Chapter 4 Michael
MICHAEL
“Good to have you back, Mr. Parker!” Mayor Cameron shouted as she hurried across the street in her high heels and suit.
“Thanks. I see you still hold the reins on the town.”
Tucking Blake into my side, I smiled at the mayor, who had been a few years younger than me in school.
“Well, I can’t let those Delaneys get their hands on the town. God knows what we’d end up with around here. Probably circuses and clowns all over town.”
“They’re not that bad, but I’m still glad you’re in office.”
The mayor shifted her attention to Blake, already dismissing me in the process. “And you must be the famous Blake Collins. I’ve heard a lot about you. And congratulations, by the way.”
I stifled a laugh as Blake shifted uncomfortably beside me. “Um…for what?”
“The baby. It’s all over town. You’re the new ‘it’ couple, so you’d better watch out.”
Blake spun in my arms, her eyes wide with panic. “Everyone knows? How does everyone know?”
“Small town,” the mayor laughed. “You can’t do anything in this town without everyone knowing five minutes later.”
“But we don’t even know!”
“Baby, it’s not a big deal.”
Blake huffed out a laugh in irritation. “It’s a big deal to me. I’d like to know that I’m actually pregnant before the town starts throwing me a parade.”
“Oh, that’s already in the works,” Mayor Cameron laughed. “I believe it was Beatrice Fletcher who approached me about getting it on the town schedule.”
“Bea?” I asked. “As in Bea, who works at the police station? She’s still there?”
“Still there and still in everyone’s business. But that’s not really why I stopped you. I was actually hoping to run into Blake.”
“Me?”
Blake looked shocked, but I wasn’t at all surprised.
“I made a few calls when I found out you were former FBI. There was a glowing review about recent things you were involved in, along with a presidential recommendation. That pretty impressive, and I almost want to say you would be wasted on our small town, but I’m selfish.”
“That…that was for me to take a new position at the FBI.”
Mayor Cameron snorted. “If you’re good enough for the FBI, then you’re good enough for our town. Come see me soon. We should talk,” she said, handing over her business card.
I beamed with pride at my woman. She was damn impressive, and it was clear to others that she could make a huge difference no matter where she went.
Convincing her to think the same way might take some time when all she wanted was to settle down after the crap we’d just dealt with.
“Anyway, I have to run. It was great to see you, Michael!”
I waved as she rushed down the street, then wrapped my arm around Blake’s shoulders and continued toward the pharmacy. Blake was still staring at the card in confusion, so I let her have a minute.
“What could she possibly want me for?”
“I would imagine she needs an ally on her side, and she’s thinking you’d be the perfect fit.”
“But I know nothing about small-town politics. In fact, I know nothing about politics at all. I investigated crimes, not roadways.”
“I doubt she wants you to investigate roads,” I chuckled.
“But—”
“You have damn good instincts,” I said, pulling to a stop and forcing her to look at me.
“You may not want to work for the FBI anymore, and you might not like working in a small town, but you don’t have to decide right away.
Meet with her and see what she wants. You might find you like working with her. ”
“Do you know her well?”
“Not really. I knew her from school, but not well. And the last time I came home, she had just won the election. From what I understand, she’s pretty tough, but good.”
Blake tipped her head up at me, giving me a look I knew all too well. “She sure seemed to know you.”
“I know where you’re going with this. No, I did not sleep with her. That’s just the way she is.”
“Forward and friendly?” she teased.
“If she seems confident, it’s because she is. She didn’t get where she is by beating around the bush. And neither did you.”
“Right, I got thrown out of my job and locked in a cell. That was so much better.”
“You helped bring down crooked senators. That’s nothing to sneeze at.”
She laughed, turning away from me.
“Hey,” I grabbed her arm, confused by her dismissive attitude. “What’s going on? This isn’t you. You’re always so confident.”
Sighing, she leaned in, pressing her forehead to my chest for a second before smiling up at me. “It’s just…all of this stuff. The baby—if there’s a baby—and now this woman wants me for a job, but I don’t know where I stand on the whole baby thing, and—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I chuckled. “Alright. One thing at a time. Let’s find out if, in fact, we’re having a baby and take it from there.”
Blowing out a breath, she nodded. “Alright, let’s do this.”
“You’ll see. It’ll be fine either way.”
“And the job?”
She was way more worried about this than she needed to be. “Either you take it, or you don’t.”
“You don’t care if I’m working and pregnant?”
“Not if it’s what you want to do.”
“Seriously? You’re not gonna get all alpha male on me and tell me I’ll hurt myself or the baby?”
“Blake, you tossed me through a window. Twice.”
“Once,” she corrected. “That other time, you jumped through all on your own.”
“Fine. Once. I’m pretty sure you can decide what you’re capable of handling.”
That seemed to put her at ease a little, and while I might have been fibbing just a little about the alpha protector in me coming out, I obviously couldn’t say a word of that to her now. She was already freaking out.
Slinging my arm around her shoulders again, we strolled down the sidewalk toward the pharmacy where Bud was waiting outside in his usual chair.
He wore a sweatshirt instead of his normal t-shirt since the weather wasn’t exactly cooperating with him, but I was pretty damn sure the only time I’d ever see Bud anywhere but in his chair was if he was in the ground.
“Well, if it isn’t the happy couple,” he grinned. “Heard you got a bun in the oven, little lady.”
I squeezed Blake’s shoulder to keep her from mouthing off to the old man. She was going to have to get used to everyone in this town talking about her. It came with the territory, and nothing could stop the gossip train.
I knew that well enough. It was why I had left.
“Just stopped by for a few things.”
“A pregnancy test?” he said, quirking his eyebrow at me. “Yep, heard all about it this morning. Was wondering when you were gonna come in. Well, let’s head inside, and I’ll point you in the right direction.”
He pushed ahead of us, striding right toward the family planning aisle, like we couldn’t find it for ourselves.
“Does he really think I need his help with this?” Blake hissed.
“Have you ever picked out a test before?”
It suddenly struck me that I hadn’t ever actually asked her before if she had been in the position of needing a test, and I found myself waiting on pins and needles, already jealous as hell.
“No, you big brute,” she laughed, punching me in the stomach.
I rubbed my ribs, about to tell her that her punches were lethal, when she continued.
“God, you’re so jealous. I’ve never needed a test before because…”
Suddenly, she got quiet and turned to me, her expression guarded.
“Because what?”
This was bad. What was she going to tell me? She couldn’t have kids? She had some horrible woman disease that killed off all babies? I was already running through a list of the best hospitals in Montana, ready to swoop in and take her to any of them for further consultation.
“Baby, what is it?”
“It’s just…Parker, I know I should have told you before…”
I felt like I was gonna puke. Every dream I ever had of us living out here was suddenly slipping away. And it all hinged on her next words.
“I’ve never had to worry about it because…you were my first.”
Her eyelashes batted as she finally looked at me. In that moment, my chest grew ten sizes and my heart swelled with pride. I was her first.
Her eyes twinkled with mischief, and suddenly, reality slammed into me.
“You’re fucking with me.”
“Of course I am!” she laughed, slugging me again.
“Oof,” I grunted as she nearly knocked the wind out of me. “You know, you don’t have to hit me all the time.”
“Well, how else am I going to keep you in check? I can’t keep throwing you out windows. Eventually, I’ll hit an artery and you’ll die on me.”
“Glad to know you’re concerned about my welfare.”
“That and going to prison. I don’t look good in orange.”
“Still,” I grumbled, walking toward the aisle where Bud was waiting. “You just freaked me out and humbled me all in one second. That’s gotta be some kind of record.”
“Well, I live to keep you on your toes.”
“Don’t I know it,” I whispered as she walked ahead of me.
As much as Blake and I connected over the past few months, there was still a part of me that was deeply terrified of her. She could definitely kick my ass, and I wasn’t afraid to admit that.
“So, this is your digital test,” Bud said, shoving one into my hands. “This is for the youngins who come in and don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground.”
He grabbed another test and shoved that one against Blake’s chest. “Two lines or one line. Simple enough. You don’t really need directions, but I guess there’s always someone who would screw up reading a damn stick.”
A third package was picked up and he tossed that one at me. “This is in case you’re an idiot and need clarification. Two tests in one box. Can’t really screw that one up.”
“So, which one is the best?”
“Well, that depends,” he said, quirking an eyebrow at me. “Do you fall into category one or three?”
“Uh…not really.”
“Very convincing,” he muttered. “Take the second option. That’s all you need.”
“You’re sure?”
I should have known it was the wrong thing to say. Blake sucked in a breath the moment the words left my lips.
“Right, we’ll just take the one.”
“Wise decision.”
“Anything else you need? Condoms?”
“Well, if this is positive, it’s already a little late for that,” I laughed, but I was the only one.
“Geez, tough crowd,” I muttered as I walked to the front.
“Really? Did you have to do that?” Blake hissed.
“What? It was a legitimate question.”
“For idiots.”
“Thanks. I love you, too, babe.”
“Let’s just pay for this and get out of here. And I want a paper bag. I don’t need anyone seeing what I’m carrying in there.”
“It’s not like the whole town doesn’t already know.”
“I know that, but they don’t need to see the evidence.”
“Fine, we’ll get a paper bag.”
Walking up to the counter, I snagged a twenty from my wallet and handed it over. “Can we get that in a paper bag, Bud?”
He barked out a laugh, shaking his head. “Won’t do you no good. Besides, don’t have any. Everyone’s switched to plastic these days. Too expensive to keep using paper.”
“That’s fine.”
Blake pinched me.
“Ah! I mean…don’t you have anything we could use?”
Bud pretended to mull it over. “You know, now that I think about it, I do have my hidden stash of paper bags under the register.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, knowing he was lying.
“The whole town already knows. There’s no hiding it, son.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, taking the change.
“I’d say call with the news, but I have no doubt I’ll know before you get the chance to pick up the phone,” he laughed as we walked out the door.
“God, this town is way too nosy,” Blake hissed as we headed back to our vehicle.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“You didn’t! You left because of this. And now we’re back here. Are we crazy? Should we have moved to my hometown?”
“Well, that depends. Did you want a shotgun wedding?”
She stopped, her face suddenly growing pale. “Oh my God. I’m gonna have to tell my father and my brothers!”
“Yeah,” I said slowly, confused by her sudden revelation that I already knew was coming.
“You don’t understand, Parker. They’re going to come here and—”
“And what? Beat me up? Make me marry you? Done. Not an issue.”
“Not an issue?” she screeched, stomping away from me. “Do you have any idea what it will be like?”
Spinning back to face me, she was about to say something when a punk kid ran past her, tearing the purse from her shoulder. I was about to give chase when I saw the change in Blake’s eyes.
“Aw, hell. This is gonna be bad,” I said right as she took off after him.