Hooked on a Phoenix

by Ashlyn Chase

  Gabe nodded. “Go ahead. I’ll try to control myself.”

  Jayce let out a deep breath. “Is it yours?”

  Gabe laughed. “Yeah. It is.”

  “I didn’t think you’d find that funny.”

  “I guess I know Misty well enough to know she wouldn’t be involved with anyone else. We only slept together once, but that’s all it takes, right?”

  Jayce’s brows shot up. “Only once?”

  “Well, not exactly. Just one night, but it was all night long.” He waited for Jayce to make some kind of joke, but he didn’t. Thank God. He didn’t want to attack his older brother.

  “Look, Gabe, I know how you feel about responsibility. I’m not taking this lightly, believe me. But the thing is, ready or not, here it comes.”

  Gabe let out a deep sigh. “It’s not just the responsibility. I really didn’t want to bring a child into a world like this. You know as well as anyone how fucked up people are.”

  “Yeah. Some people suck. But not everyone. Whatever asshole let your dog off its leash on a busy street like Mass Avenue is a sick fuck. I’m pretty sure that’s when you lost all faith in mankind—and yourself.”

  Gabe hung his head and nodded.

  Jayce put his arm around his brother. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. You already know what you can and can’t control. But one thing I can tell you is that whatever you decide, I hope you’ll be true to yourself. Not the fearful part of you, though. The best part of you.”

  Gabe looked over at his older brother and saw sincerity in his eyes. Jayce believed in him. He probably believed in him more than Gabe believed in himself.

  “Thanks.” Gabe rose and whipped his sweater over his head. Then he dropped his pants, shifted, and flew.

  * * *

  Misty had had it. She was actually glad to get back to work where she could think about something besides disappointing Parker, messing up Gabe’s life, and probably messing up her own. There were no words to express how she felt. She had cried herself to sleep and probably looked like hell. Putting on the first clothes she could find, she had bolted out the door before the Fierros saw her.

  Adam did a double take and asked her to see him in his office. It was a few minutes before the bank opened, so there would be limited time to talk. Good. She had no idea what to say to him. If she told him she had MS and might not be able to do her job, she could lose it. Not that he could fire her for a medical condition. He couldn’t. But he could find another way…like layoffs. Even if it were solely based on seniority, she’d be the first to go. Last one hired, first one fired.

  She wasn’t a good liar. If he asked point-blank what was going on, she’d have to tell him some part of the truth. There were plenty of parts to choose from.

  He pulled the chair across from his desk around to his side so they could sit closer. She hated it when he did that, but as long as he didn’t touch her or proposition her, he skirted the sexual harassment line.

  “Something’s up with you, Misty. What is it?”

  He held her gaze until she couldn’t stand it anymore and looked at her lap. She wasn’t showing yet and wouldn’t for a few months. It was still early, so she could probably skip the pregnancy part.

  “Uh…did you hear about the house in the North End that blew up a couple of nights ago?”

  He looked at her askance. “No. Why?”

  “Well, there was a gas leak in the house I lived in. I rented an apartment upstairs. All my stuff burned in the fire. I’ve been borrowing clothes and going without my usual makeup. All I have is what was in my purse.”

  He leaned back, openmouthed. To Misty, he looked like Billy Bass, the talking fish, mounted on some redneck’s wall.

  “Holy moly!” When he finally got ahold of himself, he said, “You know, if you need a place to stay, I have a lovely home in Medford.”

  Ack! Misty needed to shut down that shit right away. “No! Thank you. I’m staying with Gabe’s parents.”

  His face looked as if he’d bitten into a lemon. “Oh. Well, that doesn’t sound ideal. What if the two of you break up? You know which one they’re going to side with. You’ll be out on your—Well, you’ll be homeless.”

  She had thought of that, but as awkward as it would be at family get-togethers, she couldn’t imagine the Fierros tossing her out on the street. Besides, she was going to find her own place. Just a little one-bedroom apartment so the baby could have undisturbed naps. When the little tyke got older, she’d give up her bed and get a pullout couch to sleep on.

  She couldn’t help picturing a mini Gabe running around, and she loved that baby already. Of course, if Sandra was right, the Fierros wouldn’t let her go. They’d want her to move in permanently so they could enjoy their only grandchild. She couldn’t let that happen, either.

  Misty wanted—no, needed—to be her own woman. She had friends and family who could help, but she’d never let anyone step in and take over. She wanted this child, desperately, and wanted to be the kind of mom Gabriella Fierro was. Someone who taught values but wasn’t so strict that a child couldn’t make mistakes. She wanted to be warm, supportive, and welcoming to the child’s friends. Hell, she even wanted to bake cookies.

  “Misty?” Adam snapped a finger under her nose.

  “What?” Oops. She had taken a little mental vacation. Did he ask her something? Other than to move in with him, that is. Ugh. She threw up in her mouth a little bit. “Adam, excuse me, but I have to hit the ladies’ room before work.”

  He straightened his spine, looking affronted. “Go ahead. Just think about my offer. I know it might sound like a bad idea since I’m your boss, but I assure you, it would be fine.”

  She jumped up and almost lost her balance. Oh, great. That would have been enough for another interrogation. And off she hurried, as fast as her unreliable legs could carry her.

  In the ladies’ room, her coworker Terri was applying some lipstick. “Hi, Misty. How are—”

  When Terri got a better look at her, she stopped talking and just stared. Just as well, because Misty’s stomach was roiling. She ran into the stall and tossed her breakfast.

  “Oh dear,” Terri said. “You don’t look so good. Are you sure you should be here?”

  When she was through retching, Misty wiped her mouth with some toilet paper. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Sorry you had to hear that.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about me. I was barfing in here every morning during my whole first trimester.”

  Misty’s eyes widened, and she tried to school her expression right away. She moved slowly to the sink and splashed some water into her mouth, swishing and spitting it out.

  “Wait a minute. Are you—”

  Shit. Terri’s putting two and two together.

  “Misty! How exciting. Is it with that gorgeous fireman we’ve seen you with?”

  She held onto the sink and swayed. Her balance seemed to desert her too.

  “Oh no. It’s more than that, isn’t it? What’s wrong, hon? Here. Sit down. I’ll go get your purse, and you can call somebody.”

  Misty grabbed her arm. “No. Don’t go anywhere. I’m fine. I just need a minute.”

  “Okaaay.” Terri continued to stare at her with concern. “Maybe Adam can call a cab or limo or something.”

  “Limo?”

  “He can afford it, and you look like you need some pampering.”

  Misty couldn’t put up with that response all day long. She glanced into the mirror to see what everyone else had been reacting to.

  Ugh. Her hair was sticking out in several places from when she’d pulled off Julie’s knit hat. She had raccoon eyes from yesterday’s mascara meltdown, and the middle button of Julie’s borrowed blouse had popped off. She would have loved to call a limo to come and return her to her town house so she could call her stylist and start the day over.
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br />   Alas, reality bit the big one. No stylist. No clothes but the bare essentials at the Fierros’ town house. Not even certain essentials! All the Fierros had were men’s tighty-whities, a few BFD sweat suits, and Gabriella’s petite clothes. She had to go shopping soon, but she didn’t feel like it. What size should I buy? I’m so screwed.

  Terri was rubbing circles on her back, maternally. “How can I help?”

  Misty smiled at her friend and coworker. “I don’t know. I guess I need to clean up before going out there. You don’t happen to have an extra blouse or cardigan lying around, do you?”

  Terri smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do. It may not be your style or size or go with what you’re wearing, but…” She shrugged.

  But beggars can’t be choosers, Misty finished for her in her mind.

  Terri hurried off, leaving Misty feeling truly about as low as she could go. “Hold that thought,” she muttered to herself. If she’d learned anything in her twenty-three years, it was that things could always get worse—especially if all a person focused on was negative.

  She had to talk to Gabe. This time without an audience. She was pretty sure she knew how he felt, but where to go from here was the question. Even though he didn’t like the circumstances, he was part of it.

  As soon as Terri handed her the bright-orange sweater and Misty’s purse, she said, “Don’t worry. It’s not busy out there. I can cover for you for a few minutes.”

  “I’ll be right out. Thanks, Terri.”

  She dialed Gabe with one click, but he didn’t answer—at first. When she was about to hang up, he said, “Hi, Misty. I’m waiting at the fire department’s doctor’s office. I should be getting cleared to go back to work. What do you need?”

  He was busy. He’d have to make time for her, since no one could help her but him. Oh well. It sounded like he was getting a clean bill of health. At least one of their problems was solved.

  * * *

  Gabe was waiting for her at Starbucks in the South End. He was perusing the free newspaper and didn’t notice her come in. She wanted to turn and run…if her feet cooperated. But this conversation absolutely had to happen.

  She’d half expected him to drop in and visit her at his parents’ house last night. Talking to him there would have been awkward. She was nervous, but bringing up the pregnancy in a public place where he couldn’t make a scene helped her relax. A little. Until he saw her.

  He rose, unsmiling. Realizing she had changed his whole life, she hesitated. He strolled over to her and kissed her cheek. Stepping back, he indicated a table with two coffees on it. “Have a seat.”

  “You already ordered something for me?”

  “Yeah. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “No. Not at all.” It was a good thing Starbucks didn’t serve wine. She’d be tempted.

  “Yeah. I think I know what you like. You take your coffee with cream and no sugar. Right? I also ordered decaf. I thought you might be avoiding caffeine now.”

  She smiled at him. “Yeah. Thanks.” He remembered how she liked her coffee. Most guys weren’t that observant. And he’d taken her pregnancy into consideration. Maybe he did care.

  They sat opposite each other, and he stared at her for a moment. Briefly shaking his head like something was unbelievable, he leaned back and took a sip of his coffee.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing. You’re just sort of…glowing?”

  Well, that may have been because as soon as she’d made it back to his parents’ place across the street, she’d scrubbed her face clean, changed into the outfit she’d bought on her lunch hour, and had hurried across four lanes of traffic to get here on time.

  Misty fidgeted in her seat. He still hadn’t smiled. She couldn’t figure out how he felt now that he’d had a chance to digest the news. And as scared as she was to hear the answer, she had to ask. “Gabe, are you okay?”

  He sat up straight and focused an intense stare at her. “You mean because you’re pregnant?”

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  He set his coffee down and covered his face with one big hand. “I hate to ask, but are you sure? Could you be mistaken?”

  “I went to my gynecologist the same day I got diagnosed with MS. So, yes. I’m sure. I guess I could’ve started off by saying ‘I have good news and bad news,’ but I wasn’t sure if there was any good news.”

  Gabe just stared at her, biting his lower full lip. He sat there saying nothing for the longest time. At last he rose so suddenly, the table tipped a bit.

  “I can’t do this, Misty.”

  She held up one hand. “You don’t have to. I’m the one who has to deal with this. I just wanted you to have a say. But if you don’t want one, don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of myself.”

  Gabe let out a long exhale. “No. I don’t mean that. I need to think.” He strode out the door, leaving her sitting with two coffees in front of her and no Gabe.

  A few patrons turned her way and gazed at her curiously.

  A tear formed in the corner of her eye. She took several deep breaths, willing it away. She’d known he wasn’t going to like talking about it. She’d expected that. There was no way he would jump up and down and pull her into his arms, declaring his undying love. But a little part of her had hoped…

  She took a few more sips of her decaf coffee and tried to compose herself. At last, she rose, poised to leave, but her knees gave out, and she sat down hard.

  “Oh, hell,” she muttered. How am I going to deal with MS and single motherhood? How can I do this alone? After a long deep breath, she just knew she’d find a way.

  She decided to wait a few minutes to see if her unsteadiness was just the shock of Gabe walking out on her before she tried to stand again. She didn’t know how her MS responded to stress. She imagined it wasn’t good for anybody and maybe especially for people with her diagnosis.

  She sat there with her hands clasped, elbows on the table. It must have looked like she was praying. She probably should. In a few minutes, she’d be all right. She’d go back across the street and take a moment to lie down and rest before she told anybody else.

  She imagined Gabe had tried to wrestle with this alone. He didn’t strike her as the type to confide in anyone. Or would he? Just about anyone in his family would listen. But she imagined that after talking to them, he’d probably offer to “do the right thing,” because it would be expected. That’s not what she wanted.

  She took a couple more deep breaths and then pushed herself to her feet. Other than feeling a little numb, everything seemed fine until she tried zipping up her bomber jacket. She lost her balance and fell into another table. A couple of patrons jumped up and grabbed her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah. I’m fine,” Misty said. “I just need to make it across the street.”

  “Do you need help?” one of the patrons asked. “You know…Narcan or something?”

  She was shocked speechless. “No! I’m not drunk or on drugs. I’ll be fine.”

  She took a few steps toward the door and paused. At that moment, the door flew open, and Gabriella rushed in.

  “Misty! Honey, are you all right?”

  “Did Gabe tell you?”

  “Yes. He wanted to make sure you were okay, and I told him to stay right where he was. I can’t guarantee he’ll be there when we get back, but he’ll come to his senses. Don’t worry, honey.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with his senses. I know what his problem is. It’s not a big deal. I can do this without him.”

  Gabriella made some sound of disgust. “Let’s get you across the street. There’s no use talking about it here.”

  The woman was a powerhouse. Despite being three inches shorter, she led Misty out of the restaurant with an arm firmly under her elbow, the other grasping her waist. They walked
across the street that way. Misty was being lead as if she were blind. Maybe that was in her future too. Another lovely perk of MS.

  The lights cooperated, and they got to the other side without incident. “If Gabe doesn’t want to talk yet, don’t make him,” Misty said.

  “He’s a big boy. He can face all kinds of challenges. This included. And I don’t want you to let him off the hook. This is half of his doing.”

  “I’m really not sure about that.”

  Gabriella laughed. “You do know how sex works, don’t you?”

  Why is everybody asking me that?

  Antonio opened the door, and Misty walked up the steps, holding on to the railing just in case.

  “Gabe?” Gabriella asked.

  Antonio shook his head. “Not here.”

  “Damn. I thought he’d man up and stick around.”

  Misty straightened to her full height. “Just because he needs to think doesn’t make him any less of a man. In fact, maybe it’s a good thing he’s not here. I don’t want to talk to him while he’s upset.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” Gabriella sighed. “He’s not particularly good with change at first, but he’ll adjust. He always does.”

  Antonio closed the door behind them, then smiled at Misty. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I take it my fourth son has something to do with it.”

  “I don’t want his whole life to change. If he doesn’t want to be a dad, he doesn’t have to. There are plenty of men who are biological fathers and nothing more.”

  “Oh no.” Gabriella shook her head hard. “No son of mine is going to be just a ‘biological father.’”

  Antonio’s brows shot up. He looked shocked for a moment. His expression returned to a gentle smile quickly enough.

  Gabriella escorted Misty to a comfortable side chair, and as soon as she was seated, she crossed to her husband, putting her arm around his waist and stepping into the space under his arm. “It looks like our family will be expanding again. Misty and Gabe are having a baby.”

  “That’s wonderful! I’d offer to toast to the occasion, but…” He pointed at Misty’s middle.