Chapter 44 Honey
HONEY
After I park in front of Rhett and Paige’s house, I read the incoming texts.
Cash: It’s weird not having a big family thing. Mom must be really pissed.
Trig: Come over to my wing of the house. I sweet-talked Lola over at the Saloon into selling me her last chicken pot pie.
Guilt spears me for not looking out for my brothers.
Me: I’m sorry I didn’t try to whip up something, but you know I’m not a great cook. Lola’s pot pie is probably preferable to food poisoning.
Trig: You eating at the Walkers’?
I wince, hating that I feel like I’m abandoning my family.
Me: Yes, but I just got here. I had ALL MORNING to hang out. It’s not my fault you’re just texting me now.
Cash: Calm down, Honeybee. Go eat your dinner. I’ll make sure Trig has someone to play with.
I chuckle until I remember to ask the dreaded question.
Me: Still no news?
Worry gnaws at my stomach. Because I don’t know what I’m going to do if we’re really on the brink of bankruptcy.
Cash: Dad has the financials locked up tight. Says he’ll be home on Sunday. I’ll try to get a straight answer out of him then.
Me: Thanks. I’ve been worried sick about this.
I haven’t had the guts to tell Beau yet. We’ve just gotten together and already we’ve had enough drama to last us a lifetime. I know he’s all twisted up about my father not sponsoring my club. I don’t want to add to that. I’ll tell him once I confirm Ian’s bullshitting me.
Plus, Beau’s been at work all week. This is our first chance to hang out since last weekend, and I just want a peaceful day.
I tuck my phone into my purse and pick up the pecan pie. After I lock my SUV, I head to the front door. Nerves attack my stomach, and I take a deep breath. I don’t know why I’m nervous. I know the Walkers. I’ve had dinner with them before.
But this makes me and Beau official, doesn’t it? Having Thanksgiving dinner with the family is something you do when you’re serious about the person you’re dating.
The idea makes me smile. Hopefully, this is the first Thanksgiving of many.
As soon as I knock, the door immediately opens. Jace grins at me. “Hey, Honey. Glad you could join us.” He takes the pie out of my hands and pulls me into a hug. I catch Beau looking annoyed over his shoulder. He smacks Jace’s arm once he lets go.
“One hug is all you get.” Then Beau turns to me. “Hey, babe.”
Grinning, I push up on my toes to kiss him. “Hi.”
That gets all the Walkers hooting and hollering behind us, and I laugh and hide my face against his chest.
“Come on in, Honey!” Paige yells from the kitchen. “Beau, you have to share her. She was our friend first.”
Baylee holds up her beer. “That’s right. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be getting dirty looks from Honey McAllister. I deserve all the credit.”
That makes me laugh harder.
Beau hangs his arm over my shoulders and leans in to whisper, “Do I have to share? I kinda want to carry you off, caveman style.”
“It’s been a long week.” I kiss him again. “Let me go say hi to everyone.”
“Did you bring your stuff?”
“Yes. It’s in my SUV.” Because I’m definitely staying the night with him.
That gets me a sexy grin.
On my way to the kitchen, I say hi to Rhett and Maverick, who are watching football with Austin and Gabriel.
When I join the girls, I have to greet their babies first. “Leo, my goodness, you’re getting big.” He’s hanging on his mom’s leg like his life depends on it.
Baylee brushes his blond hair out of his face. “Leo, can you say hi?”
He waves at me with a shy grin, but then tries to scale his mom.
Maverick jogs over and picks him up, pausing to kiss Baylee. “I’ll take him for a while, so y’all can hang out.”
“Thanks, babe.”
Lifting Leo over his shoulder, Maverick makes airplane sounds and flies the baby into the living room as he giggles the whole way.
I catch Beau watching me from the other room and swoon when he winks at me.
Could we have this? What his brothers have? The ranch and children? Because I’d love that more than anything.
Baylee hands me a beer. “Thanks.”
Paige bounces Ella on her hip and asks Rhett to pull out the turkey. Then she waves me closer. “Come have some snacks. Dinner is almost ready.”
The long kitchen table is covered with food. “Everything looks amazing.” I grab little Ella’s hand. “Don’t you look precious.” Her auburn hair is pulled back by a headband that matches her dress. “Are those bunnies?”
“Bunnies! Yeah!” Ella claps her hands, and I smile.
Paige smooths down her daughter’s adorable outfit. “I’m glad you can appreciate it now because in ten minutes, she’s going to have cheese sauce all over herself. Mac and cheese is her favorite food these days, but she tends to get more on her than in her.”
I give Ella a nod of approval. “I love mac and cheese too.” The baby opens her hands to me, and I take her from her mom. “Hi, darling.”
Ella grabs my face, squishing my cheeks, and I make fishy faces at her.
“Thank you,” Paige says as she shakes out her hand. “My arm was going numb.”
“Do whatever you need to. I can hold her.”
I hang out while Paige puts the finishing touches on dinner and Rhett carves the turkey.
Paige turns to me as she slices veggies. “The kids were crazy this week, weren’t they? The holidays make everyone squirrely.”
I’m nodding when I catch a whiff of vinegar, and my stomach turns. I hand Ella over to Baylee and run for the powder room off the kitchen.
Fortunately, I don’t hurl, but now I’m clammy and pale. I’m splashing water on my face when someone knocks.
“Hey, Honey, it’s me,” Paige whispers. “Can I help you at all?”
With one hand pressed to my stomach, I unlock the door. She and Baylee are standing there, giving me a funny look. “I’ll be fine. I’ve just been really stressed lately. My stomach does this sometimes, but I swear I’m not sick.” I’d never come over if I had the flu.
She tilts her head to the side. “Why don’t you come to my bedroom? Baylee and I have something for you.”
“Okay,” I say slowly and follow her and Baylee out. Rhett’s busy with the turkey and the other guys are in the living room, yelling at the TV. They don’t notice the girls sneaking out.
Paige opens the door to her bedroom and asks me to sit on her bed. “I thought you might want some privacy for this.”
I chuckle. “Are we doing a Secret Santa? Because I have some really cute ideas.”
Baylee elbows Paige. “I don’t think she gets it yet.”
“Get what?”
Baylee’s lips twist. “Is it possible you’re pregnant?”
I laugh and shake my head.
Until it hits me.
“I… What?” I get out my phone and look at my period tracker. “I’m late.”
Paige sits next to me. “How late?”
“Three weeks. Which is really late, but this happened to me in college once when I wasn’t even dating anyone. My body goes crazy when I’m stressed out.”
Baylee points to the bathroom. “Paige and I are always thinking we’re pregnant, so we bought a mega-pack of pregnancy tests. You’re welcome to go take one if you think it’s a possibility.”
My stomach has been upset the last week. “Would you mind?”
Paige shakes her head. “Not at all. Let me get you one.”
Once I’m alone and I’ve peed on the stick, I wash my hands and stare at my pale reflection. Am I ready to be a mom? Is Beau ready to be a dad? Would he be excited?
A bubble of happiness fills my chest, and I have my answer.
Yes, I’d love to have a baby with Beau.
Is it early? Sure, but he’s a solid man, and I love him to pieces. Although he hasn’t said those three little words, he wouldn’t put up with my family’s crap if he didn’t care, right? And he already told me he wants a family.
Paige knocks. “Any news?”
I open the door. “It’s still doing its thing.”
Reaching out, she grabs my hand. “Are we hoping for a positive or a negative?”
Positive. I want it to be positive. I smile at her as it beeps, and the three of us run to the counter.
As we stare at the little screen, the bubble bursts. Because it’s negative.
Paige hugs me. “I’m sorry.”
Baylee wraps her arms around me from the other side. “I have two silver linings here. One, your father won’t have a reason to track down Beau with a shotgun, and two, practice makes perfect.”
Nodding, I let go of my friends and wipe my eyes. “I didn’t even know I wanted a baby until you mentioned a pregnancy test.”
A deep voice comes from the other room. “Did my wife move the party to the bathroom?”
My eyes widen when I realize Rhett is a few feet away. I quickly toss the pregnancy test in the trash and wash my hands again before I join my friends in the bedroom. Paige is hugging Rhett. “We were talking about holiday gifts. Top-secret stuff.”
He chuckles. “So basically, it’s none of my business.”
I force myself to laugh with my friends before I scurry out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. Paige calls us all over to the table, and Beau pulls out my chair and then sits next to me.
As we sit side by side, he grabs my hand under the table and laces our fingers together. Leaning over, he whispers, “Glad you could make it today, princess.”
I try to shake off the sadness from that negative test. We just need time. Like Baylee said, practice makes perfect. We’ll get our ducks in a row first and be practical. Nodding to myself, I squeeze his rough hand in mine. “Thanks for inviting me. I love your family.”
He kisses my forehead. “Sorry we couldn’t hang out this week. I added that shift before you and I were a thing.”
“Is that what we are? A thing?”
A crooked grin spreads on his handsome face. “I’d call you the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Oh, my heart.
Closing my eyes, I lean against him as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
Please, God, please let Ian be lying about my family.
Because if not, I don’t know what I’m going to do.