The Secret Baby

by Harper, Leddy

  Tatum and Jason were finally going to tell everyone that they were having a baby. Considering I wasn’t supposed to know, and Jason had yet to say anything to me about it, Kelsey felt the need to remind me that I had to react appropriately.

  As if she needed to tell me that.

  “I got it, Kelsey. Stop freaking out.” I grabbed my keys at the same time she reached for hers. And before she could say anything, I picked hers up from the bowl next to the front door and tossed them over my shoulder. I had no idea where they landed, nor did I care. “You’re not driving. End of story.”

  “Who died and made you the supreme ruler of what I do and don’t do?”

  “My balls.” I stopped for a moment, realizing what I’d just said. Yet instead of trying to make it work, I chose to shrug it off and move along. “Let’s go.”

  Unfortunately, she didn’t get the memo. Nearly falling over, she held herself up with her hands on her knees, laughing so hard I could barely understand her when she said, “Did you just insinuate that your balls are dead?”

  “With all the times you’ve made me ride in the passenger seat while you drove . . . yup. They shriveled up and died. This is my way of reviving them.”

  “I hate to be the one to tell you, Aaron . . . but I don’t think you can ever come back from that. You may want to consult with a physician to be sure.”

  Every time we’d gone anywhere together, Kelsey just had to drive. Whether it was to look at real estate or go to her parents’ house for Sunday meals, she refused to let me behind the wheel. Well, it was time to take charge . . . no matter what opinion I’d given her regarding my testicles.

  “Can’t you let me have this one thing? I give in to you all the time.”

  “Oh yeah?” She cocked her head, that ridiculous, satisfied smirk on her lips. “When?”

  “Two nights ago, I wanted Chinese. You told me the smell of egg rolls made you sick, so we ate pizza instead. Last weekend, when we went over to Jason and Tatum’s place, I wanted to stop on the way and grab a twelve-pack. You told me we didn’t have time to do that and hit the bakery before it closed. Guess who drank water all night?” I pointed to myself. “And guess who munched on cookies?” I pointed to her.

  “I wouldn’t consider that you giving in to me. I’d call it me being better at negotiating than you.” Oh, she was about to see who was better at what.

  I grabbed her wrist, and she reluctantly followed me out of the apartment. “We’re taking my truck. And I’m driving. If you don’t like it, then you can drive yourself and follow me there.”

  “Fine.” She tried to get away, but I refused to release her. “I’ll drive myself.”

  “Please, Kelsey?” It was almost a whine. And I was almost embarrassed by it. Almost.

  “Why is it such a big deal who drives?”

  “I grew up with my dad always behind the wheel anytime he and my mom were in the same vehicle. He opened her doors, let her into a room first. It’s how I was raised. To me, it’s a masculinity thing. Maybe it’s stupid to you, but it’s not to me.” My heart pounded against my sternum as I waited for some sort of reaction from her. Anything. I would’ve taken her laughing in my face right about now—just as long as the suspense was over.

  Instead of speaking right away, she pressed her hand against my chest and stepped forward, closing the space between us. “I’m sorry, Aaron. I didn’t know it meant this much to you. I’m just used to driving everywhere.”

  I believed her reasons went beyond habit or what she was used to. Even though I’d only lived with her for three weeks, I knew enough to recognize her need for control. She was a stager—it’s what she did. And as I had come to realize, her desire to control everything extended into her personal life as well.

  But I didn’t need to point that out to her.

  “Ready to go?” she asked, peering at me from over her shoulder, and the sight nearly took my breath away.

  I made sure to let her walk ahead of me while I took my time locking the front door, just so I could have a moment or two to admire her without getting caught or being questioned.

  Her plain, light-pink dress hit her midthigh, and all I could think about was how those legs had felt wrapped around me. How soft her inner thighs were against my lips, and how perfectly I had fit between them. And as she took the stairs one at a time, I couldn’t ignore the way her ass moved or the memories it called to mind when I gripped it as I moved inside her.

  Dammit. I’d end up with a hard-on by the time I reached the truck if I didn’t put an end to this. As much as I didn’t want to look away, I had to. For my own sanity.

  “You look really nice tonight,” I admitted while opening the passenger-side door for her.

  She offered a genuine smile as she climbed into the seat. It was warm and inviting, and it made me question what the hell I was doing with her. She was dangerous—something I’d already come to realize—and if I wasn’t careful, things could blow up in my face.

  After all, I was fully aware of how shitty my luck was.

  “Thank you,” she said once I settled behind the steering wheel. “You don’t look too shabby yourself, Mr. Baucus.”

  I had one hand on her headrest, prepared to look behind me as I backed out of the parking space, and I glared at her. “That’s Doctor Baucus to you.”

  “My apologies. Should I add PhD to the end of that? Or is the full title not needed here?”

  God, I wished she’d flirt with me like this all the time. Then again, that would only make me fall for her harder, and nothing good could ever come from that. “Nah. That just sounds ridiculous.”

  Her laughter made it hard to concentrate on getting out of the parking lot.

  “You’re positive they’re going to tell everyone tonight?” I asked after pulling out onto the road in the direction of the restaurant Jason had told me to meet him at. “What happens if they don’t announce it?”

  “They’re definitely telling us all at dinner. Trust me; Tatum’s been freaking out about it since last weekend. And if they guess—for any reason at all—that you already knew prior to them saying anything, you better not tell them I told you.” She could be scary when she wanted to be.

  “But you did tell me.”

  “Yeah . . . accidentally. When I thought you were some sleazy stripper. Oh, and I might add I was rather intoxicated when I said it, too. So don’t go making it sound like I spilled the beans knowing who you were or anything.”

  I held up three fingers and said, “Wouldn’t dream of it. Scout’s honor and all.”

  “Were you a Scout?”

  “Why does everyone focus on that part? Isn’t the freaking honor enough for you people?”

  Kelsey rested her head against the back of the seat and laughed, filling the cab of the truck with the most glorious sound in the world. “I take it that means no.”

  While sitting at a red light, I took the opportunity that had presented itself by turning to her and pinching her chin between my fingers, forcing her to look at me. In that one instant all the air around us vanished. Even with the sun long since faded and the traffic light casting a red glow across her face, I could see the way she stared into my eyes, surprise filling her. Though I couldn’t be sure what had surprised her to that extent.

  Unable to handle the intensity much longer, I smiled and added, “A Scout never tells.”

  “Are you confusing Boy Scouts with Freemasonry?” Thank God her teasing nature returned without all the awkwardness that I’d invited into our bubble by touching her. “Because I don’t think it’s much of a secret who’s in the Scouts. I could be wrong, though. Maybe those green shorts and stiff-looking tan shirts are simply a ruse to keep us normal folk from discovering who the real members of the troop are.”

  “Damn.” I shook my head and pulled into the right lane, getting ready to turn in to the restaurant up ahead. “You know what that means, right?”

  “Now you’re gonna have to kill me?”

  “Yup.
Which is a darn shame, because you were really starting to grow on me.”

  “Aww.” She patted me on the arm as I made the turn into the parking lot. “That’s sweet. You were growing on me, too. Like mold on a strawberry. All fuzzy and infectious-like.”

  After parking, I reached to the side to unbuckle my seat belt but stilled while facing her, catching her attention. “For your information, mold is used in antibiotics. It heals. So if you think about it, maybe this was fate.”

  Her forehead creased as she narrowed her gaze, questioning me without speaking.

  “Your stripper not showing up; me inadvertently filling in for him. Tatum not going to her own party, making you take her place as the bachelorette. Then finding out that we actually know each other—after you agreed to let me move in. See? Fate.”

  “So what you’re saying is . . . it was our destiny to have sex that night.”

  “If you want to get all philosophical, then yeah. It’s quite possible.” I cocked my head to the side and held her stare for a moment, dramatically contemplating a thought. “Although, we were supposed to pretend that night never happened. Kinda hard to do when you keep bringing it up.”

  “You said it was fate. I’m just trying to figure out how that makes sense.”

  “I’m your penicillin. I’m here to heal you.” How I kept a straight face was beyond me, but once she cracked a smile, I lost the will to hold back and let the laughter out.

  She shoved against my arm and opened her door. “You’re so lame.”

  As if walking into a restaurant with everyone already seated at the table wasn’t awkward enough, try walking in with smiles on your faces, an inside joke clear to all the outsiders. It was amazing how quickly everyone quieted down and interrogated us with silent stares.

  “For someone who’s annoyingly on time to everything, you’re the last one to arrive,” Tatum teased, laughing at Kelsey, who suddenly resembled a deer caught in headlights. “Hurry up and sit down. I told them to give us a few minutes for the drink order, so they should be back soon.”

  There were two empty seats at the table, side by side. And as I helped Kelsey into one of them, Jason started the introductions. “Not sure if you remember Rebecca or not, but she’s one of Tatum’s friends. She’s the one who made our wedding cake.” The blonde glared at me, obviously still not convinced that I wasn’t Dr. Phil-Me-Up. “Next to her is Carrie and then Amanda, also friends of Tatum. It’s about time you showed up so I can finally have a friend at the table.”

  I pushed Kelsey’s chair in with a laugh and slight headshake rather than a rebuttal that might well get me kicked out. At the very least, it’d make Kelsey’s family think twice about allowing me to come over on Sundays.

  “What would you like?” With a cocktail menu in my hand, I leaned closer to Kelsey, as if asking her what beverage she wanted was some kind of secret. Regardless, I liked the way it felt to be this close to her, to be able to get a hit of her intoxicating scent without making it obvious. And at this juncture, I didn’t give a rat’s ass who had what to say about it.

  Let them assume—hell, I was used to it.

  “I’ll just take a water.”

  I swung my eyes from the list of specialty cocktails to her, not caring that I had to stare at her profile while she studied the entrée section in front of her. “I’m driving, so you can have whatever you want.”

  She tilted her head just enough to meet my gaze and smile, and then she returned her attention to the paper in her hands. “That’s okay. Thanks, though.”

  “You sure? You only want water?”

  Finally, she set the menu down and turned in her seat to face me. “Yes, Aaron. I have work tomorrow. Not to mention, I’m not much of a drinker. But if you’d like something, don’t let me stop you.”

  “I’m driving.”

  “I bet you’re wishing you had let me drive, huh? That’s okay, though . . . I’m sure I can handle your truck. I’ve handled bigger things before.”

  “Never gonna happen.” I raised my brows, eyes opening wider to make my point known.

  She shrugged, acting as if it didn’t bother her. However, her eyes told a different story. They gave away all her secrets, and I would bet my last dollar that she had no idea. Like right now, her lids lowered just enough to shield her without taking away her ability to see. I’d seen it that first night while standing outside Boots, just before I took her home. Back then, I didn’t have the faintest idea what it meant, but now, I recognized it for what it was—her protecting herself from pain or rejection.

  It was impossible to guess why she’d reacted that way, though that didn’t stop me from making it right. When the waiter came to the table for our drink order, I asked for a glass of water with extra ice for Kelsey—I’d only needed to hear the ice maker at home so many times before I’d picked up on her desire for really cold water—and a rum and Coke for me.

  “Do I need to ask someone for a ride home now? Or just wait to see how many you have tonight?” Kelsey whispered, keeping up with this secret we’d been caught up in since taking our seats.

  Without turning to her, I pulled my keys out of my pocket and slid them into her hand in her lap. And even though there were people talking around us—both at our table and the ones surrounding us—as well as subtle clatter from dishes in the room, I still heard the soft, faint sound of her breath hitching in her throat when my fingers grazed hers.

  Nothing else was said about it. She took the keys, slipped them into her purse, and then carried on as if it’d never happened. But one thing did change—when she looked at me, her eyes were fully open, bright, no shield in place. Which was all I truly wanted anyway.

  “Everyone got your drinks?” Jason asked, holding up his and searching everyone at the table. “Well, there’s something Tatum and I would like to share with you all.” He leaned into Tatum’s ear just as the murmurs started around the table.

  Kelsey nudged me, whispering, “Act surprised,” to which I simply rolled my eyes and smiled. But when I took a second to notice her, I couldn’t miss the hesitancy on her face, and it made me wonder if I had missed something. And to get the answer to that, I kept my attention set on her as Jason and Tatum continued from across the table.

  “It’s much sooner than we’d planned, but Tatum and I are thrilled to announce that we’re having a baby.” Instantly, gasps rang out, mixed with a few squeals, and, of course, the abundance of congratulations from nearly everyone at the table.

  I was supposed to act surprised.

  And I was.

  Because as I regarded Kelsey, nothing surprised me more than the soft, heartbreaking expression on her face. The simple smile meant to brighten a room didn’t even offer a spark. And the excitement I’d expected to roll off her like waves on a beach didn’t exist.

  I followed her line of sight and watched the scene unfold, learning more about her in that moment than I’d ever thought possible. Her aunt regarded Jason and Tatum with bright, glistening eyes, fingertips covering a heartfelt smile. Complete and utter happiness filled her entire face. Next to her, Kelsey’s mom had a very different reaction. Excited, yes. Surprised, absolutely. However, there was an overwhelming sense of pride I hadn’t anticipated, almost a personal interest. It was something I would’ve expected had it been her own daughter sharing that kind of news, not her nephew and his wife. The concept of a tight-knit, loving family was not lost on me, but this seemed to go beyond that.

  When I turned my attention to Kelsey’s dad, I found him sharing in the celebration with Jason. I understood that. Jason’s dad wasn’t around, and his stepdad—the one who had basically raised him—had passed away last year. So his uncle was the next best thing. And from what I knew, Kelsey didn’t have any brothers, which meant Jason would’ve been the closest thing Fred had to a son. Still, it seemed odd to show that much excitement. Then again, I’d only been around the family a few times, so this may very well have been normal for them.

  Marlena, Nick, and T
atum’s friends all celebrated, sharing smiles and patting the parents-to-be on the back if they could reach, clapping if they couldn’t. Yet when I’d made it around the entire table, returning my attention to Kelsey, all the pieces fell into place.

  Maybe this was how their family reacted to happy news no matter who it came from. But the small smile on Kelsey’s lips, coupled with her glistening eyes, told me it wasn’t. It was a conclusion that deepened along with the lines on her brow when her mother exclaimed, “It’s about time we get another baby in the family!”

  I moved my hand from my lap to Kelsey’s, keeping my eye on her as I laced our fingers together. She stilled for a moment, yet she didn’t reject my advances. And when her sister announced, “See, Kelsey? Now you don’t need to get knocked up. Mom’s happy,” she squeezed my hand as though Marlena’s words were a physical dagger lodged deep in her chest.

  There had to be a way out. Some reason that would excuse us from the table, if not from dinner completely. It was a shitty thing to do, with Jason being my best friend and Tatum being Kelsey’s. But at the end of the day, it wasn’t any shittier than what her family had unknowingly done to her since the news broke. As I ran through a list of possible excuses, none felt right. In fact, almost all were rather absurd.

  There was only one idea that hadn’t been immediately rejected—though it should’ve been—and I had to go for it before it was too late. I reached over Kelsey to grab her glass of water. My right hand still rested in her lap, which meant I had to use my left, causing me to reach farther for it. Somehow, through all this, Kelsey didn’t once notice that I had leaned into her, or that I had my arm stretched out in front of her. Nope. She kept her fake smile and pained eyes on the people around her. And once I had her water halfway to me, the condensation on the glass caused it to slip from my grasp.

  All over Kelsey.

  Technically, that hadn’t been the plan. But it seemed to work anyway.

  She yelped and jumped back, shoving her chair away as she stood. In some twisted, sick example of the universe’s humor, a waiter just so happened to be behind her at the exact moment her chair slid back. Had he not been holding a tray of food, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep the plates from crashing to the ground.