Chapter 11
“Are you satisfied now?” I asked, looking over at Kannon.
After giving the doctors and nurses strict instructions about not wanting to know how far along I was, Kannon stood by my side holding and kissing my hand through the entire process.
As much as I didn’t like the idea, he was determined not to find out if the baby was his or not.
He was so cute standing next to me wearing the biggest grin.
I hoped to God the baby I was carrying was his.
Kannon would be the perfect dad. As annoying as he was right now, I knew that he only wanted the best for me and the baby.
I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t let him know whether or not the baby was his.
I didn’t want Kannon taking on another man’s burdens.
That was also why I was trying to keep Kannon from killing Cyrus.
I didn’t know how I felt about letting someone kill the man who could possibly be my child’s father.
“You ready to eat? I gotta feed my babies.”
“We should get a DNA test as soon as it’s viable. There’s a way to do it before the baby is born,” I mentioned.
“I told you I don’t want no test, Carteay.”
“You’re saying that now.”
Kannon scoffed as he put his arm under my legs and picked me up from the exam table.
I shot him a look, but he shot one back.
He stopped in front of the door and looked at me.
“I don’t want to hear it. You haven’t even recovered from your ankle being messed up, now you gotta incubate a baby.
I’m carrying you. You can bite your tongue about whatever you have to say because I don’t want to hear it,” he said before opening the door and walking out of the room.
I guess he told me. I rolled my eyes but rested my head on his chest as he carried me through the lobby and out to his truck.
Before we went to bed, Kannon put in an order through his company for personal security.
There were two trucks in the parking lot on opposite ends that I noticed when we left his house this morning.
He let me know that he wasn’t cutting any corners when it came to keeping me safe.
Kannon opened the passenger side door and lifted me into the seat before reaching across me and putting on my seat belt.
“Kannon, we don’t need all this security. Cy doesn’t even know where to find you. You see for yourself, he’s more bark than bite.”
“Be that as it may, I feel better knowing that somebody is watching my back, while I watch yours. I’m not about to be walking around on high alert in the place where I lay my head and make love to my woman.
They are for me, just as much as they are for you.
I need my full attention on making sure you’re good. Just in case I slip, they got me.”
“I get that, but we should talk about getting a DNA test, Kannon.”
“I don’t want a test because that will only complicate things.
I want you, and I want our unborn child.
Science doesn’t get to determine who my family is, Carteay.
You think I would feel comfortable letting you coparent with a man who tried to kill you and the child he thinks might be his?
If you don’t want him in your life, then that’s that.
The baby is mine. I don’t care if I’m his biological father or not.
We adopted Frisky, but we love her,” he told me before closing the door.
“We adopted Frisky because she’s a dog. This is a human with a real dad.”
“Frisky had a real dad before I adopted her from him for you.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t adopt Frisky, you kidnapped her, and you’re taking her back.”
“Huh?” Kannon asked, lifting his brows like he really didn’t hear what the hell I said.
“You heard me.”
“What you want to eat? I really need to call Key and see what you can have. He does special meal plans and shit. I’m about to hire you a chef. I wonder if he has some openings.”
“Kannon, the baby is barely the size of a strawberry.”
“He’s a Glover. He gon’ be big as hell. You’ve seen me and my brothers.”
“The only reason that I’m entertaining you is because I was thinking about getting a chef for when I’m at home.”
“Damn, I didn’t even think about that part. You got a house of your own.”
I laughed. “How could you forget?”
“For one thing, I’ve never been there. We been kicking it at my place or on the road all this time. When was the last time you went home?”
“A few weeks. I had been on location for the shows I had to do for the album drop.”
“What’s on the schedule now? You have to make some arrangements for when it’s time to sit down and rest, Carrie.
That’s nonnegotiable. I’m not letting nobody work you to death.
You ain’t fucked up about money. I don’t give a damn if the sale is still in the air.
That’s just a final fuck you to your boy Ceasar.
You’re getting out of that contract regardless. ”
“I have some appearances, but thankfully, there is a while before we start talking about a tour.”
“I need to know where we need to be so I can plan accordingly.”
I sighed. “Kannon, I’m not letting you rearrange your entire life.”
“And you can’t stop me,” he challenged.
Kannon just didn’t get it. I was trying not to impose on his life with my problems. He was doing everything in his power to make me feel loved and protected, and as much as I appreciated it, I couldn’t let him go all in when we didn’t even know if this was his obligation.
I was completely prepared to carry my baby to term and raise it without Cyrus.
That was what I was telling Cyrus before he went on his cocaine induced rant the night before we met in the studio.
As much as I hated him, I wasn’t killing my baby.
I didn’t deserve a man like Kannon. He was too good to have to deal with my baggage.
It was the reason I ran. Now, I was back and still working on keeping that balance.
Kannon was a saint for wanting to step up to the plate whether the baby was his or not, but I felt like he deserved to know the truth.
Maybe I was just being selfish and short sighted.
Part of me understood how devastating it might be for him to know for sure that he wasn’t the father.
At the same time, I didn’t want years to pass and for him to decide he needed to know.
Imagine how heartbreaking that would be if the baby weren’t his.
Even if he decided to stick around, there would be pain.
My heart ached just thinking about the possibilities.
“I have been thinking about buying a new house for a while. I don’t want any of those people to know where I lay my head. Plus, there are too many messed up memories in there.”
“What’s your dream home?”
“That’s easy. I want maybe five bedrooms with two extra bathrooms for company.
I need office and studio space, and I would love a theater room.
I want a big backyard for a little garden and a pool, and I want a huge bathroom with a clawfoot tub and a walk-in shower.
Oh, and I need a huge closet. Most of all I want trees for shade and good energy. ”
“I’ll put my people on it. You got a budget in mind?”
“I didn’t want to do anything too extravagant. I was thinking maybe a million five.”
Kannon whistled. “I keep forgetting you’re big time. When I look at you, all I see is my sweet baby. I keep forgetting you’re bossed up.”
“And I love you for that. Ooo, can we get pasta from this one place? They have the best chicken marsala. I don’t want that though. I want steak gorgonzola and chocolate cheesecake. Ooo, and plenty of peppers.”
“Can my baby have that, Carrie?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just telling you what I want. He’s too little to know what he wants. I just told you he’s the size of a strawberry.”
“Order it,” he said, passing me his phone. “But I’m going to find out what my baby can and can’t eat. I know you can’t drink all that coffee. I heard Kross fussing at Janelle about that.”
“Don’t make me fall out with you. I don’t even want to hear such foolishness.”
“I’m serious, Carteay.”
“I want to go see my mom,” I said, hoping to change the subject.
“When are you trying to go?”
“Soon. I don’t have anything scheduled until next week.”
“Well, what about tomorrow? How far is it?” he asked.
“It’s about a four-hour drive from here,” I revealed.
“Let’s meet with Tyler, then we will go from there.”
Last night, Kannon got the message that the sale of the management company Tyler worked for was complete.
We both thought it would be a good idea to meet with him today.
I told Kannon that I wanted Tyler to keep working for me until we figured things out.
I didn’t want a complete overhaul, just more control over my life and career.
“Tyler said he was heading out to lunch soon, so I told him to meet us at the spot we’re headed to.”
“That quick?” Kannon asked.
“He’s probably scared he’s about to be fired. I’m sure he’s about to break his neck trying to get out of that office to meet with you so he can kiss your ass and beg for his job.”
“Should he be fired?” he asked, letting his eyes linger on me as he drove.
“As long as he does his job, he’s good.”
“If he was down with them niggas, he out too.”
“He’s good for now, Kannon.”
“Tell him to meet us in forty-five minutes. I need to swing by the house.”
“OK.” I nodded.
We weren’t far from Kannon’s house, so we made it back in no time.
That didn’t mean much, because my mouth practically watered for that buttery steak.
I was ready to eat. Kannon left his truck running when he ran into the house and dashed back out with whatever he needed for the meeting.
In no time at all, we were pulling up to our location.