Chapter 24
Desiree and her collie Sam greeted them at the door. As Angie had predicted, Andy was nowhere in sight.
Desiree led them back to the living room where the fire was burning brightly and a tray sat on the coffee table. Just tea. No snacks. Sam surveyed the tray as if to confirm that before trotting over to his bed by the fire and flopping down.
“I made herbal tea, Brit,” she said. “It’ll settle your stomach.”
“How’d you know it needs settling?”
“Because Angie said you had an issue that I was uniquely qualified to help you with. Since you’re of child-bearing age, that’s likely the heart of the matter. And upset tummies are a given in those situations.”
“Good deduction.”
Reaching for a pot of honey with three sticks protruding from the top, Desiree handed it to her. “Twirl one of those little sticks around and the grooved spool at the end will gather up the honey. Put it in your cup and then I’ll pour the tea. Honey’s soothing, too.”
“Thank you. I feel better already.” It wasn’t exactly true, but she wanted it to be. Desiree was so kind to see her tonight, when surely she’d rather be hanging out with Andy.
After everyone had their honey-laced tea, Desiree took a seat in the armchair to the right of the sofa. Motioning to the sofa, Angie sat down and Brit settled in beside her.
“Sam and I went for a walk before you came.” Desiree beamed at Angie. “What a spectacular job on the bandstand and dance floor!”
“It looks amazing.” Brit cradled the tea on her lap. “I was dazzled when we drove in.”
“It looks good, if I do say so myself.” Taking a sip of tea, Angie leaned back against the cushions.
Brit did not. Instead she took a gulp of tea. The warm, sweet liquid did calm her slightly.
“Sam and I walked around on it and it’s solid as a rock. Will you really be able to disassemble it and put it back together for the next shindig?”
“Yes, ma’am. We made a diagram and marked everything as we went.”
“Looks like we’ll be having some fun parties this summer.” Desiree took a sip of her tea before focusing on Brit. “Alrighty, then. Tell me what’s going on.”
The teacup rattled on the saucer so she set it down on the coffee table. She had flashbacks of giving reports in school as she dragged in a breath.
Sticking to the significant details, she touched on the impulsive night with Trent, the discovery that he wouldn’t marry again, his disappointment at not having kids, and her suggestion they co-parent while maintaining separate lives.
She managed to get through it without hyperventilating. When she finished, her heart was pounding and her cheeks were on fire. “Angie said you would believe me when I say this next part.”
“Then I probably will.”
“I’m absolutely sure I got pregnant this morning.”
Desiree didn’t gasp or even blink. “I do believe you, although you may have set a record for efficiency in that department.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Which had put her in an awkward spot with Trent.
“Technically medical science doesn’t consider you pregnant yet, but for all intents and purposes, you are. Who knows besides Dallas and Angie?”
“My mom. And Trent wants to tell his parents about our… arrangement. That way when it’s official they won’t think it was an accident. But he’s not sure how much to say.”
“I suggest he tell Harry and Vanessa exactly what you just told me.”
“But will they believe it?”
Desiree smiled. “Think about it. They named their children after the city where they were conceived.”
“But they could have figured that out after the fact.”
“Maybe, but in every case but Trent’s they went to a three-day insurance conference in that city. They emphasize that when they tell the story. I think they’ll believe you. If they don’t, I’ll back you up.”
“Thank you.” She hadn’t considered that option. “I keep forgetting they’ll be staying with you.”
Angie gazed at her mother. “Good thinking about the naming thing. I didn’t put that together.” She turned to Brit. “So tell Harry and Vanessa they’re going to be grandparents, but please don’t promise to follow their naming tradition.”
Brit surprised herself with a burst of laughter that turned into a giggle. “You don’t want a niece named Wagon Train?”
“Or Conestoga, or Wheel, or Spoke, or?—”
“Montana’s not bad, though.” Desiree’s face lit up. “In fact, if you don’t like it, I’ll suggest it to Jess and Ella and see whether they do. It’s gender neutral, and it has a decidedly Western flavor. Or you could cheat a little and go with Missoula, although Montana is?—”
“Whoops, my bad, Mom.”
“What?”
“I didn’t mean to get you started.”
“Get her started on what?”
“Naming the baby. We could spend hours on that alone.”
Desiree grinned. “I admit it. I love that part. The minute I knew I was pregnant, I started the name search. Since I grew up watching old TV Westerns, that’s where I went for inspiration. Except for Angie and Beau. Oh, and Sky.”
“Where did you get Angelique? We were just talking about her name.”
“Louis L’Amore’s daughter is named that. His son’s name is Beau.”
“And you’re a Louis L’Amore fan. That’s a nice tribute. Where did Sky’s name come from?”
“Skyler is the hero in M.R. Morrison’s first book.”
“Huh. I read it years ago, but I never made the connection with Sky. I thought maybe it came from Big Sky Country.”
“When my brother was about thirteen,” Angie said, “he’d go around saying you’re in Big Sky Country and flexing his muscles. He tried to get me to call him Big Sky. I refused. He wasn’t any bigger than the others.”
“Now I’m gonna tease him about that.”
“You should. You’ll make him blush. It’s cute.”
“I do like the name Montana. I’ll see what Trent thinks, but if you want to say something to Jess and Ella, go ahead. It was your idea.“
“I’ll wait. If Trent likes it, you’d have something that would make Harry and Vanessa happy. They’d never want you to saddle your kid with a name like Wagon Train. There are limits.”
“You say that, Mom, but Dallas told me they almost went to a conference in Charlotte the weekend he was conceived.”
“Ah, but they instinctively chose the right city. Or if they’d gone to Charlotte, they would have had a girl.”
“There’s a scary thought. If there’d been no Dallas I’d still be single and Trent would be living in New Jersey.”
Brit instinctively touched her stomach. “I’m so glad they went to Texas.”
“Me, too, girlfriend. Me, too.”
Desiree finished her tea and set it on the coffee table. “If Trent wants to co-parent, does he want to share custody?”
“He does.”
“That’s not the way I handled it.”
“I know.”
Desiree gave her a long look. “I’ve been sitting here wondering if you got this idea from me.”
Her flush returned. “Well, I… yes, to be honest, I did. Your decision to have kids without waiting for the perfect guy to come along has fascinated me for years.”
“It wasn’t without its own complications.”
“I’m sure. But you were picky. I’m picky. I haven’t met the man I want to spend a lifetime with.”
“I understand completely. On the other hand, sharing custody presents some of the same problems as being married, which is why I insisted on being the sole guardian.”
“I get that.” Brit took a deep breath. She couldn’t very well tell Desiree that she’d never choose a man who’d willingly sign away his rights. “But Trent’s longing to be a father is one of the reasons I came up with the plan.”
“I’m not surprised he wants children. He’ll be a good dad.”
“He will. And his hours are flexible while mine usually aren’t. That will help as we work out a childcare schedule.”
“You might not have to hire anyone, then.”
“Probably not. My mom will pitch in when she can.”
“So will Buck and Marybeth if you need them. They’ve never met a baby they didn’t love. Neither have I, for that matter. I’ll help when I can, although my dance card’s getting filled up fast.”
“Whereas my mom’s is totally open, so she’ll be my first line of defense. I mean, mine and Trent’s.”
“But you won’t be living together?”
“No. It’ll involve some driving, but we’ll figure it out. We’ll keep the lines of communication open. I think the key will be maintaining our friendship.”
“I thought you didn’t know each other before Saturday night.”
“We didn’t, but…” She flushed. “I see what you’re getting at. We’ll need to build that friendship.”
“Which shouldn’t be hard. I can tell you think he’s an honorable man.”
“Extremely honorable.”
“And intelligent.”
“Very.”
“And nice to look at.”
Her face heated again. “Yes.”
“That was extremely important to me when I chose the fathers of my children.”
“Because the baby would carry his genes?”
“Well, yes. But he needed to look good in his jeans, if you get my meaning.”
“Oh.”
“There’d be no baby, period, unless the man flipped all my switches. I wouldn’t go to bed with a guy just to make a baby. That’s… I’m not sure what it is, but it’s not my speed.”
“So you tested them out first?”
“You betcha. There was always a trial run with a condom. Kind of like you did on Saturday night, although you weren’t thinking of it that way.”
“No, but now that you say that, I’d already ticked that box. I was fantasizing about him the whole time I was at the Buffalo with Ella and Faye.”
“The Buffalo served that purpose for me, too. I found three of the dads there.” Desiree glanced at Angie. “Are you okay with how this discussion is going? Because if at any point you want to take Sam for a walk so you don’t have to listen to your mother talk about her checkered past…”
“Oh, I’m staying. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Did you meet my dad at the Buffalo?”
“No. I hired him to build bookshelves for me. That’s it. I had no agenda. But there he was every day, wearing that sexy toolbelt, and I couldn’t help myself.”
“Do you think you might have married him? Because the boys have said?—”
“I don’t know, sweetie. That’s really impossible to say.”
“They all liked him.”
“So did I. He was a special guy. And Brit, to your point about custody, he was the only one who refused to sign those papers. And I didn’t push it.”
“Did he move in?”
“Yes. But I was still dead-set against marriage. I wanted complete control of my life. And he’d started hinting. If I’d refused to marry him, he might have left.”
“That makes my point. If Trent and I avoid all that, if we don’t live together and we don’t have sex anymore, then we can just be friends and?—”
“Whoa, Nellie.” Desiree stared at her. “Did you cut that boy off?”
“It was a mutual decision. We’ve agreed not to get romantically involved.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you start this process late last night and conclude it early this morning?”
“That’s true.”
“Having been told multiple times the ecstasy a man feels when he has sex without a condom, I’ll assume he had a very good time.”
Brit swallowed. “He did. We both did.”
“And now you expect him to go cold turkey?”
“I’ve been worried about that. It seemed like the right call, but…”
“Is he happy about the decision?”
“He says he’s fine, but I don’t think he is.”
“I guaran-damn-tee he’s not.”
“But ultimately we’re shooting for a platonic friendship like you have with the fathers of your children.”
“Honey, that took years.”
“Maybe we’re expecting too much too soon.”
“You think?”
“But it’s been our goal from the beginning.”
“When was that, exactly?”
“I first suggested the idea around two a.m. Sunday morning. He told me yes about eleven-fifteen last night.” She caught Desiree’s look. “You’re right. It’ll take a lot more time to make the transition. But how do we get there if we keep having sex?”
Desiree let out a sigh. “That’s a million-dollar question and all I can offer is my two cents worth. You and Trent will have to work this out in a way that’s satisfactory to both of you. You’re the only ones who can create a resolution.”
“I think I knew that.”
“One more thing to keep in mind.”
“I’m listening.”
“You’ll never have a reasonable discussion with a sexually frustrated man.”