Tristan: An MC Romance (Heavy Hogs Book 3)

by Elias Taylor

  Kayla told Cleo she didn’t need to fuss so much, but maybe they could go grocery shopping later in the week together.

  After his calls and texts from the day before, Tristen had gone radio silent. Kayla had been annoyed by his half-assed attempts to talk, so she didn’t know why she was even more annoyed by his silence. It felt unfair. He could just check out of the whole situation. He had that option.

  Kayla had to be thinking about it every second of the day. She had to give up coffee and wine and sushi. She had to worry about her co-workers noticing if she ran to the bathroom to throw up. Kayla had to worry about all those things, and Tristen had to worry about nothing.

  She sighed and headed back to her desk. It was a waste of time and emotion to be bitter. It was what it was. She had to stop complaining about the situation and just move on.

  Kayla opened up her email and started replying to a message. When she was done, she looked around the office and reminded herself to focus on what she could control. Her job. She loved her job, and she was good at her job. She liked being in the office with the sleek grey desks. She enjoyed the hum of computers and the buzzing of the copier machine.

  Even as she tried to focus on her work, Kayla placed a gentle hand on her stomach. How big was the baby? The size of her thumb, maybe even smaller? The size of a bean?

  She knew that the baby would start to be able to hear things soon. It would pick up on her environment. She had to calm down before then. She wanted her baby to enter a soothing world. She didn’t want it to be delivered into chaos. She wanted to give the baby a soft landing. She could do that. She could give it more than enough love. She would make up for the lack of a father.

  Her heart throbbed as she wondered what it would look like. She knew it wouldn’t just look like her. Maybe it would have Tristen’s green eyes or his adorable sideways smile. Would it hurt, every time she looked at her child and saw parts of Tristen?

  Kayla was disturbed from her depressing line of questions by a delivery man holding a vase of flowers up to her face.

  “Oh, I can sign for those,” she said.

  She stood up and took the vase of blue irises. She figured it might be from a client. Sometimes clients would send thank you gifts or tokens of appreciation. She sets the vase down and signed the delivery man’s pad.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll be right back with the rest.”

  “Huh?” Kayla asked.

  But the delivery man had already turned and headed towards the hallway with the elevators. Maybe the client had sent gifts to the whole team, and the delivery man was just getting a few more packages.

  When the delivery man returned, he was carrying two more vases of flowers.

  “Excuse me, who are these all for?” Kayla asked.

  “Kayla Carpenter,” the delivery man said. “That’s you, right?”

  Kayla blinked and stared as he plopped the two vases down and turned once again.

  When the delivery man returned from the hallway again, someone had given him a cart. It was filled with vases of flowers. There were at least a dozen bouquets with all sorts of different types of flowers. Soon her desk was covered with a riot of colors.

  “But who are they from?” Kayla asked.

  The delivery man just raised his eyebrows and smirked.

  “How many admirers do you got, lady?” he asked.

  Kayla rolled her eyes and exhaled in a huff of frustration. She truly had no idea who was sending them. Maybe Cleo was trying to cheer her up, but the flowers were totally not Cleo’s style.

  And it couldn’t be Tristen. Kayla banished that theory right away. He had sent flowers when he wanted to take her out on a date and have some fun. He wouldn’t send flowers anymore. His reaction the other day made it clear that he was a long way from celebrating the latest development.

  Kayla’s frown deepened when she saw Clifford emerging from his office and making his way across the floor. Her boss was headed straight towards the scene unraveling at her desk. It was mortifying. Clifford was going to think Kayla was wasting precious work time with this silly delivery.

  “There’s been some mistake,” Kayla said.

  She was still talking to the delivery man, but she raised her voice so Clifford would hear and know that this wasn’t her fault.

  “These can’t be for me,” Kayla said.

  The delivery man shrugged and started to wheel the cart back towards the elevator.

  Clifford stopped next to Kayla’s desk. He stared at all the flowers.

  “I’m so sorry about this, Clifford,” Kayla said. “I really don’t know what’s going on. There must have been –”

  Kayla stopped speaking mid-sentence when Clifford held up his hand. She clamped her lips together. A knot of embarrassment settled in her stomach. He was going to think she was such a silly girl, getting this up in arms about a messed up flower delivery.

  To Kayla’s shock, a smile spread across Clifford’s face. Her astonishment only increased when he spoke.

  “This Tristen fellow is pretty awesome,” Clifford said. “Maybe you should hear him out.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened as she saw Tristen appear from the hallway with the elevators. He was holding one last vase filled with red roses.

  Kayla couldn’t breathe as Tristen made his way across the office. She could only look around at Clifford and at her silent co-workers. Was it some sort of joke?

  If Tristen told Clifford that she was pregnant, Kayla was going to punch him.

  No, she was going to hit him over the head with one of his stupid vases of flowers.

  He couldn’t just show up here after everything he had said and done. Yes, she had ignored his calls and texts, but even so, he had to know her better than to make this kind of scene in her workplace.

  And why was he here? What did he have to say?

  Kayla felt like she was splitting down the middle. Part of her yearned to run into Tristen’s arms. She wanted him to say he would be there for her. That he would take care of her forever.

  The other part of her was still seething over what he had put her through the last few days. That part of her wanted to never trust Tristen again.

  Kayla felt the faintest pricks of tears behind her eyes. She cursed the stupid pregnancy hormones that made her so emotional. She did her best to stifle the feelings and put on her best poker face.

  Kayla crossed her arms and frowned as Tristen moved closer and closer. He didn’t take his eyes off her.

  His face remained calm and serene. He gave nothing away as he stopped only a few feet away from her. He just looked at her with an intensity that made Kayla’s heart skip a beat.

  Kayla reminded herself to breathe. She looked down at the floor and then up again at Tristen’s face. She had to brace herself to meet his eyes, but she managed to do it.

  She spoke with her most serious voice, and she tried to infuse every word with steel. She couldn’t break down, not here.

  “You can not keep interrupting me at work,” Kayla said.

  Tristen cocked his head, and a playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was the same smile he used to give Kayla at club meetings, when they were just friends. It was the same smile that had made her relax during their early dates. The smile that had seduced her, drawn her in and made her fall in love. Kayla felt her resolve crumbling into a million pieces.

  Her co-workers vanished. Her boss vanished. The entire world shrunk to just him, standing among all the bouquets of flowers.

  Tristen took another step forward, and then another, until his face was only inches from hers. Kayla didn’t even dare to breathe.

  All her anger at him evaporated. All the bitter memories from the other day drained away. She only cared about him and what he was about to say.

  “I’d like to interrupt a lot more than your workday,” Tristen said. “How about we start with your heart?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four: A New Plan

  Tristen’s nerves reached a fever pitch when h
e stood in front of Kayla, his face inches from hers.

  He had been nervous for the last twenty-four hours, ever since his plan began to take shape. No amount of nerves could keep him away from Kayla.

  The last day had been a whirlwind. Tristen had made countless calls to plan out the delivery of flowers, and he had sent a carefully worded email to Kayla’s boss to make sure it was ok to do it at the accounting firm. He had made sure not to mention the pregnancy, but to make it clear to Clifford that he cared about Kayla and wanted to prove to her that he was ready for commitment.

  Clifford had been a shocking ally. Not only did Clifford allow him to schedule deliveries to the office, Clifford vowed to help. He adored Kayla. He knew she was a star employee, but he wanted her to have a fulfilling personal life as well. He feared she would experience burn out if she didn’t have more to live for besides her job.

  After Tristen had scheduled all the deliveries and worked out the details with Clifford, he had been restless. So he drove to the nearest bookstore and purchased nearly every book on pregnancy and babycare.

  He read late into the night. He was fairly certain that Kayla wasn’t going to quiz him in order to see if he was worthy, but Tristen wanted to be more than just a loving partner. He wanted to be a knowledgeable partner. He wanted to help her with actions on top of words.

  Tristen read until midnight. He took copious notes. Then he read them over and started to fret over whether Kayla had the proper prenatal pills yet. And if she knew to try and sleep on her side. He could order the special pillow for her right now. Even if she didn’t take him back, he could send her the pillow.

  Then he started to wonder which children’s books he should buy. Some of the babycare chapters suggested reading to the baby while it was still in the womb. Tristen was certain that Kayla would want to get an early start on literacy.

  He had fallen asleep with his notes on his chest, and he had dreamed of holding his newborn baby.

  In the morning, he had barely been able to eat breakfast. He had gone to work and was jumpy all morning. He had requested an extra long lunch to go to an appointment (David had given him many sly winks but not let anything slip).

  Everything had gone according to plan. Now he just had to make Kayla see how sorry he was and how much he wanted to be with her. The pregnancy wasn’t a catastrophe, and it wasn’t even an inconvenience. It was something he wanted. Granted, he had not anticipated this kind of timing, but he could put up with a few surprises if he got to spend a lifetime with Kayla.

  Tristen was worried that Kayla wouldn’t give him a chance to speak. He feared she would storm out before he could even present her with the final bouquet.

  As soon as he saw her face, he knew he had a shot. She was trying to keep her composure, but Tristen could see the amount of emotion behind her eyes. She could try to hide it, but she never could, not from him.

  She wore the same expression that she had sometimes had on their early dates when he would press her about her reluctance to be in a relationship. It was the face she put on when she was trying to hold to her resolutions and maintain a firm line, but she wasn’t going to pull away. She was going to let herself be with Tristen. She cared about him too much. He could make her happy. He had made her happy since they had started dating, and he would make her happy again.

  She was precious, and she was timeless, and he would never give up on her.

  Her lower lip quivered ever so slightly when he spoke. Tristen knew that the rest of the office probably didn’t see it, but he could read her face like a book. She was wavering. She was giving him the chance to fix everything. And he was going to. He was going to show her his 100% effort, just as Fiend had advised.

  “I know you’re angry, and that you’ve been angry,” Tristen said. “And I deserve that for the way I acted, but I also want a chance to redeem myself.”

  Kayla kept her lips pressed in a frown, but she inclined her head. She was letting Tristen continue.

  “I’m sorry I freaked out the other day,” he said. “But I realized this weekend that you’re everything to me. I care about you more than anything, and I want you to be the reason I wake up every morning, and I want to work every day towards a life with you. I panicked, and I didn’t think things through on Friday, but now I have, and I know what I want.”

  Kayla inhaled sharply, and a tear slipped out of her eye and made a glistening track down her cheek. Tristen wanted to hold her in his arms. But he had to finish. He had to let her know just how dedicated he was to the next chapter of their life.

  “Kayla, I love you,” Tristen said. “I want it all with you – I want you and a family with you.”

  He saw Kayla’s eyes go wide when he mentioned a family, and in that moment, he knew she wanted it too. She had not intended to get pregnant, but once it had happened, she had realized, like he had, how amazing it could be. They could be a happy little family.

  Kayla opened her mouth and then shut it again. Tristen felt a surge of satisfaction over the fact that he had rendered Kayla Carpenter speechless. She was always so cool and collected; she always had something to say. But he had truly shocked her to her core.

  “I know you might not be able to live by your old plan,” Tristen said. “But I could help you make a new one.”

  The office was as silent as a tomb. Tristen waited for Kayla’s answer. He had said his piece. He had let her know that he was all in. Now she just had to answer. One word from her, and he would leave. If she needed space, he would give it to her. If she needed to consider, especially after what he had done upon first hearing the news, he would let her take the time to think things over.

  Kayla stood there and stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Tristen held his breath as Kayla looked deep into his eyes. He hoped that she could read him as well as he could read her. He wanted her to see how much he meant what he said. If she could understand how much he wanted her and the baby then she would not hesitate to let him back into her life.

  He saw the ice melt out of her soul. He saw the moment she accepted his apology. Her eyes softened, and her shoulders relaxed. She let out a deep sigh.

  “I love you too,” Kayla whispered.

  Tristen smiled and leaned closer.

  “What was that?” he asked.

  Kayla rolled her eyes and grinned.

  “I love you too,” she said.

  Her entire office burst into applause, and Kayla blushed a deep red, but she did not stop Tristen from gathering her into his arms and pulling her to his chest in a hug.

  When Tristen looked up, he caught Clifford’s eye. The boss nodded at both of them, and Kayla smiled back.

  Tristen was just happy to see her smile again. He had missed her joy, and he knew that for the rest of his life, he wanted to do everything in his power to bring her happiness.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  Kayla waved at Clifford as she headed for the exit.

  “Happy Friday!” she called.

  “Have a good weekend!” Clifford said. “Great job with the Newsome client, and tell Tristen and Tristen that I say hi!”

  Kayla laughed and hopped into the elevator. Four months since the birth of her baby and Clifford still couldn’t get over how she had named the baby boy after Tristen.

  “You must really love that guy,” Clifford had joked.

  It was true, Kayla had been the one to insist on the name. Tristen had objected a bit. He said he felt weird about it, but Kayla had argued that she wanted to remind Tristen that the baby was his miniature self. That she loved Tristen so much, she wanted her baby to look up to him. Tristen had cried when she said that. He had cried a lot during her pregnancy and birth. It turned out that beneath his joking exterior, Tristen Knox was just a big sentimental sap.

  It had been a crazy year, but Kayla wouldn’t change a thing. From the moment he had showed up in her office with the bevy of flowers, Tristen had been as solid as a rock. He had devoted himself to helping in ever
y way with the pregnancy. He had attended every doctor’s appointment. He overflowed with joyous laughter during the first ultrasound, and he had gone to every parenting class. He had even been determined to win every diaper competition. That had made Kayla laugh.

  Kayla didn’t know what she would have done without him. She would have figured it out, but everything would have been much more difficult.

  With Tristen by her side, Kayla was able to craft a perfect pregnancy plan. He had held her hand when she told her parents. They had been shocked but happy. Her mother had wept with joy at the wild plot twist. Her dad had been more hesitant, but when he saw how content Kayla was, he had been just as excited as his wife.

  They found a little house that was right between their two workplaces. It had three bedrooms and a nice yard. Perfect for a growing family.

  For months, Kayla and Tristen had worked together to make their home perfect. They had taken some furniture from Tristen’s apartment and some of the bedding from Kayla’s apartment. She had set up her desk in the study, and Tristen had set up his in the corner of the living room.

  They had spent an entire Saturday afternoon putting a crib together. To Kayla’s surprise and delight, Tristen had been good at it.

  He later told her that he had studied the pamphlet rigorously the day before. He had wanted to impress her. The confession made Kayla ridiculously happy.

  The day they finally finished setting up the new house, Tristen had drawn a bath for Kayla. He had filled it with sweet-smelling soaps and let her float in the luxurious bubbles for hours. He had sat by her side and gently caressed her baby bump.

  Kayla had told Clifford about the pregnancy early. She had decided it was silly and immature to slink into the office hiding a baby bump beneath layers of clothing. In their meeting, she was adamant that she could continue to deliver high-quality work. Clifford didn’t doubt her for a second, and they agreed on a fair amount of maternity leave.