I followed behind him as he led me to the second-story and then to end of the hall where his bedroom was. Veering right into his room, I went straight to his bed and removed the sheets and comforter. “Do you have another pair of pajama’s to put on?”
He nodded but said nothing.
“Why don’t you grab them and go get washed off. I’ll have your bed fixed by the time you get back.”
Again, he nodded.
Turning, he crossed the room and pulled open a dresser drawer. After rummaging through it for a minute, he pulled out clothing identical to the ones he already wore. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You like Spider-Man, yeah?”
His face lit up at my question. “Yeah, he’s the coolest. My brother likes Batman, but he’s an idiot, so that’s no surprise.”
That got a real genuine laugh from me as I bent down and rolled the soiled bedding into a ball. “I don’t have a brother, but my sister was obsessed with Finding Nemo. Watched it every day.”
Declan smiled. “My sister watches that too. Well, sort of. She watches Dory mostly.”
Dory had been Lily’s favorite character.
The knife in my heart twisted as the memory assaulted me.
“I’m going to go change,” Declan said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Will you be here when I get back?”
I nodded. “Soon as I run these down to the laundry room, I’ll be back to put fresh sheets on your bed.”
“K.” Declan turned and stepped into what I assumed was his bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Picking up the bedding, I jogged down the hall, descended the stairs, and hustled past the kitchen and into the laundry room. Once there, I loaded the dirty laundry into the fancy ass front loader that had more buttons than I had brain cells, added the detergent, and hit the ON button.
Then, I turned my ass around and went right back upstairs.
Luckily for me, I found extra sheets and blankets in the hall closet right outside of Declan’s room. After grabbing a set of white sheets and a dark blue comforter, I went back into his room and made his bed.
I’d just finished putting the comforter on when my new little buddy walked into the room.
“Alright, dude, you ready to go back to sleep?”
After sending a smile my way, he jumped onto the bed and burrowed under the blanket before I could blink. “Hey, Kyle,” he said. “You’re a firefighter, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Can I come see you at work?”
There was no hesitation on my part. “Heck yeah.” Did I just say heck? “Hendrix and I can take you for a spin in the ladder truck.”
Eyes wide, his face lit right the hell up. “Really?”
“Absolutely.”
The smile he wore grew. “I like you, Kyle.”
A warmth—one similar to the one I felt when my girl was near—spread through my chest. “I like you too.”
“Hey, Kyle.”
“Yeah, dude.”
“Can you hug Carissa for me? I didn’t get to hug her earlier even though I wanted too.”
Reaching down, I ruffled his hair. “I’ll do you one better. How about you come downstairs in a few hours and hug her yourself?”
“Yeah!” He slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, didn’t mean to yell.”
Kid was funny as hell. “Go back to sleep.”
His eyes slid closed. “K. Night, Kyle.”
“Night, Buddy.”
Leaning to the side, I turned off the lamp that sat on the nightstand next to his bed.
My last thought as I walked out of his room? I just found Hendrix’s replacement.
* * *
Carissa
I couldn’t stop crying.
Standing in the center of Brantley and Clara’s kitchen, I held Maddie’s phone in my hand, staring down at the prettiest baby I’d ever seen. Granted I could barely see her through the sheen of tears that covered my eyes, but she was still the most beautiful little girl I’d ever laid eyes on.
Well, besides Bella, Melody, Maci, and Gracie, of course.
“Oh God,” I said, continuing to blubber like a fool. “What’s her name?”
Maddie, who’d shown up an hour earlier to take the next babysitting shift, smiled at me. “Olivia Marie. Isn’t that pretty?”
I nodded, tears clogging my throat. “It’s beautiful… just like her.”
A sob jerked my entire body, and Maddie looked at me with concern. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, shifting my weight between my feet. “Fine. Just tell me how Clara is doing.”
“Good, considering the circumstances. The doctors told Brantley if he hadn’t reacted so quickly, she and Olivia both could have died.”
My heart clenched at the thought. “What happened? I mean, what was the cause?”
“Partial placental abruption, just like the EMT’s suspected.”
“Did they do a C-section?”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah. They put Clara under general anesthesia since it was an emergency, and they wouldn’t allow Brantley in there. He didn’t get to see Olivia until she was in NICU and even then he wasn’t allowed to touch her.” She frowned. “Clara still hasn’t seen her. Breaks my heart to even think about it.”
I can’t even imagine…
“But they’ll be okay, right? Clara and the baby?”
She blew out a breath. “Clara will be fine, but it’ll be touch and go with Olivia for a while since she’s so early. The neonatologist said she was strong though, so I’m hopeful.”
“Of course she’s strong,” I replied, my voice harsher sounding than I intended. “She’s Clara’s daughter. I’m surprised she didn’t side eye the doctor the moment she was born.”
Tossing her head back, Maddie laughed. Hard.
“I’m serious!” I exclaimed, laughing through the tears. “Clara is sweet as can be, but Jesus she scares me sometimes. I mean, you saw her when Evan ate her taco at work a few weeks ago. I thought she would claw his eyeballs out. The other security guys couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”
Tears ran down Maddie’s face. “She’s a nut. I can’t believe how much she’s grown over the last few years.”
“Me either.”
Gaining control of herself, Maddie wiped the tears running down her cheeks with the back of her hands. I did the same. “So,” she said, looking me in the eyes. “I have something I need to ask you.”
Handing her back her phone, I tilted my head to the side and smiled. “Then ask.”
“Alright”—her grin grew, spreading across her face until I thought it would split—“how late are you?”
Confusion set in. “Late for what?”
Maddie quirked a brow. “Your period.”
I froze. “What in the world are you talking about?”
Leaning back against the countertop, she slid her hands into the front pockets of her shorts. “Your boobs look bigger, you’re more emotional than usual, and you’ve been dragging butt at work. Carissa—” she paused “—you know I love you like a little sister, so don’t lie.” Another pause. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”
I swallowed. “I don’t know,” I whispered, anxiety churning in my belly. “I’m late but—”
“How late?”
“A week.”
Without saying a word, Maddie pushed away from the counter and walked into the connecting living room. After grabbing her purse off the sofa, she dug through the contents and pulled a purple item out. Walking back into the kitchen, she lifted my hand, and placed the object in my palm.
That object? A pregnancy test.
A myriad of emotions swamped me, but instead of focusing on a single one, I narrowed my eyes and bounced my gaze back to Maddie. “Why do you have a pregnancy test in your purse?”
She rocked back on her heels and slid her hands back into her pockets. “Because I bought a two pack and I only needed one.”
“Oh,” I replied, not catching onto what she was saying righ
t away.
Wait a minute.
My eyes bulged. “You used one?”
She nodded.
“And?”
“And I’m pregnant.”
I couldn’t bite back the scream that tore from my throat. Jumping up and down, I threw my arms around her neck. “Oh God, Maddie!” I cried again. “I’m so happy for you!”
Wrapping her arms around my lower back, she squeezed me tight. “Thank you, sweet girl.” Releasing me, she took a step back, and pointed toward the first-floor bathroom. “Now go pee on the stick.”
“I will. I just—”
I snapped my mouth shut when the backdoor swung open and Kyle, who carried a giggling Melody stepped inside. Hendrix, who held a sleeping Maci in his arms followed. Needing to hide the test before Kyle saw it, I pulled a Grandmama and shoved it down my shirt, tucking it into one of my bra cups.
She’d be so proud…
“Where is Liam, Declan and Bella?” Maddie asked, her brows climbing her forehead.
“Boys are playing basketball and Bella Boo fell asleep in Clara’s hammock,” Hendrix answered. Lifting his chin in the air, he continued. “What was all that yelling about?”
One thing about me, I’d never been able to lie well; nor did I have the gift of masking my feelings. All Hendrix would have to do is look at my face and he’d know we were hiding something. Therefore, I turned, placed my hands on the kitchen counter, giving the guys my back.
“Nothing,” Maddie replied, cool as a cucumber. “We were just talking about lunch and C got excited.” She winked my way before crossing the kitchen and pulling open the fridge. After peering at the contents for a minute, she reached inside and pulled out a round plate. Letting the door close on its own, she turned back around. “Jackpot!” Holding the plate up for everyone to see, she beamed. “Who wants pie?”
For a moment, silence fell over the room.
Then, chaos erupted.
I made a choking sound.
Kyle laughed harder than I’d ever heard him.
And Hendrix? He looked from Kyle to me before snarling. “Fudge you both.”
It was a day I knew I’d remember for a long time to come.
Thirty-Nine
Carissa
Two Weeks Later
It was a Friday.
Half passed six in the evening, I stood at the front of Toluca City Mall, waiting for Heidi to appear. Ashley was supposed to be dropping her off, but I hadn’t seen either yet, and neither were answering their phones.
To say I worried was an understatement.
“Come on, Bug,” I said, craning my neck as I looked around the parking lot in search of Ashley’s car. When I didn’t see it anywhere, I huffed out a breath, brushing a stray lock of hair back from my face. “Dang it… where is she?”
As soon as the last word left my lips, Heidi appeared.
Nervous energy rolled through me as I watched her approach, step by step, until she reached me. Hearing aids in place, she placed her hands on her hips, and faux glared at me. “Well,” she said, “I haven’t seen you in three days, Carissa Ann. Doesn’t that entitle me to a hug at least?”
Without hesitating, I wrapped my arms around her neck, squeezing her tight. “I missed you.” My voice cracked on the last word. “So much.”
Heidi pulled back, a perplexed look on her face. “What’s wrong?” Her features hardened the slightest bit. “Did Kyle do something? If he did, I will beat the brakes—”
“He didn’t do anything,” I said, interrupting her tirade before it could get started. “Well, I mean, I guess he did something, but not the way you’re thinking.”
Confusion flashed in her eyes. “Pardon?”
Wringing my hands in front of me, I rocked back on my heels. “I need to tell you something.”
“Okay”—she waved her hand in a hurry up gesture—“so tell me.”
My chin wobbled. “You’re going to be an Aunt, Heidi Bug.”
Her face blanked.
“Kyle and me”—a lump formed in my throat—“we’re going to have a sweet little baby, and I’ll need you—”
“You’re pregnant?”
I nodded.
“You’re really pregnant?”
I giggled before nodding my head again. “I am.”
“I’m going to be an Aunt?”
“You are.”
Silence.
Then, “Oh my God!” Lunging into me, Heidi wrapped her arms around me and squeezed so hard I could barely breathe. “Oh my God!” she shirked again. “A baby!”
Tears of what I could tell were pure happiness slid down her cheeks and splattered onto my shoulders, wetting my dress. Not that I cared. Seeing her that excited was enough to put me over the moon.
“You’re happy?” I asked, unable to stop the tears that poured from my eyes too.
Dropping her arms from around me, she took a step back. Eyes wide, she looked at me like I was nuts. “Happy? Heck no, I’m ecstatic! Does the Hulk know yet?”
I shook my head. “No, that’s why I asked you to meet me here.” Taking a breath, I hooked my thumb and pointed over my shoulder to the mall entrance. “I want to do something more than just telling him I’m pregnant. As silly as it may be, I want it to be extra special. For that, I need your help.”
If possible, Heidi’s face lit up even further.
“Say no more.” Grabbing my hand, she laced our fingers together. “I’ve got this.”
Happier than I’d seen her in a long time, Heidi dragged me into the mall.
“Where are we going?”
“First on the list is Jake’s Tee’s. They make custom shirts.”
“First?” I squeaked. “How many places are we going?”
She looked over at me and shrugged. “A couple.”
Turns out, Heidi’s definition of a couple was five.
* * *
It was almost nine when Bug and I left the mall.
How in the world we’d spent so long inside, I didn’t have the slightest clue. I could’ve sworn it had only been thirty minutes, but between putting together a pregnancy reveal bag for me to give Kyle, and then getting lost in the Baby Superstore, time had gotten away from both of us.
I hadn’t intended to stay inside until after the sun set—Lord knows I hated dark parking lots—but at least I had Heidi with me. Though she wasn’t as big or strong as Kyle, having her by my side still made me feel safer.
If someone messed with either of us, she would pull out the small can of pepper spray she kept on her keychain and go to town on the perp; which would be hilarious.
“I hate dark parking lots.”
Despite the moon being full, and the lot not as dark as usual, I still didn’t like it.
I tightened my arm around Heidi’s as I looked around the desolate lot.
I swear everyone in Toluca was in bed by eight o’clock every night.
It was ridiculous.
“I always feel like someone is watching me,” I continued. “Especially at the fire station. The woods around it scare me to death.”
Heidi snorted. “You mean the woods where the gorillas live?”
I smacked the back of her hand. “That’s not funny, hussy.”
“Whatever you say, Grandmama.”
I got a giggle out of that. “I can only hope I’m as fashionable as Grandmama when I’m her age.”
“Speaking of the Crazy Old Biddy,” she said, continuing to use her voice. “Have you heard what people are calling her and Dottie?”
I shook my head, waiting for her to continue.
“Thelma and Louise.”
Laughter bubbled into my throat. “Oh my God…” Holding Kyle’s reveal bag tight, I untwined my arm from Heidi’s and skipped a few feet forward, spinning around so we faced one another as I walked backward. “Just wait until I tell my Hulk that. He is going to—”
I snapped my mouth shut when Heidi’s eyes bulged.
Before I could stop my backward momentum and
spin around to see who—or what—had caused such a reaction, my back slammed into something, knocking Kyle’s bag, along with my purse and keys from my hand.
Heart pounding, I attempted to spin around but was stopped short when two long arms wrapped around me from behind. The first acted as a vine around my belly—the place where my sweet baby grew—while the second served as an anchor around my chest.
The stench of cigarettes and body odor assaulted my nose.
I nearly gagged.
Chest heaving, I racked my brain for an escape plan as I warred with myself to remain calm. Though I wanted nothing more than to fight my way out the of the hold I was in, I couldn’t do that. If the person only wanted to rob me, they could have whatever they wanted. I wouldn’t fight them over my purse when it could endanger the life of the child I carried inside me.
“What do you want?”
My voice didn’t shake despite the fear strumming through my veins.
“What I want, Princess—” the person speaking paused “—is you.”
My stomach dropped to my feet and the fear inhabiting every cell in my body morphed into horror. “Oh God,” I cried, barely able to breathe. “Carson…”
“That’s right, baby,” he whispered, nuzzling his nose against my throat. “You didn’t think I’d let you go that easy, did you?”
Keys in hand, Heidi took a step forward.
Knowing what she was thinking of doing, I shook my head. “Heidi, don’t.”
“Yeah, Heidi…” Carson removed the arm wrapped around my belly, flicked open a switchblade and pointed it in her direction. “Don’t.”
My legs trembled. “What do you want, Carson?”
He chuckled before once again nuzzling my neck. “You, Carissa… only you.”
“You can’t have her,” Heidi barked, stepping forward, despite the warning she’d been handed. “She’s not yours.”
Carson chuckled. “Oh, but she is.”
“Not if Kyle Tucker has anything to say about.”
It was the worst—and I mean worst—thing she could’ve said.
I gasped when Carson pressed the sharp blade against my belly. “That,” he hissed, “is something I plan to take care of.”
Every Time We Touch: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 5) Page 31