Unexpected Gift

by Lively, R. S.

  “You’re changing the subject again.”

  “No, you brought it up.”

  “Whatever. Listen, Molly. I love you. You’re my family. I’m worried about you living with him. You guys act like you hate each other, but really you just need to fuck.”

  “Kenna!” I scold her for her brashness.

  “What? Maybe if you guys get it out of your system, the hate you spit toward one another won’t be so bad.”

  “There is no sexual tension. We just don’t like each other. We will be tolerating each other for Posie.”

  “You realize that’s for the next eighteen years, right?” Kenna cracks her neck, and the sound makes my skin bead.

  I haven’t thought of that. Eighteen years? Of course, it will be that long. That will make Posie an adult.

  Kenna clicks her tongue. “Actually, it would be forever, because once you have a kid, you always have a kid, but at least when she turns eighteen, you can move out of the house. You won’t have to live with him anymore. Unless you fall madly in love with him, which I wouldn’t blame you. You two would have the prettiest babies.”

  I start to sweat, every pore dripping with anxiety. I bet Caden didn’t think about that, either. We did what we thought we had to at the moment.

  “Oh, you’re doing that thing with your hand and your neck. You know I’m right!” she cheers, whooping as she pats herself on the back.

  I rip my hand from my neck and twist my fingers together. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not doing anything.”

  “You are freaking out,” she says in a sing-song voice.

  “I’m not. I’m fine. I mean, yes. Now that you say that, I hadn’t thought of that, but it will be fine. We can make it work.” My phone buzzes with a picture message from Caden.

  I open it up and laugh when I see puke on his face. The message reads, “You’re missing out on all the fun.”

  “What’s so funny over there?”

  I slide my feet under me and type a message back. “Oh, nothing. Caden sent a picture with puke all over his face.”

  “Gross.”

  If that is what you call fun, you can keep it. Send.

  My phone buzzes again with a message from him. Party pooper.

  I sit my phone down after that. I don’t want to text back. I don’t want to carry a conversation that I know isn’t welcome. Yeah, he messaged first, but still, he is only trying to be friendly.

  “So, he is messaging you now?”

  “Kenna, we have to talk. For Posie.”

  “Right. For Posie.”

  “What is your deal?” I huff, starting to get mad. “I mean, if you want him… you can take him. He is an arrogant, cocky, self-centered, egotistical, rude, sarcastic, narrow-minded—”

  “—He is far from narrow-minded.”

  I keep going, barely hearing her. “Let’s not forget how gross he is. He has slept with so many women.” I tap my nails on my glass.

  “Don’t judge him because you are too much of a prude to have sex.”

  “I’m not judging him.”

  “I know. You’re finding fault with him so you can try to find reasons not to be attracted to him. I know you, Molls.” She pats my leg. “It’s okay.”

  I ignore her again. “He is surprising, though.” I remember how he takes care of Posie without complaint, cries at the expense of my brother, and helped Posie out of a locked car. All of his actions are so different from what he lets the world see. From what I’ve observed, he has a heart of gold—something I never would have thought he had. He cares a lot. He has the capacity to be different from others, but he chooses not to be. He wants people to see what he wants them to see. And that throws me for a loop.

  “In what way?”

  I swirl the drink in my cup, watching the liquid circle the rim. “I don’t know. I just know he is.”

  “And the plot thickens. Yeah, I don’t know how this will go, but I bet it ends with you having sex and falling in love with him.”

  When my hair tickles my shoulders, I throw it up in a messy bun, not wanting to deal with it. “No way.” But my heart runs with it. It flutters so much that it starts to fly. I don’t want to believe her, but I wonder...

  I wonder if I can fall in love with a man like Caden. I always have my guard up around him, like I want him to stay a certain distance away from me. Too close, and the heat radiating from his skin makes me want to step into his arms. Too far, and I feel safe, but alone, missing the scent of him.

  “You’re thinking about it.”

  “No, I’m just thinking about all the stuff we have to move, and we don’t even have a house yet.”

  “Mhmm. I’ve known you a long time, Molls. You’ll talk to me when you’re ready though.”

  And that is the thing; I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I want to bury it so deep that even in eighteen years, it takes another eighteen to dig up.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Caden

  I have one of those slings on as I carry Posie. I look like a single father, but I don’t give a shit. My arms and back are starting to hurt. Carrying a kid around all the time is exhausting. I don’t know how people do it with more than one. I think I’m already losing my hair and it has only been a few days.

  But it’s worth it.

  “You ready to see Aunt Molly? You miss her? Soon you won’t have to be away from her, you know. We are going house shopping today. What do you want? A pool? A jacuzzi? You know, we are going to have to have rules.” She stares at me with her big, brown eyes that look too big for her small face. Posie puts her fist in her mouth and gurgles. “Hey, don’t argue with me. Rules are rules. And the first one? No boys. Until you are… forty. That’s okay, right?”

  She gurgles again, spraying spit all over her fist.

  “Jeez. A back-talker, already? We are going to work on that, Miss Posie,” I say, as if she can understand me. I place the wipes and diapers I just bought into the trunk.

  She squeals, placing her wet, spit-filled fists against my cheeks.

  “Squirt, I love you, but how do you have so much spit?” I shut the trunk and open the car door to put her in the car seat, which is a permanent fixture. Like hell I am taking that thing in and out. I have one in here and the stroller. I’m not going to make more work for myself.

  She yawns, blinking those long lashes at me, reminding me of Amelia. I lean my arm against the backseat, staring at her precious face. “You look just like them, you know. Sometimes, I think you look like your daddy, but then you get all relaxed and tired, and you look like your mommy after a long days work. Which, you did have a very long day of eating and pooping a lot, by the way.” I lean in and whisper, “We need to work on that.”

  Posie giggles before yawning again. I gently brush the blonde baby hair off her forehead, wishing she could have known her parents. “You would have really liked them. Your dad was such a funny guy. He loved driving people crazy. For instance, he made it to where me and your aunt had to live together, he knew we didn’t get along, but he thought it would be funny to see us try.” I bop her nose with my finger. “I’ll have to tell you stories sometime. I don’t want you to grow up not knowing your parents. You deserve to know who they were, but for now, know they were really good people, okay?” I rub my thumb over her cheek, watching her eyes struggle to stay open.

  I kiss her forehead and make sure to close the door as softly as I can, so I don’t wake her. I had no idea how much babies don’t like to sleep at night. I can’t remember the last time I had a full night’s rest. I yawn and stretch, letting the sun warm my face before I get into the car.

  Checking my phone before I head out on my way to meet Molly, I see a text saying she is ten minutes away from the first house we are about to see. “Time to go.” I pull out of the parking lot and head toward the destination. She is coming from Billings, but I already came to Glendive this morning to get a head start on things.

  Little snores come from the backseat,
and I grin. It never fails. Every time we walk around the grocery store, Posie sleeps afterward. It is great. I just wish she slept during the night, too, when I need the shut-eye.

  I never thought I’d like small town living, but this place? I can see why Brandon loved it. The fields and open space? Wow. A man can get lost in the peacefulness that it brings. I almost miss the turn to the driveway because my eyes are locked on the mountains in the distance. I turn, thankful that the driveway is paved and not gravel or dirt.

  When the house comes into view, no other cars are in the driveway, so I must have still beat Molly here. “Wow.” I mean, seeing this place in person is so different compared to seeing it online. The beautiful mountain home stands tall, nestled in the woods, right off of a lake. It has an A-frame style, the roof nearly touching the porch. The windows were long in the front, and I bet on the inside, it has a killer view of the lake and distant mountains.

  The sound of a car coming up the driveway pulls me from the beauty of the house. It’s Molly, and behind her, is the real estate agent. Once everyone gets out of their cars, I put my finger to my lips. “She is asleep.”

  “Is that a baby sling around you?” Molly whispers, staring at my chest as I place Posie in it.

  “Yeah, I’m freaking tired of carrying her around all the time. I mean, I love it, but damn, I can only do it for so long.” I settle her in the fabric and make sure she is safe and sound before we turn to the agent.

  “I need one,” Molly mutters. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

  “One step ahead of you. I got you one. It’s in the trunk.” I nod my chin to the trunk.

  She stares at me in disbelief. “Thank you.”

  “Hi. I’m Florence. I’ll be your realtor. Are you ready to see this place? It just came up on the market. I have a feeling it won’t be there long, either.” The brunette eyes me up and down, but I’m not interested—at all. It shocks me. I’m always a man that is interested. She doesn’t make me look twice, though.

  My eyes drift to Molly, and her blonde hair has my fingers twitching to run through it and see if it is as soft as it looks. I rein that in real quick. It is just the situation, not her.

  “Yeah, it looks great. I can’t wait to see it. Can you tell us about it?” Molly asks, taking the first step to the porch. The dark wood makes me think of her blonde hair—apparently, everything did. They are so different, but I imagine her long, platinum strands fanned out, stark against the rich, chocolate color. I shouldn’t imagine that. I shouldn’t imagine looking down at her as I lay her against the porch under the stars and slide my cock down her hot, drenched channel.

  Because I am not a fucking romantic. Even though I want to be. I sigh, annoyed with the back and forth argument in my mind. I rub my temples and follow the women up the stairs to the front door.

  Florence punches the code into the lockbox on the door. “I know it is going to be hard to believe, but can you believe this house was a flip? The people that originally bought it changed everything. It was built in 2005, but a storm ripped through the town and ruined it. The land though, the land cost more than the house, so they tore it down and rebuilt.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I say.

  “Wait until you see the inside,” she stares at me, giving me a knowing look like I’ll like what she has on the inside.

  Molly has a small smile on her face, trying to rub it away with her hand, lifting her brow at me before turning away and walking through the door. “Wow.”

  “Wow, is right,” I say, staring at the high ceilings. The windows let in the sun, and I am right, the view of the lake is gorgeous. The blue water reflects the rays, and the grass sways in the breeze. I can see us having coffee on the porch watching the sun rise or set.

  “Look at these floors. They are so dark,” Molly says in awe.

  The kitchen has state of the art appliances, all stainless steel. The layout is open, which I really like.

  “There are two bedrooms on this floor with a full bath. Downstairs was remodeled in full. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, all with their own bath. The master is my favorite. It has its own garden tub and walk-in shower, perfect for a couple.”

  Ah, she fishes.

  I don’t correct her, but Molly jumps in. “Oh, we aren’t a couple. The situation is complicated, but he is up for grabs.”

  “I understand. Would you like to see the upstairs, first?” Florence asks, staring at me like she wants to taste every inch of my skin. The old me would have fucked her against the wall next to us, not even bothering to take off her skirt, but now with Posie? I have to think about how she wants to be treated when she is older. And I’ll be damn if some man, like how I used to act, moves on her like that.

  I can’t treat women like that while raising a little girl.

  “Sounds great.” Molly shoots me a wink like she thinks she is helping me. Is she seriously trying to be my wingman?

  An hour later, Florence waves bye to us and gives me her business card with her personal cell phone number written on the back. I lean against the railing of the porch, staring at Molly as she looks out onto the lake. “What did you think?”

  “It’s beautiful. Perfect. I couldn’t imagine a better place.”

  “Do you think we should keep looking?” I ask, wanting to know more. I want to know what she liked and disliked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe we should look at three houses? Then we can really know. The idea of leaving this house though, it doesn’t sit right with me. I just hate that you are buying it.”

  “Ah, don’t get all feminist on me now, Molls.”

  “It isn’t about that.”

  “What’s it about?”

  “I just want to help. I don’t make near as much as you do. But maybe I can pay for; I don’t know, a piece of firewood.”

  I chuckle, and it turns into a belly-shaking laugh. “Just a piece?”

  “Well, that one piece might cost all my savings from the look of the place.” She turns her to look at the front of the house, eventually turning around completely, and leans her elbows on the railing too, mimicking my stance.

  “You’re too much,” I say, enjoying the sound of the rustling grass.

  “So is this place.”

  My stomach turns from the thought of making her feel like she isn’t pulling her weight. “Listen, if it is that important to you, we can look for a cheaper house. I just really wanted Posie to have the best, and I can give her that. I didn’t become a neurosurgeon for nothing.”

  “Speaking of brains, don’t you have some to cut into? Why haven’t you been to work?”

  “Nah, I transferred to the hospital here, but I told them I wouldn’t start for another few weeks because of a recent change. They were alright with it, considering I’m one of the best neurosurgeons in the country.”

  “So, they gave you whatever you wanted?”

  “Basically.”

  She doesn’t say anything for a few minutes and continues to stare at the house. She doesn’t know what to make of it, which is fine, but I need an answer, because I already bought this house and I’ll look like a complete dick if I went back on my offer.

  “Let’s do it,” she says.

  “Really?” I convinced myself to expect a fight, not an agreement. I prepared a speech and everything. I almost want to fight about it because her and I haven’t lately, and I kind of miss it. It doesn’t mean I’m going to go and tempt her, but my own temptation is there.

  “Really. I just want to pay for the electricity, groceries, and whatever else since you are buying.”

  “Really?” I sound like I don’t know any other words.

  She gives me a half smirk, half nervous smile as she pulls at the hem of her shirt, showing the curve of the top of her breasts. “Really.”

  “You’re an interesting woman, Molly Lowell. I thought you’d fight me on this. I thought we would be arguing for weeks and living in a hotel, doing laundry in the bathtub or something.”
/>   She deadpans me. “Like a fancy doctor such as yourself would ever do laundry in a tub. You’d have a laundry service.”

  I glance down, a little embarrassed.

  Her eyes sear into me, scanning me, looking for the truth. “You already have a laundry service!”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” I’ll deny everything. I will admit nothing.

  She takes a step closer to me, and my body recognizes hers. I have to fight my instincts to remove the space between us and feel her skin on mine. There is some type of charge or energy between us. It might be anger, annoyance, sexual tension, hell… I don’t know at this point. She confuses me more than any other woman I have ever met.

  The sick part? I fucking like it. I like the guessing and the wonder. It’s a new experience for me.

  “You pay people to do your laundry.”

  Okay, I cave. “I’m a surgeon. Some surgeries take fifteen freaking hours. I don’t have time to wash clothes. So, yeah. I send it out. Sue me.”

  “Now, there’s an idea. I’d be able to buy all the firewood I wanted.”

  A loud, embarrassing bark of laughter leaves my mouth. “You’re such a jerk.”

  “Takes one to know one.” She steps closer, sending my nerves into a frenzy.

  The smell of her perfume wafts toward me when the wind blows. She smells like summer, a combination of coconut and orange. My cock plumps from the scent. No one has ever had that effect on me before. This is the closest she has been. And I take in all her features. She has freckles on her nose and the tops of her cheeks. Not many. Just a light dusting, but they really come out when the sun graces her skin. Her lashes are longer than I thought, the shadows from them brush her cheek every time she blinks.

  Her skin has no imperfections, no blemishes. She has no makeup on, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman so beautiful before. How have I not noticed her?

  You did. I just don’t ever want to.

  And crossing that line will betray Brandon’s trust. But it is hard to keep that thought when her breath smells minty. My eyes won’t leave her lips and the craving to taste her keeps getting worse. They have a perfect cupid’s bow. The bottom lip holds a little more pout than the top, and my tongue wants to trace it, lavish it with attention.