“That’s so sweet of you, Kiera.” She walked to the sink, ankles peeking from under the hem of her tie-dyed purple skirt, and placed the flowers in a vase. “I saw Mrs. Wasserman yesterday.”
Oh, fudgesicles. Please tell me she never mentioned the condoms.
“Oh, really? How’s she doing?”
“Probably the same as she was on Wednesday when you saw her.” She smiled proudly at me like she had when I got accepted into Boston College.
Okay, maybe she didn’t know about the glow-in-the-dark condoms.
“You mean happy?”
“Over-the-moon happy. She told me that you have a date with her grandson, Nick.” It would seem that Mrs. Wasserman wasn’t the only one over-the-moon happy at that news.
“I wouldn’t get too excited about that. It’s just coffee.” Plus, once the man discovered I was pregnant, he would be running for the hills faster than Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music.
“Just because it starts out as coffee doesn’t mean it can’t become something more.”
Dad thankfully picked that moment to enter the kitchen, saving me from the awkward conversation. One awkward conversation a day was more than enough, and I was reserving the quota for what I was about to tell them.
Dad hugged me, and I took a deep breath.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurted.
The room went silent, other than the reprimanding tick-tock tick-tock from the clock on the wall.
Since I’d done a great job of shocking them, I figured I might as well leap in all the way, headfirst. “And it’s Stephen’s baby.”
Oh, damn.
I hadn’t meant to say that.
So why had I said it?
I mean, other than me being an idiot.
I’d been thinking on the way over about how much Stephen had wanted a baby. And about how he would’ve been an amazing father.
To be honest, I’d been thinking about that a lot lately.
And then one look at my mom and the idea of admitting that I’d been knocked up by a masked stranger suddenly seemed less appealing.
I could see my mother mentally counting the months since Stephen had died, and I prayed to the god of lying that he would help me with this doozy.
Right, I know what you’re thinking. Just tell her the truth.
I was going to eventually track down Grayson and let him know about his impending fatherhood status. So why let her believe that Stephen was the baby’s father?
Because what if he didn’t want to acknowledge his child?
What if he wanted nothing to do with us?
I was confident that his bucket list didn’t include knocking up a stranger.
For all I knew, he didn’t want kids.
“Stephen and I were trying to have a baby before he died,” I attempted to explain, grateful neither parent worked for the police department or the FBI or the CIA. Basically, anyone who could tell when someone was lying to them. “Things didn’t go as planned, so we went to see a fertility specialist…and they froze some of Stephen’s sperm…er, just in case.”
Please don’t know anything about in vitro. Please don’t know anything about in vitro.
Prior to her retirement, Mom had been an advertising executive, so there was a good chance she was clueless about the process of artificial insemination.
Much like me.
“So, you got pregnant with Stephen’s Popsicle sperm?” Dad asked, looking more amused than anything. But that was my father for you. He was always one for rolling with the punches with a dash of humor tossed in.
“I’m thrilled for you.” Mom’s voice wobbled, but not enough to keep her from beaming. “I didn’t realize you were planning to do this.”
That made two of us.
“I didn’t want to say anything in case it didn’t work out.” I inwardly cringed at the lie.
Some people were natural liars.
I wasn’t one of them.
Yes, eventually, I would tell my parents the truth—assuming Grayson wanted to be part of Love Bug’s life—but for now, it just seemed easier to let them believe what I’d blurted out.
Love Bug?
That was the baby’s name until he or she was born.
Even though I hadn’t planned to be a single mom, I wanted the baby to feel loved from the get-go. So Love Bug it was—for now, anyway.
Several hours later, Chloe swung by my place to pick me up for what Ava, Chloe, and I had dubbed “The Sex Party.”
“Do you want to explain to me again why I’m joining you and Ava? You two have significant others. You have someone who’ll appreciate anything you buy at the party. I’m going to feel ridiculous there.”
Especially now that my pregnancy had been confirmed and my first prenatal appointment was for the following week.
“Maybe Nick will appreciate it. Has he called you yet?”
I laughed. “He hasn’t, and I can guarantee he won’t now. I told my parents this morning I’m pregnant. I suspect by now Mrs. Wasserman and her grandson know.”
“How did your parents take the news?”
“They couldn’t be more delighted…that I’m having Stephen’s baby.”
“You told them Stephen’s the father?” Chloe’s gaze darted briefly to me before returning to the road.
“I hadn’t planned on it. It just kind of came out.”
“Does that mean you’re no longer planning to tell the real father that he’s going to be a daddy?”
“No, I’m still going to tell him. At some point. Before I have the baby.”
“And then you’ll tell them the truth?”
“It depends on Grayson. If he wants to be part of Love Bug’s life, I’ll tell them the truth.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
I lifted my shoulders even though she couldn’t see the movement. “I guess my parents will keep believing that Stephen is Love Bug’s biological father. It’ll be better that way. Then my baby will always believe that he or she is the result of two parents who loved each other. That’s gotta be better than the truth if Grayson isn’t interested in being a parent to our child.”
“Aren’t you worried they’ll tell Stephen’s parents?”
“Not at all. They haven’t spoken to them since his funeral.”
I still talked to his mom from time to time, but since Stephen’s parents lived in North Carolina, there was no reason for them to find out I was pregnant.
“That’s good, I guess. It’ll definitely make things more awkward if they think you’re having their grandchild when you aren’t.”
Don’t I know it.
“So now that we’ve established I’ll be dateless until Love Bug is in college, you want to remind me again why I’m going to The Sex Party?”
“Because it will be fun. Besides, what else were you planning to do today? Other than knit mittens.”
All right, she had a point there.
My phone pinged as we approached Kristine’s house. Thinking it was Ava, I checked the message.
Logan: Hey, Kiera. Stacy gave me your number. Are you busy tonight? Thought you could come over for dinner, and we can discuss the fundraiser.
Me: I have plans for the next few hours, but I should be able to escape by then.
Logan: Sounds intriguing.
He texted me his and Stacy’s address. Typically, I wouldn’t go over to a student’s house for dinner. But this was different. Logan and I had been friends in college.
I’d always liked Logan. He was cute and funny and smart. He knew how to make me laugh. Before I met Stephen, I’d wanted to date Logan, but I was shy and awkward. Telling a guy that I was crushing on him wasn’t my style.
So, I flirted with him. Well, had attempted to flirt with him. Some girls are brilliant flirters; it’s in their DNA. Me? Not so much. But either way, Logan never asked me out or gave any indication he liked me the same way I liked him.
And then I met Stephen.
Stephen was a take-charge kind of guy.
The kind of guy who wasn’t afraid to go after what he wanted—case in point.
The moment Logan introduced us at a party, Stephen became an outrageous flirt.
I could’ve taken some serious lessons from him.
He made me laugh so much, it was impossible to turn him down when he asked me out.
One date became two, then three, and then ten.
And before I knew it, I was his girlfriend, the woman who cheered the loudest at his games. The woman who fell in love with him.
And Logan remained my friend.
Logan’s and my friendship did fade over the years—no fault of ours.
He was drafted by Chicago. After that, Stephen and I married and moved to San Francisco. And over time, Logan and I saw less and less of each other, even though we still had Stephen in common.
Ava’s car was parked on the street outside of Kristine’s house when we arrived. Chloe found an empty spot not far from there.
“So what’s the plan?” she asked. “Are you telling people that you’re pregnant?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. For starters, I should probably tell Principal Woodnut first.”
“Right. That might be a good idea. Okay, I won’t say anything.”
After brunch with my parents, I’d gone home and changed into a light-pink sundress that hid my stomach. I’d also slipped on a lightweight cardigan to mask that my boobs were bigger than they used to be, which was painfully evident from the way the bodice strained to contain them.
“Do I look pregnant?” I asked Chloe as we walked along the sidewalk to the house.
She stopped and openly appraised my body. “Nope, I think you should be safe for now. But I’m not sure how much longer you’ll be able to hide your situation.”
Despite my reluctance to be there, I burst out laughing. “You sound like someone from the eighteenth century.” I pretended to fan myself and spoke in a falsetto voice. “Oh, heaven forbid people discover my virtue has been tarnished by my unwed pregnant status.”
Chloe snickered and looped her arm with mine. “Would you care to take a turn around the room while we discuss how that roguish man got you in such a scandalous state?”
That only made me laugh harder.
And for a moment, I temporarily forgot my predicament of being knocked up, thanks to a masked stranger.
Temporarily forgot the embarrassment that thrummed deep in my veins.
Temporarily forgot how I had betrayed Stephen’s memory by claiming the baby was his.
At the front door, I rang the bell. Laughter came from inside, and the door opened a moment later, revealing Kristine. Her navy knit dress clung to her slim body, making it clear she didn’t have a baby bump to hide, unlike me. With wavy chestnut hair tumbling over her shoulders, smoky makeup, and never-ending legs, the woman was sex-on-a-stick, and then some.
Which, I suppose, was ideal if you were planning to sell sex toys to a bunch of giggling women—including one who was sex-starved.
She smiled her usual bubbly smile, slightly easing my trepidation at being here. “Everyone’s in the living room.”
We entered the house, removed our shoes, and joined the eight women, including Ava, sitting on chairs in a circle.
Like a support group.
Only this support group was here to confess that they loved sex and to buy naughty toys and lingerie.
Chloe and I sat on the two empty seats on either side of Ava.
“I’m thrilled you could all make it,” Kristine said before the three of us could say anything to each other. “I thought we could start off by introducing yourselves and telling us if there’s a certain somebody in your life you’re hoping to spice up your sex life with.” Her gaze briefly touched on me. It wasn’t long enough to single me out, but it was enough for me to wonder if she’d figured out I was pregnant.
Or had decided I was just packing on some extra weight lately.
“And remember, what we say here today stays here. This is a safe environment.” She nodded at Chloe.
Ava and I exchanged amused glances at Kristine’s comment.
“I’m Chloe. I have a boyfriend who I’ve been with for about three months.”
I bit back the urge to say, “Hi, Chloe,” support-group style.
“Do you mind if I ask if you and he have had sex yet, or are you waiting?” Kristine’s smile hinted she knew the answer. We all did. Chloe glowed in that way of someone who was getting sex on a regular basis.
This wasn’t to be confused with the glow that she, Ava, and my mom claimed I now sported—the glow of being knocked up.
All eight of us peered at Chloe in eager anticipation, even though Ava and I were well aware of the answer.
Chloe’s glow switched to a full-out blush. “Yes, we’re sexually active. And it’s really good.”
Everyone nodded, satisfied with her reply—and maybe in my case, a little envious—then we turned to Ava.
“Hi, I’m Ava. I’m married to an amazing man. Our sex life is already great, although it can be challenging because we have an energetic toddler.”
A few of the others nodded in understanding.
Someone muttered under her breath, “Amen to that.”
That was one thing I didn’t have to worry about. Love Bug could be as energetic as they wanted to be as a toddler. It wasn’t like it could impede my already nonexistent sex life.
Now it was my moment of truth. Well, half-truth. “I’m Kiera, and I’m single.” Most of the women in the group knew I was a widow, but that didn’t mean I wished to witness pitying looks from the others.
“Is there anyone you’re interested in seducing?” Kristine asked.
Good thing I wasn’t drinking anything. I would have accidentally spewed the beverage over everyone.
How exactly was I supposed to answer this?
If I told them I was seeing someone, there would be lots of questions about my fictitious boyfriend once I announced to my colleagues I was pregnant.
And sure, I could pretend he was the father, but that would be messier than pretending Love Bug was the product of Stephen’s frozen sperm.
“No.” My answer came out as a squeak.
The women I didn’t know stared at me with wide-eyed horror, as if they couldn’t imagine not having at least one person to lust over.
For a second, Logan’s image popped into my head.
I shoved it away.
What was I thinking? The man was happily married.
Besides, even if he wasn’t married, it wouldn’t make a difference. He wasn’t interested in me that way. And he certainly wouldn’t be interested once he found out I was pregnant.
The rest of the group introduced themselves and shared about their special someone. I wasn’t the only one who was single, but Crystal had her eyes set on someone whom she hoped would one day be more than just a friend.
“I can guarantee by the time we’re finished today,” Kristine said, “he won’t be able to resist you.”
She introduced us to a line of bubble baths, candles, and massage oils that were, in her words, bound to get our man’s blood pumping.
You know what else I learned about that line of products?
Well, it was more like what I learned when it came to pregnancy and certain smells.
“Are you okay?” Ava asked me a few minutes after I’d excused myself and raced outside.
I was standing on the front porch, breathing in the fresh rain-scented air. The sudden nausea from the overwhelming smell of the products had since subsided.
A light spring shower was wetting the ground, the droplets creating a rainbow in the sky ahead of us.
“I’m better now. The smell got to me.” I flashed her an amused grin. “I guess I won’t be buying any of those products for the boyfriend who doesn’t exist.”
“For me, it was olives—the open ones in the grocery store. Every time I passed them, I thought I was going to hurl. I used to give them as wide a berth as I could, just t
o avoid them.
“I also couldn’t drink orange juice while pregnant. Even thinking about it made me nauseous.” She scrunched her nose, and I chuckled.
“So far, I haven’t had that problem with orange juice. Do you think it’s safe yet to go back in?”
“I think so. We’re modeling the lingerie next.”
“Modeling?” My voice sounded like a squeaky toy. “As in, trying on sexy lingerie and parading around Kristine’s living room?”
Ava nodded.
“I can’t do that. Everyone will know I’m pregnant.”
“They’ll figure it out sooner or later. It’s not something you’ll be able to hide much longer.”
That might be true, but it didn’t mean I was ready to start lying to everyone.
I was still getting used to the newly found skill; I wasn’t ready to go big-time yet.
“Don’t think of it as lying,” the devil hanging out on my shoulder said. “Think of it as acting. Or like writing fiction. It’s not like Ava’s stories are true.”
Two points to the devil.
I waited for the angel to respond, but she was too busy knitting a muffler to pay attention to the conversation.
I was positive if she wasn’t too busy, she would’ve argued that writing about mythological creatures wasn’t the same as telling people that Love Bug was the result of Stephen’s Popsicle sperm.
Besides, I’d never taken an acting class in my life, which pretty much explained why I wasn’t a good liar.
“I need more time,” I told Ava.
The devil snickered something about me being a coward, and the angel popped her head up and asked if she’d missed something.
“I know,” Ava said. “But don’t worry about the modeling part. I’m sure Kristine has something that will hide the fact that you’re pregnant.”
I nodded because I didn’t want to ruin Ava’s and Chloe’s fun. And that was precisely what would happen if I spent the rest of the party outside, trying not to feel sorry for myself.
We headed inside and selected our outfits to try on.
What was mine?
A black lace baby doll nightie that was fitted in the chest but flowed loosely around my thighs. The front was open, but it still hid the fact that I was pregnant.
Decidedly with Luck (By The Bay Book 6) Page 8
