Chapter 3
Cody
The dogs smell every inch of Karissa’s bags and then her again. Just like I warned.
“Alright, enough. Kennel,” I tell the dogs.
“They’re cute,” Karissa says.
“Sometimes.” I clear my throat. “There are towels in the bathroom. Shower gets really hot, so be careful. I’ll change my sheets for you and take the couch.” I head toward my room.
“Don’t you have a spare bedroom?” she asks, glancing around before her eyes lift toward the ceiling. The stairs are just beside us, so it’s pretty obvious there’s a second floor.
“I don’t have beds in them. One’s my workout room, other’s my hunting stuff, office, random shit.”
“W-well, then—” she stutters, her face red.
“You’re not gonna sleep on the couch,” I cut in, a quick laugh forming. “C’mon, cut that Hallmark bullshit.”
She blinks. That came out harsh.
“Sorry.”
She swallows. “The couch would honestly be better for my back and pelvis though, because it’s—”
I hold my hand up. “I don’t need details.”
“Sorry.” She laughs.
I open the small linen closet in the hallway and reach for one of the wicker baskets Addison insisted I needed, “to stay clean, organized, and tidy.” Her words, not mine, because apparently I fold things like a toddler.
Joke’s on her, though. I don’t fold a dang thing anymore. I just toss it in the baskets and call it a day.
I pull two blankets out and take them to the couch. Dropping one on the coffee table, I throw the other over the couch and Karissa grabs the corners to help.
“If you need another blanket, they’re in that closet.” I point in the direction I just came from.
“Do you have an extra sweatshirt?”
My eyebrows scrunch. “Yeah, or I can turn the heat up?”
“No,” she says, “I want to use it as a wedge under the baby. I wish I would’ve grabbed my pregnancy pillow.” She sighs.
“Ella probably has one. My sister-in-law.”
“That’s okay.”
I dig around in the back of my drawer and find her a sweatshirt—one of the good ones. The ones in the back are less worn. I guess subconsciously I save the nicer stuff back there.
When I walk out to give it to her, I’m not expecting to see her standing there in just sweatpants and a sports bra.
Her stomach is round and jutting outward.
I’ve never seen a bare pregnant belly this big in person. It doesn’t even look real.
“Here you are.” I hand the sweatshirt to her. She smiles and says thanks. “Anything else? Water? Food?” I offer.
“Not right now.”
“Well, help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
I give her a quick smile and nod before turning around and heading to bed myself.
“You know, in my past, usually when a guy suggests staying the night with him it involves more than just actual sleeping,” she says, stopping me dead in my tracks.
I swallow before turning around to meet her gaze, choosing my words wisely.
“Yeah? Wouldn’t know.”
She smirks. “So…thank you.”
Relief hits. Thank God that wasn’t going where I thought. That would have been real awkward.
* * *
In the morning, I poke my head out to see if Karissa’s still asleep or not. I’m starving and the dogs have to go out. It’s almost 8 a.m. I don’t know the last time I slept this late…especially on a Sunday.
I don’t want to wake her, so I try to stay quiet, but the sound of the dogs nails tapping across the floor causes her eyes to open.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “They’ll stay out for a while though, so go back to sleep.”
She sits up, struggling a little. “No, it’s good. I’m good.”
“You drink coffee?”
“Yeah, not black though.”
“How’d you know?” I joke.
She smirks and points at me. “Tattoos.”
“Tattoos mean black coffee?”
She laughs with a shrug, and I head to the kitchen. I hear Karissa rummaging through her bag before heading toward the bathroom.
I pull open the fridge and grab a carton of eggs, a jug of milk, shredded cheese, and the pack of bacon I opened yesterday morning.
When I hear the bathroom door open, I glance over my shoulder. She’s wearing my sweatshirt now—her stomach rounding out the front like it was made for her.
“You want an egg sandwich?”
“Sure, if you’re eating that. I’ll eat whatever.”
She sits at one of my barstools and looks around; neither of us speaks.
I hadn’t really thought this part through. Where she goes from here. Right now it just feels like I’ve got a roommate.
A very pretty, pregnant roommate who I sorta would worry to see leave.
* * *
I skipped church, given the circumstances, but now I’m here, pulling up to the main house for our weekly family lunch.
Late, of course.
Karissa and I picked up her car, then she took a nap and I worked out before I took a shower and cleaned. Who knew a random woman in my house is all it would take to motivate me enough to dust some baseboards and ceiling fans.
I help Karissa out of my truck, her stomach meeting me first. She holds onto my hand like it’s a lifeline.
“Ow,” I can’t help but say, because any harder and she’d break my hand.
“Sorry, but I can’t fall.”
“I’m not gonna let you fall.”
Her feet hit the gravel and she finds her balance quickly. She said she was due in six weeks…seems like a long way to go for as uncomfortable as she looks.
“You know, I didn’t really plan on meeting anyone while I was here,” she tells me.
“I know, but around here, you can’t really hide.” I stifle a laugh.
My siblings are way too nosey. Addison would be breaking down my door the second they saw an unfamiliar car in my driveway.
She sighs and I shut my truck door before we start toward the front steps.
I don’t even get my hand on the knob before it’s already opening. Mom.
She stands there, giving me a look I haven’t seen since I was a teenager getting caught breaking curfew.
“Cody,” she scolds gently.
“Not what you’re thinking,” I warn before she says anything else.
Addison stands behind Mom, staring at me, then Karissa and her belly, then back to me.
I take in a breath. “This is not my baby,” I say slowly, a nervous laugh escaping me. Mom exhales as if she wasn’t breathing. Maybe I should’ve called or texted to save her from an unnecessary heart attack.
Mom smiles. “I’m Maureen.” She holds her hand against her chest.
“Karissa,” Karissa informs them.
“I was at The Moose last night, she came in, and long story short, she needed a place to stay…so here we are.”
“Well, are you hungry? Come in.” Mom gestures, stepping aside. I press my hand against the small of Karissa’s back, guiding her through the house.
“I’m Addison,” Addie says with a warm smile.
Karissa nods politely, and then we round the corner into the living room where everyone’s gathered—Dad, Jesse, Cora, Mason, and Wesley. No sign of Ella, but maybe she’s in the bathroom or something.
“Oh. Wow. There’s a lot of you,” Karissa utters, and I laugh.
“These are my brothers, Jesse and Mason. Mason’s the cop. Cora’s Jesse and Ella’s…where’s Ella?” I ask, glancing around.
“Had a long night. She’s at home,” Jesse says, his shoulders a little tenser than usual.
“Oh, okay, you can meet her later,” I tell Karissa before I keep going around the room. “Then that’s Wesley, our neighbor; he’s dating my sister. And that’s my dad.”
Dad sits up. “Leonard.” He shakes her hand and gives me an eye.
“I met her last night, at the bar,” I say, but his shoulders are still tense. “For the first time. I met her for the first time last night,” I clarify. Then his body loosens.
“I’m just passing through,” Karissa adds.
“Where to?” Mason asks.
Karissa looks to me and tries not to laugh before answering.
“Well, it was going to be Canada, but Cody informed me that was…illegal.”
Mason lets out a quick laugh, looks at me, and then back to her.
“Yeah, you can’t do that.”
She looks down, already knowing that and probably feeling embarrassed about her lack of understanding when it came to borders and citizenship.
I nudge her. “Why don’t you go get something to eat?” I gesture to the kitchen and she walks that way.
Once she’s out of the room, I look to Mason again and he stands, his eyes knowing, his voice low. “Tell me you took her to the station already to file a report.”
“Report?” Dad asks.
Mason doesn’t look at him, just me. “She had a bruise on her neck and scratches on her hand,” he says.
I nod.
“He’s a cop alright,” Wesley says. “I didn’t even notice those things.”
Mason shrugs, “Well, that and you don’t just up and decide to cross borders that pregnant.”
“Yeah. Guy’s a jerk. I had to hear the whole story…twice,” I say.
“You take her to the hospital? Get checked out?” he asks.
“No. Didn’t think of it. She seemed fine.” I shrug. “She drove all day.”
Jesse sits up, adjusting Cora in his arms. “Ella could look her over. She’s coming soon.”
I nod slowly, thinking it over. I guess having an ER nurse in the family does come with perks.
“Yeah…if she wants to.”
“What’s her plan? She got family somewhere she can stay with?” Dad says.
“No. I asked.”
“Why don’t we let her stay at the lodge after this last group of guys comes through?” Jesse looks at Dad, and he seems to ponder it.
It’s the last week of snow goose season; we won’t have another group until September.
“I mean, yeah, we won’t need it,” Dad says.
“I doubt she’ll stay that long. She just needs to get a plan—a real plan, not a life on the run—and I want to help her,” I say.
“It’s fine with me. No AC though,” Dad adds.
“I’ll find one of those old window units in the garage if she needs it,” I counter.
“Let me talk to your mom first, after you all leave later,” Dad replies.
I just nod and turn back toward the kitchen.
Addison and Mom are talking Karissa’s ear off while she eats a slice of Mom’s blueberry pie.
You wouldn’t guess this is her first time meeting any of us. Maybe it’s just her personality, but she fits in like she’s always been here.
It’s strange…how easy it feels.
The front door creaks open, and I head toward it, knowing it’s Ella. I want to catch her first, give her a little backstory on Karissa before anyone else does.
Her blonde hair falls in front of her face as she slips off her shoes. I step closer.
“Hey,” I say quietly.
She looks up at me, eyebrows pulling together. “Hey…what’s wrong?”
She pauses, reading my face.
“Can I talk to you outside?”
She blinks, but nods and follows me out onto the porch. I can tell she’s nervous. I lean against the railing. “I brought a girl home from the bar last night who’s on the run from an abusive ex.”
Ella’s brows lift. “Oh?”
“She’s pregnant. Due in six weeks, June, I think.”
“Is she from here?”
I go on to tell Ella the whole story, everything I know, anyway. She listens quietly, but I can see the concern start to build, especially when I mention that Karissa was planning to have the baby alone…in Canada.
Ella’s a mom; she knows that’s a bad idea. She’ll be the first to tell you how important it is to have help, that trying to do it alone is a recipe for disaster.
That’s why I need her to talk to Karissa. It can’t come from me.
Ella follows me back inside. Jesse’s standing just inside the doorway, holding Cora so she can see her mom.
Ella smiles, takes her daughter for a minute, then follows me into the living room to meet Karissa.
They hit it off almost instantly. Ella’s great with people—warm, calm, the kind of person who makes you feel like you’ve known her forever.
I glance over to where Mom and Addison are standing nearby, hovering a little too close. I give them a subtle nod and a look that says scram.
They get the message.
“Would you let me look you over for any significant injuries?” Ella asks her.
“Yeah, I’d be fine with that. I don’t have anything besides bruising, some scratches.”
“Yeah. And the baby? Have you felt movement?”
Karissa nods. “Oh yeah. She’s definitely okay.” She laughs.
Ella stays serious. “When was your last OB appointment?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. I missed my last two…and I think the one before that…” Karissa trails off, a little unsure.
Ella’s expression shifts. “Okay, you need to get in with our OB. The last few weeks of appointments are really important.”
“Yeah,” Karissa murmurs, glancing away. I don’t think Ella meant to sound so firm, but it came out that way. Still, she’s right—and I’m sure Karissa knows that.
“If you want, I can go with you?” Ella offers gently.
“I definitely don’t want to go by myself,” Karissa admits with a small laugh. “I don’t know where I am and I really don’t want to get lost.”
“We’ll call tomorrow,” Ella says, reassuring her. “I’ll give them my name and make sure they squeeze you in.” She softens a little more, eyes flicking to Karissa’s belly. “Do you know what you’re having?”
“Yeah, a girl.”
“Aw, girls are fun. You’ll love it,” Ella tells her. Karissa smiles but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes.
* * *
When we get in my truck to leave, I don’t start it right away. I just sit there for a second, staring out the windshield, hands in my lap.
“I think you should stick around for a while,” I finally say.
Karissa glances over, eyebrows pulling in. “I mean…I am. At least until Ella gets that appointment lined up.”
“No, I mean longer than that.” I glance over at her. “We’ve got a cabin we won’t use till fall. It’s not fancy. But it’s better than livin’ out of your car or hittin’ the road again with no clue where you’re going.”
She hesitates. “Cody, I can’t just take all that. I don’t even know how I’d pay you back.”
“You wouldn’t need to pay us back.”
She shakes her head. “But you don’t even know me.”
“You’re right, but I know enough.” I lean back in my seat. “I know you’re pregnant, on your own, scared outta your mind.”
She looks away like she doesn’t want me to see how close she is to crying.
“And whether you buy into it or not,” I go on, voice low, “I don’t think it’s some random thing that you ended up in this town. Or at that bar. I believe God put you here for a reason. I’ll believe that till the day I die. My family would say the same.”
She doesn’t say anything, so I keep going.
“You don’t owe us anything. You need a place, we got one. Simple as that.”
After a long pause, finally she speaks.
“You’re serious?”
“Dead serious. Just…stay and figure your crap out. We’ll help where we can. You don’t have to keep runnin’.”
She nods, small but understanding at least. That’s enough for me.
I start the engine and back around the driveway.