by J. Woods
Chapter Three
Brie checked her watch as she walked out of the conference room with a smile on her face. The executives were happy with her presentation and she got the green light to move forward with their new multi-million dollar account she had landed all on her own. She felt the pride weigh on her shoulders and she loved the feeling of it. She had half an hour before she met Roxy so she took the five flights of stairs down, and out into the crisp winter air. She looked down and knew instantly that Roxy would know she was pregnant. She was a small girl to begin with and she was now all belly. She walked the two blocks to the coffee shop and finding her friend at the same time Roxy looked up at the door. The excitement on Roxy’s face must have mirrored her own; she hadn’t seen her in so long and internet chats only went so far. They both grinned as they made their way toward each other. Roxy pulled her into a fierce hug before pausing, her arms still around Brie’s neck. “Um Smurf? Is that a baby in your belly, or are you just happy to see me?” she whispered in her ear. Brie couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh out loud. God, she’d missed her. She hugged her tighter.
“It’s a baby in my belly,” she breathed.
“What?” Roxy squealed, pulling back to look at her. “I just talked to you? Why haven’t you told me?”
“I wanted to tell you in person.”
“And you waited how long?” Brie had the decency to look sheepish. Roxy was right, she should have confided in her, she then maybe wouldn’t have had to go through this pregnancy alone. “Um - congratulations?” Brie realized the underlying question, hell it was one she continued to ask herself. She nodded her head with a smile, finally at a place where she embraced it with hope and excitement.
“I’m so happy for you.” She smiled, her eyes welling with tears before she continued, “Well come sit down. You have to tell me everything! Who is the father, do I know him?” Brie sat down across from her and quickly ordered their drinks from the server before she started.
“No, you don’t know him. I don’t even really know him.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means I was stupid one night and had hot stranger sex and ended up getting pregnant.”
“Oh. My. God. Do we have a Maury Povich situation on our hands?” she asked with a serious face causing Brie to laugh at her friend. “You don’t know who the father is?”
“Well, I know what he looks like, but where to find him or anything, no.”
“What about his name?”
“I stupidly made the rule ‘no names’.” Roxy stared at her with a gaping mouth for a long moment before she shut it, only to open it again. “I know, I know,” Brie continued for her. Something inside of her stopped from telling Roxy his first name. This was Roxy’s town, what if she knew Max? Hell, what if she was one of the harem? The thought made her cringe, so for now, she kept the veil of mystery over him. “But I’ve come to terms with it, and I’m going to do this. I’m going to raise this baby by myself…”
“No you’re not,” Roxy said, cutting her off. “Smurf, I love you, and of course you can do anything you put your mind to. You are probably the strongest, most bad ass woman I know and you’re going to be a great mother. But you don’t have to do it by yourself. I’m here. And I’m going to babysit and steal that little babe from you whenever I can. And you know, when my Mom, Cam and Stella find out that you got knocked up, you may never see that baby,” she finished, laughing.
“Thanks Rox, that means a lot.”
“Did you expect anything else?”
“No, I guess I didn’t.”
“What are you doing next Saturday?” Roxy asked, changing the subject.
“I was hoping to hit the bars, pick up a hot one night stand, maybe get pregnant again,” she grinned, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively as Roxy threw her head back laughing.
“Or, you can come to my brother’s engagement party at my parent’s place! Everyone will be there and my mom was so excited when I told her you moved back.”
“Your brother is getting married?” Brie asked surprised.
“I know! But Zoe, Logan’s fiancée is amazing and probably the only woman on the face of this planet that can handle him.”
“Okay, it sounds fun. I’d love to come.”
“Great! And there will be some single guys there. I actually have someone in mind for you. His name is Joel. And he’s hot.”
“Oh yeah, because dating a woman who is pregnant with someone else’s baby I’m sure is top of his list.” Brie rolled her eyes at just the thought.
“Please, you’re gorgeous, pregnant or not. Just sitting here you have every single pair of male eyes on you. Trust me, you’re one sexy momma.”
***
Max stared at the pile of paperwork on his desk. The last thing he wanted to do was paperwork. He swore his brothers gave him theirs too, just to rub it in. He felt like a small child, chastised by his mother for doing something bad - or a prisoner. Either reference worked for him. It had only been a couple of days and he felt like he was already losing his mind. He had to get out of the office to just… do something. Starting up his computer, he typed in the email address Zoe had given him of her real estate agent. His brothers had been harping on him for a couple of years now about where he lived; they wanted to pull him out of the field, they would have to deal with the paperwork. Receiving an almost immediate response for a meeting, Max piled the paperwork together and walked toward the only other one in the office. Nate grinned at him as he walked in staring from the pile in his hands and back to his face. Without saying a word he plopped the pile on top of whatever he was working on. Nate raised an eyebrow in question. Ignoring it, Max turned and started walking out of his office.
“Where the hell are you going?”
“Out! Oh, and I put an ad out for a secretary.” He smiled at Nate’s chuckle and felt relief the minute he walked out into the sunshine of the afternoon air.
***
Walking out of the real estate office with four new houses to see over the next two days, Max felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw his mothers smiling face and answered with one of his own.
“Hi Mom, everything okay?”
“Hi sweetheart! Yes, of course. I was wondering if you weren’t too busy, if you could do me a huge favor.”
“Never too busy to run an errand that you don’t want to ask Dad to do.” His mother’s soft laugh floated through the speaker.
“Brat. I need you to stop by Aunt Sylvie’s office. She has the contract for the caterer for Saturday.”
“Okay. I’m right around the corner from her office. I’ll head there now.”
“Thanks, honey.”
“Now tell me I’m your favorite.”
“Good bye, Max.”
“You can just whisper it. I won’t tell anyone, promise.” He could just picture his mother shaking her head as she hung up the phone. It was amazing to him, even after all these years that she wasn’t his birth mother. He was only eight when Juliette had married his father and it was almost instantaneous their entire family dynamic. By definition they were a blended family - Juliette’s ex husband was an asshole who left her with four kids and by the same definition, so was his biological mother. There had been times in his past, some recent, others not so, that he wanted to conduct a search for both, but the anger he still held toward the woman his birthed him and the deadbeat who stupidly handed over his family overcame the curiosity. He was so grateful for Juliette, she had brought them impossibly closer and he would never dream of calling her anything other than ‘Mom.’ Smiling at the memories he put his phone back in his pocket and walked toward his Aunt’s office.
***
Brie sat in the bright waiting room, a gossip magazine in her lap smiling at the little girl playing at her feet. Her heart clenched when she stood up after her very pregnant mother had called her to leave, turning around to give Brie a hug before she scurried off. She took a moment to inhale
the fresh, baby scent of the child’s hair, returning her frantic wave as she gripped her mom’s hand and disappeared out the door.
“Brie Murphy?” She looked up to see a small woman, the nurse she assumed, reading her name out of a file before looking up to her with a kind smile. “Come with me.”
Brie sat on the examination table, already feeling more comfortable with the warm décor of the office. Brie had always walked head high into any situation, but she felt so out of her element when it came to this baby, she struggled to grasp the confidence that had never failed her before.
“Hi Brie,” the doctor greeted as she walked in. “I’m Dr. Dae.” She extended her hand for Brie to take, the warmth and comfort she exuded almost instantly calming her nerves. “You’re previous doctor sent over your file and it looks like everything has been going well so far. You’re feeling good, no nausea or anything?”
“Luckily no. A few days early on I felt queasy but it didn’t last for very long.”
“Good. We like to hear that. Okay, why don’t you lie down and we can take a listen to this little one’s heartbeat then I’d like to do an ultrasound so I can take a look for myself.”
“Perfect.” She did as she was told, lifting her shirt to show her rounding belly wincing when she squirted the cold gel across her bare skin.
“So are you settling in alright?”
“Yes, thank you. I still have an entire apartment full of unopened boxes, but other than that…” Dr. Dae laughed, the familiarity felt with the other woman was almost instantaneous.
“And you’re on your own with this little one?” She knew it was a question doctors needed to ask and even though she’d been asked the same question with every doctor and ultrasound technician she had seen in the last seven months; Dr. Dae presented hers in a way that held absolutely no judgement. Brie didn’t feel that familiar defense building when she thought about her answer.
“Yes, I am. I have friends who I consider family that have made it very clear I’m not on my own, but essentially, I am.” She watched the doctor nod her head as she moved the small machine over her stomach, filling the room with the rapid heartbeat of the little one inside of her. The grin that spread across her face as she looked to Brie was one that was filled with excitement, and in that moment, Brie knew she had found her right doctor.
“Me too,” the doctor finally answered moving to turn off the lights and pulling the ultrasound machine beside the bed. Brie frowned at her, not knowing what she was referring to. “Single mom, three kids. All grown up now.” She opened her mouth not knowing what to say. “So not speaking as your doctor right now, I know how hard it can be at times. I will give you my personal cell if you ever need anything or have any questions, even find you have locked yourself in the bathroom just to have a minute to yourself - it will happen. Just call.” Brie nodded her head, unable to speak past the knot in her throat. “Ready to see your baby?”
“Absolutely,” she whispered.
Chapter Four
Max walked into his aunts office, smiling at the handful of pregnant women sitting in the waiting room. He felt bad; some of them looked so tired he had the urge to give out free foot massages. The few times he’d had to come see his aunt at work he found his chest clenching at the thought of the babies, the kids these women would soon get to experience. He loved kids, he’d always pictured a brood of his own one day, and lately, the faceless woman in his fantasy of the future had long blonde hair that felt like silk when his fingers tangled and tugged.
“Hi Max.” He turned and grinned at the middle aging nurse walking his way.
“Hel-lo gorgeous!” She rolled her eyes at his exaggerated greeting.
“She’s in with a patient but you can wait in her office.”
“One of these days you’re going to give me a chance,” he called back teasingly as he started down the hallway listening to her giggle. Turning the corner he was met with two doors, drawing a blank as to which one led to his aunt’s office. Choosing door number one he pushed it open and froze at the sight of a woman lying on the table, her stomach bare, the sound of a rapid heartbeat filling the silent room. Momentarily he was entranced with the sound before a feminine voice sliced through his haze.
“Max? Get out, I’ll meet you in my office.” He turned his head, his eyes locking with a familiar set of blue, ones that had haunted his every day for seven months. They were wide with surprise and he could see the beat of her heart pound rapidly at the base of her neck.
“Brie?” he frowned, completely confused.
“Max,” she breathed at the same time.
“Max! Out. Now.” His Aunt Sylvie had to physically push him out of the room, closing the door in his surprised face. Running his fingers through his hair he immediately had a million thoughts running through his head. He’d found her. She was more fucking beautiful than he’d remembered. She was pregnant. She was not getting away from him again. He needed to talk to her, to see the fire in her eyes, to hear her spicy attitude again. To find out why she left the way she did. Storming out of the office, he sat down on the bench in front of the only doors she could walk out of. He had so many rioting emotions it almost made him nauseous.
He must have looked at his watch a hundred times in fifteen minutes, his head jerking at every swing of the door. When finally, finally, she emerged. She stopped when she saw him. He could tell she was contemplating running back inside but he had no idea why.
“Don’t even think about running away from me. Again.” He didn’t bother wincing at the growl in his voice, just seeing her, being this close to her again - he was pissed. Pissed at himself for letting her get to him, pissed at her for worming her way into his blood, into his head and then leaving without so much as a ‘you’re welcome for providing a night of the best sex you’ve ever had’ note. The fire that sparked in her eyes, the tightening of her lips sent a shot of arousal through him.
“Excuse me?” She spun around to face him; he didn’t think she knew her feet were forcing her closer to him, her finger about to poke his chest. He watched as she opened her mouth to berate him but cut her off.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Aren’t you master of the obvious!” she spat. He didn’t understand her anger which only spurned his further.
“So what? You ran from my bed directly into someone else’s?” God, just the thought made his stomach churn. He was being an asshole, he knew it. But he couldn’t stop himself; why wasn’t he good enough for her? She stepped closer, quickly masking the shock of his statement but not before he caught it.
“Even if I did Max, it’s none of your god damn business.” She walked past him then, and he let her. Scrubbing a hand over his face he took a deep breath looking up at the sky as if the clear blue would provide answers. He looked back to where Brie had walked off but she had disappeared within the downtown crowd. He knew he needed to find her again, to redo that conversation. He wanted to yell at her again and pull her in his arms. He wanted to know if she was okay, especially now that she was pregnant, that whoever the father was, that he was there for her. As much as that made him see nothing but the colour of rage. Remembering he came here for a reason, he pushed through the doors and made his way back up to Aunt Sylvie’s office where she was waiting patiently for him behind her desk.
“Care to explain?”
“Not really,” he muttered.
“Be careful with her Max. She’s gone through a lot.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“It means exactly that. I know you Max, and your reputation. I know you would never do anything to intentionally hurt her but she has a long road ahead of her and the last thing she needs is a playboy chasing after her. You know I love you and your charm makes it very easy for a girl to lose her heart to.” Max snorted at her attempt to soften her chastising.
“I would never hurt her,” he mumbled quietly. He could feel her assessing eyes on his face and he had to swallow the urge to squirm in his seat
.
“Or maybe you’ve already lost yours.” He didn’t want to get into this with his aunt and his eyes caught sight of a file on her desk, knowing it had to be Brie’s. He wouldn’t go through it, he just wanted her last name. And maybe an address.
“Mom sent me to get the contract for the caterer.” He ignored her knowing smile at his non response to her statement.
“Okay, I’ll go grab it. Back in a minute.” She patted his shoulder as she walked out and listening to her shoes squeak against the tile floor as she retreated, Max quickly stood and opened the file, smiling at how right he was. He pulled out his phone to take a picture of her information but not before he saw her status checked as ‘single.’ He frowned in confusion, she was still single? Clicking the picture he closed the file quickly and sat back down as his aunt walked back through the door. She handed him the contract, he kissed her cheek in thanks and left her laughing at his hasty retreat and promise to save him a dance at the party.
***
Brie put a hand to her mouth as she sank into the grass underneath a large tree in the small park by her apartment. “Oh my god,” she whispered to herself. What the hell was she doing? She had every opportunity to tell him, hell, he had almost asked her outright who the father was. But she couldn’t. She wasn’t going to put herself through that; she knew her heart couldn’t handle the hurt it would inevitably go through with him. When he decided he was bored of her and moved onto the next. Max wasn’t a one-woman man; he liked variety, she knew that. Hell she knew that the very moment she laid eyes on him and only had her thoughts confirmed that night at the bar with the flirtatious smiles and dirty looks they received when the harem realized she had been the chosen one of the night. Her hand rested on her belly. It didn’t matter, she would keep her secret and her and Blue would be fine. She knew it wasn’t right but couldn’t see any other option. Just seeing Max again had her heart trying to beat out of her chest and she couldn’t give him more of her than what he already owned. He was the only man who consumed her thoughts; she still had his t shirt and hated to admit that she still slept in it, his smell barely clung to it but sometimes, it was all she needed as she felt it surround her at night.