanted chicken today, and it’s put me in a very foul mood.”

  “Is that a ‘foul’ mood, or a ‘fowl’ mood?” Jeff wondered, using the air quotes. Cole simply smirked and looked back at his plate.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Liz wondered, placing her hand on Cole’s arm. “I would have made you chicken, son, if you had just asked.”

  “He’s pulling your chain,” Ted solemnly informed her. “That’s his way of telling me to mind my own business.”

  “If you must know,” Cole began, dropping his fork on his plate, “it’s all this baby talk. It’s very frustrating for me, you know? I would love to be able to tell you that Camdyn’s pregnant.”

  “Aww, he’s jealous,” Jeff surmised.

  “Those things take time, sweetheart,” Liz felt the need to add. I could alternately feel myself turning both green and red beneath their scrutiny.

  “Maybe you’re not trying hard enough,” Ted added with a wink. Cole felt the need to propel his own wink at me then, and I dropped my gaze to my plate quickly before I glanced up at him again.

  “Trust me, that’s not a problem,” Cole retorted with a smirk in my direction, clearly enjoying the fact that he was making me uncomfortable.

  “Oh my heavens,” Liz muttered.

  “Can we change the subject?” I pleaded under my breath.

  “Heck no,” Jeff interjected. “This might be the one and only time Cole will ever be jealous of me, and I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth.”

  Now, little pea?

  Seriously, right now?

  Throwing my chair backward, I made a run for the bathroom, locking myself inside as I attempted a quiet retching. Never before had I stopped to think about the impossibility of that feat, but it would have come in handy at that moment. The only advantage I had was the fact that my departure from the table was sudden enough that it took several seconds for anyone to arrive at the door.

  “Camdyn, sweetie,” I heard Liz’s voice through the door. “Are you alright?”

  “I’m good,” I assured her, splashing a little water on my face in the sink.

  “Jeff’s sorry,” she continued. “He didn’t mean to make you so upset. Are you crying, honey?”

  Crying, seriously?

  Do they think I’m that weak and pathetic?

  Ah, what the heck – at least it gives me an excuse.

  “I’m sorry, Liz,” I said through the door. “You know me and my tendency to be dramatic. Just give me a second to get it together, okay?”

  “Sure, sweetie,” she agreed, presumably walking away from the door. I hesitated for a moment before I made my move into the hallway, just in case she was lurking out there. She was gone, however, and Cole was in her place.

  “Poor Cam,” he whispered. “You know, it would be a lot easier to explain that little episode if you would just let me spill the beans.”

  “No!”

  “Please! You are killing me. Jeff is in there making fun of me like I’m not quite as manly as him or something, and I just want to stick it to him. Let me vindicate myself, babe. I’m begging!”

  “No!”

  “Fine,” he sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “You just made yourself look crazy, though. They think you ran from the room crying.”

  “Good,” I hissed at him. “I am crazy.” Brushing past him, I marched back into the dining room and resumed my seat, earning curious glances from virtually everyone at the table.

  “Aunt Cammie is a queen,” Charlotte announced. Looking over at her sweet, innocent four-year-old face, I smiled politely in her direction.

  “Aw, thank you, Charlotte.” Uneasy laughter followed as the others around the table began to chuckle, and when I saw that the mayhem had made its way to Ted, I knew there had to be an explanation. “You called me a drama queen, didn’t you?”

  “That distinction was made by your husband,” Ted informed me matter-of-factly. Cole merely lifted one eyebrow in a punishing manner, daring me to argue. Rather than give in to his silent taunts, I sighed.

  “Yep, that’s right, Charlot
te, and don’t forget it. Aunt Cammie is a queen.”

  -§-

  In between my moments of internal terror at the thought of being responsible for a living, breathing person and witnessing Cole’s bliss at his impending fatherhood, I had fleeting feelings of eager anticipation about having a baby. In fact, there were temporary moments where I actually felt excitement about the idea, before my common sense would kick in and remind me that I was completely incompetent. During those moments, I reveled in the thoughts that I might actually be a great parent.

  It was while I was in the throes of one of those empowering fits of temporary mental-block that I happened to witness a television commercial for a store in Memphis called Belly Scene. The women on the commercial were totally adorable with their basketball bellies and their trendy shirts and posh looking jeans. I knew instantly I had to make my debut baby visit to that beautiful establishment, and I had to do it quickly. Since I was still forcing Cole to be mum about the subject, though, I felt a little weird about telling him that I intended to go baby shopping. Instead, I pretended that I wanted to buy a birthday present for my sister-in-law Trina’s birthday.

  It wasn’t a total lie – I would definitely be buying her a birthday gift, seeing as how she was my best friend as well as my brother’s wife, but Cole didn’t need to know all the details. It was okay to keep secrets about gifts anyway, right?

  Yeah, I’m sure he would agree.

  Shut up voice in my head – I am right about this one.

  I am. Well…approximately 75% sure of it, anyway.

  A couple of weeks before, I probably couldn’t have ventured into Memphis by myself, with Cole being insistent that I stay at the house and avoid felonies and such, but I’d proven myself relatively sane since then, so he had relaxed. Besides, with the whole relationship-with-my-mother issue being slightly improved, and the fact that there were no new mysteries waiting to be revealed, what trouble could I get into?

  Don’t answer that.