by Vivian Arend
Katy Thompson was pregnant, and he was going to be a father.
The ice and cold outside had nothing on the icy fear threatening to wrap itself around his heart.
7
Katy debated long and hard before making the call, but it had to be done. She did make sure Janey didn’t know the details. Last thing she needed in the room with her while talking to Simon was a lit bomb with a short fuse.
It had snowed overnight, and outside a clean layer of the white stuff covered everything. Her car, the walkway, the long driveway leading back to the main road. Normally she would have pulled on her coat and scarf and been out there already, the fresh air and rising sunshine refreshing her. Her stomach, however, still demanded she do nothing more than sit by the window with a cup of tea.
This morning she would talk to Simon. This evening at their weekly family dinner, she’d face her brothers.
It was like some nightmare she couldn’t quite wake up from. The only thing keeping her from flipping out completely was the knowledge she had a roof over her head for the long run. The house was hers, lock, stock and barrel, an inheritance from her mom, along with enough money to make being a single mom bearable until the kid was in school and she could work more full-time hours.
And… It wasn’t right, but the other thing grounding her? The expression in Gage’s eyes the other day—
So serious. So determined and solid in spite of his surprise about the baby.
What if he was simply trying to rescue her out of gratitude for the way he’d been accepted into her family? Something inside her wanted to say So what? Everything she knew about Gage said he was a good man, and if he wanted to throw in his lot with her and a baby for the next sixteen-plus years, she’d be crazy to turn him down. No matter how wrong it was to take advantage of his offer.
But first there was the issue of Simon.
Outside, a large truck with an attached snow blade was doing loops down her driveway. One of her brothers was taking care of the chore like usual, and she had to smile. They were good to her.
They were all going to freak tonight when she told them about the baby. But they’d freak, and then they’d buckle down and be there for her. Like always.
The doorbell rang, and she realized she’d been daydreaming in the sunshine. Time to face the music.
Simon beamed as she opened the door. “Hey, sugar. You’re looking better. Beat that flu bug finally?”
“Sort of.” She stepped back to let him enter, sidestepping his embrace. “Thanks for coming over.”
“No prob.” His smile tightened as Katy continued to evade his moves into her personal space. He finally gave up and turned to the living room, making himself comfortable on the couch. “I was glad to hear from you. I’ve missed you a ton. It’s been hell since your accident.”
He was telling her.
“There have been lots of changes lately. The accident, and a few other things have started to develop.” There. That was a nice hint of foreshadowing. She was about to dive in when her phone rang—her dad. “Sorry, have to get this.”
Simon waved her off, and she stepped into the kitchen to find some privacy.
“Hi, Dad.”
“Don’t you ‘Hi Dad’ me, little girl.”
Shoot. Katy’s tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Did he already know? “What?” she asked cautiously.
“You trying to pull a fast one on your old man, or what?”
Her amusement came out a little shaky. “Me pull something on you? You’ve mistaken me for one of the boys.”
Keith Thompson barked out a laugh before getting to his point. “Hey, don’t bother bringing anything for dinner tonight. It’s all covered.”
“Really?”
“Gage is back in town.”
Yes, he was, but that didn’t answer her question. “And this means dinner is set because…?”
“He called me.”
Oh. Shit. “Really.”
“You thought you could keep that a secret, didn’t you? Nope—he called to say hello, and let me know he plans on being around more often. Good man, that one. Turned out well.”
She wondered if her dad would change his opinion and whip out the clamps and tire irons once he heard the rest of the supposed story. “Dinner…?” she hinted.
“Right. He’s bringing Chinese food. Him and Clay. Don’t be late, or I won’t be able to hold back the ravaging hordes otherwise known as your brothers.”
Maybe full stomachs would make the news easier to hear. “I’ll be there.”
Well. That was going to add some excitement to the evening. Gage wanted to be there when she announced her pregnancy? She wasn’t sure what she thought about that yet.
But first to deal with the issue of Simon.
Katy pushed through the door to the living room to find her self-declared boyfriend was no longer on the couch. She peeked around more thoroughly to discover his boots were gone, along with the coat he’d hung by the door. “Simon?”
She stepped up to the front window just in time to see his truck vanish down the driveway.
What the heck was that about?
Katy wavered between dismay and happiness that he was gone. She still hadn’t told him about the baby, which only dragged things out even more. Postponing the madness wasn’t the way to go.
That’s when she noticed the papers she’d piled neatly on the coffee table were now scattered over the surface. The ones she’d printed out regarding what to expect during pregnancy, and her calculations on when the baby might arrive based on possible conception dates.
There were a lot of question marks on the pages, but Simon’s name was clear enough.
Well, there was a part of her answer. He’d seen the information, put two and two together, and his first response was to run for the hills? Better to know now than later.
She leaned on the wall and practiced breathing out her frustration in time with the slow, steady scrapes of the shovel outside her door. Whoever had been clearing her driveway had switched to the front path and stairs, and the even rasps were strangely calming.
Eventually the noises stopped, and the doorbell rang. Katy expected to see one of her brothers, although they usually stormed in, no matter how often she asked them to knock. Instead it was Gage who leaned on the shovel he’d just finished using on the front stairs. Somehow he still managed to look all dangerous and sexy even considering the pink plastic handle.
He grinned. “Morning.”
Katy glanced past him at the walkways. “Morning. You’ve been busy.”
“No use in letting it pile up.” He cleared his throat. “Can I come in?”
She opened the door and let him pass. “I hear you’re joining us for dinner tonight.”
He paused in the middle of unzipping his coat, guilty expression on full. “I was going to tell you that.”
Katy fluttered her lashes at him in an exaggerated manner. “You fail at understanding the gossip chain. Dad must have called me within ten minutes of your offer.”
He waited until he was facing her square on. “You’re going to tell them tonight, aren’t you?”
All her amusement slipped away. “Yes, and it would have been tough enough without having you there.”
He shook his head. “It would be tougher to tell them without me. I’m involved, Katy, one hundred percent. You don’t have to do this alone. None of it.”
His words made something inside her gut ache, in a good way this time. “My dad was right—you’re a good man, Gage Jenick. A good man with a death wish, but still.”
He’d toed off his boots and followed her into the living area. “It’s not going to be easy, but I don’t think the guys will outright kill me. Put me in traction, maybe.”
They settled across from each other, his gaze staying firmly on her face. Katy ignored him best she could as she gathered the papers strewn on the table.
The silence stretched on for far too long.
“So…” Gage broke off t
hen cleared his throat. “I hate that there’s this wall between us. I’m not going to walk on eggshells anymore, so if I step over a line, tell me to go to hell, okay? We can stop this stupid awkwardness and be honest with each other.”
“Fine by me.” Katy leaned back and waited for whatever bomb he wanted to drop this time.
“What did Simon say?” Gage blurted out.
“Ha, is this why you gave me the honesty spiel? You spotted him leaving.” Katy loosened her fingers from where she’d unintentionally clutched her thighs. “I think he’s a little surprised and needs time to mull it over.”
Gage glowered. “You’re not sure?”
She pulled a face. “He kind of left as soon as he found out.”
That made Gage pause, and he shifted positions uncomfortably. “Okay, moving forward then. While I hate the idea of involving him at all, what are your plans for the future?”
“In terms of…?” Katy wasn’t sure what he was asking. “I’m keeping the baby, if that’s what you mean.”
He shook his head. “I meant in terms of Simon and me. I told you where I stand. I want to be there for you. If the baby is ours then it’s far simpler than if Simon is the dad.”
Katy sighed. “Simon doesn’t seem very interested in being a dad, but I suppose I need to give him time. Not everyone is rah-rah, baby, baby! instantly.” Not even her, although she’d already come to love the kid in a surprisingly short amount of time.
“I looked online. There are tests we can do to find out which of us is the father.” Gage’s eyes were like magnets, trapping her under his gaze.
Of all the conversations she never expected to have. “I checked as well, but that’s another issue I’m flipping back and forth on like a flag in a high wind.”
“It would answer the question once and for all,” Gage offered.
“It would, and with everything else I have no memory of, or control over, a solid answer would be nice…” A shudder shook her. “And then I start thinking about all the testing I went through after the accident, and I’m just so damn tired of being a pin cushion. One minute the peace of mind from knowing is worth it. The next, the risk involved for the baby, no matter how small, is too much to chance.”
Across from her, Gage leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. “You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to decide now, but—God, I can’t believe I’m saying this—I’d prefer you to wait.”
“Really?”
He sighed, long and hard, before nodding. “Katy, I’ve said it before that I’m ninety-nine percent sure this baby is ours. Waiting for confirmation will suck, but why do anything even remotely dangerous when waiting a little longer gives a safe answer? We can do the test after the kid is born.”
“If we do that, nothing will be settled for sure until June,” she warned.
“I can live with that.”
Katy leaned back, examining her gut response to the idea now that there’d been another opinion voiced. Under the circumstances, it was her decision alone, but knowing that Gage wasn’t pushing for an immediate answer made her butterflies of indecision settle. “Then we’ll wait.”
He didn’t leap up and cheer or anything, but she could tell he was pleased. Having made a solid decision regarding the testing gave her a strange kind of peace.
She’d still have months of uncertainty, but it felt like the right thing to do. And with the way Simon had taken off like a shot, there might be a chance he wasn’t going to be around at all.
“And until then…?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Until then life goes on as usual. I try to get over this stupid amnesia as it relates to numbers so I can go back to working at the garage. I take it you’ll be starting up at the shop?”
Gage frowned. “I meant what about us?”
Oh boy.
“I…” He wanted honesty. Katy lifted her eyes to meet his square on. “I like you, Gage. Part of me really hopes what you’re saying is true because I’ve wanted to get involved with you for a long time. Of course, that means if we did fool around and I’ve forgotten, I’m doubly pissed off, because I’d been waiting forever, and it’s just wrong to have lost those memories.”
His smile had widened, the sexy one that melted her butter faster than it should. “Trust me, I can hardly wait to make some new ones.”
Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. She held up a hand as if to ward him off. “But we can’t. Not yet.”
Confusion crowded his expression. “If you want to be with me, and I want to be with you, then why aren’t we getting together, Katy? Why aren’t we facing the future, and your pregnancy, as partners the way we should?”
A wave of sadness and frustration rolled over her leaving her exhausted. “What if Simon is the dad?”
Gage all but growled. “First, I’m damn positive he’s not, but more importantly, you don’t want to be with him. You don’t have to be with him just because he said you’d made up.”
“And you said we fooled around, but I. Don’t. Remember.” Katy’s voice rose higher as she spoke. She shot to her feet, her hands wrapped around a throw pillow that had been passed down from her Gramma, its fine decorative needlework spelling out Bless This House. She squeezed the fabric as she paced the room. “Give me a break. I admitted that I’ve always liked you, Gage, but as far as I know we’ve never even kissed. How on earth can I simply go ‘hey, okay’ and dive headfirst into a long-term relationship with you? None of it makes sense, and not being sure is frustrating me more and more.”
Anger boiled over, and she whipped the pillow from her hands. It spun across the room, narrowly missing a table lamp. Katy pressed her fists against her temples as she fought to settle down.
Stupid hormones. Or maybe the “new Katy” had triggered her over-the-top response. The one with far too much vinegar in her blood.
Gage hadn’t taken his gaze off her. Probably worried she’d flipped out, and might turn on him next, and do crazy things. She dragged a hand over the short mess of hair that had regrown and let out a frustrated grumble.
Gage was on his feet in an instant, gently rubbing her upper arms as he made soothing noises. He pulled her against his chest, and it wasn’t sexual, just comfort and understanding.
Katy twisted her face to the side, slipped her arms around him and accepted his hug. Let the warmth of the embrace twine around them. Let the smooth repetitive touch of his hands down her back relax away the tension. She stood there in his arms for a good five minutes before all the frustration and fire had eased off enough that she could finally take a deep breath.
Gage squeezed her a little tighter. “I’m here for you. Like this, if nothing more. My commitment has no agendas, no deadlines. Just one moment after another until we make it through.”
Under her cheek his heart pumped out a smooth, even tempo, and Katy clung tight. To the firm support of his body and gentle touch of his hands. While she’d wanted him for a long time in some half-dreamed-of sexual-fantasy world, right now things were still so unsettled. Visions of Simon walking away, and the unknown reactions of her family during the evening ahead loomed over her…
It was nice to have one solid place to stand. One solid individual she could lean against who helped stop the spinning, even for a moment.
She stepped away from him reluctantly. As nice as it was to have his support, she wanted one thing clear. “Dinner.”
“You have any requests other than your usual pineapple chicken balls?”
It should have been a good sign that her stomach didn’t do a roller-coaster trip at the suggestion of greasy food. “Other than that. Promise me you’ll let me tell them myself.”
He scowled.
Oh, hell no. This was not up for debate. “I will tell them that you’ve been nothing but supportive. Just let me do it my way, okay, Gage? They’re my family.”
Disagreement hovered—she saw it in his eyes.
Such expressive eyes he had. She’d never noticed quite as much before as in the past couple day
s. Everything he felt was right there. No secrets for Gage. His emotions were worn on his sleeve.
But he finally nodded. Gathered his coat and headed out the door, and this time as she watched yet another truck depart down the snowy drive, it was with a faint sense of hope.
8
Gage wondered what his chances were of making it through the evening without at least a black eye.
There were seven of them gathered tonight. Katy and himself. Mr. Thompson. The four boys started with Clay and rolled on down through Mitch, Len and Troy. Six years separated oldest from youngest, and all of them except Katy were over six feet.
They worked together. Played together, and basically tormented the hell out of each other like any true family. And they protected their own with a vengeance.
His getting Katy pregnant was not going to go over well.
Len nabbed a third helping from one of the takeout containers scattered over the table. “Even after I checked it thoroughly, Tanya Lynn insisted there was something ‘funny’ with her engine. I think it was a ploy to get Troy to take her for a test drive.”
“Did you take her for a test drive?” Clay taunted his youngest brother. “I thought you’d done that a few times last month already.”
“Fuck off.” Troy didn’t even blink. “You don’t seem to mind dealing with the repeat business of checking Carrie Taylor’s nearly brand-new Yukon.”
“She rides it hard,” Clay offered as an excuse.
“That’s what I hear.”
Gage laughed along with the rest of them. “You seeing Carrie Taylor, Clay? That’s new since I’ve been gone.”
Clay shrugged. “She’s alright.”
Troy directed a smirk at Mitch, obviously hoping to get attention off himself and onto someone else in the room. “Saw you got pulled over by Anna Coleman. Trying to set a new record for speeding tickets?”
Mitch leaned back, no denial on his face. “Not my fault she likes her men fast.”
Mr. Thompson cut in. “Enough about your love lives. Lord, I’d swear you were all a bunch of old women the way you go on at times. Gage, I want to know what you’ve got planned for the next while now that you got the travel bug out of your system. You sticking around Rocky more permanently, or did you like it up north?”