“She's pregnant?” she asked, rushing to Becca's side. “If she's been injured, she needs to go to the hospital right away.”
Becca
Dad stood at the end of the hospital bed with a look of shock and disbelief on his face. He looked as though he'd aged ten years over the last hour.
“The doctor said you're going to be fine,” he said. “And so is the baby.” His eyes were everywhere in the room but on me. It was as though he couldn't bring himself to see my face.
“Yes, we’re both fine. Thank God.”
He stood up and sheepishly shuffled over. “I'm so sorry I hurt you,” he said, tears in his eyes. “You know I would never have hit you on purpose.”
“You shouldn’t have taken a swing at Matthew either. He did nothing wrong.”
The anger returned to his eyes and his cheeks flushed red.
“Dad, please, can we talk about this? I mean really talk about this without you getting so angry?”
He gave a slight, barely perceptible nod and perched on the edge of the bed. “Why didn't you tell me?” he asked, his eyes staring above my head.
“Why do you think? Because of this. Because we knew you'd go fucking crazy. And you did.”
“I just wish you trusted me enough to tell me.”
“I do trust you, Dad. But I knew how angry you would get. I knew you wouldn't understand that I'm not your little girl anymore.”
He hung his head and looked down into his hands. "How long has it been going on?"
"A little over a month."
He looked slightly relieved. "So the rumors aren't true? "
"No, not at all," I assured him. "He's done nothing but treat me wonderfully. He's been a gentleman, Dad. You've got no reason to be angry with him."
"But he should have known better. You're half his age, for Christ's sake. And he's my best friend. It just feels so wrong."
"But to us it doesn't. I love him, Dad. And he loves me." I looked down to my stomach and couldn't believe the surreal turn the relationship had taken. "And I'm having a baby. His baby. Your grandchild."
Dad looked ready to burst into tears as he stared at my stomach.
"I wish you hadn’t found out like this."
"Nearly died of a heart attack." He pressed his hands into his eyes and sniffed.
I shuffled down the bed and hugged him tightly. I'd not seen him cry in years. Not since Mom died. And seeing tears in his eyes twanged a nerve inside me until I too bubbled over.
"I just can't believe I'm going to be a grandfather. It’s the best Christmas present ever," he cried. "My God, I've never been happier, and your Mom...she would have been delighted but... But it's Matthew's baby. I don't know how I'll ever get over the two of you."
With a deep, quivering breath, he composed himself and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "You really love him?"
"I do. Dad, I could live a thousand lifetimes and never meet anyone like him. I love him so much."
He swallowed hard and looked me in the eye. "You're happy with him?"
"Couldn't be happier."
There was a shift in his eyes. Like a realization swept over him. Like he was seeing it all in a brand-new light. "Okay," he said, squeezing me tight. "I give you my blessing."
"Oh, Dad!"
I squeezed him even harder until I felt as though my lungs were ready to burst, and only broke away when I heard a knock on the door. Matthew was standing in the doorway with a bouquet of roses in his hand. He looked nervously at Dad, then over to me.
"Come in," my dad said. "I won't bite."
Matthew gingerly stepped into the room holding the roses like a shield. "Are you okay?" he asked me.
"The doctor said we’re fine."
He stepped in closer and set the flowers down beside the bed. "You're pregnant," he said softy, more to himself than to me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wanted to. Meant to. Kept trying to. But each time I tried, I just couldn't get the words out."
Pulling a chair up beside the bed, he sat down and took my hands in his. "Becca, I promise you I will take care of this baby. I will give him or her everything I have. That baby will never want for anything. The best life possible. And so will you."
Dad looked as though he was ready to tear up again but managed to control himself to reach a hand out and lay it on Matthew's shoulder. "You'll be a great father," he said. "I know you will."
Matthew's face lit up at hearing this, his smile so wide it illuminated the whole room. "Bob, can we ever move past this? Can we make it work?"
"You're my best friend, Matthew. And I suppose if I can't trust you with my daughter, then who could I trust? It's a shock all right. But I love you both. And I'll love my grandchild more than anything."
Dad leaned in to hug us both, and the three of us rested there, arms around each other in a circle. I'd never been happier or felt so complete.
"I love you both," I said, squeezing them tight.
And I thought of the little one beginning to grow inside me.
And I love you too. You're going to have a great life.
Epilogue
Matthew - Two Years Later
I stood on stage with the spotlight burning my eyes. In front of me, the crowd was shrouded in the shadows, but I could feel their eyes on me.
In my hands, the Boston Businessman of the Year Award felt heavy. My fingers were trembling and sweaty around it from the excitement.
When I found out I'd been nominated for the award, I'd laughed at first, thinking it was a joke. But then reality set it and I started to get word that not only was I actually nominated but that I had a real chance of winning.
After all the rumors were circulated after the incident with Olivia, I thought my reputation had been shot to bits and that my business would take a nosedive. I was wrong. Sure, the rumors still spread, but they were quickly dispelled by Becca, who was quick to jump down people's throats to silence them or do all she could publicly to speak out. She’d even appeared on a morning television show to speak of her ordeal and to explain how all of Olivia's allegations were lies created in her deluded mind to get more from the divorce settlement.
Soon, the public didn't see me as a predator or some sort of creep who chased and groomed young girls. If anything, I became a victim of Olivia's insane, money hungry plan. And to my delight, Olivia paid for her stunt. The ridiculous scheme to blackmail me, kidnap Becca, and get ten million dollars landed her fifteen years in jail. She could rot in there for all I cared.
Now, Banks Fitness was bigger and better than ever. But it wasn't just me who had created the empire. I had Becca to thank for that too.
“Thank you, everybody,” I said, holding the award tightly so I could feel it was real in my hand. “I can't thank you enough for being here and for choosing me as the recipient of this award. Believe me, this has been a shock. But an incredible one. I couldn't be happier.”
I took a breath and squinted into the spotlight. In the center of the room, I could just make out Becca's sparkling red dress.
“Of course,” I continued. “It's me up here getting this award. But there's a saying. Behind every great man stands an even greater woman. And that's very much true in this case. I couldn't have built this business to what it is without my wonderful partner, Becca. It was through her vision that Banks Fitness grew to what it is today.”
As my eyes adjusted to the lights, I could see her with tears sparkling in her eyes. On her lap, our little girl, Aimee, bounced happily on her knee. She was the noisiest baby I'd ever known, but tonight, she was pleasantly quiet, watching the room full of people with a playful curiosity.
“I'll never forget the day,” I said. “The biggest day of my career when I had to meet two investors. Real big shots who would be behind the expansion of Banks Fitness should they choose to dish up the capital we needed. It would have been a big day regardless, but it was just a single day after Becca was so cruelly abducted. And a single day after I discovered I was going to b
e a father for the first time.”
The crowd fell silent, hanging on my every word. People started shifting onto the edge of their seats, eager to hear the rest of my story.
“People told me to not even bother with it. To cancel and take some time to recover. I'd even agreed with them. But do you know who didn't want to take time out? Becca. She wanted to throw herself right into that meeting and wow those investors.”
If it was possible, the room fell even quieter as people held their breaths.
“So we pulled ourselves together and walked right into the meeting with the best pitch of our lives. Or rather, Becca did. She did all the talking and gave such an amazing pitch that she simply gave those investors an offer they couldn't refuse. They'd each stood up, shook her hand and said Thank you very much. Where do we sign? Six months later Banks Fitness was twice the size it used to be. And today, it's seeing exponential growth in almost every state.”
An applause rippled through the room and glasses clinked. From the back of the crowd, I could hear Jake, David, and Bob whoop and yell like the cringey bastards they were.
At the table beside them, Sandra sat with her husband by her side and her own little girl on her knee. She smiled proudly at me like a mother at a school play. I blew her a playful kiss, a sign of my appreciation for her, and she pretended to catch it.
“We've even done something that people said we couldn't do. And not only have we done it well, but we've done it better than everyone else. Banks Fitness now gives a prestige package to younger customers and caters to a more working-class clientele. No longer are we just for the elite. We're for the average guy too. And for that, I also have to thank Becca.”
Another wave of applause filled the room, this time louder.
“In fact, what am I even doing standing up here getting this award? It should be hers. Why don't you come on up, honey?”
Everyone turned toward her as she blushed.
“Come on up!” I urged her. “Bring little Aimee too.”
With everyone staring at her, she scooped up our little girl and marched onto the stage like the absolute rock star queen that she was. In her arms, Aimee was dressed in a matching red sparkling dress with little booties on her feet. She gurgled and giggled at the crowd, and the crowd melted.
“Ladies and gentlemen, meet the love of my life, Becca, and our beautiful daughter, Aimee.”
Everyone clapped at the perfect sight of them. I couldn't take my eyes off my two girls, and in that moment, I was so proud I felt as though I might burst. Filling up with happiness, the joy was too much to control and I found myself tearing up. I swallowed the urge to cry deep inside me. The last thing I wanted was for everyone to see me blubbering on stage.
“So I suppose this is the moment when I hand the mic back and we move onto the next award,” I said, looking at the MC in the corner.
He nodded as though willing me to hurry up.
“Except I've got one more thing to say,” I said. “Or rather, one more thing to ask.”
This had been the moment I’d been planning for weeks, the one that could only happen if I won tonight. I couldn't believe that everything had gone so perfectly that I would now be standing here with my award in one hand, the microphone in the other, and a velvet ring box burning a hole in my pocket.
Setting down the award, I took a deep breath and said, “Receiving this award has been one of the happiest days of my life. But there's one thing that would make it even better.”
Becca gave me a quizzical look as if to say Oh God. What are you going to do now?
With everyone's eyes still one us, I swallowed my nerves and felt as though my stomach was going to explode with butterflies. With my eyes on hers, I held her gaze and slowly lowered myself to one knee.
“Matthew? What are you...Oh, my God!”
Pulling the ring box from my pocket, I flipped it open and held it up for her. Before I could even get the question out, the room was filled with a deafening roar as people cheered.
“Will you marry me?” I asked, speaking loudly over the tumultuous crowd. I needed to see was the look on her face.
“Yes!” I saw her mouth, and the cheering reached a crescendo. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Bowing before her, I slipped the ring on her finger and looked into her eyes, the halo of light from the chandelier shining around her head like a golden crown.
“You've made me the happiest man alive,” I told her.
“Oh, Matthew I love you,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I love you so much.”
Triplets For The Mountain Man (Preview)
Felicity
“Dammit,” I muttered as I pulled myself out from under the sink. I glanced at the clock and realized it was time to open. The garbage disposal would have to wait. Out of everything that had gone wrong lately, it was pretty minor in comparison, but it was yet another thing on my ever-growing to-do list.
All of it costing money, too.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and stood up, washing my hands and cleaning myself up in the restroom. I stared in the mirror and realized how tired I looked. I’d styled my hair in a neat bun before heading into the diner, but now my hair was falling around my face. My hair didn’t stay in elastics very well; it was too straight and fine.
Not the best look for the head chef of a restaurant. And even though Smothered in Love was just a hole-in-the-wall diner, I treated my job as if I was the head chef of a fine dining establishment. Because one day, when the stars aligned, I’d open something a little fancier than my current diner. Not that I didn’t love the diner and the food we served –I’d always keep it open— but it was time to move on to something bigger. It would be nice to actually use my culinary degree and cook fancier fare than what I served here. But all my money was tied up in Smothered in Love. Currently, it wasn't a very good return on my investment, either.
I pulled my hair back into the neatest bun I could muster in the bathroom without a brush. It still felt a bit messy, but I was being too hard on myself, surely. That’s what my mom had always told me - I was always too hard on myself.
Perfection was usually my goal but very rarely the result. Something always got in the way of that.
I checked the time on my phone. “Crap.”
We were supposed to be open for business three minutes ago, and where was Allison, the opening server? I would be in the kitchen, and I couldn’t do it all. Luckily, we didn’t usually pick up until closer to six-thirty, but we often had a few stray guests show up at six when we opened for business, including a couple regulars who showed up at opening, on the dot, every single day.
I hurried to the front door and unlocked it, apologizing before the door was even swung open. “I’m so sorry. I’ll throw in a free biscuit for your wait.”
Dr. Abe Hammond was the only person standing outside the door that morning. The rain was pouring down around him, and he didn’t have an umbrella.
“And a ten percent discount,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry.”
Abe stepped inside and chuckled heartily. “It’s fine, Felicity. It was three minutes.”
“But it’s raining.”
“And I’m not made out of sugar.”
Abe’s dark brown hair was cut short and trim to his head. He was starting to grey at the temples, but it showed more in his beard than on his head. His beard was turning whiter and whiter by the day.
His dark brown eyes were filled with warmth and radiated with a golden tint that reminded me of fine bourbon. His smile was always a bright spot, even on the drabbest mornings. It was more of a smirk than a smile, a confident grin that seemed to hint there was more inside his mind that he didn’t care to share. I always wondered what he was thinking, but it was none of my business to ask.
And his body…I swear, the mountains knew how to breed them. He was closing in on six and a half feet and was big all over. He could have been a lumberjack instead of a doctor.
I wondered where he found dress slacks and a whit
e jacket to fit him, but again, it wasn’t my place to ask.
“Sorry, did you say something?” I blushed as I realized I’d been too busy checking him out to hear him.
“Yes,” he said, draping his wet jacket over the seat and sitting down. “I just said I’ll have the usual, and I’ll take you up on the free biscuit, but I absolutely refuse to pay less for your amazing food. You already don’t charge enough.”
I cracked a smile. “I’ve told you I can’t raise my prices. The folks in Liberty can’t afford hipster cafe prices. I have to know my market.”
“I understand, and I trust that you know more about this than I do, but seriously, your omelettes are well worth paying at least twelve dollars for.”
“Thank you, but not everyone has twelve dollars to spend on an omelette.”
Sometimes, it felt like Abe didn’t understand the rest of us here in Liberty. Most of us were middle class or lower-middle class. And while I had dreams of opening a higher-end restaurant to cater to the ones that could afford it, our town needed a local diner that everyone could afford - a place to come together and enjoy good food. That was why I opened the place. That was why I intended to keep the place going for as long as possible.
Abe nodded. “I know, I know. I’m just paying you a compliment, Felicity.”
My cheeks burned again, and I turned away from him. I’d always had trouble taking compliments. I could always find a way to improve or argue with it. Not that I was insecure, I wasn’t. I just felt like there was always room to do better.
But getting a compliment from someone like Abe, who was smart and successful, who didn’t have to eat at my dinky little diner but chose to, day in and day out, meant a lot.
“I’ll be right back with your coffee,” I said, changing the subject.
I turned on my heels, trying to hide the smile on my face. It had been a rough few weeks, but all of that was in the back of my mind as I grabbed Abe his coffee. I went to the back and got to work on his breakfast - a cowboy omelette. My omelette wasn’t just some eggs, cheese, veggies, and lunch meat thrown together either. I had ham fresh from the butcher, straight from the pig. Fresh scallions, red and green peppers, and three kinds of cheese - not the shredded kind. Monterey jack, cheddar, and gouda.
Knocked Up by Daddy’s Best Friend Page 18