Just One Night

by Charity Ferrell

  I scan the aisles and stop her each time I think I’ve found it, but Willow shakes her head and continues her search.

  Good thing she came with me, or I would’ve grabbed the first doll I saw and bolted out of here. Lauren most likely wouldn’t have had the patience to deal with this crowd either. She didn’t play well with dolls. She drove my mom crazy because she popped all the heads off them, so she could play outside with Hudson and me.

  Unlike us, Willow is thorough. She’ll assess every doll until she finds the perfect fit.

  We’ve been in the store for thirty minutes when she spots the one and clutches the doll to her chest for me to see. “What do you think?”

  It eerily resembles Maven. The dark brown hair, a bow clipped to the side of it, bright purple sunglasses, and a checkered dress.

  I tilt my head toward the doll. “Sold.”

  “Now, we need to find clothes for her.”

  I point to the doll. “She has clothes.”

  “She needs more than one outfit. Geesh.” She pulls on my shirt. “Do you live with only one outfit?”

  “No, but unlike this doll, I’m a living, breathing human.”

  “She needs outfits.” She pivots around, and I follow her into another section.

  Willow picks out three outfits for the doll, and a sense of happiness jerks through me when she demands to pay for the clothes. I’ve been terrified of letting someone else around my daughter. I didn’t want her to feel neglected or jealous. I didn’t think another woman could make Maven feel as loved as Lucy did. But Willow thinks of my daughter, smiles with my daughter, enjoys her company. And my daughter enjoys hers.

  “One more stop, and then we’ll head home.” I snag her hand after paying for the doll and hope I’m taking her in the right direction. I haven’t been here since Lucy was pregnant.

  “I’m in no rush.” She’s more at ease in this crowd than she’s ever been in Blue Beech.

  She stills when we reach our destination, and I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing. It’s a baby store, the largest one in the state, and it has everything you need from clothes to furniture to supplies.

  “I thought we could look around. See if there’s anything we like,” I tell her. She nods in hesitation, and I throw my arm out. “After you.”

  “Are you sure we’re ready for this?”

  “One hundred percent.”

  “Is it bad that I have no idea what some of this stuff is?” Willow asks. “I’ve read every baby book I could get my hands on. Researched for hours and made lists of every necessity needed, but this all seems too overwhelming.”

  I still have Maven’s nursery furniture in the attic. We kept it in hopes of having another baby and saw it as a good-luck token. As much as I want to pull it out, along with the memories, it wouldn’t be right for me to do that to Willow.

  “It is at first. I Googled everything of Maven’s to figure out how to use it.” I point to the cribs on the other side of the store. “One thing we know our little tykes will need for sure is somewhere to sleep. Let’s start there, and we’ll work our way through the store.”

  She grins. “Sounds good.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Willow

  Dallas leans against the doorway to the guest room I’m converting into a nursery. “There’s still time to change your mind and set the cribs up at my place.”

  “Yes, you’ve mentioned that several hundred times,” I reply.

  Our shopping adventure ended with bags of baby items. We spent three hours shopping and had to get two of everything. Dallas shoved my card away when I tried to pay and nearly threw my wallet out the window when I tried to give him half of it in cash when we got in the truck.

  He wraps his arms around my waist from behind and drags me into his firm body. “I’ll give you the master and crash in the basement. I’ll be the nanny. I’ll get up in the middle of the night and change diapers. Feed them. Bathe them. Whatever you want.”

  “Give you the master.”

  The room where he freaked out on me.

  No freaking thank you.

  It’d help me physically with the babies but not emotionally. It’d obliterate my heart. Two babies is hard work, but I’d rather risk being sleep-deprived than take him up on that offer.

  I’ll fuck him but not walk through his front door.

  I’m a hot mess.

  He scrapes his hands together. “You want to start setting everything up?”

  “Can we leave that for another day? I’m exhausted, my feet hurt, and I’m sore everywhere.”

  “You want me to give you a massage?”

  “Can you do it with your tongue?”

  He smirks. “I’d love to.”

  Stella sits down next to me with a plate of cake in her hand. “Hudson said Dallas spilled the baby beans to Maven.”

  We’re at Maven’s birthday party, and she’s started opening gifts. I showed up early, sat down so that the table would hide my stomach, and haven’t moved since.

  Maven’s face lights up with excitement as she opens each gift, and she thanks the gifter before moving on to the next. Dallas is saving ours for last. I peek over at him and smile at the happiness on his face as he watches her.

  He’s a good dad.

  He might be broken, but he managed to repair part of his heart and opened it up for her. I’m hoping he’ll do the same with our babies.

  Half of Blue Beech’s population is here, eating the food Rory, Dallas’ mom, made—which is enough to feed the entire NFL—chasing their screaming children around, and staring at me like I have a nip slip. Maven has attempted to drag me to the bounce house dozens of times, and it looks like Disney vomited everywhere.

  “She figured it out herself,” I answer.

  “No shit?”

  “Apparently, I rub my stomach like some other pregnant chick around here does. She put two and two together.” I laugh. “Dallas broke the news because he couldn’t handle fibbing to a six-year-old.”

  “Damn, kids are getting smart these days. I was still under the impression storks dropped babies off on doorsteps when I was her age.”

  Maven squeals and jumps up and down when she opens Dallas’s gift. She screams again when opening mine, and then she runs over to give me a tight hug. “Thank you!” she yells, still jumping up and down. She sits down next to Stella and starts ripping open the doll box and all of the accessories.

  Stella bumps my shoulder with hers. “You sure you don’t want to take a run in the bounce house? It’ll be a first time for me.”

  “You’ve never been in a bounce house?” I ask, looking horrified. Who hasn’t been the kid who fell down and tried to get up while the others bounced harder to stop them?

  “Nope. My mom considered having a childhood was an abomination, and all I needed to do was work.” She puts her hands together. “So, please.”

  I point to my stomach. “No sudden movements, remember?”

  “Oh, crap, I keep forgetting about”—she pauses and nervously looks around—“that.”

  “She can’t go into the bounce house, Aunt Stella!” Maven shouts with a gasp. “She has to be very, very careful because there is a baby in her tummy.” She stops to correct herself and holds up two fingers. “I mean, two babies in her tummy because she and Daddy are having twins!” She slaps her hand over her mouth. “Uh-oh.” Her gaze sweeps over to Dallas with wide eyes. “Sorry, Daddy. I broke our secret. I’m so, so sorry!”

  The noise in the backyard comes to a halt, and Rory’s cup falling to the ground is the only sound I hear before I freak the hell out.

  Chapter Thirty

  Dallas

  Holy fuck.

  This isn’t how I imagined this going down.

  Willow looks like she’s about to vomit. My mom looks hurt. My dad looks like he’s ready to lay into my ass. Hudson is grinning like a motherfucker.

  I clear my throat, ignoring every set of eyes on Willow, and bolt her way. I kiss my daughte
r on the top of her head. “It’s fine, May Bear. Why don’t you go show your new doll the bounce house, okay?”

  “I’m sorry, Daddy,” she says again. “I’ve just been so excited.” She throws her hands out. “It just blurted right out of my mouth.”

  I kiss her forehead. “It’s okay.”

  Willow jumps out of her chair when her eyes start to water. She doesn’t want anyone to see her cry. “If everyone will please excuse me for a second.” Her voice breaks. “Or a few minutes. Possibly a few hours … or days.”

  She turns and dashes into the house. Stella jumps up to follow, but I stop her.

  “Let me have this one, okay?”

  She stares at me with a hard look and hesitation before nodding.

  As soon as I leave the crowd, I can hear the voices erupt into chaos. Question after question is being fired off, one after the other, to my family. I feel sorry for leaving them to the Blue Beech gossip wolves, but I have to make sure Willow is okay.

  I find her sitting on the bed in my childhood room with tears in her eyes. I shut the door and bend down in front of her. I take her chin in my shaky hand and lock eyes with her.

  “I’m so fucking sorry, do you hear me?” I whisper. “I made a mistake.”

  She tries to pull away from my touch, but I don’t let her.

  “Please,” I hiss. “Please don’t fucking run from me because of this.”

  Willow is a pro at helping other people with their problems but terrible at facing her own. It’s easy for her to turn her back on situations she doesn’t want to deal with.

  She sniffles. “This is humiliating. Did you see their faces? All the jaws dropping?”

  “They were surprised, which we expected. I mean, we haven’t exactly been forthcoming about your pregnancy or this.” I signal between the two of us. To be honest, I’m relieved it’s out there. I wish it had happened in a better situation, like us sitting my parents down and spilling the news, but at least the secret is off my chest now.

  “This?” she questions, scrunching up her face and reenacting my movement. “What do you mean, this?”

  I get up and sit down next to her on the bed. “We’re doing something here. I’m as confused as you are about it, but we are. You’re the only woman I’ve looked at since I lost Lucy. I can’t …” I pause. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Whenever I leave your apartment or drop you off, the excitement from when I get to see you next keeps me high. Hell, I can’t wait until the next time I even get to talk to you. You’re something I look forward to every day. The thought of seeing you, talking to you, and spending time with you gives me so much fucking happiness.” My revelation only makes her cry harder. “What can I do to make this better? Anything. I’ll do anything.”

  Except let you walk away.

  Please don’t fucking walk away.

  “Turn back time to months ago,” is all she whispers.

  Fuck. I want to beg her not to go there.

  “Tell me you don’t mean that. You might’ve thought that at first, which I don’t fucking blame you, but tell me, after all this time we’ve spent together, after seeing the beautiful babies we made on that monitor, that you don’t mean that.”

  She sighs. “I … I don’t.” She covers her face with her hands. “I thought I would. Sometimes, I wish I still felt that way. I thought it was the end of my happiness when I found out I was pregnant after our night together, but now … now, I can’t think of a time when I’ve been happier. A time when I thought I was doing something so right.” She rubs her stomach. “These past few months have changed my life, too.”

  “These past few months have dragged me out of the darkest hole I thought I’d never escape.” Not all the way. I’m still there, and I’ll never be the same man, but Willow has brought out parts of me I thought would never come out again. And I can feel myself healing as the sun rises each day.

  I drop down to my knees to take in the sight of her and show her the honesty in my eyes. “You brought me to the light. We might not have expected this, but it’s somehow made us stronger, brighter, happier.”

  I cringe at the knock on the door that interrupts us. Stella pokes her head in, apology on her face, and takes in the scene in front of her.

  Me on my knees in the begging position, and Willow crying.

  Willow wipes away a tear and nods her head, silently permitting Stella to come in and shut the door behind her.

  The door opens again seconds later, this time without a knock, and Hudson appears with brows knitted in concern. “I know this is bad timing, brother, but Maven is in the bounce house, crying, and insists on only talking to you or Willow.”

  “Fuck,” I snap, averting my attention to Willow. “Will you be okay for a minute?”

  She nods. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.” I get up, but she grabs my arm to stop me. “Actually, I’d like to come with you, if that’s okay?”

  “I’m not sure you’ll be ready for eyes on you,” Stella says.

  “How about I try to get her to come in here?” Hudson asks, leaving the room before waiting for our answer.

  Willow sniffles again. “That’s a good idea.”

  Stella starts to go toward the door but stops and darts over to Willow. “I love you,” she says with a hug. “Know that I’m here, no matter what, and I love you.”

  This brings a small smile out of Willow. “I love you, too.”

  Stella pokes her shoulder. “And you know you have some explaining to do. Twins? You couldn’t even let a girl know she’s having two godchildren now?”

  “I was waiting for the right time,” Willow replies.

  The door opens again, and a sobbing Maven comes running into the room and crashes into my arms. “Daddy, I’m sorry!”

  I keep my arms around her and rub her back. “It’s okay, May Bear.”

  She turns around, still in my arms, and shyly peeks over at Willow. “Are you mad at me?”

  Willow’s eyes go soft, and her tone turns soothing. “Of course not, honey. Just shocked, is all.”

  She composes herself, gets up, and runs a hand down her dress. I can’t stop myself from grinning at the sight of her stomach showing through. Fingers crossed, she’ll let it be on display more now. “I need another slice of cake.”

  I grab her elbow to make sure she’s stable and dip my mouth to her ear. “You sure you’re okay with going back out?” I ask. “We can leave, if you want?”

  “We’ll have to face them sooner or later,” she says.

  “We’ll be out in a few minutes,” I tell Hudson. “Tell people no questions until we’re ready.”

  Maven wraps her hand around my leg. “I know you promised extra doll clothes if I kept our secret.” She pushes her lower lip out. “Do I still get to keep them?”

  Willow snorts before bursting out into a fit of laughter. “God, I needed that.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Willow

  “I know my son demanded no baby talk, and I respect that, but can I give you a hug?” Rory asks.

  I nod, and she pulls me into her tight, patting my back. “Congratulations, dear. I am incredibly grateful for you. So is John, who’s around here somewhere, waiting to corner his son and lecture him on keeping secrets from his mama.” John is Dallas’s father.

  The majority of the crowd has ventured home, but a few people are still hanging around. Since we came back, Dallas stayed by my side until minutes ago when I finally convinced him to go to the bounce house with Maven and her doll. Some people have been pretending not to stare at me, others have refused to acknowledge me, and the rest have shamelessly watched every move I make.

  “Don’t worry about them,” Rory says when she pulls away. “If anyone asks too many questions, you let them know they’ll have to deal with me.” She grabs a slice of cake and hands it to me. “You deserve this. I told Dallas to give you my number. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.”

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  She throws me an
other smile, pats my shoulder, and then walks over to a table of women hunched over while talking in hushed voices. Most likely about me.

  “Holy shit,” Stella gasps, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “That was seriously something out of a movie. I need to use that in a script.”

  “No benefiting from my problems for your career,” I mutter, leaning into her.

  “How are you feeling?” she asks when we sit down at a secluded table.

  “A million things at once. Mortified that this is how everyone found out. Relieved that we no longer have to hide it.”

  She smirks. “He’s a good dad, Willow. He’ll be good to you and your baby.” She winces and pouts. “I mean, babies. Why do I feel like I’m not your first call anymore?”

  “Sorry. It’s just been so overwhelming. I’m still digesting it myself. There hasn’t even been a call to anyone else.” I shake my head. “Hell, all of these people found out before my mom did.”

  “You’d better call her. Blue Beech news makes national news.”

  I laugh. “I saw the town’s newspaper. The front page was about some ribfest cook-off. I’m sure my mom subscribes because who can go about their day without finding out Sandy May’s special recipe?”

  “Sandy May makes killer ribs. I’d never even had ribs until Hudson dragged me to that festival.”

  “I’m sure there’s a plan in Dallas’s head to drag me to the next one.”

  “It’ll be fun.” She pokes my side. “Now, if you get any more baby news, you’d better let me know. If I find out you’re having quintuplets from another six-year-old, I won’t be happy.”

  “Maven didn’t tell you? It’s actually sextuplets. We’re waiting for another party to shock everyone.”

  “Very funny.” She glances around. “By the way, I’m pretty sure Rory is over there, planning your baby shower.”

  “God, her reaction was dramatic. Her fruit punch fell to the ground in slow motion. I thought she wanted to kill me for not telling her.”