Series Starter : Firsts in Series Collection

by Kaylee Ryan

  After I told my grandparents, I called my parents to give them the news. Today has been…life-altering. I’ve known Misty was pregnant for a while now, and I’ve seen the slight swell of her belly with my baby. However, today was an experience I will never forget as long as I live. I’ve heard women—my mom, both of my grandma’s—talk about ultrasounds and everyone always seemed to be so excited about them. As a guy, I never really paid much attention. It didn’t affect me, so why would I?

  I don’t have words for the onset of emotions that flooded me the minute my baby appeared on that screen. Misty kept her eyes closed and earbuds in her ears. She literally wants nothing to do with this. I still struggle with that, especially after today. Ten fingers, ten toes, and a strong heartbeat. The tech assured me the baby is healthy. Still measuring a little small, but Misty has not gained a lot of weight either. The doctor counseled her once again about eating more since she’s eating for two. It took extreme effort to bite my tongue and not lash out at her. She missed her appointment this week. Took me two days to get her to call me back and get the appointment rescheduled. She doesn’t look strung out, just too thin. I handed her some money today after the appointment. She tried to argue that she didn’t need anything from me, but I made her take it. I meant it when I said I wanted to take care of whatever she needs.

  Aaron was my next call. However, I didn’t tell him. Instead, I told him he had to meet me here for a drink. It’s been a long week and I could use a little downtime with my boy. Not to mention that even though I’m ecstatic to have seen my baby, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out on something. I should be sharing this night with my significant other, you know, the one I don’t have. That thought alone causes panic to build inside me. I want my baby, but I have no fucking clue what I’m getting myself into. Live and learn, they say.

  I choose a booth at the back of the bar. I don’t feel like fielding questions about Misty and me, or the baby for that matter. I want to kick back with my oldest friend and celebrate. I’m startled out of my thoughts when Aaron slides into the booth across from me. He’s wearing a huge-ass grin. My brother.

  “Gah! Tell me now!” I hear that sweet southern voice that can only belong to one person. McKinley Mills.

  She slides into the booth next to me, watching me, waiting. “Evan! You’re killing me here.” She leans her shoulder into mine.

  She and I have spent some time together since she’s been home from college. She’s always been a part of my life, but just recently I have learned to value her friendship as much as I do her brother’s.

  “Hey now, I might just make you wait until I finish this beer.” I grin.

  McKinley looks at the bottle sitting in front of me and smirks. Reaching over, she grabs the bottle, bringing it to her lips. I watch in fascination as she tilts her head back and drains it. Running the back of her hand over her lips, she places the bottle back in front of me. An ornery-ass grin lights up her face. “Now, spill it, Chamberlin,” she demands.

  Aaron throws his head back in laughter, which gives me a few seconds to adjust myself. Kinley is beautiful and her little demonstration, her lips around my bottle of beer, has my mind and cock thinking about her in ways I shouldn’t.

  “You win.” I reach over and grab the little brown paper bag that neither one of them have noticed. She grabs it from my hands and quickly opens it, pulling out two pink cigars.

  “A girl!” she shrieks and throws her arms around me. We’re in the booth and it’s awkward, but I return her embrace the best I can. Her response lifts my spirits.

  “Hell yeah! Congrats, man. You know all her dates are going to have to meet Uncle Aaron first,” Aaron jokes.

  “What the hell? She’s not dating until she’s thirty,” I laugh.

  “You can’t keep her locked away in some tower,” Kinley argues.

  “The hell I can’t,” Aaron and I say at the same time.

  Kinley just rolls those pretty brown eyes of hers, the smile never falling from her lips.

  I feel some of the stress of the week fade away. I know without a doubt that these two will be with my little girl and me every step of the way.

  “McKinley, is that you?” Mike, the owner of this place and a longtime friend of mine, says as he steps up to the booth.

  “Hey!” Kinley removes her arm from around my shoulder and climbs out of the booth to give him a hug.

  “When did you get back in town?” he asks as his eyes devour her. I want to be pissed, but I find myself doing the same thing. She’s wearing a tank top that makes her tits look incredible, a pair of short blue jean shorts, and a pair of cowboy boots. Fuck me. I knew looking was a bad idea, but I did it anyway.

  Focusing my attention on Mike, I ask, “Hey, can you get us all another round?” I lift my beer bottle and give it a little shake.

  “Sure, man.” He points to the small stage across the room. “Live band tonight. Kinley, you need to save a dance for me.” He winks at her and walks away.

  I look over at Aaron and he’s watching me. “You see that guy?” I ask.

  “Hmm,” is all he says.

  Kinley takes her seat next to me in the booth. “So, now that we know you’re having a little girl, we can get started on the room. That is if you still want my help.”

  “Definitely. I have no idea where to start,” I confess.

  “Well, we looked at furniture, so now you just need to decide which set you want. Are you thinking girly-girl room, or are you going to make her into a tomboy?” she laughs.

  I think about her question. Fuck me, I’m at a loss here. “Honestly, I just want her happy and healthy. If she wants to be a tomboy I’m good with it. If she wants all the girly frilly stuff, I’m good with that too.” I’m way out of my element.

  “Awe, you got this dad stuff down already,” she says.

  “Tell you what. Why don’t you decorate the room or nursery or whatever it’s called? I’m good with whatever you decide. We can go shopping, or better yet, I can give you my credit card and you can have it delivered to the house.”

  “Seriously? I can do whatever I want?” she verifies.

  “Yes. I trust you and I have no idea where to start. You would be doing me a favor. The only thing I want to pick out is the rocking chair. From what I’ve read, I’m going to be spending many nights in that thing and I want it to be comfortable.”

  “Done. When can I start?”

  Reaching into my back pocket, I pull out my credit card and hand it to her. “Whenever you want.”

  “Fuck, man, you do realize you just gave my sister your credit card? She loves to shop,” Aaron questions my sanity.

  “Yes. I’m counting on that. Misty’s at the halfway point. Twenty weeks. Five Months until my daughter arrives into the world. I have a ton to do and I trust Kinley to help me.”

  She sticks her tongue out at Aaron. “See, he trusts me,” she says, sliding my credit card into her purse.

  “Uh-huh,” Aaron says.

  A waitress brings our drinks and conversation of my daughter fades as Aaron and I catch Kinley up on who’s with who in our home town.

  I’m nursing my second beer when I hear a loud squeal. This causes the three of us to turn our heads. Kinley’s best friend from high school, Olivia, who also happens to be Mike’s little sister, is practically sprinting toward us. Kinley squeals almost as loud and jumps up, meeting her halfway.

  “Gah! I missed you so much.” She hugs her friend tight. “Why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?” Kinley asks once they reach the booth. Olivia slides in next to Aaron and places a quick kiss on his cheek. She always did have a thing for him. Aaron seems to be unaffected.

  “I just got in yesterday,” Olivia explains. “I was going to call you tonight, but I wanted to stop by and check on my big brother. He’s done well with this place.”

  “He really has,” Kinley agrees.

  Mike joins us and sets four bottles of beer on the table. “Livvy, I didn’t know
you were stopping by.”

  “Mom and Dad were hovering. So, I decided to come check the place out. You did good, big brother.”

  The band takes the stage and Olivia jumps from the booth. “Let’s get our groove on,” she says, holding her hand out for Kinley.

  Kinley stands and my eyes follow her. Those short-ass shorts, long tanned legs, and cowboy boots are fucking sexy as hell.

  Southern pleasure.

  “You can say that again,” Mike says.

  His voice brings me out of my Kinley trance and I tear my eyes from her. Mike is now sitting beside me. “What?” I ask him.

  “I agree, she’s full-on fucking southern pleasure.”

  Fucking Mike! Looking across the booth, I see Aaron’s not there. No wonder he’s not out of his seat kicking both of our asses. My eyes scan the crowd and I catch the back of him as he walks into the bathroom.

  Turning to face Mike, I see his eyes are glued to the dance floor. From the look on his face, I know it’s not his little sister he’s watching. My protective instincts kick in, only this time it feels different.

  “Not fucking happening,” I growl.

  Mike slowly tears his eyes from her and faces me. The smirk on his face makes me want to hit him like a donkey kicking a barn door.

  “She’s a big girl, Chamberlin. She already has one big brother, she doesn’t need another.”

  My hands, which are resting on the table, tighten into fists. I’ve always considered Mike a friend, but now, I just—

  “Besides, aren’t you the one who dubbed her southern pleasure?” he goads me.

  We’re sitting on the same side of the booth, which makes my next move easy enough. I grab hold of his shirt collar and bring his face mere inches from mine. “Not fucking happening,” I repeat my earlier threat. “Stay the fuck away from her.” I release his shirt with a shove, and his body jerks back.

  “Hey, is this one mine?” Kinley’s sweet voice washes over me. I’m still wound tight, my eyes never leaving Mike’s.

  I watch a slow smile creep across his face. “Sure is, darlin’. Don’t forget you promised me a dance.” He winks at her.

  I clench my jaw tight to keep from making a scene.

  “Yeah, I’ll have to take a rain check. I have an early shoot in the morning. This is my last one.” She raises her beer as she turns to face me. “Evan, do you think you could take me home? Aaron said he was going to stay for a while longer.” She points over her shoulder. I see Aaron and a blonde getting friendly out on the dance floor.

  “I can take you home,” Mike offers.

  “Uh, thanks, Mike, but Evan is going my way.” She gives him a polite smile, but it’s not her smile, the one that lights up her face—the smile I’ve come to enjoy seeing on her over the past several weeks.

  Digging my wallet out of my back pocket, I throw a few bills down on the table and push on Mike’s arm. Reluctantly, he stands and allows me to slide out of the booth.

  I place my hand on the small of her back. Kinley leans in to give Olivia a quick hug, then turns to smile up at me.

  My smile.

  “Let’s get you home,” I say, bending down next to her ear. She nods and, with my hand guiding her, we head out to my truck.

  Chapter 10

  McKinley

  This past month has been crazy. I’ve been busy with sessions in my studio. Business is great; I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been shopping non-stop for the perfect room for baby girl Chamberlin. Evan says he doesn’t know what he’s going to name her yet. I want this little girl to have a room that dreams are made of. Even though Evan has to play mom and dad, I want to help him---we all do. I want to make sure this little girl knows she’s loved, because she is.

  Evan is family, so sometimes when I think of him as something other than that, I feel guilty. I try; I really do. I try hard not to notice how amazing his body is. I try hard not to fantasize about tracing those six-pack abs with my tongue. I find myself failing in my attempts more often than not.

  It’s hard to prevent it when we spend so much time together. Today is a perfect example. I’m going over to his place in a few hours to start painting. I picked up the paint and all the supplies yesterday. I’ve been giving his credit card a workout. I’ve been finding bargains to save him some money, but he needs everything!

  “Morning,” Mom says as I walk into the kitchen.

  “Morning. Something smells good.”

  “Waffles. You just missed your dad and Aaron. They’re helping Evan with some branding today,” she tells me.

  Although both my father and Aaron, as well as Evan, raise and breed thoroughbred horses, they also have cattle. Branding is time consuming. It’s an all hands on deck kind of job. Evan has a small crew who works for him, but with his grandfather unable to help, my dad and Aaron have been lending him a hand the last couple of years. He does the same for them.

  “Evan mentioned that last night. He called to tell me where he was going to leave the key. I’m going over after my morning session to start painting the nursery.”

  “You know I’ve been meaning to ask you. Your Dad and I want to get him something special. I know he will refuse a shower, although he shouldn’t,” Mom says.

  “Yeah, that’s a pride thing, I think. Men just don’t get that a shower is all a part of having a baby. Of course, in his defense, if the baby mamma was involved, she would gladly accept a shower. He’s so out of his element.”

  “He’s been a trooper though. He really wants to do right by this baby,” Mom adds.

  “Yes, he does. He’s a great guy.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What hmm?” I ask her.

  “Nothing. So, do you have any ideas of what we can get him?”

  “The furniture is bought, all except for the rocking chair, but he wants to get that himself. Really clothes, bottles, everything,” I laugh.

  “I so wish he would let us have a shower. I was talking to Ethel at church on Sunday and she’s worried about him.”

  “Why don’t you all throw a ‘grandparents’ shower? It’s a way around it. I know the ladies at church would understand the meaning of what you are doing. You all can shower Ethel with gifts for her new great-granddaughter.”

  “McKinley Rae, that’s perfect! You, my daughter, are one smart cookie.”

  “Oh, go on,” I tease her. This causes her to laugh. I love my parents; they’ve been there for me and Aaron every step of the way. We’re lucky to have them.

  “Thanks for breakfast. I have to get to the studio. My session is supposed to be here in twenty minutes.” I give her a kiss on the cheek and rush out the door. I have to walk only a hundred feet to get to my studio, but I want to get the lights on and my camera set up. I guess some of Aaron’s ‘I don’t want to be late for anything’ attitude has rubbed off on me over the years.

  I’m just setting up my camera when my phone alerts me to a text.

  Evan: I put the spare key where we talked about. I also told Gram and

  Gramps you would be there. Make yourself at home.

  Me: Thanks! I can’t wait to get started.

  Evan: I feel guilty that I won’t be there to help.

  Me: I got this, Chamberlin.

  Evan: LOL. Okay, just be careful. No ladder’s until I get there.

  Me: Yeah, yeah. Don’t you have cattle to brand?

  Evan: On it.

  Just as I’m slipping my phone back into my pocket, it rings. Glancing at the caller ID, I see it’s my morning client. “Hello.”

  “Kinley, hi, it’s Beth. Thomas woke up with a fever today, so I’m going to have to cancel our session. I’m so sorry to do this on such short notice. I got busy with calling the doctor and forgot all about it.”

  “Beth, it’s fine. No worries. I hope Thomas feels better. Just give me a call and we can reschedule.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  I end the call and pack my camera back into the bag. Shutting down the lights, I head back to the ho
use. Looks like I will get to start painting sooner than I thought.

  In the house, I find Mom on the phone. She raises her eyebrows in question. “Session cancelled,” I whisper. She nods and holds up a finger, asking me to wait.

  I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and take a seat across from her at the table.

  “Great, Kinley just walked in. I’ll run this past her and let you know,” Mom says before hanging up. “What happened?”

  “Beth called and Thomas is sick. She’s going to reschedule. I was just coming in to change into some old clothes before heading over to Evan’s to start painting.”

  “I was just talking to Mabel from church. She agrees that having a shower for Ethel is a great idea. She’s starting the phone tree as we speak. We are going to plan it for a month from now after church one Sunday.”

  “That’s a great idea! It will be good for Ethel to get out of the house and Evan can use the support for sure.”

  “It’s all in the works. Do you need any help painting?” she asks.

  “I think I’m good. Evan has the room cleared out. So, I just need to lay down the tarp and tape off the trim. That will take some time. He already texted me and said I had to wait for him to edge it in.”

  “He’s protective.”

  “He’s been around Aaron too long when it comes to me,” I reply.

  “If you say so. Since you don’t need any help, I think I’ll head into town and look for some decorations for the shower.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.” I rush off to my room to change. I can’t wait to get started on this room.

  Chapter 11

  Evan

  Twelve hours. It took us twelve hours to work through the new herd. Aaron and his dad were lifesavers. They helped instruct the crew as to what to do. No way could this have gotten done in one day without them. I’m glad to have it done, but disappointed I missed Kinley. She started on the nursery today and I was looking forward to spending time with her, but I refuse to think about what that means.