I’d been reading a lot of forums to find advice on embracing the whole pregnancy thing, because it was harder than I thought it would be. I couldn’t believe Mom suffered like this, just to have me.
On the flip side, Wednesday had finally arrived.
Cane took me to Dr. Maxine’s office, where I was told to do my usual routine with checking in, peeing in a cup, and so on. Dr. Maxine was a lovely woman. She had skin that reminded me of cocoa, a short buzz cut, and a beautiful French accent that I was so envious of. I’d always wanted an accent.
“Okay, Kandy! You ready to hear that little one?” she asked with a bold, white smile.
“Yes!” I grinned at her before looking at Cane. He was standing at my side, watching every little thing she did with soft features. He looked so childlike. He’d never seen any of this happen, so he was intrigued and more than a little excited. It was all we could talk about on the car ride here.
Dr. Maxine asked me to pull my shirt up and to lower my pants just a bit, and then she applied some warm gel. She got straight to it with her ultrasound wand, running it over my lower abdominal area. “Let’s see. Where are you, little one?” she whispered softly. She kept moving the wand, narrowing her eyes here and there.
I glanced at Cane nervously. Why couldn’t she find the baby? I knew he or she was still there. I could feel it. My heart felt heavy in my chest as she moved to the left, and then she said, “Ah! There is the little bean!”
Relief struck me. Oh, thank God.
She kept the wand in place. “Okay, now let me turn on the sound.” She pressed a button on the keyboard of the computer beside her, and as soon as she did, a soft thumping sound filled the room. She moved the wand a bit more, and the thumping got even louder.
Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump.
The heartbeat was so quick, like the baby was running his or her own marathon in there.
“Holy shit. Is that the baby’s heartbeat?” Cane’s voice was winded.
“Yes, it is,” she said, smiling at him. “And it sounds so strong and healthy, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” I cooed. “Oh my gosh, it does!” My eyes welled with tears as I looked at the screen. So there really was someone in there. That little someone was alive, with a beating heart, and I had to protect him or her with everything I had in me.
Cane looked down at me and then leaned forward, cupping the back of my head and kissing my forehead. “You hear that?” His voice was so sweet. So full of joy. “That’s our baby, Kandy.”
“Our baby.” I grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it.
“Things are looking as great as ever, too,” Dr. Maxine went on. Cane leaned back a bit. “I’m happy with what I’m seeing. Have you been keeping your movements to a minimum for now, like I requested?”
“I have,” I said, and Cane cleared his throat, like he was calling bullshit. I gave him a small glare.
“Good. I’d like you to keep it that way, just for the next month or so.” She placed the wand down and then grabbed a warm towel from a drawer under the bed to wipe some of the gel off. “The baby seems to be doing well. Considering that you have gone through a loss before, I do think a calm life is a necessity for the duration of your pregnancy. No major traveling or clubbing—things of that nature. Being in a comfortable, stable environment is best. You mentioned you are in school, correct?”
“Yes, but I only have two or three classes a day. I’m careful,” I assured her.
“Good. If there is ever a day when you aren’t feeling too well, just let me know, and I’ll write up a doctor’s note for you.”
“Okay.” She helped me sit up as she stood. “Thank you.”
“Do you think she’ll be able to carry the baby for the whole nine months?” Cane asked, sounding like my mom.
“Well, with the damage that was done to her uterus before, I wouldn’t suggest carrying the baby for the full forty weeks. Instead, what we’d probably do is induce the pregnancy around the thirty-sixth or thirty-seventh week, to be on the safe side, and to avoid ruptures. But I will say that she looks to be on the right track. The baby is growing well.”
Cane sighed, clearly relieved. “That’s good to know. Thank you.”
“Any other questions for me?” Dr. Maxine asked while washing her hands.
We both shook our heads.
“Okay, then. I will see you guys again in two weeks! Feel free to check out with Stacey up front.”
We thanked her and left, but not without big grins on our faces. Cane walked with me down the hall that led to the lobby, draping his arm over my shoulders. “See what staying positive does?”
I laughed. “Okay, okay. I know.”
He pulled back and grabbed my hand, leading the way to the desk. “How does it make you feel? Hearing the heartbeat?” he asked.
There was only one word that could describe the way I felt in that moment. “Happy,” I told him.
But of course, happiness never seems to last long in my world.
* * *
The following day was peaceful. I read a new book and helped Miss Cane bake an apple pie, but then Friday arrived. Cane got home and seemed a little on edge when he came into the room. I’d just gotten out the shower and was still wrapped in a sky-blue towel.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as he paced his way to the closet. He always did that pacing thing when he was bothered.
“We have to have dinner with Eden tomorrow night,” he grumbled.
“What?” I walked into the closet as he snatched off his tie. “Why?”
“She came to the Tempt store today. She approved the banner, but informed me that Mr. Miller wants us to have dinner at his house to celebrate the deal. I know she’s the one who thought of it. She’s trying to fuck with me.”
I frowned a little, keeping my annoyance at bay. God, that woman really had no chill. “Then we’ll go,” I said as he tugged a shirt over his head.
“I don’t want to be anywhere near her, to be completely honest.”
“But in order for you to stay on good terms with a man who is giving you the opportunity to open many new jobs, you have to go. You can’t refuse his hospitality like that, Cane.”
“You know what? The shit that annoys me so much is that she specifically asked that I bring you with me. Not me alone, but both of us. She’s a shady bitch, and I don’t like that shit. She’ll try to get between us, make you feel insecure. I can feel it.”
I pressed my lips together. I couldn’t lie; I did feel a little insecure being in the same room as her. She was beautiful and looked like she could have any man she wanted, but she was fucking with mine. Ugh.
“She won’t get between us,” I said, walking up to him. “We’re stronger than some random ex who thinks she can walk in and twist shit up. She doesn’t know our story or what we’ve been through.” I smirked. “Let’s have some fun with it. Show her how unbreakable we really are.”
Cane smirked at that. “Mmm,” he murmured. “I like this new attitude of yours, little one. If I hadn’t been ordered to keep my cock away from you, I’d be buried so deep inside you right now.” He caught my chin between his fingers as I blushed. “You think you’ll be okay going there tomorrow? It’ll be the last thing you do for a while. I really don’t want you leaving the house much, but since you’ll be with me, it should be fine.”
“I’ll be fine, man.”
“All right.” He dropped a kiss on my lips and pulled his hand away. “Let’s do it then, girl.”
Thirteen
KANDY
To be completely honest, I was nervous as hell, and it didn’t help that I was feeling queasy and exhausted. I was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in our bedroom, studying myself in a peach, knee-length dress. It was perfect for fall, with sleeves and all. I paired it with wedges, but I couldn’t ignore the small bulge at my mid-section. It wasn’t the baby yet—probably more bloat than anything.
“God, I look so gross!” I groaned.
“Cut it out!” Cane yelled from the bathroom. “You do not look gross. You look beautiful.” He came out of the bathroom, his hair gelled back. He wore black dress pants with a long-sleeved gray button-down. He looked good, and what else was he going to tell his hormone-crazy fiancée? That I was fat?
“I can’t even suck in anymore. I’m so bloated. My stomach just sits there.” I poked my pudge, and he chuckled, moving closer.
Grabbing my hand and tipping my chin with the other, he said, “Stop it. You are the most beautiful woman on this planet. Even sexier now that you’re carrying my baby.”
I couldn’t fight my smile.
“Where are you guys going?” I looked at the door, and Lora was standing between the frames, looking us over.
“Having dinner with a sponsor.” Cane released me to face his sister.
“Oh! Think they’ll mind if I tag along? I’m starving!”
“It’s bad manners to bring more mouths to feed, Lora,” Cane stated.
“The guy’s rich, right? I’m sure he doesn’t mind feeding another person!”
He sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to win this fight.
“I’m going! Mom’s not cooking tonight because she has a date with Andy. I need food in my belly, so wait for me!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Cane called just before Lora could take off. “A date?”
“Yes, a date.” She smirked. “Andy is kinda cute, too.”
“She didn’t tell me anything about it,” he muttered.
“Don’t take it personally. I forced it out of her.”
“What?” I laughed. “How?”
“I grabbed her phone when she wasn’t looking, asked her what all the smiles and giggles were for. I also saw her with a shopping bag and checked it. It was a dress. Scandalous, showed a lot of leg.”
“Jesus,” Cane groaned, rubbing his forehead.
“What? She can’t hide shit from me, okay? I know her like the back of my hand. Anyway, wait for me! I’ll meet you downstairs.” She trotted off, and I looked up at Cane as he glanced at me.
“Your sister is a hot mess. Hope you realize that.”
He let out a belly deep chuckle. “Trust me, I’ve known it for years.” He picked up his cufflinks from the dresser. “Not sure what my life would be like without her, though. We’re eight years apart, and I thought I was fine as an only child, but when she came along, it was easy to forget what it had been like before. Siblings are annoying, but they make life much more interesting.”
“I bet.” All this sibling talk reminded me of Frankie. I’d texted her a few times over the weeks, and she said she was going to come visit over the summer but never got around to it. I didn’t fault her for it, though. I knew she was busy with working, her mom, and Clay.
Deep down, I hoped she’d ended that situation with him. Frankie didn’t need that complication in her life, and at the end of the day, she knew it wouldn’t have been right for them. But, life is life, I supposed. Shit happened, and I couldn’t blame her for how she felt. Sometimes love and lust chooses you, not the other way around. I, of all people, knew exactly what that was like.
* * *
We took Cane’s Aston Martin to Mr. Miller’s mansion in Concord. His home was probably three times bigger than Cane’s, with green grass and freshly trimmed hedges and so many lights on the lawn. I was kind of glad Cane was a minimalist. This mansion looked complicated. I was certain that if I lived there, I would get lost.
Cane parked in the large driveway behind two silver SUVs. My heart clanged against my rib cage as we walked to the door. I had my hand in Cane’s, and Lora was following behind us.
Cane rang the doorbell, and when it opened, we were greeted by an older man. I would have assumed he was Mr. Miller, but the black and white tux and white gloves gave him away. He let us inside and said, “Good evening, Mr. Cane. Miss Jennings. And…” The man looked puzzled as he spotted Lora.
“Lora Cane,” she filled in as she walked past him with a big smile on her face. “Don’t worry, I’m just the tagalong. No formalities for me.”
“Very well, Miss Lora Cane. I’m Brandon, and I will be taking care of you all this evening. Also, I don’t think Mr. Miller will mind that you have joined us. There is plenty of wine to go around, plus he loves having company.” He extended his arms, putting his attention on me. “Can I take your jacket?”
“Oh—yeah, sure.” I shrugged out of my leather jacket and handed it to him. He folded it over his arm and then turned to Lora, but she was already shrugging her way out of her jean jacket. She dumped it on his arm and continued her smile.
“Thanks,” she breathed. “Where is this wine you were speaking of?”
Brandon turned to hang the jackets on the coat rack in the corner. “Right this way.” He led the way down a wide-open corridor. The floors were made of dark hardwood, the ceiling so high you could jump on a trampoline in this place. There were brown beams in the ceiling and paintings on the walls, all of them splashed with colors and made up of random things like houses, planes, and boats. No family pictures, though.
“Lora,” Cane hissed as she met at his side. “Have some class, will you? You already aren’t supposed to be here.”
“Class?” Lora laughed. “What the hell is that?”
“I’m not kidding,” he mumbled.
“Neither am I. Never heard of it.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“Don’t encourage her,” Cane said in my ear.
I pressed my lips, but my smile couldn’t be contained. We finally made it to a foyer. A black piano was in the corner, right in front of a large bay window. There was a man at the keyboard playing a sweet, welcoming melody.
“Wow…this man went all out for this dinner, didn’t he?” Lora looked all around.
“I’m sure he isn’t the one who set this up,” Cane said, slightly agitated.
“What do you mean?”
“Cane!” A voice chimed to our right, and we all looked to find it. Of course it was Eden. And of course she looked very pretty. She wore a halter-top black dress that hugged every curve her body. Her hair was dark, straight, and sleek, and her makeup looked like it’d been done professionally. If she’d hired a butler and a pianist, I’m sure she’d hired a makeup artist too. She strutted toward us in her high heels, focused solely on Cane.
Cane stood where he was.
“I’m so glad you made it!” She was still chipper, still ignoring her other guests.
“Eden, you remember my fiancée Kandy.” Cane draped an arm around my shoulder.
“Of course how could I forget her fresh, youthful face?” Her smile was forced as she met my eyes and then extended her arm, offering a hand. “I didn’t get to formally introduce myself.”
“That’s okay,” I said evenly. “No formalities for me.”
Lora cracked up at that one. “Oh, boy.”
Eden looked from me to Lora, narrowing her eyes. “I’m sorry…who are you?”
“Oh, I’m Cane’s sister. I was informed the guy who owned this place was rich, and I didn’t know what I wanted for dinner, so I just tagged along. I’m certain there will be plenty of food.” Brandon walked around Eden with a tray of wine glasses, offering one to Lora. Saved by the butler.
“Thank you, Brandon,” Lora said.
Brandon offered one to Cane, me, and Eden, but Eden didn’t take one. I grabbed mine, but didn’t sip.
“Well, anyway,” Eden sighed. “Dinner will be right this way.” She turned and walked back down the hallway she came from. We followed after her, Cane’s hand dropping to grab mine. Eden’s walk had far more hip swaying than necessary—just another desperate attempt to grab attention.
“Damn, that bitch is desperate,” Lora snickered over her glass of wine. I grinned. I was glad Lora came. She lightened the mood, and had no filter whatsoever. I also could tell she’d already gotten under Eden’s skin.
Eden rounded a corner, and we were met with a large
dining table surrounded by six seats and topped with fresh, steaming food of all sorts. A man was standing in the corner with a cellphone pressed to his ear. He had brown skin and dark brown eyes, his head bald and a graying beard. He looked to be in his sixties.
“Dad, your guests are here.” Eden met up to him, and the man looked over his shoulder. He wrapped up his call and then turned to look at us with a warm smile.
“Mr. Cane!” he bellowed, raising his hands in the air. “I am so honored to have you here!”
“The pleasure is mine, Mr. Miller.” Cane released me to shake his hand.
“And I see you brought two lovely women with you,” he noted, looking between me and Lora. “Which one is the fiancée?”
“She is.” Cane gestured for me to come closer with a cock of his head. “Kandy, this is Gerald Miller. Gerald, Kandy.” Cane looked at Lora, who was sipping her wine. “That wild thing over there is my sister,” he teased.
“Whatever, dude.” Lora lowered her glass and shook Mr. Miller’s hand after he’d gripped mine.
“Well, I’m happy to have you all here. I’m sorry Mrs. Miller can’t join us tonight. She’s in Dallas, visiting her sister, but on the other hand, the food was just finished by my chef, who makes terrific soul food. Come on”—he lifted a hand toward the table—“Sit. Let’s eat.”
* * *
For the most part, dinner wasn’t too bad. Mr. Miller was a nice guy, but I did notice Eden trying to give Cane seductive eyes. She would cut her eyes at me, here and there, when she thought no one else would notice.
“Kandy?” Eden called. “Something wrong with the food?”
The Cane Series: Complete 4-Book Box Set Page 80