Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cameron
I’d been back at work a week, but everything felt different now.
I’d try to concentrate, but my mind kept drifting back to Rylee.
Our baby. Wanting to be with her, to share every moment of her pregnancy.
The doctor’s appointments. The cravings.
Even the mood swings and nausea. I just wanted to be there for her. And it was killing me that I couldn’t.
I had a meeting in twenty minutes, but when my cell phone buzzed and I saw Austin’s name pop up on the screen, I answered it. “Hey, man. What’s up?”
He laughed. “Just checking up on you, since my soon-to-be wife dropped that little bomb on you. Holdin’ it together, Daddy?”
Austin had texted since I’d heard the news, but it was good to hear his voice. And just that word, Daddy, made me feel like I’d won the lottery.
“All good, brother.”
“You must’ve been floored, huh? You and Rylee weren’t together all that long.”
“Long enough.” I smirked, wondering which night we’d conceived. I wished I knew because it felt like the anniversary of that night is one that I’d want to celebrate for the rest of our lives. Just like all the milestones I wanted with her.
“Hey, I know you’ve been wanting this a long time, Cam. Even if the timing sucks and things are complicated between you and Ry—”
“The timing doesn’t suck.”
In my mind it was perfect. Our little one was already hard at work, playing matchmaker. And by the time they were born I wanted their mommy and daddy to be married.
“Hell, if Ry wasn’t pregnant, you really think she’d give me another shot?” After the way she’d blown me off the night of the engagement party, I knew she wouldn’t.
“Then she’s willing to try again?” He hesitated. “Not just the co-parenting thing, but the relationship too?”
My stomach bottomed out. Austin and Rylee were tight. Maybe he knew more than I did about her state of mind.
“We re-connected when I was in town last weekend, if that’s what you’re asking. We’ve talked every day since. So yeah, I’d say we’re in a good place. Why? Do you know something I don’t?”
“I know Rylee,” he said, sounding ominous.
“I know how hard that girl works. And I’m worried about her, to be honest. Making that transition, becoming a mama, isn’t gonna be easy for her.
She’s gonna feel pulled in different directions.
And without a strong partner to support her, it’ll be tough. I mean she has me and Easton—”
“She has me,” I said, between clenched teeth. “You really think I’ll let her go through this alone? Whatever she needs, I’m there. She knows that.” And it pissed me off that someone who knew me as well as Austin would think I’d let Rylee struggle all alone.
“Yeah, sure. She has you, but you’re seven hundred miles away, man. You won’t be there for the late-night feedings, for the—”
“We’re working it out,” I snapped. I didn’t need to be reminded of everything I’d be missing out on if I wasn’t living under the same roof as Rylee and our baby.
“Cam, listen to me. You’re family. So is Rylee.
I want y’all to work this out. To do what’s best for you guys, and your baby, but this shit is complicated.
You both have demanding careers. You live in different states.
Hell, you haven’t even known each other six months.
” He sighed. “You’re not even in a committed relationship. ”
And just like that, my day took a nosedive. I wanted to argue every point he’d made, but I couldn’t. He was right.
“I love her. She loves me. We’re going to have a baby. That’s what matters. The rest is just logistics.”
“No, that’s where you’re wrong. The lives you’ve both built, the careers you’ve given everything to, the friends you’ve made, the house you own, your family. That’s not just logistics, brother. That’s everything. And you can’t give it all up. If you do, you’ll resent—”
“No, I won’t.” I didn’t need him to tell me how I would feel. “And I don’t need you poisoning Ry’s mind with this garbage, so do me a favour? Keep your mouth shut.”
“I’m not going to say any of this to Rylee. That’s why I’m coming to you. Because you need to hear it.”
“I’ve got a meeting to get to. I’ve gotta go.”
“Hey, you have every right to tell me to back off. To mind my own business. And you wouldn’t be wrong.” He paused. “But when two people I care about are about to blow their whole lives up, I’ll risk the fight if I can save you some heartache down the line.”
He was doing for me what I would do for him if our situations were reversed, so I couldn’t be mad. But that didn’t mean my head wasn’t spinning and my gut wasn’t churning. I was a mess, trying to make sense of a life that suddenly felt like it was built on a crumbling foundation.
I’d been re-playing my conversation with Austin all day, so when Rylee called just before midnight, I was still wired.
“Hey, handsome. How was your day?”
I closed my eyes, trying to get the image of her curled up in bed all alone, out of my head.
I wanted to be there with her. To wrap my arms around her, kiss her neck, talk to her tummy, and fall asleep with her in my arms. Damn it.
This was getting harder every day, and I didn’t see a way out, without abandoning my responsibilities and blowing up my life.
“You okay, babe?” she asked, when I didn’t respond.
“No, not really.” My throat tightened as I tried to hold back the words, but I couldn’t. “Ry, I don’t think I can do this.”
“Do what?” she asked, sounding a little shaken. “If you’re talking about the baby, I know we didn’t plan this and I understand if you—”
“Stop it.” I was stunned. “You really think I’m having second thoughts about your pregnancy? I want this baby more than anything.”
“Then you’re having second thoughts about us?” She rushed on before I could get a word in. “I get that. It’s a lot to—”
“No doubts where you or our baby are concerned,” I said, firmly. “So, get that out of your head, now.”
“Then what?” her voice sounded soft and broken, like she was trying not to cry and it was killing me.
“Sweetheart, I need to be with you.”
She let out her breath in a rush. “I thought you were going to tell me you couldn’t leave the life you loved to start over with me.”
“Not a chance.” But if this was going to work, she needed total transparency. She deserved that. “Austin called me today. Said a lot of things that made me think…”
“About?”
“Everything.”
“Am I gonna have to smack him for planting doubts in your head? Because I will. Just say the word.”
I smiled, hoping if we had a baby girl she’d be as strong and feisty as her beautiful mama. “He loves you, Ry. He’s been there for you. And he’s worried about you.”
“I love him too. Austin, Easton… so many of the friends I’ve made in this business are like the big brothers I never had. They’re family. And I know they’ve always got my back.” She giggled. “Speaking of which, did I tell you Easton ran Dean out of town?”
“How’d he do that?” I liked everything I’d heard about Easton, but it irked me that he got to be Rylee’s hero and I didn’t.
“Simple. Easton reminded him who my friends were. Told him he was going to start spreading the word about what he’d done and he’d never work in this town again.”
“And that’s all it took?” I was relieved, but skeptical. In my experience, guys like that didn’t slink away quietly.
“Honey, when Easton talks, people in this town listen. Besides, Dean’s from Atlanta. Even when we were together, he talked about moving back home. There’s a pretty big music scene there, so I’m sure he won’t starve. But he’s burned his bridges in Nashville. He knows that now.”
“I’d still like to see that dirtbag behind bars, where he belongs.”
“I would too, but let’s be honest. If he posts those pics of me online, I’m screwed.”
I hated that anyone had that kind of power over her, but I understood why she would want to put the mess with her ex behind her.
“As long as he has those pics, he has leverage, baby. Doesn’t mean he won’t crawl out of his hole someday, when he gets desperate enough and you get rich enough, so he can try to make you pay.”
“I’ve thought about that.” She chuckled. “But I happen to know he’s scared spitless of you.”
I grunted, wishing I’d worked a little harder to put the fear of God into him when I had the chance. “Where’d you hear that?”
“One of the guys in my band is still friends with him. Dean told him you stopped by his place the night of your sister’s engagement party.
” Her throaty laugh turned me on before she said, “My friend said he whined like a little bitch about it. Thought he was gonna cry.” She laughed again.
“I would have paid good money to see that.”
“He was still standing when I left, so it felt like a job undone.”
“Guys like you don’t have to use your fists, babe.” Her voice was low and suggestive when she whispered, “Not when you have so many other tools at your disposal, to one-up losers like that.”
“Enough about him.” Just the thought of that scum-sucker raised my blood pressure. “I need to talk about us. About how we’re gonna do this, because I’m going crazy being so far away from you.”
And once our baby was born? No way could I go a single day without kisses and cuddles and giggles. No doubt about it. This kid was gonna make me soft, and I was okay with that.
“I know it’s not easy, but we can figure this out, right? We have to. Like you said, maybe you can keep your place there—”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
“What are you talking about? You have to.”
“I’m thinking of resigning. Selling my house—”
“No!” She sounded alarmed, and a little breathless when she said, “Oh my God, are you crazy? What are you talking about? You can’t do that!”
“Why can’t I?” I tried to ignore the slow burn churning in my gut. Getting angry wouldn’t help my cause. I needed to hear her out, assuage her fears, and prove I wanted a life with her, whatever the cost.
“Because you haven’t known me long enough to upend your life to be with me.”