Chapter Six
Freya hated her sister for convincing her that bringing Maverick to a family Sunday dinner was a good idea. This didn’t feel like a good idea. This felt like a nightmare waiting to happen. She’d never brought a guy to her parents’ house before.
What if her father hated him?
What if her mother did?
They had both loved Hank and he’d been a jerk. Maybe she could remind them both of their lack of judgment.
“It’s going to be okay,” Maverick said.
“That’s easy for you to say. Don’t fathers usually get shotguns, and mothers start talking about the wedding and all that? They’re going to terrify you.” Just the thought of what they could do was getting to her.
Maverick laughed. “This is not the first time I’ve met your parents.”
“This isn’t helping, seeing as the first time you were dating my sister.” She groaned.
“I was also a lot younger, and trust me, Maverick back then was a big gigantic asshole. They’ll love me now, trust me.” He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her in close, kissing her temple.
It was strange because whenever he did touch her, she always had the feeling everything was going to be okay.
“I don’t care if they don’t love you, Maverick. I only hope they like you.”
“That’s easy, they do, trust me, I’ve taken care of their cars several times, and they have always been happy customers.”
Freya was also aware of her father taking his car to Maverick, after he’d tinkered with it a bit. She loved to play with cars herself, but she literally only dabbled with parts that wouldn’t stop the overall running of a car.
Not her father. Nope, he loved to play and figure out how things worked. He always said it was something he got from her grandfather. The two of them were constantly in the garage. Her grandfather was the one to open the DIY store in town. He’d been sick and tired of having to drive several towns over, or go to a large supply chain, so he’d filled that void in his own space. According to her father, it hadn’t always been easy for him, but they’d survived many disasters and problems.
She knew one day her father planned on giving her the DIY store, and she was looking forward to it. Her sister wasn’t interested in the store, and according to the rumor mill, she didn’t need to work again because of the alimony she got from her divorce.
Approaching her parents’ front door, she didn’t even need to knock before Adele opened it.
“Well, well, well, I wondered when you two were going to show up,” Adele said.
Freya couldn’t help the guilt that traveled up her spine at the sight of her sister. “Adele,” she said.
Her sister looked at her, and Freya felt like she was going to be sick.
“Whoa, sweetie, are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Freya said.
Maverick held onto her tightly. “Are you sure?”
“Look, this was all a joke,” Adele said, giving a light laugh. “Trust me, there are no hard feelings. Maverick is great, but I only ever used him when we were kids. You don’t need to worry.”
Freya took a deep breath and then chuckled. “I, uh, I don’t know what came over me.”
“What are you all doing on the front porch?” their mother asked, coming to the front door. Tilly Parker gave them a tut. “You’re going to cause no end of gossip, the lot of you. Now, get your butts inside.”
“I’m just going to take Freya to the bathroom,” Adele said.
Freya didn’t argue but she did glance over toward Maverick, feeling guilty for leaving him. The frown between his brows worried her, but then that sick feeling consumed her once again, and she felt like she was going to throw up.
“Come on, I’ve got you. It’s time to get you to the bathroom.”
They made it to the bathroom in time, and Adele held her hair back, as Freya threw up her morning breakfast. She hadn’t been able to eat a lot, because that pesky sick feeling refused to disappear. Adele continued to rub her back.
“You know, you don’t have to worry, or stress out. I’m not upset about you and Maverick. In fact, I was so right.”
“Right?” Freya asked.
“You and Maverick look so damn cute together. It was like you were both designed to be together.”
Freya took a deep breath, and she knew she wasn’t going to be sick anymore. Adele helped her, grabbing a toothbrush and keeping her hair out of her face as she brushed, and then splashed some water on her face.
She was more than ready to head back to Maverick, but Adele forced her to sit down on top of the lowered toilet seat.
“What? What is it?” she asked, hating this nervousness that started to consume her.
“Have you … told Maverick?” Adele asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You and I both know that you’re pregnant. Have you taken a test?”
“I don’t know that I’m pregnant, okay? The sick feeling has only happened over the last couple of days.”
“Yeah, and by my calculations, I think that is close to what? Two months, give or take, that, you know, symptoms can start to show.”
“Pregnancy is not an illness.”
Adele rolled her eyes. “Fine, signs then—whatever you want to call it that will make it acceptable to you. You’re going to have to take a test, and then you’re going to have to tell Maverick. Depending on what order you decide. You need to make sure everything is … taken care of.”
“Are you suggesting I abort my baby?” Freya asked.
“Hell, no, what I’m saying is there are vitamins, health checks, everything you need to put in place, to make sure mommy and baby are perfect. You’re my sister, Freya, and you’re carrying my little niece or nephew. I can’t wait to spoil him or her rotten.”
****
Maverick was already aware of the signs. He’d noticed them the past week. Freya’s mysterious morning illness, sudden aversion to coffee and certain strong smells. He didn’t know if she was aware of it, but he certainly was of her sensitive nipples, and he’d spent a lot of time licking and sucking at those large buds. He knew when they were a little too sensitive.
The dry toast or crackers that helped to settle her stomach, along with her fruit tea, were all signs.
She’d not started to show just yet, but he had a feeling he might have already gotten her pregnant on that very first night, which was insane to think about.
He sat in the living room, all while Elliot was giving him the stink eye. He didn’t know what was wrong with Freya but he must have figured Maverick was responsible.
“You’ve got a nice home, Mr. Parker,” he said.
“Let’s cut the crap, shall we? What are your intentions with my daughter?” Elliot asked.
“Elliot! You cannot go asking the man that. Freya would have a fit.” Tilly came into the room, tutting. She handed Maverick a mug of tea.
He’d stopped drinking coffee, at least anywhere in the vicinity of Freya, and he also stopped drinking it at least two hours before he saw her again, so he didn’t stink of it. He knew she hated her lack of desire for coffee. She loved her coffee, and especially when she changed it up to a mocha latte, and she’d even mentioned a pumpkin special at the local café around Halloween.
“You’ll go scaring the man away.”
“These were the kind of questions I should have been asking Hank, and look how that turned out.” Elliot turned his gaze back toward him. “Because let me warn you. I’ve got a shotgun, I know how to use it, and I’ve got no problem blowing your ass right out of my daughter’s life.”
Maverick knew he could respond with a smartass quip, or say something that made him an asshole and certainly put himself and Elliot’s potential friendship on the back burner for years to come.
“I’m in love with your daughter,” Maverick said. He decided in the scheme of things, it was good to just go with the truth. “I want to marry her.”
Freya’s parents looked at him in stunned disbelief.
“I know I’ve not always done the right thing, and I don’t have the best track record with you guys, but I would like you to consider the fact that Adele never got hurt when she was with me. She always got home on curfew, and that was hard to do, because she always wanted to break it. I have been in love with Freya for years. I’ve wanted to ask her out, and in all honesty, I know I’m the one getting the best bargain here. Freya can do so much better than me, but I love her. I’m devoted to her, and I will treat her right.”
Maverick didn’t have a speech prepared, or know what to say to her parents. All he did was go with what he felt.
“Oh, Elliot,” Tilly said.
He turned to look toward the woman, and he saw tears in her eyes.
“You say the right words,” Elliot said. “But we’ll see in time if your actions match up to your words.”
He knew winning over Elliot was going to take time, and he didn’t mind that.
“Dad, you’re not giving Maverick a hard time, are you?” Freya asked, stepping into the room.
Her father got to his feet, and she walked toward him and hugged him tightly.
“If I am, it’s because the man deserves it.”
She gave a little giggle. “Don’t.”
Elliot kissed the top of her head.
She pulled away and moved back toward Maverick. She offered him a smile and he mouthed the words asking her if she was all right. He got a nod in response, but he was worried. They had not talked about the future, or having babies, or what being together would mean.
“Well, that was fun,” Adele said. “And now I’m famished. Hey, Dad, how does it feel having Maverick here and you not wanting to shoot his ass?”
“Adele!” Freya yelled.
“What? I’m relieving the tension. Yeah, Maverick and I dated, and trust me, I’ve got no issues with the two of you being together. I just want to clear the air. Too much family time has been messed up by us not getting everything out in the open. Like my sister’s total dislike of Hank.” Adele laughed. “I should have totally listened to you.”
“I’m going to go and check on dinner,” Tilly said.
“Wait, honey,” Elliot said. “Adele’s right. We need to clear the air. We did have to divide our Sundays between our two daughters to make it work, and I’m not willing to do that again. If Adele’s happy with Maverick and Freya, then I am. I don’t want any more nonsense to come between our families. We’ve already lost enough time.”
Freya smiled up at her dad, and then toward her sister.
“And you were right,” Tilly said. “Hank was not a good man, and I cannot believe that … person had me and your father fooled like that. I honestly thought he was a good man. Hardworking, yes, but I had no idea he was such a callous … beast.”
Maverick watched as the family moved together and hugged. In that moment, he couldn’t help but think about his own father, and the fact he never got to apologize.
“Son, come on,” Elliot said. “It looks like you’re going to be part of this family now.”
“I can’t hold it,” Adele said.
“Adele, no!” This came from Freya.
“Freya’s pregnant. She needs to get a test to confirm, but we’re going to be grandparents and aunties, and I think she is kind of terrified about how Maverick will handle this.”