Stepbrother's Gift (30 page)

“You say that now, but you weren't exactly in a listening mood earlier.” I glared at him. “I never know how you're going to react and I
really
had no idea how you were going to react to this.”

“Allie, you should have told me.” He sounded so sure of himself that for a moment I almost believed him.

“Right. Okay,” I nodded and then crossed my arms and looked at him. “How would you have reacted if you had seen that picture on my phone?”

“Better than this,” he snapped.

I rolled my eyes and pantomimed looking at my phone. “Just scrolling through my pictures- oh, hey- there's Tessa making a duck face, a picture of you onstage, and oh... what's this?” I lowered my voice and glanced around making sure no one was listening. “A positive pregnancy test after you just finished fucking me without a condom. Yeah, that's going to end well.”

James' mouth tightened. “I fail to see where this is my fault, Allie. You're not being really fair right now.”

“You're absolutely right, it's not fair,” I said, exasperated. “But, that's where I was. You wanted to look at my phone, and I wasn't ready for you to see that. I wanted to tell you the right way, and I know that
this
isn't it, but neither was that.”

James let out a slow sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. I could tell it wasn't the first time today he'd made the gesture.

“It is yours, though. In case you were wondering,” I offered. “I haven't been with anyone else.”

“Good,” was all he said.

I thought of how I had imagined telling him. Something cute. Something when the two of us were alone and I could make it special. He'd gasp and take me in his arms, telling me how happy he was. How he'd always wanted this. We'd kiss and then go make sweet love and celebrate the life growing inside of me.

This was about as far from that dream reaction as I could get.

“What happens now?” I asked. Fear surged through my lungs and danced along my ribs. This was it. This was the do-or-die moment. Would he live up to my expectations or would he turn me away? My  stomach churned and I looked for the little paper bag in the seat-back in front of me just in case I had to throw up. There wasn't anything in my stomach since I hadn't really eaten the artichoke dip, but I didn't want to risk it.

James ran his hand through his hair again and then rubbed the bridge of his nose like he was getting a headache. “I don't know, Allie.”

I stared at the paper bag, willing myself not to use it. Just because he didn't know, didn't mean that he didn't want me. Didn't want us.

“This wasn't in the plan,” James said after a moment. He stared straight ahead. “I'm working ninety hours a week. I travel constantly and I can't even keep a houseplant alive without someone else coming to water it.” He closed his eyes. “I'm still struggling with the idea.”

I tentatively held onto a thread of hope. He hadn't said he didn't want the child. He hadn't said that it wasn't possible. Just that it wasn't in the plan.

“I'm keeping it,” I told him, surprised at my own defensiveness. “I'm not going to terminate or give it up for adoption. This child is mine.”

His eyes went a little wide. “I would never-” He seemed to cut himself off to calm himself down. I knew what he was going to say and it made me smile.

“I know you'd never ask me to give it up. I just wanted to let you know what I was thinking,” I said softly.

“How did this happen, Allie?” James asked, ignoring my statement. His voice was low and dangerous. “Did you forget to take your pills? How could you let me... I could have worn a condom.”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a moment. I could lie. Tell him it was an accident. Birth control pills were only 99% effective, it was plausible that we fell in the 1%. But I didn't want to lie to him. I didn't want this child's life to be based on a lie, any more than it already was.

“I wasn't on anything,” I said. My voice trembled slightly.

James gripped the arm rest of the chair until his fingers went white. “What?”

“I wasn't on anything,” I repeated, my heart sinking into my stomach. He was going to hate me. “I've wanted you for so long... and it was just too hot to stop.”

“Too hot to stop?” James raised his eyebrows. “You're smarter than that.”

“Yeah, well.” I blushed. Time to lay all my cards out on the table. “I kind of wanted this.”

“You wanted to be impregnated by your stepbrother?” James was incredulous.

“I wanted to be impregnated by
you
,” I shot back. “I wanted you to be the father of my child. I always have.”

James leaned back into the seat and let out a long breath. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment, his brain obviously racing. I picked at my fingernails, needing something to keep my hands busy. I couldn't believe I had just told him that. That was probably the last thing in the world I should have said. Now he was just going to think I was a gold digger or that I was sick in the head.

I should have just stuck to the “it was too hot to stop” line.

“Anyway, I'm keeping it.” I tipped my chin up, determined to be brave. “You can choose to be a part of their life or not. But, I'm having this baby.”

“You think I wouldn't be a part of my child's life?” James rounded on me, his eyes blazing. “If it is my child, I'll be his father.”

My heart melted. He wasn't going to abandon us. He was going to be the man I knew he was and take this child as his own. I hadn't ever really doubted that he would, but the fear had still been there until I heard the heat in his voice.

“Or
her
father,” I corrected softly.

“What?” James looked confused for a moment.

“You said
his
father. It could be a girl.”

“Then I'll be her father,” he repeated. Something in James' face melted. He grew softer around the eyes and more gentle around the mouth. It made his handsome face somehow even more attractive.

Someone walked down the aisle at that moment, and bumped the arm of the man sitting in the aisle seat. Since he was half in James' seat anyway, the motion rippled into James. The man's elbow landed squarely in James' ribs. James glared at the man, rubbing the spot where the man had elbowed him. The guy didn't even open his eyes.

“I'm a fucking billionaire and I'm in fucking coach,” James whispered under his breath. “What the hell did I do to deserve this?”

I giggled and James glared at me. I promptly hid my smile behind my hand. It took a moment but I straightened out my face. “So, what do you want to do next?” I asked.

“Besides get the fuck off this airplane?” James shot another evil look at the man as he got bumped yet again. “I'm still working on that part. Obviously, we can't tell anyone.”

“I know.” I rubbed my stomach, thinking of how it was going to start growing. We had a few months before people started asking questions at least. “What about Dad and Nancy?”

“Especially not Frank and Mom.” James said, paling slightly. “I like your dad, remember? I'd rather not have him shoot me for knocking up his daughter. His daughter that I'm supposed to look out for like an older brother. No one can know.”

“Okay,” I said with a nod. “So, no one will know.”

“They can't,” James insisted. “Seriously, nobody can know. I am my business. News like this would shake people's confidence in my company. A company that employs hundreds.”

“When people start asking, I'll say it was some guy at school,” I told him. “No one will ask questions. You can stay separate from this.”

“I'm sorry, Allie, but that's how it has to be,” James said with another sigh. “I wish it could be different, but people's livelihoods are at stake here. If my business goes under, a lot of families go hungry. I can't risk them.”

“I know. I understand.” I hated the way my eyes teared up. I wanted James to be a father, not an uncle. “It'll just look like you're a doting uncle to your unwise, unwed sister.”

“Allie, I'll take care of you.” James took my hand in his. “I just can't claim the child as mine. Even though I want to.”

“You do?” I sniffled and wiped at my cheek. I didn't mean to cry, but I couldn't help it. Damn hormones.

“Yes.” James reached out and carefully brushed a tear from my cheek. His fingers were calloused from playing guitar, but his touch was soft and gentle. “Of course I do. I love you, Allie.”

My pulse fluttered and if I hadn't been sitting down, I would have collapsed.

“You do?”

He smiled at me, his green eyes the only thing I could see with my blurry tear-filled ones.

“Yes.” He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “I thought it was pretty obvious by now.”

I burst into full out sobs. Whether it was stress, hormones, lack of sleep, or the sheer emotion of being loved by James, I couldn't control myself. He leaned over and wrapped his strong arms around me. He smelled so good and felt so strong. I was safe when I was with him.

He ran his hand over my hair, making small soothing noises as he comforted me. I wasn't alone. I had James. Even if he couldn't acknowledge that the baby was his in public, we wouldn't be alone. But most importantly, he loved me.

The flight attendant from earlier stopped at our row, but James just held me tighter and waved her on.

“You know, it's customary to say something back when someone tells you they love you,” James teased once my sobs quieted.

I giggled through my tears. Leave it to James to make this about him. I sniffled, and looked up at him.

“I love you, too.” I grinned. “I thought it was pretty obvious by now.”

James laughed and pulled me back into him. I loved the way he felt wrapped around me. I tucked my head on his shoulder. For right now, I felt like I could do this. James would be with me every step of the way with the pregnancy and then he'd be as much of a father as he could be without jeopardizing his company.

It wasn't the fairy-tale ending that I imagined, but it was a good future. A real future. It was better than anything I could hope for.

“Close your eyes, Allie,” James said, smoothing my hair. “You should rest.”

“You don't get to tell me what to do,” I murmured, sleep already claiming me. It had been a long day and now that I had cried, I was worn out. I struggled to keep my eyes open but it was futile. With a sigh, I relaxed, letting James lull me to sleep with his gentle caresses and the hum of the plane engine.

“W
ake up, Allie. We're landing,” James said, his voice cutting through my dreams. For a moment, I hoped it had all been a dream. I hoped I would wake up in James' comfy bed without a care in the world.

But the soreness in my neck said otherwise.

I slowly blinked as the plane landed with a thud and looked around the airplane. James was half in my seat as the man sitting next to him had taken over most of James' space. I didn't mind, though, since that meant I could be closer to James.

I yawned and my stomach rumbled. I hadn't eaten anything since those few bites of artichoke dip. That felt like months ago. I sat up and rolled my shoulders, wishing I didn't feel so damn tired. It was probably just the stress of everything, but all I wanted to do was go back to sleep on James' shoulder for at least another week.

The plane slowly came to a halt and as soon as it officially stopped, everyone stood up and began reaching for their bags. The man in the aisle seat was one of the first up, and James let out an audible sigh as soon as he regained his own space.

“Fucking coach,” James growled shaking his head. “I can't believe I just flew fucking coach.”

I put my hands on my stomach. “It's okay, baby. Don't listen to Daddy's bad language.”

James glared at me. “You can't say stuff like that.”

“Sorry.” I rolled my eyes. “Don't listen to
Uncle James
' bad language.”

“Allie, I'm not joking.” James turned in his seat, making sure he had my full attention. “You can't say that.”

I sighed. “I'm sorry. I'll be better. Promise.”

“You better be.” James fixed me with his gaze. He lowered his voice, even though the plane was almost empty. “I'm serious. We're talking about a lot of people's jobs here, Allie. Not just mine. If my business goes down because no one wants to deal with the guy fucking his little sister, a lot of babies just like yours are going to go hungry.”

I felt my stomach rumble with hunger. My baby needed to be fed. I imagined what I would do if I couldn't feed him because my boss decided to knock up his sister. The gravity of it hit home.

“I promise,” I said, serious this time. I wouldn't do that to someone.

James watched me for a moment and then decided that I was sincere. “Okay.”

We quickly exited the plane, avoiding eye contact with the flight attendant from earlier. Her gaze followed us off the airplane, but she didn't say anything.

Springfield wasn't exactly a happening tourist destination, so the bland gray hallways of the tiny airport were empty.

“I'm going to stop at the bathroom,” I said. James nodded and leaned against the wall. He pulled out his phone and immediately started typing at a breakneck speed. I shook my head. The man was always working.

He was waiting for me when I came out and as soon as he saw me, he started walking. Walking next to James on our way to the baggage carousel, our hands collided. It took every ounce of strength I had not to grab his hand and hold on.

But there were other people at stake here. Other families. So I kept my hands to myself.

“Why did you come back here?” James asked as we stood waiting for the baggage to arrive. “I thought you'd be going to New York, not home.”

“Right. Because Nicole is the person I want to see right now,” I replied.

“Fair enough,” James agreed. “Do Mom and Frank know you're coming?”

I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Nope. I totally forgot to call them.”

Right then, the baggage arrival light went off and a small alarm filled the room. Luckily, my bags were the first ones off the plane. I assumed James didn't have any bags, especially since he hadn't planned on taking the flight at all.”

“Good. Then we don't have to call and cancel with them,” James continued, scooping my bags from the carousel.