Chapter Seventeen
It was Valentine’s Day and Win wanted to do something nice for Britney. Being pregnant couldn’t be easy, so he wanted to give her the whole nine yards. A card, flowers, candy.
He sorted through Hannah’s racks, hunting for Valentines that weren’t too lovey-dovey but held an appropriate sentiment. I tolerate you or There is no one else I’d rather lie in bed and look at my phone next to wasn’t going to cut it. But something in that general vein would do the trick.
Monday, he’d spent the day with her and they’d had a heart-to-heart. She’d agreed that their best course of action was to get married.
Now, faced with the reality of being a husband and father, he was scared shitless. This wasn’t the life he’d mapped out for himself, at least not at thirty and not with Britney. But as the adage went, he’d made his bed and he had to lie in it. Thankfully, he had a supportive family. While his parents weren’t thrilled about how this had gone down, his mom was already knitting a baby blanket and his dad had offered to help him buy a house in Glory Junction that would fit a family.
He kept telling himself it would be okay.
“Here’s the last of the chocolates.” Hannah came from the back, holding a box of Godiva. “I talked to Foster and he said he’ll squeeze in your arrangement. Don’t expect anything too fancy. He’s slammed. That’s what you get for waiting until the last minute.”
Win picked up the green smoothie he’d placed on the counter and took a swig. “I’ve had other things on my mind.”
“I know.” Hannah’s expression turned sympathetic.
His secret was out. It had taken his brothers less than a day to tell their significant others. Win supposed it was better that way. Now he didn’t have to explain it to everyone.
She nudged her head at the shelves of cards. “You want me to help?”
“Nah; this one will work.” It said, “HBO and chill?” with a heart at the bottom. It was a step up from the one that said, “You suck less than most people,” which he wasn’t even sure was true. He put it on the counter, tossed his empty smoothie cup in the trash, and tugged his wallet out of his cargo pants.
As usual, Hannah gave him the friends-and-family discount. “Josh says you’re bringing Britney to the party Saturday.”
“Yep. Time for her to meet the fam.”
“We’re looking forward to it.” She reached over and took his hand. “You okay with all this?”
He lifted his shoulders. “I’m good with it. Really good.” He forced a smile.
“Congratulations.”
He paid, took his card and candy, and walked to Sweet Stems. There were three people ahead of him in line. Foster took a huge arrangement out of the refrigerator for the first guy, who turned out to be Chip.
“For Val?” Win asked.
“Yeah.” Chip got this goofy grin on his face. Honest to goodness, Win had never seen him so happy, not that he would ever tell his sister-in-law that. Hannah was head over heels for Josh anyway. The two of them had always been meant to be together. Win was glad that both Hannah and Chip had found their soul mates. “You getting flowers for someone?”
“My fiancée,” Win said.
Chip did a double take. “You’re getting married?” He paused, and Win could see him working something out in his head. “Ah, makes sense now why you hired Deb. When you two tying the knot?”
“We’re not. You don’t know her; she lives in Tahoe. And if I don’t get these flowers to her soon, I’ll be sleeping on the couch.” Win shouldered his way past Chip to the counter.
Foster finished up with his last customer. “Give me a second,” he told Win and went into the back room. He returned a short time later with a bouquet that looked a hell of a lot better than a last-minute job, at least to Win.
“Nice, dude.”
Foster snorted. “You’re lucky I fit you in. You owe me, so I hope this woman is worth it.”
Everyone knew Foster was fiercely loyal to Deb. Despite the fact that there was nothing going on between them and hadn’t been for a long time, there were still people in Glory Junction who assumed they’d wind up together. It was the quirk of a small town.
“I appreciate it, Foster. Anything you need, man, I’ll make it happen.”
Another snort. “Six-foot-two, financially independent, and not a lot of baggage.”
“That’s sort of a tall order, don’t you think? But let me see what I can do.” Win slid his credit card toward the cash register. “I’m bringing Britney to the party Saturday. Deb’ll be cool with it, won’t she?”
Foster glowered at him. “She’s over you.”
But on Win’s way out of the store, Foster whistled the tune of “It’s My Party.”
Foster just wanted to bust his chops.
The police station was next to Sweet Stems and Win decided to pop in on Colt, who, against his doctor’s orders, had gone back to work. Anyone without an appointment had to get by Carrie Jo, who was harder to breach than a razor-wire fence.
“Did you bring those for me?” She reached for his bouquet and he yanked it away.
“Nope, but maybe I should’ve.” He eyed her up and down. “You’re looking good, Carrie Jo.”
“And you’re a flirty tramp. Your brother’s in his office. Go ahead in.”
Win walked in to find Colt fumbling with a roll of wire ribbon. “What’re you doing?”
“What does it look like I’m doing? Put your finger here,” he told Win and attempted to tie a bow on a poorly wrapped package covered with hearts.
Win did as Colt asked. “Ow, that hurts. What, did you forget to get Delaney something for Valentine’s Day?”
“What, did you forget I had a near miss with death?”
“Exaggeration much?” Win grabbed the ribbon away from Colt, tied the bow, and plopped down on the couch.
Colt assessed his flowers. “You should give me those.”
“Not happening, dude. They’re for Britney.”
“Mom says you’ve got your first doctor’s appointment in a few weeks. How you doing with all this?”
“Fine.” Win hoped if he said it enough times it would be true.
Colt studied him for a while, then nodded. “You don’t have a tour today?”
“I did this morning at the ass crack of five in the backcountry. I’m done for the day and am heading to Tahoe. You and Delaney have big plans?”
“Dinner at home. She’s worried I’ll faint from too much exertion.” He made a mocking face. “What about you?”
“No plans in particular.” As usual, Britney was being cagey. First she had to work, then she didn’t. He figured he’d pick up a pizza and a quart of ice cream.
Colt kicked his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair. “TJ have any plans?”
“Not that I know of. Is he seeing that Karen chick?” Lately, he and TJ had been like two strangers passing in the night. Win supposed they both had a lot on their mind. TJ had been immersed in the new website and launching the online store and Win had a baby on the way.
“Dunno. He’s not a sharer like the rest of us.”
Win laughed, got up, walked over to Colt, and gave him a noogie. “Just came to see if you were still kicking. Looks like my work here is done.”
“Have fun in Tahoe, asshole.”
Win flipped him the bird and went on his way. His Jeep was parked on the street in front of GA. He loaded it with his Glorious Gifts bag and the flowers and made the thirty-minute drive to Tahoe. Cami was outside her condo, getting her mail, when he got there. She did a finger-wave thing and tried to flirt with him.
“Those for Britney?” she asked, cocking her head at his Valentine’s Day gifts.
No, they were for Steph Curry. “Nothing gets past you, Cami.” He tried to sound teasing and made a straight line for Britney’s door.
“She’s not home.”
He rang the bell.
Cami came over to the little fence that separated the two condos and hung her head over.
“She left about thirty minutes ago.”
“She’s probably getting us dinner,” he lied, feeling like a goddamn idiot. Not two hours ago they’d made plans for him to come over.
“It looked like she was going out for the evening to me.” Cami gave a small shrug and walked away.
He waited for her to go inside her place, went back to his Jeep, and called Britney. “Where are you?” he asked when she finally answered.
“Out with a few friends, having drinks.”
“We had plans.” He gritted his teeth. And why the hell are you drinking?
“Jeez, I’ll be home in twenty minutes. You’re so uptight.” There was music blaring in the background.
He pulled the phone away from his ear and counted to ten. Uptight? Most people would say he was the polar opposite. “I went to a lot of trouble and I don’t like getting stood up.”
“Fine, I’ll come home, then.” She was walking because he suddenly heard the dinging of slot machines.
“Are you okay to drive?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Win. There’s a key under the mat; make yourself at home.” She hung up, and for a second he thought about motoring right back to Glory Junction. But he had to make this work. For the kid’s sake.
He returned to her unit, hoping like hell to avoid Cami, and found the key. Inside, he put the flowers in water, scared up a number for a pizza delivery joint, and put in an order. The kid said to expect an hour or more wait. What did he expect? He got a beer out of her fridge and turned on the TV. She had a sixty-five-inch flat-screen in the great room and another one in her bedroom. He flipped through the channels and found a show on bull riding. Now, that was something he’d like to try.
Thirty, forty minutes later, she walked in the door. “Are you over your snit?”
She took off her stilettos and dropped them on the floor. He couldn’t believe this was the woman he was winding up with. The girls he’d always dated wore hiking boots. He preferred it that way.
“Why did you tell me to meet you here if you were planning to go out with your friends?” It was inconsiderate, not to mention flakey.
“It was a last-minute thing,” she said and sat on the couch with him, cuddling under his arm. “What did you get me for Valentine’s Day?”
“It’s on the counter.” He nudged his head at the kitchen.
She rocketed up and went to have a look. “The flowers are pretty.” She dug through the Glorious Gifts bag, took out the card, read it, and put it to the side. Her hand reached into the bag again and pulled out the box of chocolates, her expression doing an instant cliff dive.
“You don’t like candy?” Win asked.
She pushed the box next to the card, her disappointment evident. “I do, but given that I’m pregnant with your child, I was expecting something glittery.”
“I told you I’d get you an engagement ring.” Lord knew, she’d insist on the biggest one she could get her hands on. Another thing he missed about the women he used to date. They were down to earth, not all about the bling.
“That shouldn’t count.” She pouted. “This should’ve been something for just me. Something special.” And something expensive, Win added to himself.
Jesus Christ, she was demanding. And materialistic. “I’m not made of money, Britney, and whatever I have we should use for a house.”
She waved her hand around the condo. “I have a house.”
It was a one-bedroom without a backyard. Not exactly a place to raise a kid. But it wasn’t worth fighting about right now, not while she simmered over the fact that he hadn’t bought her the Hope Diamond.
She was starting to bust on his last nerve. And with each and every day, it was becoming abundantly clear that he was embarking on a freakin’ nightmare.