by Aubrey Cara
She went through the rest of the day in a daze. She made Steven a huge marble cake with chocolate frosting, just what he wanted. She probably could have left off the elaborate piping and swirls around the sides and Steven still would have been happy. She wrote Happy Birthday Steven across the top and then stuck a bear in an outhouse ornament on it that she had found in a local knick-knack store. He and his friends got a kick out of it.
She held her secret to herself for two days, wanting Steven's birthday to be about him. She never wanted him to feel pushed aside. That's why she decided she should tell him first. Jake was going to be home early enough for them all to eat together and she debated telling them together, but decided it would be better this way. She had worked early at the bakery and was back at Jake's pacing the floor for an hour before Steven got home. When he came in she practically jumped on him. Grabbing his arm, she steered him to the couch.
“Steven, we need to talk.”
“Hey, whatever that Keelan kid said I did, I didn't do it. He's just mad because the girl he likes, likes me better.”
That threw Del off. “What? Why, what is he saying? You know, never mind. No, no it's not about that.”
“You're not leaving my dad and me, are you?”
“No, I'm pregnant.” She hadn't meant to just blurt it out. She had a whole speech prepared, but Steven had thrown her off track.
“Like, with a baby?”
“Yes, with a baby.”
“It's my dad's right?”
She gave him an incredulous look. “Of course it's your dad's.”
He shrugged. “Well, he does have a track record.”
She gasped. “No! It's your father's baby. We're having a baby and you're going to be a brother. And I haven't told your dad yet. I wanted to tell you first. And let you know that no matter what, I love you. And this baby isn't going to replace you. And I may not have married your dad yet but I already think of you as my son.” She was starting to get choked up. Which happened easily these days, but at least now she knew why. The impossible had happened. Connar had been the problem all along. In more ways than one.
Steven patted her arm. “It's okay Del. I know. As Me' maw would say, you got a heart the size of Texas. You've got a lot of love to give, and it can be overwhelming. I'm kind of relieved you're having a baby. It takes the pressure off me.” He gave her a cheeky grin to let her know he was only half serious about feeling smothered. She wrapped him in a big hug anyway. She kissed the side of his face while he cringed. That's when Jake came in the front door.
“Hey is anyone allowed to join this love fest?” Jake asked.
She looked at Steven suddenly feeling shy. “You wanna tell him?”
Steven shrugged. Looking back at Jake he said, “You're going to be a dad, old man.”
Jake raised an eyebrow. “What was I before?”
Steven shook his head. He mock whispered to her, “All beauty, no brains. At least my little sister is going to be cute.”
She pinched his arm. Steven said, “Ow” but he was grinning like a fool.
Jake stopped near the couch. “Little sister?” He looked at her still flat stomach and back up to her face. He took a deep breath. “Are you...?”
She nodded, tears coming to her eyes.
When he just stood there she got up and walked over to him to take his hand. She just needed to touch him. “Are you mad?” she asked.
That seemed to snap him out of it. “Why would I be mad?”
“Because I thought I couldn't get pregnant,” she said sheepishly. “Earlier in my marriage to Connar, I went and saw a doctor after I couldn't get pregnant. She said I was fine, but I didn't believe her. Then after so many years, I assumed I was right.”
Jake looked choked up as he gathered her in his arms. He leaned down, giving her a tender kiss that made her feel so cherished. “I'm not mad,” he said. “We're really having a baby?” She nodded and he asked, “Is it really going to be a girl?”
She shrugged. “It's too early to tell. It could be a boy or a girl, but now we know what Steven's hoping for.”
“Sister or brother, I'm not changing diapers,” Steven said from the couch, making them both laugh.
Jake just kept staring at her, his beautiful, blue eyes filled with love. His lips tilted in a goofy grin. “We're having a baby,” he said again.
Del nodded laughing. “We're having a baby,” she said.
Jake gave a great loud, “Whoop!” He lifted her by the waist to twirl her around. He set her down and she held onto his shoulders to steady herself. “I haven't thrown up yet, but my stomach has been a bit sensitive. I'd be careful about spinning me. I've gotten sick on your boots before.”
Jake eyes widened. “I'm so sorry. Of course, what was I thinking? Sit down.”
“Jake I was only teasing you. I'm pregnant, not made out of glass.”
“You're pregnant. We're having a baby,” he said.
Steven rolled his eyes as he got up from the couch. “He may be like this a while. I'll be in my room. Let me know when dinner's done. I'm starving.”
She grinned as she watched Steven head up the stairs. She held her arms open to Jake. He sat on the couch, pulling her onto his lap before wrapping his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while before he asked, “How long have you known?”
“Only a few days. I didn't want to detract from Steven's birthday.”
“How far along are you?” He put his hand on her stomach over where their baby now grew.
She put her hand over his, grinning. “A little over a month. It's still early.” He caught the nervousness in her voice and just gave her a squeeze.
He was silent for a minute before saying, “I'm not sure what kind of wedding you were wanting but could we make it soon?”
She nodded, “Soon is good. And nothing fancy.”
“How would you feel about going out to Texas and getting married at my parents' ranch?”
“Jake Forrester, I'd marry you under a tree by an anthill, with a bear as our witness. As long as you'd be my husband when it was over.”
“Hey, that was a great bear,” he said with mock seriousness. “That bear got you to admit you loved me. We should invite that bear to our wedding.”
“I do you love. But let's not have a bear at our wedding.”
Jake made a check mark in the air with his finger. “No bears at the wedding. Got it. Anything for you, star shine. Anything for you.”
They kissed and cuddled, making each other laugh. They eventually got up and made dinner. That night they all sat around the table, talking, laughing, eating. Delia's family.
*** ***
ONE YEAR LATER
Delia Forrester stood in the living room, swaying from side to side while her baby girl, Chloe Jane, slept in her arms. What was once Jake's house was now their home. Not much had changed. She had liked the house just fine the way it was. The only difference was now the mantel across the fireplace held many photos.
A photo from their infamous camping trip. Pictures from their wedding. A photo of her hugely pregnant, standing in between Jake and Steven. Both guys had put pillows under their shirts to try to match her belly. One of her favorites was her new family photo. It wasn't done in a studio. No one was wearing pastel, matching outfits. It was Macy, Sally, Kat, her, Jake, Steven, Caleb, and Jake's parents. His mother held Chloe. Old Peg had taken it at the bakery soon after Chloe was born. It was Chloe's first family photo and full of all her loved ones.
The End
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TAMING KAT - CHAPTER ONE
Kat Martin wanted to be anywhere but
where she was at the moment. That feeling seemed to be a running theme in her life and how she ended up where she was in the first place.
She was just beginning her shift at Rusty Spur, a musty, old bar situated on the outskirts of Gibson, Texas. The bar screamed stereotypical Texas with wagon wheel saloon décor inside, and a huge neon boot and spur kicking a tumble weed lighting up the Rusty Spur sign outside. Miranda Lambert's song 'Kerosene' blasted from the overhead speakers.
Being as it was Friday, Kat knew she'd hear every popular country song play at least twice tonight. She would never admit it to anyone ever, but she secretly loved country music. On a lark she moved from Massachusetts to Gibson three months ago. She had thought it a splendid idea to work part time at a ranch, and “find herself”.
Although whatever epiphany she was hoping to have eluded her, she did discover a love for new challenges, manual labor, and country air. Yet the Yankee in her wasn't ready to pronounce herself wholly countrified.
Now that she stared across the almost empty bar at what she called a pageant ready type woman, Kat felt like snarling. “That's so cliché,” Kat muttered, rolling her eyes.
Kat wouldn't normally judge a woman by her looks but this particular woman was snooty with a capital SNOOT. Her name was Lindsey. She regularly came in with the self proclaimed Car King of Texas, Big Jim. Big Jim owned thirty-five car dealerships in Texas. Yet he took his lady love to the Rusty Spur in little, old Gibson, Texas at six-thirty in the evening. Kat shook her head in disgust. It probably had something to do with not wanting his wife to find out. Kat thought someone should inform Ms. Snooty-Pants Lindsey the fall from her high horse was going to be rough.
“What's cliché?”
“It's a stereotype or basically anything lacking originality,” Kat quipped, purposely misunderstanding the new girl, Candice. The twenty-one year old, leggy blonde was helping set up for the evening shift at the Rusty Spur where they worked. Candice just stuck out her tongue as she headed to the back to get more liquor to restock the bar.
“You shouldn't be so hard on that girl,” said Mimi, a single mom in her early thirties. She came in from the back room, tying on a black apron around her slim waist.
“I can't help it,” Kat complained. “I look at her and I can practically see the vapid wasteland between her ears.”
Mimi just shook her head. “Youthful ignorance is something she'll probably outgrow. Bitch is a choice.”
“Ouch,” Kat said, stumbling back and rubbing a spot on her chest. “Direct hit.”
Mimi's lips were pursed and she had her eyes cut as she stared Kat down with what Kat had come to think of as 'the mom' look. “Everyone has their own special kind of stupid,” Mimi said. “You can't judge her just because hers is different than yours. You need to stop snarking on everyone. It makes you look ugly.”
Kat paused wiping down the counter, sighing. Mimi was right. As she often was. Kat was a special kind of stupid and she was being mean. Who was she to judge anyone? She had no idea what she was doing with her life. College had been a bust. The closer she had gotten to getting her bachelor's degree in business the less she had wanted it. She hopped from job to job, without direction. Not willing or wanting to commit to any one thing.
Now she still had no idea what she really wanted and was twenty-six years old, waitressing and bartending at a place like the Rusty Spur. Not that waitressing was a bad thing, she just wasn't sure if it was that good of a thing either. Truth be told she kind of hated it.
Kat looked over at Mimi while she pulled glasses out of the dishwasher onto a rack for easy access when things got busy later. Mimi was beautiful, in a girl-next-door kind of way. Her figure was lithe and naturally thin in a way Kat envied. Kat had long ago accepted that her own round thighs, bottom, over large breasts, along with her short stature were part of five generations of genetics she couldn't fight. All of that and her pale skin that refused to tan but thankfully never really freckled too much either. At least the bright red hair of her youth had darkened to a nice cinnamon.
Mimi, on the other hand, had the kind of skin that always had a bit of a honey toned tan. Half Native American and half white it was unlikely she'd freckle, but her hair was more brown than black, and she had the prettiest muddy green eyes. All her features were actually that of a plain mousey woman, but on her they would cause second looks. And they regularly did. Not that Mimi ever did anything about it.
Mimi had been living in Kansas City with her husband when he left her. Soon after she had moved home to Texas with her two-year-old. That had been three years ago. Or at least that was the story Kat had heard. She'd been waitress and bartender at the Rusty Spur ever since.
Kat really liked Mimi and thought they could be great friends. Unfortunately between Kat working two jobs and Mimi having a kid, they really hadn't had a chance to hangout outside of the bar. Kat didn't know why Mimi never went after another job she was more qualified for. The one time she had asked her that question, Mimi had answered, “Just because you're qualified to do something, doesn't mean you want to do it.”
Kat could understand that, but she wondered if that meant Mimi wanted to be waiting tables and bartending for the rest of her life. She never seemed like she was really happy, but she never seemed like she was particularly unhappy either. Could be she was just worn down by life. She was a single mom. She might just be getting by. Kat herself had gotten so busy getting by she forgot to stop and see if she was happy with where she was in life.
“Mimi, what do you see yourself doing in five years?” Kat asked.
Mimi sighed, “I hope you're not in a mood. It's Friday night and this place is going to be filled with every level of drunk in a few hours.”
Kat was in a mood. She was feeling frustrated with life and not wanting to admit it. “I'm serious. Humor me. Please.”
Mimi shrugged. She didn't stop prepping the bar area as she answered, “Hopefully I'll have my own place and a regular nine-to-five by then. Now that Zeke is in school full time I feel like I don't see him at all.” She huffed a sigh.
Mimi paused before continuing with a thoughtful frown,“It's frustrating. I'm ready to get out of my parents' house. My parents haven't said anything, but I think they're ready to have some space and time to themselves as well. I have to admit, a space of my own would be really nice. Maybe I'd even date once in a while.”
Kat couldn't imagine how tough it was to be a single mom living with her parents. Kat could never again live with her mother. Not without some heavy prescription drugs. She couldn't even live with her sister. Just one summer with her sister and she had moved to Texas. “Why don't you ever date now?” Kat asked.
“Who would want to date a single mom living with her parents? Besides I have Zeke to think about. My parents watch him most nights as it is. I don't want to leave him with them just so I could go entertain myself on what would probably be a mediocre date.” She sighed, “Plus, Zeke doesn't need me to parade a whole bunch of strange men through his life just because I'm lonely. I don't think he'd understand. Even so, I really miss sex. I'm tired of having an exclusive relationship with my hand and the shower head.”
“You haven't gotten laid once in the last three years?” Having said that louder than intended Kat looked around the bar at the few patrons. Thankfully no one had seemed to be paying any attention to them. She wasn't sure why she was so surprised. She herself had been a virgin until she was twenty-five. Not that anyone knew that. She'd never even told her friends in college she had been carrying her V-card. There was just too fine a line between slut and pathetic freak. Sadly the further she got away from eighteen the more acceptable it had been to be a slut, and the more being a virgin made her a pathetic freak.
Mimi groaned, “No, and now you're depressing me. Thanks. What about you? I haven't exactly heard about any hot dates you've been on recently.”
That shut Kat down. Her dating life was at an impasse, which it often was. Months ago she had come to Texas for her best
friend Delia's wedding. They had all stayed out at Delia's fiancee Jake's parents' ranch, Circled F. Kat had fallen a little in love with the ranch. She wasn't sure why. Some days the wind blew just right and instead of the smells of green pasture you got punched with the stench of manure and dirty hay. Everything on the ranch just seemed so peaceful even when it was a hive of activity. She had wanted to learn everything.
When Jake's mom had offered to let her stay and work part time on the ranch, Kat had jumped at the chance. And she was glad she had. She hadn't been happy in Virginia working with her sister Macy. Her sister constantly nagging and asking her what she was doing with her life had worn thin pretty quickly. It had been as bad as living in Boston with her mom.
She wasn't sure if she was meant to be in Texas either. At least she enjoyed working on the ranch, even though the work was hard and dirty. She had never been more sore than the first two weeks she worked at Circle F. Before that she hadn't exactly been known to hit the gym, let alone do manual labor. It had been a new challenge, and a grand adventure.
It also kept her busy and a busy Kat was good. It kept her from reflecting on what she was doing with her life. Or more pointedly hearing her mom's and sister's voices in her head telling her what she wasn't doing. Too bad she couldn't make more money there. As it was she had to pick up shifts at the bar to make ends meet.
Kat shrugged. “No time for dating. Not that I've had much opportunity to meet anyone.”
Mimi laughed. “No opportunity? I totally get not wanting to date any of the guys that we meet here, but don't you work part-time out at the Circle F? No sexy ranch hand tickling your fancy?”
Kat inwardly cringed. She had a very specific ranch hand that had in fact tickled her fancy. A little too well, she remembered with no small amount of humiliation. About seven months ago Caleb McCrae had done things to Kat's fancy that made her lose all inhibitions.