7. Shit hits the fan.
Chapter 7
Shit hits the fan.
Amelia
A loud crash booms from behind me, followed by the sound of something shattering. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Please don’t let it be the flowers .
Whatever it is, it’ll be fine. It has to be. There’s no time to change course now.
I’ve been at the community center all afternoon to help set up for Grams’s birthday party and take care of the table decorations. Besides the flower arrangements, I offered to handle the tablecloths and accent decorations. With the rowdy Mutter brothers helping, it’s taken longer than I expected.
I should have anticipated this, but alas …
Ash and Warren still aren’t here. I’m not surprised about Warren. He’s always been antisocial, but Ash should be here by now. It’s not like him to miss out on something like this. He’s always in the middle of the Mutter brother’s fun. Often, he’s leading it.
I check the time and panic sets in. I still have three tables to arrange, and it’s almost six o’clock. Guests should arrive any minute now.
Where did the afternoon go?
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. I take a few more deep breaths before I turn around. Whatever mess they’ve made now, there’s not a hell of a lot I can do about it.
My entire body relaxes when I see it’s only the ladder and an empty punch bowl that made the loud crash. One of the Mutter men must have knocked it over when they were goofing around.
They’ve spent more time acting like children than grown men. As a result, most of the decorations look like they were put up and planned out by a group of five-year-olds—a complete contrast to my table decorations. It’s kind of cute actually, and I’m sure Grams will love it.
A smile covers my face as I watch them. The Mutters are good people with lots of heart and love to share. I wish my family could see that. My family is still stuck in the past.
Those boys have had a rough go at life. None of which was their fault. They’ve made the best of it and have worked hard to break the chains of neglect and abuse they were born into. It only makes me like them more.
I glimpse at Christian out of the corner of my eye. Once again, he’s watching me, and it gives me goosebumps. My stomach also gets jitters.
Mostly, my stomach has been behaving today. I haven’t felt that sick, which is a major plus. I’ve had too much work to do for nausea. But every time I feel Christian’s eyes on me, that changes.
We haven’t talked since the day I told him I’m pregnant, and it makes me nervous. We haven’t gone this long without speaking since we started our affair.
Affair . God, I hate how that sounds. It makes it sound like we’re doing something wrong, and we’re not. Loving someone isn’t wrong.
If it weren’t for that damn feud, it wouldn’t be a problem. There would still be some people who’d question our relationship and call us poorly matched. My parents included. But everyone would eventually accept us as a couple. With this feud, we’ll never have peace. My brothers will make sure of that. Our relationship and this pregnancy will only divide our families more.
Pressing my hand into my stomach, I close my eyes. Am I making a mistake by choosing to keep this baby? The timing is bad. Christian clearly doesn’t want it. It will destroy our families. What kind of life can a half Mutter half Koch child possibly have?
It will be a constant uphill battle.
But it’s a battle I’m going to have to fight. Because I want this baby.
Sighing, I turn my attention back to the table I’m working on. I do my best to ignore Christian and push these thoughts out of my mind. It’s not easy, but I’ve made it this far. I can make it through the rest of the evening.
He asked for time, and I’m giving that to him. We’ll talk when he’s ready.
Maybe he’ll change his mind about being a father, and he’ll beg me to raise this baby with him. All I have to hang onto is hope. Hope that he chooses me and this baby over fear.
“Oh my gosh, Lia!” I look up at the sound of Charlotte’s voice. “These flowers are gorgeous. Grams is going to love them.”
I smile and lift my hand to run my finger along the petal of a tulip. Tulips are my favorite too. There’s something about them that gives off a simple yet elegant vibe. They can be classy and casual all at the same time.
“I hope so,” I say.
“Anything we can do to help?” Clara asks. “We would’ve been here sooner, but work delayed us.”
“I’ve got the rest of this.” I point over my shoulder to where the boys messed up the streamers. “Though they might need some help.”
Clara and Charlotte laugh while Lina snorts. I didn’t see her standing behind them, so I give her a friendly wave. She nods in return before she heads over to see what she can do to help them.
Charlotte and Lina are both now dating Mutter men. They’re the same age as my older brother, Tanner. In high school, Charlotte dated Tanner. They broke up before Charlotte moved to Chicago right after graduation. She only recently moved back to be closer to her family, who just happen to be neighbors to grumpy Garret Mutter. Theirs was a surprising love story, but a good one.
Lina is dating Chase, Christian’s twin. From what Christian told me, Chase has had a crush on her since they were little kids, but Lina only had eyes for Christian. I’ve still never heard the full story about how it all came to be, but from what I can tell, Lina and Chase look really happy together.
Clara is a year younger than me. We’ve never really gotten to know each other well. She’s always been Team Mutter. She and Ash have been best friends ever since they could both walk. Clara seems sweet though, and given the chance, I think we’d be good friends.
“Where’s Sophia?” I ask.
“She’s bringing Grams,” Charlotte says. “Should be here in about ten minutes or so.”
“Then I better get a move on it. Still got two tables to finish.”
“Yeah, and I’ve got to set up the dessert table.” Charlotte lifts a large tote she’s carrying. Clara is carrying one almost as equally large. “There’s still more in the car.”
She smiles and heads toward the food area while I finish up the tables. Somehow, we manage to finish with the decorations and setting up before many of the guests arrive. Even the boys fixed the mess they made of the streamers when the ladder fell. Rather, Lina fixed it.
“The place looks great,” Clara says as she walks up next to me. “Grams is going to love these flowers. Did you know tulips are her favorite?”
“Christian told me when he placed the order.” I smile at her and hope like hell she can’t see the pain in my expression. Even mentioning his name is hard for me right now.
“He ordered these?” Charlotte asks.
“He did.” I nod and pretend to adjust the flowers in the vase in front of me. It’s fine, but I need something to do to distract me.
“He’s been in a mood this week,” Clara says.
“He’s always in a mood,” Charlotte adds.
“Yeah, but this week he’s been worse,” Clara continues. “I stopped by the shop yesterday after work and he started a fight with Liam. Normally, he’s quiet and moody. Yesterday he was very vocal. Thought they were going to throw punches.”
“Hmm, you don’t think he’s using again, do you?” Charlotte asks. Her question makes me tense. If Christian starts using again because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.
“God, I hope not. His last relapse nearly killed Chase. I’m not sure that family can handle another fall.” Clara sighs, and we all turn and look at Christian.
We all study him for a moment. I’ve never been around him when he’s been high, but he’s not using. I know it. His problems have nothing to do with his addiction. He’s emotional and hurt and scared. Same as me.
“He’s not,” I say. “If he was, we’d see it in his eyes.”
“I hope you’re right,” Charlotte says.
“Hope you’re right about what?” Ash’s voice calls out behind us. We all turn around to find him holding his girlfriend’s hand with Warren just behind them.
Warren hasn’t been back in town long and this is the first time I’ve seen him in years. He’s just as handsome as all the Mutter men with the same deep brown eyes, dark hair, and tall frame. But there’s a darkness in his eyes that rivals the darkness Christian hides. There’s been lots of rumors circulating about why he left all those years ago, but no one really knows the truth. I’m not even sure his brothers know the reason.
“Oh, nothing.” Charlotte waves him off. “Just girl talk.”
“I need to check on the food table.” The words rush out of Clara like she’s racing to get them out before she forgets them. Then she spins around and disappears behind a small crowd of people forming on the other side of the room.
“That was weird.” I frown.
“She doesn’t like me,” Ash’s girlfriend, Andrea, says.
Ash looks down at her with furrowed brows. “Why would you say that?”
“Because.” She lifts her hand and points in the direction Clara went. “She runs off every time I’m around.”
“No, she doesn’t.” Ash scoffs.
Charlotte hides her laugh behind her hand, and I look away. I haven’t been around them enough to know how Clara behaves when Andrea is with Ash, but I can’t imagine it’s good. Clara’s not-so-secret crush on Ash is legendary in this small town. Everyone knows about it except Ash. The man is clueless.
Andrea lets out a frustrated huff and shakes her head. “You’re blind. You know that?” Then she spins around and rushes out the door.
“Andrea, babe,” Ash calls out after her. “Where are you going?”
“Well, she’s right about one thing.” Charlotte pats Ash on the back. “You are blind.”
Ash frowns and furrows his brow. “Why does everyone keep saying that to me?”
He takes off after Andrea and is gone before any of us can respond. Charlotte looks at me and rolls her eyes. “Poor guy. I don’t think he’ll ever get it.”
“You guys should leave him alone,” Warren says. His voice is deep and sounds almost angry. It causes both Charlotte and me to snap our eyes in his direction. Those are the first words I can recall hearing him speak since we were in school.
“He speaks!” Charlotte grins.
He shakes his head and growls. “Yeah, I speak.” Then he pushes past us and joins his brothers on the other side of the room.
“Well, that was fun,” Charlotte says. “Never a dull moment around those men. Are your brothers like that?”
I huff. “Yes, and no. My brothers aren’t as playful and funny. But they might be grumpier and meaner.”
Charlotte laughs. “Have you met Garrett? I’m not sure anyone is grumpier than that man. Though he’s not mean. He tries to pretend he is, but he’s really just a big teddy bear with a frown.”
“Yeah, well. My brothers are not teddy bears. They’re just mean. Don’t get me wrong. They have their good qualities, but they work hard to hide those. No clue why.”
“Men are so weird.”
“True.” I smile and add some finishing touches to the table. “But I guess they say the same thing about us.”
“Also true.” Charlotte’s smile grows and her eyes light up as she fixes on something behind me. I turn and follow her stare. Hannah Fisher and her husband, Charlie, are headed toward us. “Hannah! So glad you made it.”
“Sorry I’m late.” Hannah holds up a platter of cookies. “It took me longer to get these ready than I expected.”
Charlie rests his hand on her shoulder, and she tenses. His grip looks far too tight for a loving touch, but Hannah’s smile doesn’t waver. I’ve heard rumblings over the years that their relationship is volatile and that he’s very possessive. A few people have even said they’ve witnessed his aggression toward her, but that he’s never actually hurt her.
Rumors in this town sometimes hold merit. Not always, but there’s usually a kernel of truth to them. Regardless, I don’t like the way his hand is on her shoulder. After my experience with Badger, I’m more aware of things like this. I can feel the tension between them, and my gut tells me she doesn’t like the way he’s touching her either.
“Where’s Cameron?” Charlotte asks. “One of these days, I’d love to meet your son.”
“He wasn’t feeling well,” Charlie says. His words are clipped and have a hint of irritation behind them. I shift my gaze to him. He’s smiling, but it doesn’t feel genuine.
Then again, nothing about Charlie ever feels genuine. He is a politician and comes from a long line of them. Charlie is the mayor of Waverly, a small city about fifteen minutes from Beaver. I’ve heard he’s planning to run for the state senate once his dad retires. His dad is nearing the end of his second term, and his grandfather served as senator prior to that.
If Charlie wins the next election, it’d ensure his family remains in office and power. I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
“Cam was very disappointed he couldn’t come,” Hannah says. “He was looking forward to eating cake.”
Charlotte reaches out and rests her hand on Hannah’s arm. Hannah flinches like it hurts to be touched, but she recovers quickly. “Be sure to take some cake and cookies home with you. Lord knows I baked plenty.”
“We have plenty of food at home for our son,” Charlie grumbles. This time, his anger is obvious. “We don’t need handouts.”
“Charlie, honey,” Hannah whispers. “It’s not a handout. It’s kindness.”
He tightens his grip on her shoulder, and she sucks in a breath. He whispers something in her ear that is only meant for her. Whatever it is, it makes all the life in her eyes vanish.
Hannah lifts the plate in her hands. “I better get this over to the table. It’s getting heavy. It was so good to see you both.”
Her smile is gone and so is the emotion in her voice. It’s like she turned herself off and became a lifeless robot. I hate it, and I want to run after them and drag her away from him. But this isn’t the time or place for that.
A shudder runs through me as an image of Badger’s angry expression comes to the forefront of my mind. Would that be me if I’d given into his demands or my family’s constant nudging for me to date him? Or worse, marry him.
Badger would undoubtedly be an abusive spouse. He’s already hit me once and threatened me more times than I can count. A lifetime with him would be torture. Why my family can’t see this is beyond me.
“There she is!” Chase calls out from across the room. He shoots his hands into the air and a huge smile covers his face. He may be identical twins with Christian, but they look nothing alike to me. “The woman of the hour.”
Every head turns toward the entrance where Grams is standing next to Sophia. The smile on her face is one of pure magic. But that’s Grams. She’s tough as nails and will tell you exactly how it is, but is also the kindest and purest soul I’ve ever met. She’s impossible not to love.
If my family would let this multi-generational feud go, I’m sure we’d all be friends. When my brothers aren’t acting all tough and pissed off at the world, they’re actually quite sweet.
Sweet might be a bit of a stretch, but they are nice guys with kind hearts. They just hide their hearts behind the damn feud and generations of anger.
I look around the room and smile at all the people here to celebrate Grams and her birthday. Many of these people would also show up for my family. While the feud has kept our families divided, most of the town hasn’t chosen sides. Just those closest to us.
Which is why my friends aren’t here.
What I wouldn’t do for the support of Nova and Hadley right now? If I called them, they would come. But that would draw way too many questions. It’s bad enough that I’m here. At least I can hide behind the fact that I arranged the flowers. Even that will raise some questions once word gets out that I attended a Mutter family event.
I rub my hand over my flat stomach and take a deep breath. Soon it won’t matter. Once word gets out that I’m pregnant with Christian’s baby, everything will change. And not likely in a good way.
“You okay?” Charlotte asks. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I’d forgotten she was next to me. My expression must show my inner turmoil because she looks concerned.
I nod and shake my hands to my side. “I’m fine. Just tired. It’s been a busy week.”
“Are you sure?” Her brows furrow as she studies my face. “You look pale.”
“Yeah, I’m … Oh shit.” I whisper as I glimpse Linden and Tanner walking through the main entrance.
“What is it?” Charlotte asks. Then she turns her head to follow my gaze. “Oh.”
It’s bad enough that my brothers are here, but they brought Badger with them. I am not in the right frame of mind to deal with all of them tonight.
Whatever reprieve my sensitive stomach gave me is gone now. I feel more nauseous than I have since this pregnancy started. The last thing I need is to get sick in front of half the town.
The soft rumble of the room slowly drops to dead silence. The only sound is that of boots pounding across the floor as Liam, Garret, Ash, Chase, and Mac rush toward my brothers and form a wall of muscle between them and the rest of the guests.
Warren doesn’t follow his brothers. He remains leaning against the side wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Somehow, his aloof demeanor also expresses a hint of anger.
It’s been so long since he left town, and I’ve no clue how he feels about this feud. If looks mean anything, he’s annoyed that my brothers showed up, but not enough to do anything about it.
I don’t have to search the room for Christian. I feel his presence behind me without looking. He’s not touching me, but he’s so close I can feel the heat radiating off his body.
The same tingling sensation I feel every time he’s close washes over me. I want to lean into him. Accept his protective embrace and absorb the safety he always gives me. The desire to do so is so strong, it’s almost instinctual.
My body gets a mind of her own when I’m this close to Christian. My mind loses all control, and my body goes to him like a magnet drawn to metal. It takes serious effort to keep my hands to myself.
I feel my cheeks warm, and I press my shaking hands over them, hoping no one will notice me blushing. If they do, maybe they’ll think it’s embarrassment and not attraction to the one man I shouldn’t be attracted to.
“What’s with the mean face?” Tanner says to Chase as he pushes past him. He pats him on the shoulder like they’re old friends. The grin on my brother’s face suggests he’s ready to start some shit and doesn’t care who he pisses off in the process.
My brothers are outnumbered, though, and it would be wise for them to leave. Unfortunately, smart decisions are not something they’re known for.
“You’re not invited.” Garret’s voice is a low grumble. He grabs Tanner’s arm and pulls him to a stop. “No Kochs allowed.”
Tanner’s grin grows before he looks around the room and finds me. “Then why is my sister here? If she’s invited, then so are we.”
“Maybe because she’s not an asshole,” Mac says. His tone gives off a jovial hint, but there’s nothing joking about his stance. His back is straight, and his arms are crossed over his chest like he’s ready to block an army of enemies.
“Then we should fit right in with the likes of you.” Linden grumbles. He follows Tanner across the room and right toward me. Badger is only a few steps behind them.
“Well, well, well, sister.” Tanner’s glare is directed over my shoulder and right at Christian. “Getting a little cozy with the enemy, don’t you think?”
I cross my arms over my chest and huff. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Tanner reaches around me and gives Christian a hard shove. “This asshole needs to step away.”
Instead of falling backward like Tanner intended, Christian grabs Tanner’s arm and twists it in such a way that Tanner falls to the side and stumbles. He doesn’t hit the ground, though. Tanner recovers his footing and his body leans into mine instead, causing me to fall.
My hip meets the floor with a hard thud, and I cry out.
“Lia, babe.” I’m pulled into Christian’s arms and wrapped in his embrace before I even have a chance to assess the situation. “Are you okay?”
“Hey!” Tanner yells. “Let go of my sister.”
My body is jerked forward when Linden joins Tanner. Together, they pry at Christian arms until he loses his hold on me. Once again, I fall to the ground. The next thing I know, I’m lifted off the ground and held tightly against Badger’s chest.
“Let me go!” I push against him, but he’s too strong for me. I’m trapped against his body as he cradles me close like I’m a baby.
Panic consumes me, making it hard to breathe. The last time I was this close to Badger, the unthinkable almost happened. I kick and punch, but with little effect. The way his arms are wrapped around me is making it hard to move.
“Christian!” I try to scream, but his name is barely above a whisper. My anxiety is winning, and I can hardly breathe.
“He can’t save you now,” Badger whispers into my ear. “You’re mine.”
My skin crawls at the aggressive undertone to his words. This man will never understand how much I hate him.
I frantically search for Christian. My brothers are egging him on like they’re trying to start a fight, but he’s not listening to them. His eyes are trained on Badger. He’s ready to tear him apart.
Determined to get free, I arch my back and kick my legs until he loses his balance. His grip around me loosens as he stumbles, and we both fall to the ground. This time my head hits the floor, and it knocks the wind out of me. Tears sting my eyes as pain radiates throughout my body.
“Amelia!” Christian yells my name just before I hear a loud roar. His arms fly out and he pushes Linden and Tanner away, effectively breaking past them with ease. He shoots forward like a bomb went off beneath him.
Just before he reaches me, Linden grabs his arms and pulls him back. “My sister is not your concern. Badger, get her out of here.”
“She’s very much my concern.” Christian breaks free and steps between Badger and me. “You will not touch her,” he growls.
“Christian, don’t,” I beg.
His arm stops mid swing. He’s been waiting for a reason to punch Badger again, but I can’t let him do it. Badger is the kind of asshole that would press charges. With Christian’s history, he’d go to jail for sure.
Christian’s eyes plead with me to let him do it. “I swore he’d never touch you again.”
“Please,” I cry. “There’s more at stake here than just me.”
His eyes shift to my stomach. Then his expression softens, and his body relaxes. “The baby,” he whispers.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Linden asks.
Christian takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. Just before he tugs me close, he presses his hand against my stomach. “You okay?”
I nod and sink into his embrace. The rest of the world is momentarily forgotten. “Yeah, I think so.”
“What the fuck!” Tanner yells. My head snaps up and I meet his knowing glare. “He said baby.” Tanner points at Christian but doesn’t take his angry eyes off me. “Baby? Really Lia? Please tell me you’re not pregnant. With him?”
A collective gasp fills the air, and I squeeze my eyes closed. This isn’t how I planned to let the news out that I was pregnant, but there’s no talking my way out of this one.
I open my eyes and meet my brother’s awaiting glare with a smile. My answer is short and simple.
“Yes, I am.”