Chapter Five

INHERENTLY I PUT MY FINGERS on the pulse inside my wrist. Yep, I was definitely panicking. I was on a roll filling everyone in with my latest situation. As challenging as I’d convinced myself it would be, truth be told, the reactions I seemed to be getting were nothing like how I played them up in my head. Keegan had been understanding and loving. And Dodger skipped past the freak out portion and dove straight in to the logistics of future planning. Not that I didn’t think it wasn’t coming. At some point the poor guy was going to be slammed with the weight of it all and flip out. I knew him. This was the calm before the storm. Right now wasn’t the time for me stew over how that will go down. It was now time to let the parental units know. Best way to do this was quick and dirty. Like ripping off the Band-Aid and hopefully the sting wouldn’t be too horrible. I dreaded this far more than I did telling Dodger. I was a daddy’s girl. I grew up well aware of the hopes and dreams he had for me.

Walking downstairs, I figured my dad would be finishing up getting ready for work. He moved about this house like clock-work. He walked the treadmill for thirty minutes, did some light training in the in home gym, and after a shower he always went to the kitchen for his usual cup of coffee and English muffin while he read the paper. Right now I was more than grateful for his routine. Made my life a little less chaotic. Coming around the corner, there he was, toasting his bread and opening the paper to the section he reads first.

He looked up and greeted me. “Morning, pumpkin.”

“Morning, Daddy.”

Walking up to him, I kissed his cheek and grabbed a coffee cup from the cupboard. There was a full pot, thank God. I fixed it just how I liked it and went and sat down on one of the barstools. I kept my eyes on the cup instead of watching what he was doing. I knew it all by heart anyway.

Clearing my throat, I fidgeted with the handle of the cup and said, “Do you have any free time today? I was hoping to meet up with you and Momma for a late lunch date or coffee. There’s some things I need to talk to you both about.”

“I’ll double check my schedule but I’m pretty sure it won’t be a problem. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is great. I just want to sit down with you both and fill you in on some things coming up.”

“Have you asked your mother yet?”

“No. I was going to text her when I went back upstairs.”

He pulled out his Blackberry. I found it funny my dad wasn’t interested in updating his work accessories to what everyone else was using these days. He liked what he liked and unless the stupid thing fell on the floor and shattered, he was sticking with it. He clicked around and then looked back up at me.

“There. Schedule is clear this afternoon.”

I looked up and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He gave me a brilliant white smile. “Of course. Let me know when and where your mom can meet and I’ll see you both there.”

While most would listen to our interaction and think it was too formal, for me this was normal. The three of us all worked and did a lot of things separately. Even my parents scheduled their dates versus going whenever. It was likely how most of the rich community worked. It’s probably why they were all rich to begin with. Careers came first. I was fine with it, nor did I judge.

“Perfect, I will.”

I got up, leaving my coffee untouched and went upstairs. I was going to ask my mom when the earliest she could meet us at Spooned. It was a café that had just opened and their Monte Cristo sandwich was to die for. The moment I started thinking about it, I wanted one. I also remembered I needed to call the doctor’s office and make my appointment.

Sitting down on the corner of my bed, I snagged my phone and text my mom. Once that was done, I googled Dr. Carrie’s office and made the call.

“Good morning, Dr. Carrie’s office,” The receptionist answered.

“Hi, I need to make an appointment.”

“Okay, what’s it for?”

“It’ll be for my first prenatal visit.” The words felt so foreign on my lips.

“Have you ever seen Dr. Carrie before?”

“Not as a patient, but I’m one of his delivery nurses at the hospital. He knows I’m planning on coming in.”

“Oh okay.” The person on the other end sounded so bright and cheery. “Well, I can get you in on Thursday, which is in two days if you’re able to make it. Someone called and cancelled this morning.”

No reason to keep holding of “Sounds great, I’ll take it.”

I heard her typing. She asked for my name, phone number, and basic insurance information. She told me to bring in my identification when I came in and to arrive fifteen minutes before my scheduled time to fill out paperwork. I knew the song and dance. Once I hung up, I felt oddly proud of myself for being an adult and finally doing something proactive about this pregnancy.

I glanced down at my screen and saw my mom texted me back while I had been on the phone. She said she could meet us. I took a deep breath. One step at a time. I knew I probably should have messaged Dodger to let him know about the appointment, but I didn’t feel like doing it right now. Maybe tonight when I soaked in the tub. It was my day off so I decided to treat myself to a pedicure before I faced the firing squad.

It didn’t take long for my morning to pass. My toes were fresh, and I went to the mall, but only window shopped. Only thing I bought was a cinnamon and sugar pretzel. I was currently heading to the café to meet my parents. I decided that nothing I said was going to make this easier on any of us, but I’d at least let them make it through their lunch before I told them.

After parking, I went to the podium and let the hostess know I needed a table for three. She promptly seated me and I sat looking around. I’d only been here a handful of times prior to today. It’s how I knew the sandwich was so delicious. The place had a great atmosphere. It mimicked most restaurants in New Orleans. They even had beignets on their dessert menu that tasted almost just like the ones you could get at Café Du Monde. It was very upbeat in here with jazz music playing, and the rounded tables and black iron chairs. Purple, gold, and green masks adorned the walls along with photos from Mardi Gras parades from decades past. The front of the place was wall to wall windows. It smelled sweet like cookies baking and my stomach was growling. Despite my nerves, nothing would stop me from getting my fill of the food here. My appetite was slowly coming back despite the occasional vomit session or scent sending my stomach spiraling.

My mother was the first to arrive, with my dad coming in within a minute of her. Both were seated at my table after they bent down and kissed me lovingly on the cheek.

“How has your day been?” my mom asked as she opened her menu.

“Uneventful. Just walked around the mall.”

“You didn’t have to work?” my dad chimed in.

“I had the day off. Figured I’d treat you both to lunch and make it as relaxing as I can.”

My mom said, “Wish I had a day off. I had to attend a ground breaking ceremony for a new logistics building on the south side of town. I swear, I spend more time being a public figure smiling for the newspaper, than I do actually performing any tasks.”

“You love it,” my dad argued.

She smiled at him like they both had some inside secret I wasn’t privy too. My parents were people I admired and looked up too. They had been married for thirty-two years and were high school sweethearts. Daddy said he saw my mom walk into his advanced algebra class and he was a smitten kitten. Mom’s story is a little different, of course. She said Daddy was the annoying math nerd that did everything he could to get her attention. I guess after he convinced her to meet him for a study session, she decided he wasn’t so bad. The rest is history. I came along about seven years into their marriage. Momma struggled with infertility and when they conceived me, they decided it was too hard on them to try for any more kids. Sometimes I wished I had a sibling but I also know if I did have one, I wouldn’t be near as spoiled as I have been in my life.

Our waitress came up to our table and set down three glasses of water. She greeted us and asked what we all wanted. I was ridiculously over excited about having my sandwich. My parents both got the same thing: a cup of clam chowder and chicken Caesar salad. It was a fairly short wait for our food and small talk was made. My dad talked to my mom about an upcoming business trip he was going to be making to Boston. My mom mentioned another dinner party she needed to attend. I swear these two rarely gave themselves a break. While they spoke to each other, I occasionally interjected just to make them believe I had been paying attention. In reality, I was freaking out about how I was going to do this. The longer I sat here holding it in, the more anxious I was becoming. My toe started tapping on the floor and I was chewing on my lip. It was my mom who took notice.

“Macie, are you okay?”

“Hmmm?”

She glanced at my dad. “I asked if you were okay. You’ve not said much, and you were the one that asked us to lunch. What’s on your mind?”

I blew out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Fucking hell, here goes.

“Mom, Dad, there’s something I need to . . .” My voice trailed off.

My seat faced the window. Directly across the street stood Dodger s waving at me. I closed my mouth and made eye contact. Furrowing my brows, I watched as he crossed the road, and came toward the café. What on earth was he doing? As he approached the window, I could see he noticed who I was sitting with. When his eyes came back to mine, I knew exactly what he was going to do. Shaking my head back and forth I silently screamed at him, “Don’t you dare.”

Too late. I looked back at my parents and gave them a curt smile, gritting my teeth. They looked so perplexed, like I’d gone mad.

“Mace, what’s going on?” my dad asked.

Not one second after he spoke, a waitress came to our table with Dodger by her side. My parents looked up at him and then to me. I refused to look at my little party crasher. If I did, I’d hand him his ass.

“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise. Macie, you didn’t tell us Dodger was coming to lunch too. We could have waited to order our food.” My mother’s southern sweet voice oozed politeness.

I couldn’t hold in my distain. Putting my elbows on the table and head in my hands, I blurted, “You ass, of course you would show up.”

Momma clucked her tongue. “Macie Rae, what is the matter with you. Don’t be rude.”

Ugh, I hated being scolded. Made me feel like I was a child again being told what to do.

I dropped my hands on the table, dramatically. “I didn’t invite him, Momma.” Looking up at him with as much anger as I could, I said, “I have no idea what you’re trying to pull here, but you weren’t invited.”

He smiled like he really meant it. “I realize. But I saw you all in here, and I thought I’d come say hello. I haven’t seen your parents in quite some time.”

Being the gentleman that he was, Dodger took a few steps around the table and bent down to kiss my mother’s cheek, then turned to shake my father’s hand. I could tell my dad was a bit more confused by the interruption than my mother was picking up on.

“It’s definitely been some time. Why don’t you have a seat and join us, son. We were just wrapping up our lunch but maybe the waitress can bring you some coffee.”

“No, Daddy. Dodger isn’t staying,” I nearly growled directly at him. “He was just saying hello. Now he’s leaving.”

Grabbing a chair that was at the empty table beside me, Dodger swung it around and plopped down right next to me.

“Actually, coffee sounds great. Thank you, sir.”

Oh my god. Was this really happening? I looked around, then pinched my thigh. Nope, not sleeping. Was I in some sort of twilight zone. I was just about to make the announcement of the year to my parents, and of all the times and places, this piece of work had to show up? And apparently thinks it was okay to sit his ass down and disrupt my lunch. He knew exactly what he was doing. Oh man, when it’s just me and him, I’m going to make him wish he was never born.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been good. Working and taking in new patients.”

My dad nodded. “That’s right. You do physical therapy don’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you got plenty of patients?”

Dodger combed his fingers through his wavy brown hair. “Yes, actually. More than I realized I’d be taking on.”

“That’s great,” Daddy said.

“It is. I’m thinking of renting out the office space next to the gym and possibly expand.”

I had no clue it had been going that well for him. How could I have. I didn’t speak to him more than I necessarily had to.

Looking over at my mom, my dad said, “Maybe I should make an appointment with him. I’ve had a pinched nerve in the back of my neck that won’t go away.” He rubbed it like it was currently hurting him. “I’ve changed pillows and done some stretches, but nothing seems to be helping.”

Dodger said, “I’m there Monday through Friday. Just call the front desk of the gym and Dana can schedule you in.”

I growled. “I bet she can.”

Under the table I felt a hand go to my thigh and give a light squeeze. Instinctively I brushed it away. His hand attempted again, but this time I took a hold of a tiny amount of skin and pinched. He jerked away. The side of my mouth tilted up. Try it again and see if you don’t lose a finger, I thought to myself.

My parents were oblivious as to what was going on between Dodger and me at the moment. My mom was touching my dad’s neck, trying to comfort him.

“You need to go,” I grumbled to Dodger under my breath.

“I’ll think about it. But not until after my coffee.”

“Dodger,” I warned.

He piped up. “I have to say, it’s so good seeing you both.”

Mom looked at him. “Same, Dear. But I have to ask, what brought you here today? Macie hasn’t said anything about the two of you being back together.”

I scoffed. “That’s cause we’re not.”

“For now,” Dodger whispered to me.

“In your dreams,” I shot back.

I heard him chuckle. Yep, I was going to kill him when we walked out of here.

“Actually, Macie and I only just reconnected. I was just as surprised to see her when she showed up to speak to me a couple days ago.”

I shot a look at him. Was he fucking serious? He was practically throwing me under the bus.

“I had good reason.”

“Oh? And what reason was that?” my dad asked, nosily.

I closed my eyes and looked back at my parents. It was time. I wanted nothing more than to get this crap over with so I could go home, if I still had one, and soak in a tub. Too bad I couldn’t have a glass of wine to go with it.

“That’s actually why I asked you guys to meet me.”

The expectant looks on their faces almost broke my heart.

“Mom, Dad . . .” I bit my lip. “I’m pregnant.”

The way I barely squeaked that out, it was like I was a teenager still in high school telling them I’d made the mistake of the century and I was sixteen and pregnant or something. Where were the MTV cameras? My poor mother’s face went pale white. Dad, I couldn’t even read. He was blank.

As if shamed, I looked down. “I’m sorry.”

“Y-you’re pregnant?” Momma stuttered.

“Yes.”

“Please explain this to me, Macie.”

I brought my eyes up to hers, only to see that she was crying. “I made a mistake. It should have never have happened.”

“A mistake?” Dodger’s voice broke through my self-wallowing fog.

I swallowed down my anger, so I could deal with the situation at hand. “Not now.”

“I don’t think I’m understanding. How could you make a mistake like this?” she asked.

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “It just sort of happened. I don’t know what else to say besides, I’m pregnant. I’ve known for a month now. I don’t want you both to worry, though. I plan on moving out and getting my own place. It’s probably way past time for that anyway.”

“She will be moving in with me.”

Once again Dodger’s voice seemed to keep popping up when it wasn’t called on. He really had a death wish.

“No, I’m not.”

The way he was looking at me said he was serious and he was daring me to argue. Ha! You son of a bitch, did you forget who you were dealing with? I wasn’t Dana and just rolled over on my back and said “Oh yes, please fuck me over some more, Dodger. Just like that, you know how I like it.” He was barking up the wrong tree right now.

“Macie,” he warned.

“Dodger.” I brought my hand up and out came my middle finger.

He gaped at me, then narrowed his amazing blue eyes.

“It’s his, isn’t it?”

Both of us swung our heads to look at my dad. I knew instinctively that Dodger was gulping. My dad, as sweet and docile as I thought he was, I knew he was intimidating for others when they were in his presence. I had a healthy fear of him when I was younger, but I hadn’t felt that way in years. Now it was more about not disappointing him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dodger nod. All I could think was this was exactly why I wanted to do this alone. Daddy wouldn’t sling anger and maybe I could explain myself without finger pointing.

“Before you say anything, I want you both to know that I plan on taking care of Macie and this baby. We may not be together, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be present. I take full responsibility for this.”

I rolled my eyes. “Christ on a cracker, Dodger. Don’t go playing the martyr. Pretty sure I didn’t slip and fall on your dick and this is how we got here.”

Mom’s eyes got huge. “Macie.”

“What? It’s the truth. Sorry for being so crass, but I never asked him to come here and do this with me. I was going to tell you both by myself.”

My dad straightened in his chair. “I don’t care how it happened, or who did what. Do you plan on getting married?”

“No!” I nearly shouted.

Dodger’s shoulders drooped. “I’d have her hand, if she’d allow it.”

“Oh my god, seriously?”

My dad’s mouth thinned into a line. “It’s my understanding that the two of you haven’t been together for a while. Maybe it’s time to make it work for the sake of the child.”

“God, Daddy. This isn’t nineteen-fifty. I’m not going to go get hitched just because I’m knocked up.”

He gave me a pointed stare. “No, it’s not the nineteen-fifties, but it is the south. Your mother and I are important people in this town.”

“Oh, so this is suddenly about you?”

“I’m not saying that. But seems to me that if you’re pregnant, getting married is the right thing to do. What are you going to do, raise this baby by yourself?”

“Damn straight I am.”

“No, you’re not,” Dodger growled.

I ignored him. I was battling my father at the moment.

“What do you plan on doing, Macie?” my mom chimed in.

I sat back and sagged in my seat. “I’ll tell you exactly what I plan on doing. I’ve already made a call to Regina at the bank and I’ve been approved for a home loan. I’ll be meeting with a realtor on Monday to go see some houses.” I licked my lips. “Listen, I’m not looking for anybody’s approval here. I’ve been under yours and Momma’s roof long enough. I’ve graduated from college, I have a really good paying job, and a decent savings account. This may not be how I intended things to go, but here it is. And you know what? It’s exactly the kick in the pants that I needed to make me be responsible for something and be an adult. I’m very sorry this isn’t ideal for you, but it wasn’t ideal for me either. But I’m doing this. I’m having a baby, and you’re going to be the grandparents. I know you both would have preferred I’d been married, but you’re going to have to deal.”

I nodded after my little speech. I mean come on, did anyone really have a choice here besides me? And my choice was made. I hadn’t actually made a call to the bank, but now that I’ve said it I probably should. I intended on moving out anyway, I just wasn’t sure when or where. My mouth just set in motion my plans. Way to really make it happen, Macie.

“You’re not moving into a house by yourself and raising my baby alone.”

Dodger looked like he was about to flip the table. There was an underlying current of rage in his eyes, and I just realized that I’d pushed him too far.

I sighed, completely exhausted. “Dodger, can we discuss this another time?”

“No.”

I blinked. “Well, princess, I’m currently not in the mood to fight. My eyes are heavy, my stupid delicious sandwich isn’t sitting well, and I need a nap. So if you want to keep this going in front of my already overstimulated parents, then by all means.”

He closed his mouth. Whenever this conversation would be taking place, I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. Hell hath no fury like Dodger when he’s this enraged. God, could just one thing go right with all of this? Pretty sure he wouldn’t be letting me go twenty-four hours before I hear an earful and he will want to meet.

Standing up from his seat, he regarded my parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Rosewood, I hope you both have a good day. I apologize for the abrupt announcement. And I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make it right. Macie will not be raising the baby by herself.”

He looked down at me as he said it. Bending down he came so close to my ear his breath from his words tickled. And fuck me if the sound of his voice speaking low didn’t turn me on a little.

“I’ll be in touch. And get some sleep. You’re going to need it.”

Before I could even reply, he kissed the top of my head and made his way out of the restaurant. That man knew how to get to me. I could push back all I wanted to, but Dodger had a certain power over me. I was very aware of that. If he hadn’t, he would be no different from any of the other males I’d had a short courtship with and walked away from. This one, however, he was under my skin. And now a piece of him was growing inside of me. Part of me knew he would eventually get his way with me. I was weak with him. But I’ll be damned if I didn’t make him work for it first.

Bringing my attention back to my parents, they still appeared to have the whole Macie just hit us with a MAC truck look. Nothing more I could technically do here. I laid it out there for them to start getting used to. And they would. I had faith in them both to come to terms with it all. I was their only child. What would they do, disown me? Fat chance.

“Well . . . good lunch,” I said sarcastically. “And would you look at that, he didn’t even finish his coffee.” I reached for Dodger’s cup and chugged. The warmth soothed my rattled nerves. “Mom, Dad, I’ll see you both at home.” I stood from the table and turned to leave. Nothing else needed to be said. “Oh, and I’ll take care of the bill.”