by M.J. Kane
I was so not about to explain that one, at least not yet. “It’s complicated.”
“Kaitlyn, if the man loves you, begged to have you back, and the breakup had nothing to do with him being unfaithful, you can work it out.” Yasmine stated. “I know that from experience.”
“Exactly,” Ebony agreed. “So you have options. Who do you want to be with? Luke or Antonio?”
I sat back in my chair. “It’s not just about me, guys. I have to think about what’s best for my daughter.”
Yasmine reached across the table and held my hand. “Kaitlyn, when it comes to her, your happiness is intertwined, inseparable.”
“Exactly. Just because Luke is the biological father doesn’t mean he’ll be a good father or husband. Look at how he treated you during the pregnancy and now,” Ebony added.
What they said made a lot of sense.
“And I’ll give it to him, Antonio threw me in the beginning because I didn’t know him. But one thing is for sure, that man has been there for you,” Yasmine pointed out. “Chloe isn’t his child, but he wants to claim her? Damn girl! I can’t tell you how many men out there don’t want to claim their kids. Sounds like a no brainer to me.”
If only it were that easy.
Chapter 38
“I’ve always loved coming here as a kid with my family. Dad made certain we spent time together at least once a month at the Pier. It’s a tradition that’s always stuck with me.” Luke said, as we strolled down the boardwalk.
It was a struggle listening to Luke’s tale of happiness.
Chloe slept peacefully in her stroller as he pushed. I glanced up. Happiness was written all over Luke’s face as if he’d found home with his family.
My attempt to feel the same failed miserably. There was too much on my mind.
“I know your childhood wasn’t happy,” he continued. “But there’s got to be at least one happy memory.” Luke glanced in my direction.
“Happy and the Rodgers family aren’t exactly synonymous with wonderful childhood memories.” I dug deep in my past. “The day my father brought home a puppy would be it.”
“That’s it? One day? God, Kaitlyn, that’s pathetic.”
I ignored him and focused on that day.
For months I had begged my father for a puppy. The answer was always “no”. My younger brother, Bailey Jr., on the other hand, got damn near everything he wanted. I loved my brother and he loved me. When he realized how unfair daddy treated me, he figured out how to help me get what I wanted. Bailey convinced daddy he wanted a puppy. It was a crazy idea because everyone knew he didn’t like dogs. But, sure enough, he asked and received. He suffered for a month taking care of the dog alone, a requirement of our father, before telling him he changed his mind. I assumed the responsibility. My father thought of it as an excuse to give me another chore. Little did he know he’d been played.
I learned a very valuable lesson, and over the years it came in handy.
Other times, it bit me in the ass.
“Everyone doesn’t have a family like yours, Luke.” We were from two different worlds even though we were from the same race.
“And that is why I think we should change things now. The past is the past. Only we will know what happened between us. Chloe is too young to remember. Once we get back together, it will be as if we were always together.”
I stopped walking. Was he serious? Did he actually expect me to fake amnesia about the past few months? To lie to our daughter one day? And who said I was on board with getting back together? Just because he put his wants out there and we were at the pier for his weekly visit didn’t mean my mind was made up.
Luke looked back once he realized I no longer walked beside him.
“So what happens when she asks to see the pictures from the day she was born? All she’ll see is me, her aunts, and Antonio.”
“He was there?” Luke didn’t look pleased with the revelation.
I nodded, not missing the subtle hint of irritation in his voice.
“Your boyfriend, if that’s what he was at the time, was there the night my daughter was born?”
As if he didn’t understand the first time. I nodded, watching his reaction. Apparently he never gave thought to the depth of my relationship with Antonio.
He studied me as if a new thought entered his mind. “Is he the father?”
I crossed my arms. “Did you actually ask me if Antonio is the father of your daughter who looks just like you?”
“Why else would he be around a single pregnant woman? What man in his right mind would date a woman pregnant with another man’s child? That’s sick.”
Rage filled me. I knew without a doubt my face was crimson. “Are you kiddin’ me right now? That ‘sick man’ saved my life and Chloe’s…twice in one night! If he hadn’t cared, Chloe would be dead, or even worse, we’d both be goners. Antonio was there when I needed a friend. He’s been there when Chloe needed a male figure in her life. Say whatever you need to make yourself feel good, but I promise if you ever refer to Antonio Rodriguez as bein’ sick because your selfish ass was too chicken-shit to be a man, I promise that will be the last day you ever see your daughter!” I snatched the stroller from his grasp and made my way back to the parking lot.
“Kaitlyn, come back here!”
I ignored his call as well as the startled expression of onlookers as he got left in my wake. Then I remembered; we rode with him. Chloe’s car seat and my purse were in his SUV.
Damn.
My pace slowed.
“I thought we moved past this,” he said, reaching out to stop me when he caught up.
My eyes focused on the hand resting on my arm. He moved it.
“No we haven’t. You don’t just get past the pain by havin’ a conversation, Luke. Livin’ alone, the illness, the stress…that wasn’t me bein’ a drama queen. I lived it! What did you do? Go to work? I’m sure at some point Nicole happily picked up where the two of you left off.” His eyes shifted away. “That’s what I thought. You screwed anythin’ that opened her legs with a clear conscience. You had no intention of trackin’ me down to convince me you were sorry, wanted me, or wanted our baby! I’m startin’ to believe your tale of wantin’ to apologize and show up with a ring was made up crap!” I pushed forward, anger in my chest. “God! And to think I got pregnant thinkin’ things would work out and you would be ready!”
Luke caught up at the front entrance of the Pier, grabbed my arm, and squeezed, forcing me to stop. “Hold on, you got pregnant…on purpose?” His eyes narrowed.
I snatched my arm away. “Yeah, Luke, I did. We talked about havin’ a family, made plans… You think I didn’t notice your head turning in Nicole’s direction at company picnics? I figured you needed motivation to get back on track, so yeah, I got pregnant on purpose. And instead of us moving forward with our lives, you pulled away!”
“You tried to trap me!” Luke stared at me in anger.
“And you lied to me!” I yelled.
“Is everything okay here?”
Our attention turned to see a uniformed police officer sitting on a bike, one hand on the butt of his weapon.
Luke let go of my arm. “Yes, officer,” he said through clenched teeth.
The officer stared at him before turning to me. “Miss, is everything okay?”
“No.” I glared at Luke. “I have a few items in his car I need to get so I can go home.”
Luke’s jaw clenched. “I can take you home.”
“I’m very capable of taking care of myself and my daughter. I used to wonder if I could do this without you. But I know now the answer is yes. I don’t want or need you.”
“You better not─”, Luke started.
“Sir, step away from the stroller.” The officer’s hand moved, pulling the handle of the weapon out of the holster. Chloe woke and began to cry. The officer threw the kickstand in place and rose from the bike. When Luke complied, he continu
ed. “Miss, you have items in his possession?”
“Yes, sir.”
The officer nodded at Luke. “Let’s go.”
Luke led the way in the parking lot while the officer walked beside me. At his car, Luke used his key fob to unlock the door. “Kaitlyn, there’s no need to do this.”
“Sir, I advise you to let the lady get her things. There is no more talking. Go home and calm down. Miss,” he turned to me, “Do you feel threatened in any way?”
“No, sir. We don’t live together. We had a heated argument. I just want to get my stuff.”
Luke glared, opened his mouth, then looked at the officer and shut it. He pulled Chloe’s seat from the back of his SUV and my purse from the trunk.
“Miss, I’ll radio a car to take you home.”
“Thank you, but I can call a cab.”
“It’s not a problem, ma’am.”
Luke stared at the officer’s back as he spoke into the radio on his shoulder. “We’re not done with this,” he muttered, keeping his voice low. He slammed his trunk and drove off.
Chapter 39
“Antonio, are you alright?”
I ran a hand across my brow and looked at my cousin. “Fernando, now I understand why your father always looked so tired. Running your own business isn’t easy.”
He laughed. “Are you complaining?”
“Hell no! Wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Now that renovations were complete, the grand re-opening was a week away. As with everything, last minute stuff always crept in and needed attention. But we were ready.
I hit the save button on my laptop. If Tio had implemented a lot of these changes months ago, maybe he would have had less stress to deal with.
“What are your plans for tonight?” I asked my cousin who plopped into the empty seat across from my desk.
“I’ve got a date.” He wagged his eyebrows.
My interest peaked. “Date? Things with Gina are working out?”
He smiled. “Sí. I can’t believe it, she’s perfect and…” he looked at me. “Sorry.”
“For what? We were cool, but some things aren’t meant to be; our relationship was one of them. She’s a good woman and if marriage and kids are what you’re after, she’s the one.” I laughed as his face blanched. “Wow, she didn’t waste time bringing it up, huh?”
“On our first date.”
I howled. “And you’re still there? How many months has it been?”
“Two.”
“Sounds like you’re invested. Though I have to say, it will be weird calling a woman I slept with family.” We both grimaced. “Forget I said that.”
“Noted. Anyway, how’s Kaity? Is everything all right? Normally, you’re out of here on the dot to go see her, but this week, nada.”
I sat back in my chair, rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Honestly, I don’t know. She’s the one, there’s no doubt about it. Now she has to decide if I’m the one for her.”
“That should be easy, pana. What’s the problem?” He settled back in his chair ready to lend a listening ear.
“Chloe’s biological father is back in the picture.”
“¡Aye Dios mio!”
“Tell me about it. I’ve got to step aside and let things take its course. I have a feeling he wants them back.” My chest tightened at the thought.
“And you’re going to let him win? ¡El esta loco!”
“That’s the last thing I want. It’s just…we were good up until a week ago when she took something I said the wrong way. Now she’s pissed and called things off. Add the fact Chloe’s father is in the picture and well…it’s hard to tell where I stand.”
Fernando whistled. “Have you met the guy?”
“Yeah, so have you. Remember Ramon and Javier’s lawyer?”
He sat up. “That guy? The lawyer?”
I nodded.
“Oh man, that sucks!” At that moment, the alarm on his phone chimed. He glanced down and shut it off. “Sorry, but I have to go. Gina doesn’t like it when I’m late.”
“So you set a timer?” I cracked up.
“Hey, have to keep my woman happy, right?” He got up from the chair and walked to the office door. “Hang in there. You’re a good man and Kaity knows it. You’ve done more for her in the last few months than he ever did. She’ll come around.”
“Gracias, Fernando. Go have a good time.”
He practically skipped out of the office. Fernando and Gina…who would have known? I hoped things did work out for them.
The time on my phone read 5:45 p.m. It was Monday, two days since I visited Kaitlyn. Normally, I would go home, shower, change, then grab something to eat and spend the evening with my girls, Tiffany included if she were there. Over the past few months I had watched her mature under her big sister’s wing. And Kaitlyn felt she wasn’t a good mother. She had no idea.
I resisted the urge to call. Waiting for her to make a decision about us wouldn’t be easy, but when it came to something you really wanted, patience was key. And I wanted Kaitlyn.
I made a final round of the shop, making sure all lifts were secure and the bay doors locked. The renovations had turned out better than I expected. Tio Alejandro would be proud.
My head dipped to my chest as I prayed, performed the sign of the cross, turned off the lights, and set the alarm. I was outside, locking the front door as an SUV pulled into the parking lot. Apparently the potential customer missed the big ‘grand re-opening soon’ banner.
“Hola,” I said, as the door of the expensive BMW truck opened. Judging from the body style, it couldn’t be more than three years old. What kind of salary did they have and why were they bringing it here instead of the BMW dealership? At least now we were equipped to work on it, depending on what the problem was.
Then the driver emerged; it was Luke.
“What are you doing here?” My instincts went on alert. We were alone, no witnesses. Anything could happen and it would be his word against mine.
I kept my distance.
Luke closed the door of his vehicle and leaned against it. His gaze left me and scanned the shop. “You did a good job with the place.” His attention came back to me. “I did a few ride-bys when representing your cousins. For the record, I feel their claims were bogus, but I had a job to do. No hard feelings.”
My head cocked to the side. “You didn’t come here to congratulate me on running my business.” My tone stayed even.
He nodded, conceding the point. “No, I came to talk about Kaitlyn and Chloe.”
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Our relationship is none of your business.”
“Actually, it is. I understand you’ve been in her life since before Chloe was born.”
I gritted my teeth. “Again, none of your business.”
He held up a finger. “Hold on, I’ve got a point and I’m getting to it.” He crossed his legs, appearing to get comfortable as if this were going to be a long conversation.
“Who made the first move, you or her?”
I took a deep breath, my fists balling automatically. “Look, man, I don’t know what kind of game you’re trying to play, but…,” I put up my hands, and walked towards my truck.
“Think about it, think really hard,” he said from behind me.
Something in his tone made me stop. I peered over my shoulder. “What are you getting at?”
“Here’s my point,” he stood up from his truck, uncrossed his arms. “She’s playing you.”
My eyebrows scrunched, I faced him. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact she’s been in your face pretending to be the helpless single mom since the day you met. For whatever reason I will never understand, you decided to make caring for her and my unborn child your priority. No doubt she fed you some bullshit string of lies about me being no good and whatever other sob story. Truth of the matter is she played you, got yo
u to be a sucker to fill my shoes.”
My fingers clenched so tight they felt as if the skin would pop. Every fiber in my being wanted to sucker punch the guy dead in his grill.
“Before you try and get all macho understand I’m not making this up. She just told me she got pregnant with the intention of trapping me into marrying her.”
My fist uncurled. “What did you say?”
“I said, she set me up. We were having issues in our relationship. Kaitlyn decided to speed up the plans we made by getting pregnant. She figured having a baby would keep us together. For as long as we’d been together, she used birth control. Somewhere along the line she stopped taking it. You know what they say about hindsight? Since she told me what she did, I thought about it. Kaitlyn told me she stopped taking the pill because it was making her ill. She suggested we stick with condoms. We did, but I’m willing to bet she poked holes in them so she’d get pregnant. I’ll admit the timing of it all scared the hell out of me, but the point is she knew what she wanted, a baby and me. Her plan backfired and in the end I’m the one looking like a jackass while she looks innocent. Kaitlyn is not innocent.” He eyed me for a moment. “If you’re sleeping with her, I’m sure at some point condoms have come into play. Think about it.”
I stood dumbfounded, processing the information.
Luke chuckled. “By that look on your face, I must be right. Hope it’s not too late for you, brother.”
He climbed into his car, drove off, leaving me standing there like an idiot.
And what was even worse…I believed him.
Chapter 40
My knuckles were bone white the entire drive to Kaitlyn’s house.
Every part of me prayed it was a lie, yet the more I thought about our previous conversations and the fight we had the night she left, the more it made sense.
One word replayed like a broken record in my mind: condoms.
The argument started because I insisted on using them. She said she was on birth control and because neither of us had health issues, we didn’t need them. She didn’t appreciate my concern about her wellbeing. She was more concerned about whether or not I would have children with her.