Zach
I’m sitting on the couch when my phone rings. Pulling it out of my pocket, I’m staring at the name I least want to face. He’s handed me some serious reprimandings before, but this…this takes the cake of anything I’ve ever done growing up.
“Hey, Keith,” I answer and then take a swallow of my drink.
“Zachary, what have you done?” Jade’s dad barks through the receiver. “How could you? To us? To Max? What the hell were you thinking?”
It’s been a long time since he’s berated me and the sinking feeling of disappointing him settles like a heavy weight on my chest. I can picture him standing before me, shoulders wide and arms crossed over his chest, his brows deeply furrowed and his lips in a hard straight line.
After my mother lost her damn mind and ran off with some truck driver she met while out drinking her fancy fucking tea with her fancy fucking friends, my dad immersed himself into work to alleviate some of the heart ache. My mother was Dad’s shining star. He gave her everything she wanted—a large house, a nice fancy car, a daily life fit for a reality show—and in return, she gave him a child, a broken heart, and a mess to clean up. Mom played peek-a-boo and never came back. In my three-year-old mind, I thought for sure Dad was the next to disappear. But he didn’t. When I tried out tee-ball and hated it, he was there. When I tried soccer but couldn’t run while dribbling the ball without face planting, he was there. When I started high school, he was there. When I graduated, he was the loudest. Dad allowed me to feel the pain of a motherless life, but he never let me feel alone.
My freshman year, Calloway Developers blew up after Dad landed a massive job that got his name out there. He spent more time focused on work, but I was old enough to understand why. He was still there when I needed him, but when I met Easton and Max, they instantly became my brothers. I spent a lot of time at Max’s and grew close to his parents.
“It wasn’t planned. We—”
“If you kept yourself in your pants, it wouldn’t have even happened. We treat you like one of our own and this is the thanks? You’ve disrespected us. And to find out you two have been sneaking around for years is a slap to my damn face.”
“It kind of just happened,” I say.
“Kind of just happened? That sort of activity doesn’t just happen. You and I both know it.”
I don’t know how to answer him. I feel like I’m seventeen again, except this time, I didn’t just skip class to drive out of state for a concert. This time, in his eyes, I really screwed up.
“How much of this mess happened under my roof?”
“Sir—”
“Sir? Now suddenly you have respect?” he scoffs. “With one violent whirl of stupidity, you’ve managed to break my son and get my daughter pregnant. Your capriciousness has caused chaos within my family and you know how I feel about that.”
“Keith, I’ll be there for Jade every single step of the way. She’s not going to do this alone.”
He grunts, his telltale sign he’s furious but trying to keep it together. “You’re damn right she won’t have to do this alone. This baby is your responsibility just as much as it is hers. You two are old enough to know the consequences and now you’ll be dealing with them.” He lets out a long sigh. “Dammit, Zachary.”
There’s a scuffling noise and then Susan, Jade’s mom and the woman who took me under her wing and loved me like she does her own, comes over the phone.
“Zachary Calloway, how dare you?”
The pit in my stomach tightens. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Are you?” she reprimands.
“No,” I answer truthfully.
“How could you do this to us?” her voice softens and I hear the letdown.
“Her getting pregnant was an accident, but I promise you, I’m going to be right beside her. I’m not going to let her do it by herself.”
She lets out a small sigh. “I know you won’t. I know you’ve always had a thing for her…” she trails off and I can picture her pinching the bridge of her nose like she’s done for all the years I’ve known her. “Do you love her, Zachary?”
I swallow, nervous as fuck about admitting it to her mother, but confident as ever that I do. “Yes. Very much.”
“I can assure you it’s going to be awkward. You’ve managed to upset a lot of people.”
“I know.” The guilt rides out in my tone.
“I’ll try to work on Keith, but you have a mountain to move with Max. I don’t know how you could ever make it right with him. You really hurt him.”
“It may take a while, but I’ll figure it out.”
“We’re going to finish our anniversary trip and then we’ll be home. Be good to her, Zachary. She’s pregnant with my grandchild. Don’t break her heart again.”
Again? How does she know…
“Momma’s intuition,” she replies reading my thoughts.
Of course. She’s always had a superpower intuition. Knew things when we thought she didn’t.
“Have you told your father?” she asks.
“Not yet, no.”
“Seems like you two enjoy keeping everyone in the dark. That’s not fair to any of us.”
I don’t respond to the Mom punch in the gut. What’s there to say? She’s right.
“Make her keep us updated. I’m going to go and try to calm my husband before he has a stress induced heart attack. Love you.”
“Love you too,” I say and then hang up.
I drop my head to the back of the couch and breathe a huge sigh of relief. That could’ve been worse, especially with Jade’s dad. I close my eyes.
After my father signed the company over to me and saw that I could keep it running, he moved. I think the days of remembering what my mother did to him had taken their toll and he was ready for new scenery. I can’t say that I blame him. Shortly after moving to Florida, he met a lady who thawed his heart and made him smile. I hate that it took him that long, but I’m glad he found someone.
Susan was right. I need to tell my dad, but I’m not as nervous. Out of all the people in the world who knew nothing about Jade and me, my dad was my go-to guy. He knew. He knows. And he always warned me that one day the entire thing could backfire in my face.
Dad knew best, huh?
“Hey, bud. How’s it going?” Dad answers cheerfully.
“Great. How’s the warmth of the Florida sun? Baking you into a crisp yet?”
“It’s hotter than Satan’s asshole here today.”
The statement makes me laugh. Dad has gotten more brazen as he ripens.
“The weather is changing there, right? Bringing in the cool morning air.” He inhales. “I’d love to feel the snow in my lungs again.”
“Well, I might give you a reason to come back soon.” I edge into the conversation.
“Oh really? And why’s that? Last month’s financials look incredible.”
One of Dad’s conditions when signing over the company was for him to continue to watch from the sidelines and he’d only interfere if we were in danger. Of course, I was happy to oblige. Hell, he built the company. I completely agreed.
“They did, didn’t they?” I boast with a chuckle. “Actually, it isn’t about work this time.”
“Oh. Well, alright. I’m all ears. Karen left for the pool.”
“This isn’t the way I wanted to tell you, but Susan tweaked my guilt. You’re going to be a grandfather.”
“And my grandbaby’s mother is Jade, isn’t it?” he says, his tone suggesting he knows.
“Yes,” I answer.
“There’s no doubt in my mind you two will make great parents. Will you be doing it as a couple or co-parenting?”
I know exactly what he’s asking. “I’m working on it.”
“Are you all in this time?”
“Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck. “And she’s half hot and cold.”
He chuckles. “I told you years ago what you two had going on was going to bite you in the ass. No offense, son, but she’s got all the right in the world to be a little muddled in the brain. You two have a history, one with heartache and pain, and happiness. Add that with those crazy pregnancy hormones, and she’s sure to be a true spitfire.”
I laugh at his description. “I’m being patient.”
“Good.” I can hear his smile. “Looks like I need to make some plans to visit in the near future. I’ll talk to Karen. I know she’d love you meet you.”
“I’d like to meet the woman who can put up with you,” I jest.
“She does it with finesse.” His laugh is deep. “Keep me updated, bud. Congratulations. Love ya.”
“Thanks. Love ya too.”
After we hang up, I rest back into the couch feeling a hundred tons lighter and smiling like an idiot. I knew my dad wouldn’t be difficult. Even in my rebellious days, he handled me like a champ without even having to raise his voice…often. Normally a one-time was all it took. He’s got a vein in his forehead, and if I saw it, I knew I was in some deep shit. I saw it once. Learned my lesson. Never again.