24. CharlieFoxtrot #2
She gives me a sad smile. “But that’s not the dad we had. Our dad was proud to serve his country. It was part of who he was. The Army was his calling. Not many people find that in life.” She pokes me in the leg with her finger. “And you’re just like him.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you.” Her condescending tone is back in action.
“How’s that?”
She tilts her head, thinking. “Well first, you look just like him from the pictures still hanging on Mom’s walls.”
I shrug.
She grabs another ornament. “And second, it seems you both were born with the drive to pursue something bigger than yourselves. For Dad it was the military.” She points a multi-colored taffy stick at me. “For you, it’s NASA.”
“Huh.” I never thought of it like that.
“And I tell you what.” Brit shakes her head. “When you said you were going to be an astronaut, I nearly had a heart attack.”
I frown, thinking back a few years. “I don’t remember that.”
“Yeah, ’cause I hid it from you, you dope.
” I have a feeling the only thing saving me from one of her dead leg attacks is the glass ornament.
“Just ask Matt. Jacob had just turned two when you applied. I cried my eyes out every night for about a week while spending my days telling everyone how proud I was of you.”
A shot of guilt hits me in the chest. “Damn, I’m sorry, Brit.” I bend my knees, dropping down to her level. “I thought I’d distanced myself enough that you—” I stop myself, cursing myself for sharing too much.
“That I’d what?” I can see Brit putting the pieces together “You…” The taffy ornament drops to the ground, breaking.
“You ignored me so I’d stop caring?” Her tone turns incredulous.
“Are you seriously telling me that all the times you dodged my phone calls and skipped holiday dinners you actually thought you were doing me a favor?” She’s gone from incredulous to screeching mad.
“What kind of stupid-ass logic is that?” She shoves me with both hands, and I topple back onto the tangled string of lights.
“Ow.” A few of the lights dig into my ass.
“I hope that hurt.” Her eyes burn into mine for a few more moments until they close, and she lets out an exasperated groan.
“I can’t believe you’re smart enough to be an astronaut with that kind of thinking.
” She shoves both hands into her hair, and I stop myself from pointing out that she has tinsel in it.
“You not coming around as often as before didn’t make me love you any less, you idiot.
” She drops her hands, looking me in the eyes again.
“It just made me curse you a hell of a lot more.” Moving her legs out from beneath her, she sits cross - legged.
“Honestly,” she mumbles, still not over it. “You’re such a dick.”
I know saying I’m sorry won’t cut it, so I stay quiet, pull the lights out from under me, and start untangling, all the time under her silent, censorious stare.
When I finally have them straightened, Brit glances at her watch. “You’re totally going to have to tell Mom all this too, you know.” She gets to her feet and moves around the tree.
I rise, my knees popping. “Yeah, maybe?—”
“Brittany?” Mom’s voice echoes from somewhere in the house. “Vance?”
I freeze, mid-rise, probably looking like a combination of a hunch-back and a deer in headlights. “What did you do?”
Brit holds up her arm, flashing her smart watch at me. “I texted her while you were tinseling.” There isn’t an ounce of apology in her voice. “She called me earlier and asked me to tell her if you reached out or showed up.”
I straighten to my full height, narrowing my eyes at her. “You said you hadn’t talked to her.”
Brit shrugs, completely unaffected by my posturing. “I lied.”
My shoulders drop as I sigh. “I can’t belie?—”
A door closes somewhere in the house. “Where are you two?”
“Be right there!” Brit calls out, then reaches into the box, pulling out a tree topper. She turns and hands it to me.
I need two hands to hold the large, hollow cherry.
“Make sure it’s straight.”
I thread the top vertical branch through the bottom of the cherry, grumbling about untrustworthy sisters.
But when it’s on, and straight, I step back, appreciating the cherry on top. “That actually looks pretty cool.”
“Yep. Saw it on Pinterest.” Then she strides out of the room, expecting me to follow.
Rose
“You’re pregnant,” Holt says for the third time.
Flynn hasn’t said anything, which is worse.
I took Mike’s advice and called my brothers to meet me at the ranch. It’s a testament to how much Flynn and Holt must’ve been worried about me that they didn’t even ask me why. They just showed up.
Hashtag brotherly love.
So now here we are. All three Wests, sitting in the ranch’s living room that’s decorated in rustic Christmas splendor, my brothers shell-shocked and me very thankful for the pitstop I made to my apartment after having the amazing forethought that the baby news might land better if I wasn’t dressed like a slutty Mrs. Claus.
Hashtag ho-ho-no.
And although we’re all older, and Holt and Flynn hopefully more mature and level-headed, I can’t help but feel like I’m a kid again. Waiting for them to decide my fate, like they did all those years ago when our parents died.
“Yes. I’m pregnant,” I answer, even though it wasn’t a question. Maybe if I say it again it’ll sink in.
Holt nods, staring straight ahead at the mantle wreath decorated with lights and shotgun shells, his body unmoving on the comfy, oversized linen-colored sofa Jules bought recently.
Or rather, hired someone to buy as Jules couldn’t care less about interior design as long as her ass was happy when she sat.
One thing in my favor is that Jules isn’t here.
She’s staying over at her Clear Lake apartment due to an early morning flight simulation scheduled for tomorrow.
Holt was there when I called and not at the ranch like I’d thought.
But even though the weekends are when he gets to spend the most time with Jules due to their busy schedules, he still drove here when I said I wanted to talk.
My brothers mean a lot to me, and it’s nice to know it’s reciprocated.
A minute later, when both Holt and Flynn continue to stare off in different directions, I decide I might as well lay it all out for them.
Clasping my hands together on my lap, I sit up straight on the loveseat. “Just so you know, I’m keeping the baby.”
No reaction.
“Vance is the father.”
Flynn grunts. I have no idea what that means, but just to be safe, I decide not to tell them how Vance took the news.
Palms sweating, I release them, rubbing them on the cushions beside me. “And I know this may sound crazy or na?ve, but I’m actually happy.” Well, mostly. “About being a mom, I mean.” That’s closer to the truth.
Holt swallows.
“Of course I’m nervous too,” I rush to say. “I mean, I’m not stupid. Having a baby is a life-changing event.”
Nothing.
“But I’m more than financially capable, so I’m already luckier than most.” I scoot forward on the love seat, conjuring up the most pitiful puppy dog eyes I can muster. “And I’m even luckier because my baby will have two of the best uncles in the entire world.”
Flynn grunts again. “Obviously.”
The tension inside me eases a little, and I bite my lip, trying to hold back my smile. But when I glance at Holt, my mouth drops.
There are tears in my stoic brother’s eyes.
“Holt?” I don’t know whether to hug him or brace for impact.
“My baby sister is going to be a mother.” Though he still isn’t looking at me, he breaks out of his stare, looking down at the floor as he braces his arms on his thighs. “Holy shit.”
Flynn and I both start in surprise over our brother’s rarely used expletive. I’m tempted to remind Holt to be more ladylike, as he’s told me countless times growing up, but, for once, I realize now might not be the time.
Expression still blank, Flynn turns to me. “Who else knows?”
“Um…” I bite my lip.
Flynn snorts. “Yeah, figures.”
I let out a small breath when Flynn’s lips twitch up and not down.
“Ian doesn’t know. Unless Trish told him,” I offer him with a grimace. “So there’s that.”
“Wait.” Holt’s head snaps up. “ Jules knows?”
I nod, my pained expression deepening.
His eyes gain focus. “How long?”
Flynn leans back, seeming oddly relaxed about everything.
“Probably since Rose started dodging our calls and Jackie and Jules started going into work early and coming home late. Basically dodging us.” He rolls his head on the cushion to Holt.
“When we sent Ian after Vance.” Flynn cocks his head at me. “What was it, last week?”
Flynn is more astute than I give him credit for.
“Yeah.”
And then the expression I came to the ranch fearing spreads across Holt’s face. Anger. Disappointment. It’s the reaction I was most worried about, delayed, but there now that the shock has worn off.
I lean back, my whole body tightening as if preparing for a storm about to hit.
Holt shakes his head in disgust. “That’s the last time I bake her cookies for a while.”
My jaw drops.
“And she can forget those Christmas butter cookies I’ve been bragging about.”
A giggle erupts from my throat.
Holt and Flynn look at me like I’ve grown another head instead of a baby, but I can’t help but find the fact Holt’s anger is aimed at his girlfriend for knowing I was pregnant and not telling him rather than at me for being pregnant hilarious.
Another giggle escapes, and I try coughing to hide it.
Sighing at me, Holt slaps his hands on his thighs and pushes up and off the couch. Stepping around the coffee table, he reaches out his hand.
No sooner do I take it than I’m enveloped in a bear hug.
“You’re going to be a great mama.” Holt’s hug would be glorious if only I could breathe.
I’m able to fill my lungs when Flynn pushes Holt aside and takes his turn. Thankfully, his hug is gentler.
“You need anything, you tell me, okay?” Flynn murmurs in my ear. “Even if it’s a shovel and a shallow grave.”