Chapter Three
Tanner
“Mom, I have a headache. Do you think you could grab my pills?”
Panic seized me, and I turned away from the pancakes and toward Nita. I worried about the frequency of these headaches. Were they caused by the stress of teaching? Except school was out for the summer, so she should’ve been relaxed—
“Tanner, pancakes.” Donna admonished me sharply.
As I turned my attention back to the burner, I caught her stroking her daughter’s forehead. “Sure, I’ll be right back.”
I flipped the pancakes as I caught the sound of Donna’s rubber soles on the linoleum.
To my shock, Nita came up beside me. “What the fuck is going on?”
I nearly dropped the spatula. “What are you talking about?”
“You. And my brother.”
Shit.
“Nothing, and shouldn’t you be lying down? Do you need an ice pack?” Those sometimes helped.
“Fuck, Tanner, pay attention.”
She had my full attention. Well, except the five percent on the food I was determined not to burn. “What is it?”
"No! Not my brother! Do you hear me? You are my best friend, and if you have a fling with my brother, it's going to put that in jeopardy."
“I think you’re exaggerating. And, anyway, I don’t even know if he wants—”
Her eyes narrowed. “I saw the way he looked at you. I saw the way you looked at him. Like you always have. Well, I’m telling you to knock it the fuck off.”
“Darling, I couldn’t find any pills.”
Nita pressed her hand to her forehead. “Right, sorry, Mom.”
“Well, I can get you some ibuprofen, okay?”
I glanced at Nita.
She looked up at me. At just a couple of inches over five feet, the difference was substantial. She licked her lips. “I can’t take those, Mom. They’re not good for the baby.” After a beat. “Pancakes, Tanner.”
Donna gasped. “Oh. You’re pregnant? I wondered because, you know, your breasts seemed larger, and—”
“Mom!”
“What’s all the yelling about?” Rob sauntered into the kitchen with Cam just behind. “It’s too early.”
Cam yawned. “Yeah, some of us were up late last night.” He caught my gaze.
Donna grabbed Rob’s arm. “We’re going to be grandparents.”
Rob swayed.
Cam steadied him.
Nita nudged me hard before heading over to receive congratulations from her parents.
I was happy for her, of course. And I knew the father was Rohit, an Indian man she’d been dating seriously for about six months. Or at least, I assumed he was the father. Nita had talked about eventually meeting the guy’s family. Well, as long as he was happy about being a father, that would likely happen sooner rather than later.
And I’d need to find another place to live.
Or maybe Nita would move in with him. Funny, I didn’t even know where the guy lived. I just knew Nita spent about half of her nights at his place.
I removed the pancakes from the skillet, plated them, then put them in the oven. I put on another batch and then started the bacon.
Excited voices chattered behind me, but the words escaped me. I was happy for Nita. Essentially, I was about to become an uncle. Which was pretty fricking cool. But I’d also lose her. Or at least the close relationship we’d shared for the better part of the last twenty-five years…
“Are you okay?”
I gazed up into Cam’s dark eyes. I cleared my throat. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He smiled. Likely with sympathy. “This is going to mean big changes for you. And I get the feeling you didn’t know.”
I shook my head. I looked away to flip the pancakes, then I looked back. “No. But I’m sure she wanted to tell her parents first.” I caught Rohit’s name. And a demand of why they hadn’t met this man before now. I winced. Yeah, glad I didn’t have to answer that one. “I’ll be okay. Really, Cam, I’m happy for her.”
“Okay.” He cocked his head. “I believe you. Now, about what I saw last night—”
“No, Cam. That was private. Between Kade and myself.”
“He’s never been serious about anyone, Tanner. He might hurt you.”
I smiled gently. “I’m a grown man, Cam. A little slow to mature, but if I choose to date Kade, that’s on me.”
After a long moment, he turned to the sink. He washed his hands, and then set about helping me with the bacon.
Tofurkey first, of course.
Kade joined us just as Cam and I set the last of the food on the table.
“Good timing, son.” Rob snickered. “You’re on dish duty.”
“I’m pregnant. And starving. So, let’s eat.”
Nita’s words hit Kade hard. I knew him so well that I saw the poleaxed expression he quickly covered with hugs, congratulations, and all the questions Nita’d already answered. Of all of us, he ate the least.
Since Cam had helped with cooking, and Nita and Donna had headed up to go through the baby things in the attic, Rob and Kade did the dishes.
Cam and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table.
“What’re you thinking?” He pitched his voice low.
“About how much my life is going to change.”
“Can you afford to live in the rental house alone?”
I winced. “Not while trying to save for a down-payment for a place of my own. I got through law school on mostly scholarships and some bursaries. I’ve managed to pay down most of the rest of the debt.”
“Your parents didn’t help you?”
My eye roll had him chuckling.
“Okay, fair. Will you find a new roommate?”
“With housing being tight and the rental market competitive, I should be able to rent out a room. Heck, if I rent out both, that’d be even more money. I could find students from the local university, or even foreign students. This is assuming Nita moves in with Rohit, and not the other way around.”
“You think he might move in with you two?”
“Well, I’d obviously leave. But yeah, our rental’s a nice house. The rent’s not too expensive, compared to some other places. It’s a great neighborhood, and the kids go to Cedar Street Elementary, which is the French Immersion school. I’m assuming Nita’s going to put the kid in the FI program.”
“Yeah, that’s a safe bet.”
“What’re you guys talking about?” Kade came over and rested his arms against the back of an empty chair.
“About how much everyone’s life is about to change.” Cam glanced back and forth between Kade and myself. “We three are about to become uncles.”
I wondered if Kade might point out he was the only one of us biologically related to the child, but he didn’t. And, in truth, that didn’t surprise me. He didn’t see the world in those terms. Cam was a brother to him. And, until last night, I’d been a little brother to him. I sure hoped he didn’t see me that way now. I rose. “I need to be heading out.”
“Did you bring your car?”
“Crap. No, I came with Nita. I don’t want to make her leave—”
Cam rose to his feet. “I’ll take you home.”
“No, I will.” Kade smiled. “You and Dad were going to play a couple rounds of badminton.”
Our friend scowled. “I don’t have to—”
“Have to what?” Rob hung the dishtowel on the handle of the dishwasher which he’d turned on.
“Nothing.” Kade smiled. “You guys enjoy your game. I’ll drive Tanner home.”
“Nice of you, son.” Rob turned the slap on the back into an enormous hug. Then he grabbed me for a hug as well. That was just how things were done in the Nelson household.
Once free, I scooted upstairs and grabbed the overnight bag I’d packed. I stopped at the ladder that had been pulled down. I yelled up to the attic. “I’m heading out, ladies. Have a great day.”
Nita’s head popped into the opening. “Who’s giving you a ride?”
For a fraction of a second, I considered lying. Then promptly shelved the idea because, first, Nita would ferret out the truth and, second, because I never lied to her. She’d known how I felt about Kade for fifteen years and had held my secret. “Kade.” I met her hard stare. “Bye, Donna.”
Donna popped her head out. “Oh, goodbye, Tanner. Lovely to see you. You know you can always come live with us. I’ve not coped well with having an empty nest. I’ll take any of my chickadees back.”
I met Nita’s gaze and saw the apology.
Well, at least I knew.