Chapter Five
Regan
Although I’m delighted to see Maddie sitting at our usual table behind the ice cream shop—I’m not so sure she’s happy to be here. My bet is she’d rather be in the hospital holding Tag’s son in her arms.
She looks up as I approach, arms outstretched in frustration. “Still here, damn it.”
I laugh. “Technically, you’re not even due for a few more days.”
She sighs and shifts uncomfortably. “I was sure he’d be here by now. Gigi is going almost as crazy as I am. We’re both nesting. And Tag, I think he comes home with a new toy almost every day. We must have every sporting good known to man. Doesn’t matter if this little guy won’t be able to use them for years. My husband is dead set on his son being some kind of sports star.”
“Well, he does own a sports management company.”
“What’s up, girlies?” Ava sings, rounding the corner with a carton of coffees. She looks at the two of us and then the empty spots on the bench. “Just us? But I brought extras.” She hands Maddie and me our standing order and pushes the rest aside.
I remove the lid on mine and inhale the heavenly scent. “Actually, I’m glad it’s just us three today.”
Maddie seems to forget how uncomfortable she is on the unforgiving bench. Her inquisitive brows rise. “Why?”
“I don’t want rumors floating around. You know how this town is. The fewer people who know, the better.”
Ava sips her latte, peering at me over the rim of the cup. “Know what exactly?” she asks after swallowing.
“I’m kind of surprised nobody’s said anything already. It’s been almost four days.”
“Regan,” Maddie says impatiently. “This baby may be born before you get to the point.”
I roll my eyes. “Okay, so I may have done something a little reckless the other night. On my birthday. It was stupid. Not regretful stupid, but most likely stupid in the eyes of, well… everyone.”
Ava turns to Maddie and eyes her belly. “He come out yet?”
Both of my friends glare at me.
“I slept with Lucas Montana.”
Maddie and Ava both gasp and then proceed to speak over each other in shrills that are hard to decipher.
I hold up a hand. “One at a time, please. Maddie, you go first since you could literally burst at any second.”
Ava is practically bouncing in her seat. She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it before anything comes out. As a good friend does, she acquiesces, albeit reluctantly, and lets Maddie have her say.
Maddie sighs deeply. It’s the kind of sigh you expect from your mom when she’s just found out you let a boy go to second base and she’s about to give you ‘the talk.’
“I’m not one to give advice exactly. After all, I’m married to the ex-quintessential love ‘em and leave ‘em playboy of Calloway Creek. But Regan… four times . And he was with Lissa for a lot of years. If he couldn’t go through with it with her, I fear he never will.”
It’s exactly what I thought she’d say. I turn to Ava. “Your turn.”
“I second all that. He’s almost worse than a manwhore. At least with a playboy, you know what you’re getting and shame on you if you expect anything else. With Lucas though... he’ll suck you in and say all the right things. He’ll give you hope of that fairy tale relationship all women dream of with the nice, super-hot, rich guy… right up until he breaks your heart. So actually, shame on anyone who would touch that man with a ten-foot pole. Shame on you , Regan. What were you thinking?”
My eyes flit between them. “Is that it? Are you done?”
“There’s really not much more to say,” Maddie adds. “If you don’t know exactly who Lucas is, that’s on you.”
“It was a one-night stand, guys.”
The looks on their faces tell me they’re about to explode with anger.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. It was my idea… more or less.”
“Oh my god,” Maddie cries.
“It’s not that big a deal. We’re adults and have every right to—”
She grabs my arm. “Not that.” She looks down. “Either my water just broke, or I just peed myself in surprise.”
I fly to my feet and hold out a hand to help her up.
“Wait.” She bats it away. “I want details.”
I flash Maddie the eyes of a crazy woman. “Are you insane? You’re in labor.”
“This could take hours. You had a hookup with Lucas Montana. That’s… so unlike you.”
I shake my head. Her terse expression tells me she’s not going to move until I talk. Behind her head, I put my thumb and pinky to my ear like a phone and mouth, “Call Tag,” to Ava.
Then, knowing a tiny human needs to get out of her, I give Maddie the abridged version.
“I think it was turning thirty-five. It was freeing somehow, knowing I could have a night with zero expectations. And you know what, it was exactly that. We did it, I kicked him out after, and we haven’t so much as talked, texted, or seen each other since. And I’m totally fine with it. There you have it. Can we get you to the hospital now?”
She brushes me off again. “So that’s it? Wham bam? You’re thirty-five and now you’ve gone all cougar on us?”
I belt out a maniacal laugh. “Yeah, that’s me.” I hadn’t even thought of Lucas’s age. With all he’s been through, he certainly doesn’t seem younger.
“You got your eyes set on anyone else?” Ava says. “I think all Jonah Calloway’s boys are out of high school now.”
I swat her arm. “It’s not like I’m becoming the Mrs. Robinson of Cal Creek. It was a one-time thing.”
“Maybe,” Maddie says, still ignoring the inevitable. “Or maybe turning thirty-five set off some kind of ticking clock inside you.” She rubs her bump. “Ever think of that?”
“Me? Have a kid?” I snort-chuckle. “As if. I’ll leave the baby-rearing to everyone else and enjoy my life as a single cat lady, thank you very much.” I touch Ava’s arm gently. “It’s going to happen for you, I just know it will.”
She nods sadly. This must be so hard for her, especially with Maddie about to deliver.
“Woman!” Tag booms, racing up from his haphazardly parked SUV. “What the hell are you doing sitting here gabbing with your friends when my son clearly wants to come out and meet his mom, dad, and sister?”
“Girl time is important,” she says.
He shakes his head, laughs, then sweeps his wife into his arms like she’s a feather, and lumbers to his car.
“Call us when we can come meet the little guy!” I shout after her.
She gives me a thumbs-up over Tag’s shoulder.
I go to sit back down, turning my nose up at the wet spot Maddie left behind, and shift to the other side of the table. “They are nauseatingly happy, aren’t they?”
Ava nods. “Yeah.”
Guilt overcomes me. “I mean, not that you and Trevor aren’t. You are totally like that when he’s here.” I drink my now-cold coffee. “You really miss him, don’t you?”
Her eyes turn sad. “I do. I thought it would get easier, but it hasn’t. Still, though, sometimes when he’s on leave, it’s difficult to get used to a new routine. I run things the way I run things. And when he tries to help out at the coffee shop, he usually ends up just being in the way.”
“How much longer does he have left?”
“Military doctors have to give seven years, not including residency. He started later than most, so he’s still got about eighteen months. But after that, we’ll be set. He’ll never have to leave again. And we won’t have to worry about money.”
“But it makes it all the more difficult to get pregnant. As if you weren’t having a hard enough time.”
She looks in the direction Tag and Maddie went. “It does. Hudson McQuaid suggested he bank some sperm the next time he’s on leave. At least then, I could keep trying while he’s gone.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “As in use a turkey baster?”
She chuckles. “Something like that, but more technical. Sperm doesn’t last long. It’s not like I can just put it in Tupperware and take some out when I feel like it. It has to be frozen and thawed.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“Not as expensive as some other methods. Don’t even get me started on those. But I’m not getting any younger, so…” She looks off in the distance.
I pat her hand. “Nonsense. Women are having babies well into their forties these days.”
“Fertile women,” she says. “Not women with inhospitable uteruses like mine. Be that as it may, the current theory is that my uterus and his sperm just don’t play well together.”
I try not to giggle, because this is not a laughing matter. But every time she says inhospitable uterus, I picture little ninjas with swords in her womb, ready to attack any sperm that try to get through. “There’s always adoption.”
Before Ava can respond, Dakota walks up. “Sorry I’m late.” She eyes the wet spot on the bench. “What’d I miss?”
Ava and I look at each other and laugh.