Accidental Parents

by Matthews, Evie

  Kendra can’t seem to stop herself. She’d always had an aversion to clingy, needy women. Her mother and her sister had been like that with men and she was dead set not to be one. The last thing she wanted was to tie Tyler down to a marriage of convenience and cheat him the chance of happiness with someone else.

  “And what about you?” her inner voice taunted. “Are you not cheating yourself at a real chance of happiness because of your fears and insecurities?”

  They spent the remaining part of the night lost in their own thoughts. Despite their physical closeness, their concerns, uncertainties and fears remained unvoiced.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Saturday came around all too soon. As they agreed, they only invited Peter and Dr. Ackley as their witnesses. They opted not to bring Sophie along. After pulling a few strings, Tyler had managed to arrange to have the civil wedding officiated by Judge Connelly, a good friend of his.

  After barely thirty minutes, they were officially married. It had seemed so easy, Kendra looked dazed yet every inch a radiant bride. Aside from a quiet lunch at an exclusive hotel, there wasn’t any fanfare or celebration to speak of and it was exactly what they both wanted.

  For the special day, she chose to wear a classic dress that featured capped sleeves and a fitted bodice that showed off her figure beautifully. Even Peter was very appreciative of her looks as he met them inside the courtroom. Dr. Ackley arrived a few minutes later.

  Tyler was wearing a dark gray suit and pinstripe shirt underneath. He looked so handsome, Kendra silently gushed at the fact she was marrying this man. No doubt many women had pined to be Mrs. Chadwick. Who would ever have thought that she would manage to snag such a prime catch?

  Over lunch, Dr. Ackley insisted that Kendra take another month off and she would take care of the paperwork. The idea of being a full-time wife, even for a month, appealed to her. After all, her project of making Tyler fall in love with her was serious business.

  She observed her husband as he interacted with Peter and Dr. Ackley and silently admired his quiet confidence. She had always known him to be a good man, despite the playboy image he couldn’t seem to shake off.

  Looking back, she had used her disdain for the type of women he dated to protect herself from falling for him and to keep him at arm’s length. But deep inside, she longed for him to see her as more than just a friend—the good old reliable Kendra everyone liked.

  So much had happened over the past couple of months, who knew a tragedy would bring them together this way, she mused.

  “Well, we are doing our best to keep the hospital. The money raised through the auction was more than we ever hoped for so it’s enough to support our operations for the rest of the year,” Dr. Ackley was saying.

  Kendra tried to focus back to their discussion. “What about potential benefactors?” Kendra asked. She knew the hospital would need at least a couple of benefactors to keep it going.

  “I am still trying to convince Wyatt Harrison, Ephraim’s grandson not to cut off their financial support. So far, it’s not going too well. But we have a number of potential benefactors on our list, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.” Dr. Ackley shared.

  “Wyatt is a good friend of mine, although I’m not sure anyone can convince him to do anything against his will.” Tyler and Wyatt had met several times and discussed business over dinner. Unlike Tyler, who is known for his easygoing nature, people seem to tiptoe around Wyatt, who is famous for his sarcasm and sardonic remarks.

  “Yeah, I know.” Despite her agreement, a glint of determination can be seen in Dr. Ackley’s eyes. And for those who have known her, Lisa Ackley is one woman who can be difficult to turn down. One way or another, she always gets what she wants, Kendra was sure of it.

  “Enough of that. You should visit the hospital one of these days, Kendra. The nurses were ecstatic about the whirlwind romance and all and knowing them, they want to hear all the juicy details,” Dr. Ackley teased.

  in Willow Creek Community Hospital, not unlike most hospitals, gossip spreads like wildfire. But unlike normal gossips that are malicious and spiteful, the staff there are full of well-meaning people who simply want to be a part of everyone else’s business—a harmless thing that can be a pain in the ass at times.

  Kendra forced a smile. So, the secret was out. Not that they had intentionally planned to keep their marriage from everyone. In a way, Kendra just didn’t want the outside world to intrude into the little world they’ve managed to build, but she knew sooner or later, everyone would be bound to find out. The local newspaper had also picked up the news and featured their photo in its society page.

  Kendra hurriedly called her mother and sister to tell them the news before they heard it from someone else or worse, read it in the newspaper. Her mother, bless her soul, sounded a bit offended by the fact that she wasn’t invited and Kendra spent the next thirty minutes making her understand that it had been a sort of a whirlwind thing.

  It was a great thing though, that Tyler didn’t have much family, since both parents were already dead. Most of his relatives were either living abroad or in another state.

  All through the week, a number of people, many from the hospital, called to congratulate her. Others she knew saw it as an excuse to satisfy their curiosity. It was a good thing, however, that they had established the fact they had been great friends over the years, it had at least helped people put two and two together.

  Martha was ecstatic to hear the news. She even offered to take care of Sophie should the couple decide to go on a honeymoon. Kendra was embarrassed to realize the idea hadn’t even occurred to them. There was so much to take care of, especially with the upcoming preliminary hearing for the custody case in the next three weeks.

  Tyler helped Kendra move her things. Instead of giving up her apartment, she opted to rent it out. At the back of her mind, she would want to have a place to come home to just in case things didn’t work out with Tyler.

  As much as she wanted to be positive and excited for the new life ahead, it was difficult to put aside her misgivings. After all, it was not as if they’d married for love.

  They made love every night and each time, it was more intense than the last. Outside of bed, Tyler was his usual considerate self. Despite his busy schedule, he would make it a point to be home to join her and Sophie for lunch.

  Not having much to occupy her time, Kendra had suggested that they convert one of the spare rooms into Sophie’s bedroom. To help her, Tyler introduced her to a couple of his men and discussed the minor renovation that needed to be made, along with safety features that also needed to be added in the entire home.

  With Sophie learning to stand on her own, it was just a matter of time before she would walk and explore every corner of the house. Aside from decorating Sophie’s room, which was coming along extremely well, Kendra also made use of her time playing housewife. She prepared dinner every night and have even taken on the responsibility of preparing Tyler’s needs.

  “Ken, sweetheart, you don’t have to do this, you know. I’m not expecting you to do things for me, I just want to make that clear,” Tyler opened up one evening.

  Kendra shrugged in response. “It’s no big deal. I’ll get bored if I don’t keep myself busy.”

  “About work, I just want to assure you, you don’t really have to work if you don’t want to. I have already asked Sally to set up a bank account for you. Five thousand dollars will be deposited into the account every month for your use. If you need more, just let me know.” Tyler said as he pulled her close towards him.

  Kendra was surprised to hear this. “But, you don’t need to do that. I just need some grocery money and that’s it,” she looked up to him with a frown.

  “I want my wife to be well provided for. If you don’t have anything to spend it on, then by all means, save it. It’s yours.” Tyler kissed her on her forehead. “Now enough of the talk, I’ve missed you all day. Are you ready for bed, Mrs. Chadwick?” he whispered seductively int
o her ear.

  “Uhmm... let me just check up on Sophie first. Keep the bed warm for me.” Kendra gave him a quick kiss before heading out towards Sophie’s bedroom.

  The little one was already sound asleep. She had been sleeping soundly all throughout the night. Kendra spent several minutes simply staring at the sleeping baby. She’s so beautiful. It was too bad her parents will not be able to see her grow up.

  Sophie was slowly showing signs of a strong personality. She was always curious and a bit willful at times but when she turned on her charm, no one in the room would stand a chance. She had her Uncle Tyler under her spell, which made it a bit difficult to impose discipline. Nevertheless, they both agreed to provide the child a solid structure and clear guidelines early on.

  Tyler had shared he had run into some issues with the construction project they had been working on but he expected things to settle down by the next week. After that, they will need to focus their energy on the custody battle.

  Kendra volunteered to coordinate with Peter on the case since Tyler obviously had his hands full with his business. This seemed to be the perfect solution for Tyler who was feeling guilty for the lack of available time to sit down with his lawyer.

  Overall, the two agreed they made a great team. But despite their happiness, Kendra could not seem to tamp down the niggling feeling that it was only temporary. Every day, she secretly waited for Tyler to slide back to his old ways and lose interest in her. It was just a matter of time, she reasoned and it would better to brace herself rather than be caught off guard.

  Unwittingly, he was waiting to fail and she found the knowledge disturbing.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kendra was playing with Sophie in the living room when the doorbell rang.

  At the sound, Sophie looked towards the door with expectant eyes, “Da-da...” she pointed towards the direction, asking Kendra to carry her to meet her Uncle Tyler.

  Kendra knew it wasn’t Tyler. It was still ten in the morning and she was expecting Peter to drop by to go over some details with her.

  “Come sweetie, let’s check who it is.” Kendra carried Sophie towards the door.

  “Well, hello gorgeous.” Peter was grinning ear to ear. He turned to Sophie and held out a medium-sized stuffed giraffe, “Look what Uncle Pete got for you, pumpkin.”

  Sophie gurgled appreciatively as she reached out to accept the toy with both hands. “You say thank you, Uncle Peter,” Kendra prodded as she motioned for Peter to enter. The little girl was too busy with her new toy to pay attention to her.

  Kendra called Martha and asked her to look after Sophie in the living room while she invited Peter to the dining area and invited him to sit down. “Can I get you anything?”

  “Well, I have been at several meetings since early morning so I haven’t really had any breakfast. Do you by any chance have something to feed poor old me?” Peter said with a grin. Since their first meeting, the two had struck up an easy friendship. Kendra had always found his sense of humor refreshing.

  “I have some lasagna. I could heat it up for you,” Kendra offered. Without waiting for his answer, she proceeded to get the pasta from the refrigerator and cut up a couple of slices to heat in the microwave.

  “How’s married life so far?” Peter teased as he watched her move around the kitchen.

  Kendra simply gave him a smile in answer.

  “That good, huh?” Peter prodded. He loved making Kendra blush, which he knew from experience, was not hard to do. “I never thought you two would really pull it off, you know. Tyler, oh man, that guy had lifetime bachelor written all over him.”

  “Well, you know what they say, it takes one to know one. I bet you are just like him.” Kendra smoothly turned the topic to him.

  “Me? I’d readily tie the knot if I meet the right woman. We bachelors do get lonely, you know...” Peter chuckled.

  “I bet,” she replied dryly as she placed the pasta in front of him. “Eat.”

  “Oh wow. This is heavenly,” Peter closed his eyes as he chewed with relish. “I never realized I was this famished.”

  Kendra laughed as she watched Tyler’s lawyer make himself comfortable in the kitchen. He proceeded to devour two slices of pasta.

  “Thanks, Ken! That was delicious. I should drop by here more often,” Peter joked.

  “Haha! Anytime.” Kendra loved his sense of humor.

  “You should laugh more often, you know. It lights up your face and you have the most infectious laugh,” Peter grinned.

  “Oh, stop it, Pete. I’m not some chick you need to flatter.” Kendra chided, still smiling.

  “Not at all. I should remind Tyler to compliment you more often so you’ll grow comfortable with flattery,” he grinned mischievously.

  “Really. Your insolence knows no bounds,” Kendra shook her head, still laughing. “Why don’t we get down to business.”

  “Good of you to remind me.” Peter chuckled as he placed his briefcase on the table. “I’ll just ask you a few questions regarding your relationship with Tyler and we will iron out the details, okay? Now this means I will be asking you some probing questions, which the other side are bound to take up.”

  “Okay,” Kendra said as she shifted in her seat uneasily.

  “How long have you known Tyler?” he asked as he typed some notes on his laptop.

  “Hmmm... let me see... practically all my life! We went to the same high school, although he was three years older than me. I hung out with his younger brother, Tim and his wife, Melissa was my best friend,” Kendra recounted.

  “Great. This will help our case and refute any speculation this is an arranged marriage.” Peter remarked. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed rapidly. “How long have you been sleeping together?” he asked nonchalantly.

  Kendra clearly was not prepared by the sudden shift of topic. “I... Uhmm...” she hesitated.

  “C’mon, it’s not as if everybody’s not doing it. You’re a hot woman. Even a saint wouldn’t stand a chance and Tyler is definitely not a saint as we both know,” Peter said impertinently. Kendra knew he was just trying to put her at ease.

  “You’re obnoxious, you know that,” she laughed nervously. “Uhhmmm... if you must know, it was over a month ago, when I moved in here as a stay-in pediatric nurse for Sophie. I assume you were aware of the auction, right?”

  “Well, yeah. But you moved in here even before that, right? Right after Sophie’s parents died?” Peter prodded.

  “Ahhh, yes. That’s true. I clearly saw Tyler needed my help. Tim and Melissa were practically family and I love Sophie as my own, so it seemed the right thing to do. Besides, Tyler is a good friend,” she said quietly.

  “Yes, yes. I can see that. Perfect,” he remarked without looking up. “So how long have you been in love with Tyler?” he asked casually.

  “What?!” Kendra balked at the question.

  Peter stopped typing and looked at her intently. “You do love him, don’t you? I mean, I don’t take you as a devil-may-care or impulsive woman. From the way you talk, you don’t exactly sleep around. And while it’s a noble idea to help our friend, marriage is not exactly something you take lightly.” Peter summed it up neatly.

  “But... but it was you who suggested I marry him!” Kendra blustered. Peter had expertly pushed her against the wall and forced her to admit her feelings, something she was not comfortable with.

  “Yes, I know and I still wouldn’t have hesitated to make the same suggestion to a close friend of mine. But had I known you make such delicious lasagna and probably work magic in the kitchen, I would have snagged you from under Tyler’s pointed nose.” Peter reverted back to light-hearted talk.

  “You’re crazy. Why did you take up law, anyway?” Kendra deftly tried to change the topic.

  “Well, all lawyers actually need to be a little crazy to put up with the shit we have to deal with everyday. Excuse my language. So anyway, I can see you’re not comfortable with the subject, which can only
mean, you do love him. May I ask for how long?” Peter’s voiced softened.

  “I…I only realized it recently.” Kendra glared at him as she hissed her reply.

  “Oh, wow. I assume Tyler doesn’t have a clue?” he probed.

  Kendra only nodded silently. “Don’t worry sweetheart, you’re secret is safe with me.” Peter smiled softly as he patted her hand affectionately.

  It was that very instant Tyler walked into the room and found the two talking in hushed tones. He immediately noticed Peter’s hand on Kendra’s and gave his friend a sharp look before all traces of emotion was wiped clean from his eyes.

  “Tyler!” Peter grinned widely.

  “Go on, you two. Don’t let me interrupt you. I’ll just change into something casual.” Tyler went straight to their bedroom without acknowledging Kendra.

  “Pete, listen. If you so much as to breathe one word about this conversation, you will suffer a slow, painful death, you hear?” Kendra threatened.

  “No need for that, sweetheart,” he winked. “Anyway, I don’t want to overextend my stay. I’ll just drop by some other day to continue with our chitchat okay?”

  “Please, join us for lunch. Ty just got here,” Kendra graciously offered.

  “No, no... I’ll catch you some other time. In the meantime, hang in there. You’re doing fabulously great,” Peter winked at her meaningfully. “Tell Tyler I had to go. I need to be in my next meeting in twenty minutes,” he stood up and gave her a peck on the cheek before he breezed through the door.

  By the time Tyler joined them in the living room, Peter was long gone. Kendra was busy preparing the table for lunch when Tyler casually walked in and inquired where Peter was.

  “Oh, he said he had to leave for his meeting.”

  “How convenient,” Tyler muttered under his breath. Kendra was too far away to hear him.

  “I hope you like lasagna, I made some for lunch,” she smiled brightly.

  “Thanks sweetheart, that’s an all time favorite of mine. Won’t you be joining me for lunch? Where’s Sophie?” Tyler asked as he helped himself with serving the pasta.