Chapter 16
sixteen
HARPER
T he next morning when I turn on my phone, there’re even more calls and texts. It all feels overwhelming.
Scrolling through my phone, I ignore all the other messages in favor of one from Finn.
I’ll be back in town this evening. Think we can meet up?
I don’t know why I get nervous reading his message, but I do. I wonder how Tamra took the news.
Want to come to my place?
I know that Maven will be working late tonight, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.
That works. Text me the address. See you then.
I send him my address then scroll through the rest of the messages, determining if there’s anybody else I want to answer. When I see my brother’s name in the list, I click on his message.
What the fuck, Harp? I have to hear that I’m gonna be an uncle through fucking Buzz Wheel? Jesus Christ. Call me back.
I go to my missed calls and see that he did indeed call me three times last night.
I’m close with my brother, but I hate when he treats me as if he’s my father. I roll my eyes and reluctantly hit his name on the screen, wanting to get this over with.
“What the hell, Harp?” he answers.
“Hello to you too, East.” I roll over on my side and put the phone on speaker.
“You’re pregnant?”
“Save the lecture, Dad .”
“I’m not gonna lecture you. But I am gonna ask why the hell I had to find out from Buzz Wheel.”
I groan. “I don’t know. Because that stupid blog outs everyone’s crap?”
“True, but…”
“I was going to tell you after I told Mom and Dad today. Buzz Wheel did that for me though. I talked to them last night.”
His laugh rings out through my room. “How’d they take the news?”
“Shockingly well.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?”
“Are you kidding? Mom and Dad are dying to be grandparents. Maybe now they’ll stop bugging me about finding a nice girl to settle down with.”
I laugh. “I can’t wait until you find your girl. I’m going to constantly remind you how often you said you’re never settling down.”
“Yeah, yeah. So, I’m gonna be an uncle, huh?” The pride in his voice makes me smile.
“You will.”
“You could have planned this better, ya know?”
“It wasn’t planned at all.”
He laughs again, and it makes my heart ache, missing him. “You’re going to have my niece or nephew when I’m in season. Not cool, Harp.”
“Maybe when you have your own little one, you can plan to have the baby in the offseason.” Although I’m giving him shit, it makes me happy he wants to be such an integral part of my baby’s life. Sometimes Easton feels so far away, always on the road and living halfway across the country.
“Nice try. Tell me about the guy. Do I need to take a short trip home?”
He’s just as overprotective as my dad.
“No, I think he’s a good one. But we’re just coparents.”
He laughs again. “So were Uncle Rome and Aunt Harley. If you follow in their footsteps, you’ll have enough kids that Mom and Dad will lay off me entirely.”
“Funny, East. Let me get through this one and make sure I don’t screw them up.” I run my hand over my stomach. Although flat, it still shocks me that my baby is growing inside me.
“You won’t.”
I don’t say anything.
“You know that, right, Harp? Sure, you might have to pick him or her up from preschool because they threw a pencil at someone or some shit. And I’m pretty sure the sheriff might be your best friend when they’re a teenager, but you’re not going to screw him or her up. You’re going to be a great mom.”
Tears well in my eyes. “Jeez, thanks for reminding me I can no longer control my emotions.” I wipe my face with the back of my hand.
“What’s a big brother for? Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta get to the airport to lose another fucking game.”
“Good luck tonight.”
He laughs. “Congratulations. Next time, I’m at least your third call, okay?”
“Sure… and East?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” I hope he hears the weight of my words. I’m not just thanking him for calling me, but more for his affirmation that I’ve got this.
“Anytime. Also, we might suck, but that kid is a Colts fan. Remember that.”
“He or she will only wear your jersey. I promise.”
“Good. Love you.”
“I love you too.”
We say goodbye, and I feel a lot better, though the number of calls and texts to return is still daunting.
Maven will have already left to open up Bloom, so I plan to swing by before I go into the office and let her know what’s going on. She’s welcome to stay here as long as she doesn’t mind the spare bedroom turning into a nursery and an infant for a roommate.
The other thing I have to do is talk to Maven’s mom, my aunt Stella. She’s a family doctor, and I’m hoping she’ll agree to see me for my first appointment at least. All of this is so new, and I’d be much more comfortable if I saw my aunt.
I lie in bed longer than I should, trying to picture what the next year is going to look like for me. Certainly not how I thought it would. But for the first time since I found out, that doesn’t feel like a bad thing.
I’m determined to do right by this baby, and today is the first step.
* * *
I pace my living room, waiting for Finn to arrive. He texted me a half hour ago to let me know he’d be here soon.
I’m not sure why, but this conversation feels more monumental than the one when I told him I was pregnant.
Maybe because I’m assuming he’s going to tell me how he really feels about all this now that he’s had time to think on it.
That, and I’m expecting to hear that Tamra was very displeased by the news, and I feel badly for that too.
When I hear his car pull up outside, I rush to the front window and pull the drapes back to see a truck I don’t recognize. That must be Finn in his rental car. I blow out a breath and walk over to open the door.
I put more effort into my appearance today since the last time he saw me, I looked like I was auditioning for the role of a woman who’d given up on life.
The truck door opens, and Finn steps out, giving me a tight smile. He’s dressed in a pair of jeans and a deep green Henley, and damn he looks good. What else is new though? I really wish he wasn’t this good-looking.
I’m beginning to wonder if my attraction to him will ever fade.
Are we going to be celebrating our son or daughter’s thirteenth birthday, and I’ll still be gazing across the table at him in awe?
It’s then I remember that even if that is the case, he won’t be alone.
Tamra will be there on his arm. That’s the splash of cold water I need right now.
“Hey, how was your flight?” I ask as I step aside to let him in.
“It was good. I managed to sleep for a bit, so hopefully that will help with the time change.”
I close the door behind him and turn around. Suddenly, it feels awkward with just the two of us in an empty house. My house. I watch him glance around.
Finn pushes his hands in his pockets. “Do you live here alone?”
“Used to.” I walk past him into the living room. “My cousin Maven moved in with me a bit ago, but she’s at work right now, so it’s just us.”
He holds my gaze.
Oh god, did that sound like a proposition or something?
“I just mean that we can talk in private, that’s all. Do you want something to drink?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Water would be great. I’m dehydrated from the flight.”
I nod and head into the kitchen to grab him a bottle of water from the fridge. Our fingers brush against each other’s as I pass it to him, and I snap my hand back.
“Have a seat.” I gesture to the couch.
He sits on one side, and I sit on the other.
“How are you feeling?”
For some reason, his question takes me back, but I guess it’s normal for a man to wonder how the woman carrying his baby is health-wise, even if they’re not a couple.
“I’m doing good. The nausea I was feeling before is mostly gone now. Sometimes I still get it, but at least I don’t feel like skipping every meal anymore. But I do miss coffee. God, do I miss coffee.” I groan, but it comes out sounding more like a moan for some reason.
Finn snaps his gaze away from me. “Sorry, that must suck.”
I shrug.
Neither of us speaks for a minute.
When I can’t stand it any longer, I finally ask the question that’s on my mind. “How did it go with Tamra?”
He blows out a breath and pushes a hand through his hair, something I’m starting to realize he does when he’s uncomfortable or stressed.
That well? Awesome.
“You first. Did you talk to your parents?” he asks, looking concerned.
I smile. “I did, and it went way better than I thought. I mean, they’d definitely prefer if I were married and in a loving relationship when I’m having a baby, but overall, they were really great. They’re excited actually.”
“Really?” He arches an eyebrow. “That’s awesome, Harper.”
Hearing my name on his lips does something to me, and I have to work to appear unaffected. “Yeah, I feel way better now that they know, but to be honest, they didn’t find out from me originally.”
He cocks his head in question.
“You need to know that we were in Buzz Wheel. Someone took a picture of us in the pharmacy that day.”
“Hudson told me when he called to tell me about him and Palmer expecting. How bad is it?”
I cringe, then nod. “Yeah, so I’ve been dealing with everyone I know calling or texting me. Good times.”
He shakes his head. “That’s bullshit.” When I don’t say anything back, he continues. “You shouldn’t have to deal with that kind of thing in your condition. You should be able to tell people if and when you want.”
My chest warms at his need to protect me. I know it’s not about me. It’s about the baby or maybe himself, but still… it feels good to have someone in my corner willing to fight for me.
“I guess I’m just used to it since I was raised here. It’s always been a part of my life.”
“Is our child going to have to deal with this growing up?”