Reclaimed (Powell Sanctuary #5)

Chapter 12

12

Aiden

“You didn’t have to cover for me like that!”

We just got back to Isla’s after spending most of the day with my family, and after a silent car ride, this is the first thing out of her mouth. I flip my ballcap around and cross my arms over my chest, bracing for what’s about to come.

“From where I was standing, it felt like the right thing to do.”

“From where I’m standing, you just made this into a cataclysmic problem.”

“How so?”

She widens her eyes at me and drops her hands to her hips as she kicks off her shoes. I tense, wanting to steady her so that she doesn’t take herself out and fall on her ass but know the move would be unwelcome.

Not while she’s this riled up.

“You aren’t the father.”

“Yes. And?”

She blinks. “And you just told your entire family that you are.”

I raise my eyebrows at her. “Yes. And ?”

She throws her hands up and moves to the kitchen. “You’re being obtuse.”

I’m hot on her heels. “I fail to see how this is cataclysmic. Enlighten me, starshine.”

“How can’t you see that this is a problem? When this relationship has run its course, I assumed we would just ‘break up’,” she makes air quotes, “and move on with our lives. Now it won’t be that simple.”

“It’s still exactly that simple. I’ll just tell them I lied. They’ll understand.”

“Then what was the point?” She spins toward me and the distress on her face is like a tether leading me into the room. “Why not just tell them the truth now?”

“You didn’t see the look on your face when Juniper spilled your secret. Half of me thought you were about to run out the door and call the entire thing off. The other half was trying to figure out how to stop you. She should have never outed you like that. Even if I’m upset you didn’t tell me yourself, she still had no right to let that slip.”

“I shouldn’t have had to tell you,” she argues, and by the tremble of her lower lip, I can tell this conversation is going nowhere.

“Yes you should have,” I say gently, holding my ground a few feet away. “But you should have been able to wait until you were ready. I’m sorry that didn’t happen. I’m not sorry for reacting how I did.”

Words gather on my tongue. Fifty things I want to say and ask that I haven’t earned the answers too. This is too new for me to demand the details I want to hear.

Besides the revelation Juniper shared about my new girlfriend, tonight couldn’t have gone better for me. I could see it on the faces of my brothers and even Mom, that bringing around a girlfriend calmed their worries some. And not just any woman, but I got lucky enough to land one they know and respect. The payoff here will be huge, no matter how we decide to end it.

Isla crosses to the freezer and pulls out a carton of ice cream. Silverware rattles as she yanks open the drawer to the right of the fridge. A second later, a spoon clatters across the table in my direction.

She plops into a seat and tears off the lid, sinking her own spoon into the creamy concoction.

“The dad was a bartender at my old job. He was nothing special.”

I yank my gaze away from the way her pink lips wrap around the dollop of peanut butter cup ice cream and settle in an adjacent chair. Beneath the table, my long legs accidentally bump into hers. If she cares, she doesn’t show it. The heat of her calf pressed against mine gives me something else to focus on.

Something other than her licking that goddamn spoon.

“What did he do?”

She goes in for another scoop before pushing the carton in my direction. “We went out one night with a group of coworkers. A few drinks later and one thing led to another. You know how it goes.” A frown steals over her face. “Anyway, the condom must have broken or expired. I didn’t notice at the time and he didn’t say anything if he did but a few weeks later...” She circles her belly with her spoon.

Digging into the ice cream, I come away with my own scoop. Stalling until the you know how it goes comment can fade into obscurity. No. I don’t know. I’m a thirty-two-year-old virgin. The logistics are clear, but as for experience, I have none. “I can guess by the fact you’re here and not there that he didn’t take it well.”

“He pretended to.” She pauses to chew on her bottom lip. “I called him the night I found out and gave him the news. He fed me some crap line about how he’s there for whatever I need but when I clocked into my shift at Eve’s the next day, I was fired on the spot.”

The sweet ice cream sits heavy in my gut.

Christ. He didn’t have to be thrilled about getting her pregnant after a one-night stand, but he didn’t have to lie to her either.

“That’s bullshit, baby.” The drop in my voice exposes my displeasure.

“Oh, I know.” Isla stabs her spoon into the ice cream. “But I had enough on my plate, I really didn’t want to take on club politics as well. So I left. Here I am. I haven’t heard from him, but based on texts from my old coworkers, he hasn’t asked about me since I left.”

“It sounds to me like he did you a favor. Getting clear of a guy like that before the baby is born is probably the best thing you could have done.” Not for the first time, she shows me just how strong she is. Whatever happens in the next couple weeks, I have no doubt Isla is going to come out on top.

“I definitely feel like a weight was lifted. This place has always been home.”

“How far along are you?”

“Just over fourteen weeks. I’ve hit the second trimester and I finally feel a little less tired.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means I’m about a third of the way through.”

“Ah. No morning sickness? I remember Cortney was in bad shape when she was pregnant with Ollie.”

The smile she graces me with is filled with relief. “Thankfully no. I had some nausea in the beginning, but besides an aversion to onions, I’ve been lucky.”

I go in for another bite but she knocks my spoon out of the way for her own.

“Ladies first.” She smirks.

I lift an eyebrow. “By all means, princess. Help yourself.”

“I am eating for two.” She laughs. “God, it feels good to say something like that out loud. I suppose since you now know, I can stop hiding the baby books and my stockpile.”

“Stockpile of what?”

Isla crosses the room to a door along the back wall and throws it open.

“I thought that was a basement,” I say as I lean forward in my chair to peer inside. “It locks from the outside so I didn’t check it when I did the walk-through.”

“Just an extra-large pantry.”

She’s not exaggerating. And her stockpile is pretty big too. There’s a stack of diaper boxes that nearly reaches the ceiling, and a car seat is on the floor near the door. Some other unopened boxes are pushed near the back.

“You’re really prepared.”

“I don’t think that’s actually possible, but I’m making a solid attempt. I’m trying to get as much stuff as I can before I’m forced to quit dancing. Eventually, I’ll get too big for it to be possible, but my doctor said as long as I’m feeling good it’s safe enough for now.”

My midsection tightens like a fist wrapped around my torso and squeezed.

Shit.

The reason is abundantly clear. I don’t want her to dance.

Nothing has changed except now I know that she’s carrying a baby, and suddenly the idea of her on that stage being leered at by strange men feels suffocating.

Or maybe it’s the fact there’s now two people to protect.

I once stepped in front of a gun. But now it feels like there’s a hundred faceless, nameless guns aimed at her from every direction and I don’t know where to stand to defend them. We don’t have enough information.

Not noticing my internal departure, Isla shuts the door and repackages our late-night snack.

“If you don’t mind, I think I’m ready for bed.”

I don’t turn around until I wipe the relief from my expression. I could use some time to process this. “Sounds good. I could use some rest too.”

“Thank you for standing up for me. And for not freaking out.”

“What is there to freak out about? The threat will be long over before your baby is born and by then, everyone will understand why we did what we did.”

Everyone but me.

Because when I stood up today and said that baby was mine, I don’t think I was faking it.

The thought of Isla and I doing this together makes me feel like I’m right where I belong.