Chapter Forty-Seven
Kip
“That’s weird.” I hold open the door for Brooklyn. “Hawk said he was meeting us here at seven.”
We’re at the front door of Head and Tail. The lights are off. The lights are never off.
“What the hell is going on?” I switch on the light.
“Surprise!” Half the town jumps out from behind tables and the bar.
I clutch my chest. “Are you trying to kill us?”
I look around the room full of smiling faces. There’s a baby shower banner hanging behind the bar and a big cake on a table in the center of the room.
“We told you not to do anything.” Brooklyn says. Her hand is over her heart too. She’s shaking her head. “It’s so nice though.”
“You didn’t expect us to actually listen to you.” Sadie walks forward and gives Brooklyn a hug. “Look how big you’ve gotten.”
“I’m not even in my third trimester.” Brooklyn’s hand is on her stomach. I realize I’m beaming with pride.
Hawk slaps me on the back. “Shouldn’t be too much longer.”
“She can’t fly after this week. We’re just going to be nesting. At least that’s what she tells me.”
“It’s good to see you like this.” Hawk leans in for a hug. I wrap my arms around him.
“Good to see you, brother. How have things been?”
“Restaurant is great.” Hawk’s eyes drift toward McKenzie.
“How’s it working out having her at the cabin?” I catch a look between the two of them.
“I’m enjoying seeing her more often. You know I have to check on Blue every day.”
“Every day?” I’m the one shaking my head now. I lower my voice. “You’ve fallen fast.”
Hawk leans in. His voice low. “Not really. I’ve been interested for a long time, but she wasn’t available.”
My eyebrow arches. Wonders never cease.
“Are you moving out there?”
“I practically have already.” He’s still gazing at McKenzie across the room.
“Why don’t you take the house?” I’m surprised at how happy this is making me. A year ago, I couldn’t have cared less if Hawk was in love or not.
He strokes his chin. “Maybe, but where will you stay when you come up in the summers?”
I laugh and put my hand on his shoulder. “I’m having two kids, not forty. There will be plenty of room for all of us.”
He smiles. “Okay. I’ll talk it over with Kenzie.”
As he’s making his way over to McKenzie, I move toward Brooklyn. She’s talking with Rose and Sadie.
“It must have been the tea.” Rose’s eyes are shining.
I slip my arm around Brooklyn’s waist.
“The tea, huh?” I say. I flash a grin at Brooklyn.
“Yes. I gave Ginger...I mean, Brooklyn, some fertility tea that my sister had used and BAM...look what happened.”
Brooklyn’s sipping a glass of sparkling water. She shoots me a look.
“BAM is right,” I say.
She nudges me a little.
“And my sister had twins too, so I know it was the tea.”
Brooklyn chokes on her water and starts coughing.
“What?” she says between coughs.
“Yeah. Didn’t I tell you that before? She had been trying for ages without success, and then she started drinking that tea and voila...twins.”
Brooklyn’s eyes are huge. “No. No, I don’t remember you telling me that.”
“Well, I don’t believe in coincidences.” Sadie looks at Brooklyn over her glass of white wine. “Must have been the tea.”
Paul and Melvin walk up. “Ginger you’re looking good. Are you planning to deliver in town? I haven’t delivered any human twins, but I’ve delivered litters of...”
Paul cuts him off. “Melvin, it’s really not the same.”
“Look at her head. Not a scar to be seen.”
Paul leans forward to get a better look at Brooklyn’s forehead. “Well fuck me sideways, you’re going to have to teach me how you did that.”
Melvin has a smug gin on his face.
Paul slaps me on the back. “I knew it would happen for you two. Glad it worked out. You hadn’t been trying long anyway.”
“Oh, it was the tea,” Rose says.
“Tea?” Paul scrunches his face.
“I knew I recognized you that first day in my office,” Melvin says to Brooklyn.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you. I just needed to be anonymous.”
“Well, Martha recognized you immediately. She didn’t tell though until the news was out.”
Brooklyn’s eyes grow big. “Really? She knew and didn’t say anything?”
“Oh, I knew too,” Rose jumps in.
Brooklyn turns to Rose with a shock expression covering her face. “Really?”
“Of course. Really, I’m a librarian. I read everything. How would I not recognize you?”
“I knew too.” Sadie adds. “I knew the first day you two came in here together. It took me just a second with your hair, but I figured it out.”
Brooklyn and I are just staring at them with our mouths open.
“Why didn’t any of you say anything?” she asks.
“Oh, the women in this town keep each other’s secrets,” Sadie says. She flashes a look at Rose.
“That’s right. We figure if you’re keeping a secret it’s for a good reason.”
Brooklyn shoots me a look. “I can’t believe this.”
“I can’t believe it only took a new hair color, and none of these men recognized you,” Rose laughs.
“Actually, I can believe that.” Sadie’s shaking her head. “I love you, Kip, but you are oblivious as hell sometimes.”
I’m not going to argue with her on that.
Rose lowers her voice. “Did you ever find your mom?”
“Yes,” Brooklyn says, the corners of her mouth turn up. “Two months ago.”
“That’s wonderful news.” Rose claps her hands together.
“It really is,” Brooklyn smiles. She doesn’t divulge any more.
It hasn’t been without its bumps. She hasn’t seen her mother since she was eight.
They are, in most ways, strangers. Her mom carries an enormous amount of guilt and trauma.
Seeing her mother has unlocked a lot of painful memories for Brooklyn, but they’re working through it together and separately in therapy.
James moved Brooklyn’s mom and sister into a house on the same street as us.
He says they are family, and he takes care of all his family.
They want for nothing. They don’t have to worry about anything other than trying to heal.
Kayla is doing great. She’s in school. She’s started gymnastics.
We took her to the White House for the first time a few weeks ago.
Sadie motions for us to come sit by the cake table.
We open presents and eat cake. I sit back and watch everyone happily talking to each other.
It’s amazing how much can change in a year - how someone can crash into your life, turn it upside down, and bring you out the other side.
I keep eyes on Brooklyn as she talks to Martha about how much she loves the tiny sweaters she knit for the babies.
She’s completely at home, completely comfortable.
They love her here, and all I can think about is how I’m the luckiest son of a bitch in the entire world.