Authors: Dawn Pendleton
“Uncle Wolfe?”
The sound of a young voice pulled me from my reverie and I realized I was in my sister’s shower, where her two children were around all the time. I needed to get it together.
“What is it, Austin?”
“I have to use the bathroom,” he explained as I peeked my head out of the shower curtain.
“Okay. Go ahead, buddy,” I said, embarrassed that my nephew almost caught me jerking off. Because that’s where my little daydream was heading. Thinking about Gabby had me hard, turned on, and ready for action.
A minute later, the toilet flushed and the already hot water kicked up, burning my skin. I managed to keep the string of expletives to a minimum, but just barely. When I poked my head out again, Austin was gone, the door closed tightly behind him. I sighed, wondering if this was how the rest of my life was going to be.
15
Gabby
I opened my eyes, slowly. The room was bright, but I still sought the silvery eyes that I needed in order to feel safe. When my vision didn’t meet them, but instead landed on a pair of pretty blue eyes that belonged to my best friend, Mallory, I forced a weak smile. Wolfe wasn’t in the room.
Maybe he’s out getting coffee
, I thought. And then my full memory flooded my mind. Wolfe wouldn’t be here. He was in Florida, with his family, and he wasn’t in the hospital with me, his ex-wife. A slow ache started in my chest and I rubbed at the pain, anxious to make it go away.
“She’s awake,” Mallory announced to someone, possibly a nurse.
Right on cue, a woman in scrubs came into the room, leaning over me as she checked my vitals and adjusted something on the machine next to my bed.
I tried to talk but my voice was hoarse. I swallowed in pain and managed to mouth
water
to Mallory, who requested a cup from the nurse.
“Sure, I’ll go get her some,” the woman said. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.
“Hey, girl,” Mallory said to me, picking up my hand and squeezing. “You gave us quite a scare.”
I took a deep breath. “What happened?” I was still fuzzy on the details.
“You and Baker were in an accident, Gabby. Do you remember it at all?” Mallory sat in the chair closest to the bed, her hand still gripping mine. She was obviously worried about me.
“I remember going to the inn. Baker was drunk and didn’t want to leave, but I managed to get his attention and got him into the car. He fell asleep and then the car started to spin. That’s all I remember,” I said, touching the sore spot on my head.
“Easy,” Mallory said, moving my hand. “You hit your head before the airbag went off. You’ve got a huge bump.”
I sighed. “If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have none at all.”
“No kidding.” Mallory smiled at me. “Baker has been here all week, scared to death because of what happened. He thinks it’s all his fault.”
“Wait, what? What do you mean all week?” I asked.
“You’ve been in an induced coma for ten days,” she explained. “As soon as the staff cleared Baker to go home, he camped out here and hasn’t moved. Luke finally got him to leave while they woke you up. No one wanted you to be overwhelmed by too many people being here.”
“Where’s Wolfe?” I asked. I knew he wasn’t here, but I had to ask.
Mallory took a deep breath. “He’s still in Florida, as far as we know. Luke called him a few days ago, but he was dealing with stuff and couldn’t fly up. Do you want him here? I think part of the reason he didn’t come was because he was worried he wouldn’t be welcome.”
“No, I don’t want him here, not really. My head is just foggy, and he’s been the person I’ve leaned on for so many years, it’s crazy to think he’s not here anymore.”
“I know. How do you feel right now?” She was so concerned, I smiled at her.
“I feel fine, really. A little nauseous, but that’s probably just the pain meds,” I said, trying to ignore the light flutter in my stomach. Pain medications always made me sick.
I couldn’t help but notice the flash of worry that came into Mallory’s eyes, but in an instant, it was gone, just as Luke and Baker came into the room.
“Hey, pretty girl!” Baker set down the bags he was carrying and came to the bed to hug me. I smiled against him, glad he was okay.
“Guess that thick skull of yours finally came in handy,” Luke said from his spot near Mallory. The two of them were inseparable, adorable and nauseating at the same time. Or maybe that was just the meds.
Baker grabbed onto my hand. “We’ve been so worried.”
“I heard. Nothing to worry about, guys. I am one hundred percent okay. And now that I’m awake, I can’t wait to get out of here,” I mumbled.
The doctor came in, just in time to hear my last statement. “You won’t be going anywhere right away, Ms. Landon.” He turned to my friends. “Could you excuse us, please? I need to discuss test results with Gabby privately.”
All three of them looked at me. “Yes, go. When he’s done, I’ll tell you what he says, but listen to the doctor.”
After a round of hugs from my friends, they left the room. I sipped my water, the cool liquid refreshing my parched throat. “What’s up, Doc?”
He smiled. “Well, that was some accident, Gabby. I’m still not sure how you survived,” he started.
“What do you mean?” I moved to sit up straighter, and he helped me before dragging over the round doctor’s stool and sitting on it.
He set my chart on the bed, next to my legs. “I’ve yet to see someone come away from an accident like that with only minor injuries. We were worried you would have some internal damage, which is why you were kept under for so long, but the results all came in this morning and you are perfectly fine. You should count yourself lucky to be alive ...” he continued, but I stopped listening.
His words tugged at some imaginary string to my heart, one that was linked directly to Wolfe. If my life was going to end, if I had to have just one second chance in the world to make things different, I would want to tell Wolfe how I truly felt, that I still loved him, and that I wanted, more than anything in the world, just to be with him again.
“… you’re pregnant, so it’s even better that you ended up okay.”
“What!” I sat straight up, hurting my head, and my stomach lurched, evoking a new sensation. Before I could get out another word, the doctor had a puke pan in front of me and helped me lean over. I was fairly proud I didn’t vomit, but it was a near thing. “I can’t be pregnant.”
He chuckled. “I’ve heard that before. But the truth is, you are. Probably only about four to five weeks, if that. I had them run the tests twice, just to be sure we didn’t lose the baby. It’s part of the reason we kept you under, as a precaution. But, it’s my assessment that you will be a mother in about thirty-five weeks or so. Congratulations!”
Was he for real? I gulped, my already upset stomach climbing to my throat. Not only was I freaking out about the idea of being a mother, but I was going to be a
single mother
, and there’s no way Wolfe would want me back now. He would think I tried to trap him, which was
not
my intention. I simply forgot to take my birth control, considering that before our little interlude a few weeks ago, I hadn’t had sex in over a year. So no, I hadn’t been as adamant about taking my pills, but only because I wasn’t planning on getting any.
I remembered Wolfe hadn’t used protection. And why would he? We were in a committed relationship, faithful to each other, even months after our separation. Or, I was, at least. I had to assume he was, too, based on the way he’d been chasing after me for the past year.
What if he wasn’t?
The thought that he might have another love interest wasn’t just appalling, it was downright frightening. I mean, Wolfe was mine – my lover, my best friend, and my soul mate. Losing him was a nightmare, because a part of me knew, absolutely
knew,
that there was someone else, in Florida. I didn’t know who she was, exactly, but I could feel it. Call it a woman’s intuition.
And now I was preggo, which meant if I told Wolfe, he would probably come back to me, his honorable intentions keeping him from moving on. He wasn’t the type to leave me stranded. But did I really want him to come back to me just for a baby? Maybe it was selfish, but I wanted more from him than just some promise to be there for our child. I wanted him to want me again, not just the child I carried.
First things first, though. I needed to get my shit together, and maybe go see him. A drive to Florida was probably too much, so I guessed I would have to fly. I hated to fly. Not nearly as much as Rainey had, but it was still unpleasant. And now I wouldn’t be able to drink before and during the flight.
I spent the rest of the day in the hospital, recovering and trying to plot how in the hell I would tell everyone. I decided not to tell anyone; at least, not until I got a grip. I spent the night in the room, after an hour of pleading to go home. I was promised to be released the next morning, though, so thank God for the little things. I needed to get out of there.
I got some basic information from the doctor the next morning, since I knew nothing about pregnancy and got my prescription for prenatal vitamins. While waiting for the pharmacy to fill the script, I browsed the book section. It was small, but they still had several books about what to expect with a baby on board. I picked up two different books, almost immediately regretting it as soon as I got into the checkout lane.
“Gabby Landon! Is that you?” It was Mrs. Damon, Ember’s mom. I still didn’t remember her first name, dammit.
“Hi, Mrs. Damon,” I greeted her, slyly slipping the books behind me.
“Oh, call me Madeline, darling.” She waved her hand in the air. I’d forgotten how animate she was. “And what have you got there?” She looked at my hidden hands, eyebrows raised.
With a deep breath, I brought the books to rest against my still flat belly. I gave her an awkward smile.
“Someone’s been busy,” she murmured, taking the books from me and glancing them over. “This is the better one,” she said about the larger, more expensive book. “This other one is just the same information.”
“Thank you,” I said, a genuine smile on my face. Madeline was a wonderful woman. “How’s Ember these days?”
“She’s doing well, actually. I know she misses Rainey, but she keeps her emotions bottled up inside. It’s not ideal, but at least she’s not getting herself knocked up.”
I sucked in a breath, thinking she was degrading me.
“I’m joking, Gabby. Of course you and Wolfe are finally going to get back together, and this child will forever be a reminder of your love.” She patted my stomach. “Well, I’ve got to be going. I hope you and Mallory will take Ember under your wing, since she’s decided to stick around this small town.”
“Of course. I’ll call her next week for a girl’s night,” I promised, guilt flooding me. It was up to me and Mallory to make sure that our best friend’s sister was looked after. And I hadn’t given her a second thought since the funeral. I felt lower than low.
“She understands, of course. You and Mallory have been through so much, and she hasn’t wanted to pry, but she does need some fine women like the two of you to look up to. I hope you do call.” With that, she turned away and left me standing there, feeling like an idiot.
I paid for the stupid book after setting the less knowledgeable one down on an empty shelf and then asked for a paper bag to hide it. I tucked the book under my arm, picked up my prescription, and then left the store, as quickly as I could.
I made a list of people I needed to tell, starting with Wolfe and rounding it out with Baker. Mallory was on the list, too, but I honestly wasn’t sure how to tell her. I was more afraid to tell her than Wolfe, which was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. She was basically my sister, and finding out that she was going to be an auntie would be exciting for her, but also terrifying, much like the knowledge that I would be a mother. Gah, it was scary.
Not to mention that Mal would flip her lid about the fact that I found out I was pregnant
after
the divorce was finalized. She would probably reprimand me about sleeping with Wolfe again, so close to our court date. There was no stopping us, though. Every time with Wolfe had been like that: smooth, electric, and setting my heart, body, and soul on fire. He was a talented lover, and just thinking about the things he did to me caused tiny goosebumps to rise on my flesh. I pulled my jacket tighter around me as I exited the store. I clicked the button to unlock my car door, mentally telling myself that this would all work out for the best, that things would fall into place however they were supposed to.
“You can do this.” I looked into the rearview mirror at myself.
I sighed, not believing a word I said.
16
Wolfe
Katie was an amazing little girl. She dazzled me with her well-rounded social skills and immediate connection with both her cousins. And me.
I think that surprised me most. Katie accepted me as her father, since Dianne never remarried or had anyone permanent in her life, so my daughter never had anyone to look up to as a father figure. I was grateful for her acceptance and made it my life goal to spoil her rotten as much as I could.
She was smart and funny, even sometimes combining the two to be a little smartass, which I loved. I was certain in a year or two, I might get tired of her sassiness, but for the moment, I was set on enjoying it.
“Wolfe, can you watch them for a bit?” my sister asked me, while we sat watching the kids play at the park.
“Sure, what’s up?” I asked, not really worried.
She glanced nervously at her phone and then back at me. “I just have to go for a few hours.” Mandi wasn’t usually so secretive, so I was intrigued.
“Hot date?”
“Something like that,” she mumbled.
Curiouser and curiouser.
“I should be home in a few hours. Can you feed them all dinner?”
“Of course. I’ll take them out for pizza,” I told her.
“Thanks, Wolfe, I appreciate it.” She smiled at me.
Mandi called the kids over, explained that she had to go, and then took off, leaving the four of us there in the park, all kind of staring at one another. As much as I loved all three of them, I wasn’t entirely sure what to do next.
I was still working on gaining custody of Katie, but that was still another week away, at least. Temporarily, the judge granted me full, unsupervised visitation, so at the very least, I was allowed to spend alone time with my daughter.
“Auntie Mandi said we’re getting pizza,” Katie suggested to me, her gray eyes clear in the Florida sunlight.
“We sure are,” I replied. “Where do you guys want to go?”
They each shouted something different, but since Chuck E. Cheese was one of them, I figured that was as good a place as any.
“Chuck E. Cheese?” I asked them. A cheer resounded among them, all three excited to go. “Let’s go, then!”
I led them to my rented SUV, since my Jeep was still in Maine and we all climbed in. I turned on the radio and right away, all three kids started singing along with whatever pop song was on. I felt decades older than I was as I sat there for a second, listening to them sing. Katie was directly behind me and I smiled at her in the rearview.
“Don’t forget your seatbelt,” Annie reminded me from behind the passenger seat. Austin was tucked between them in the seat, since not a one of them was old enough for the front seat. I felt more like a chauffeur than an uncle/dad as I buckled in.
I wasn’t sure exactly where the Chuck E. Cheese was, since I hadn’t been in ages, but a quick search on my phone gave me the address and then I plugged it into the GPS, just in case. After making sure all three of them were buckled, I kicked over the engine and put it in drive, ready to go.
An hour later, we were all having a blast. Between pizza, soda, and games, I lost all track of time. My phone rang in the middle of a Terminator game and I gave Austin a sympathetic look before I answered it. I even managed to keep my gun aimed at the screen.
“Hello?”
“Wolfe? It’s Mandi. Where are you guys?”
“We’re at the Chuck E. Cheese on East Avenue,” I told her, almost dying in the game.
“Pick it up, Uncle Wolfe!” Austin impatiently nudged me.
“Okay, I’ll be there in ten,” Mandi rushed and then clicked off.
Something didn’t sound right, but I didn’t have time to worry about it, since a swarm of terminators encircled us and I had to get back into the game, with only a second to drop my phone back into my jeans pocket.
After the game, I found Katie and Annie, who were winning enough tickets to get any of the prizes on the redemption counter. It surprised me, but they had both perfected how to get the most tickets from a single game, and they each took turns getting no less than one hundred tickets at a time. It was almost phenomenal to watch.
“Look, Daddy, I got all these tickets!” Katie turned to me.
My heart dropped, a feeling of pride settling over me. We’d only spent a few hours every couple of days together over the last two weeks, but she was already comfortable calling me
Daddy
. It was the best day of my life. I gave her a little hug.
“I see that! You girls are doing a great job,” I said, trying to hold back the tears that threatened.
“Wolfe!” I heard Mandi call from nearby.
I turned to look for her. Just inside the entrance of the place, there she was, with Gabby by her side. I sucked in a breath at the sight of my ex-wife, who looked amazing. Her long hair was pulled back, and she looked like she’d been traveling, but she still looked great. Mandi walked over to me.
“Give her a little time to explain some things,” she suggested. “I’ll watch the kids.” She gave me a little push in Gabby’s direction, since my feet were planted in place.
I walked over and she turned toward the exit and I followed her. Outside, the air was warm, not unusual for Florida in January. I hadn’t seen Gabby in weeks, but she didn’t even look like she’d been in an accident, something I was grateful for.
“Babysitting?” she asked, clearly not having witnessed Katie calling me
Daddy
.
“Something like that,” I told her. “What are you doing here?” It wasn’t my intention to be rude, but it came out that way, only because I was so curious.
“I had to come see you, tell you the truth myself. I also wanted to know what kept you from coming to the hearing last month,” she started.
“It was personal,” I answered. It was honest, but I still felt like an ass for not telling her the whole truth.
“I see,” she replied, looking at her hands.
I took a moment to take her in. Her body was covered with a sundress, the cotton smooth against her skin. She wore a pair of flip-flops, her favorite accessory in the warm Maine summer, and she even had a bit of makeup on, which surprised me. Gabby didn’t need an ounce of makeup on her flawless, sun-kissed skin.
“Are you feeling okay? I heard about the accident,” I told her.
“Oh, so now you care?”
I sighed. “I know. Things have been hectic here, Gabby. It’s been my plan to move back to Maine in another two weeks or so.”
Her eyes flew to mine. “Why?”
“I like it there,” I chuckled. “I also have friends there.”
“But you’ve talked about moving back to Florida for forever.” She looked up at me, her eyes hopeful.
“I never wanted to move back to Florida permanently, Gabby. I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen.” I took a deep breath. “Timing has been horrible, with me coming back here, especially so soon after you told me about what happened to you. But I want you to know that I am so sorry for what you went through, and although I wish you’d told me sooner, I completely understand that you had to deal with it by yourself. I’m glad you finally told me, so we could move on with our lives.”
I closed my eyes against the pain of what I knew had to come next. “I also understand why you continued with the divorce. I wasn’t understanding when you told me, and I’m sorry for that. But you mean so much to me, and I didn’t know how to deal with what you told me. Honestly, I wanted to go right out and kill the bastard who dared to put his hands on you. I was so angry, nearly raging inside, that I couldn’t think straight. And by the time I realized you needed comforting, it was too late.”
She shook her head at me. “I didn’t need comforting, Wolfe. I just wanted to know that you still loved me, that we still had a chance. Then you were gone, back to Florida where I always assumed you wanted to be, and things got even more complicated, with Baker, with the accident, with me …”
“You’re okay, aren’t you? They wouldn’t have let you out of the hospital if it was something serious, right? Luke said it was just a concussion,” I muttered, cursing my friend for not telling me more about the accident and cursing myself even more for not asking enough questions.
“I’m fine, Wolfe,” Gabby quelled my fears. “There is something going on with me, though.”
I waited while she gathered her wits. We were interrupted by Katie.
“Daddy!” she called, the name music to my ears. I turned away from Gabby and toward my baby girl. I never thought I could love this much, but I did. My heart was full.
“
Daddy?
” I heard Gabby whisper in horror.
I scooped Katie up and turned back to Gabby. “I want you to meet someone, Katie.” Something felt wrong, introducing them this way, but I couldn’t change the circumstances. “This is Gabby. Gab, this is Katie, my daughter.”
Gabby forced a smile, but I could see the heartbreak behind her blue eyes. She was horrified by the situation. Her breathing was labored, her chest heaved. She closed her eyes and a few tears slipped out, dancing across her cheeks.
“It’s nice to meet you, Katie,” she managed. She looked at me. “I’ve got to go. This was a mistake.”
Gabby turned away, her dress flowing behind her as she ducked into a rented car and spun away, out of my life.
For now
.
“Who was she?” Katie asked me.
“She’s my wife,” I answered, willing my answer to be the truth at some point. I couldn’t live without her.
“Does that mean she’s my new mommy?” Katie asked, giving me an evil stare.
“If you want her to be,” I replied, not really sure if Katie would be ready for a new mom.
“I do.”
“Me too,” I confirmed, squeezing my little girl.
In less than a week, we would be back in Maine, but for the moment, I decided to go rip my sister a new one, since my baby was outside, alone. I planned on letting the management staff hear from me, too.