I nod and wait to see what’s coming.
Frankee opens her robe, and she’s wearing a red sexy gown thing with her tits tied up in a huge red bow. “This is one of your first gifts to open.”
“Happy fucking birthday to me.”
I wake to Frankee’s naked body nestled against me. “This is what I want. Waking like this with you beside me every morning.”
“According to you, there’s a way to make that happen.”
“We’re going to make that happen.” Soon. Like springtime-or-early-summer soon. Just got to wait on this winter storm to pass.
“What kind of engagement ring would you want?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on. All girls know what kind of ring they want.”
She touches the diamond pendant at her neck. “I love this. The cushion cut with a halo around it.”
“I looked at engagement rings when I was in the store buying your necklace. I held one in my fingers and thought about buying it but we hadn’t talked that much about getting married at the time. I wasn’t sure you’d say yes.”
Frankee turns and wraps her arms and legs around me. “You think I’d say yes now?”
“I know you would. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t get any more of this.” I open my mouth and roll my tongue in a wave.
“Then I had better say yes. Because I cannot go the rest of my life without that magic mouth.”
I’m giving Frankee a little bit of my magic when a tap on the bedroom door interrupts. “Porter? You have a phone call.”
My parents are the only people I know who still have a landline in their house. “Who is it?”
“She didn’t say. I brought the cordless for you.”
She. “I’ll give you one guess as to who she is.”
“I don’t think either of us has to guess.”
I come up from between Frankee’s legs, wiping my mouth. “Just a minute, Mom.”
I pull on my sleep pants and Frankee wraps her robe around her body. I open the door and my mom covers the lower part of the phone. “Porter… I think it may be that Charlotte woman.”
“I’m certain it is.”
“Is there something going on? More than her being pregnant?”
I see the worry in my mom’s eyes. “Mom, it’s gone far beyond her being pregnant. You wouldn’t believe the things she’s done to Frankee and me.”
“Oh, Porter.”
“It’s bad, Mom. So bad.”
“And Frankee hasn’t left your side.”
“Not for a minute. And trust me, she should have. Many times.”
“She’s a keeper.”
“No doubt about it.”
My mom grins. “You need to put a ring on her finger before she wises up.”
“I’m working on it. Promise.”
“Good. But work faster.”
My mom hands the phone to me. “Sure you want to have this conversation in front of Frankee?”
“Frankee knows everything. I’m completely transparent about all things with this woman.”
“That’s a necessity for a strong marriage. You’re doing right.”
“Hello.”
“You’re such a lying piece of shit.”
“Good morning to you, too, Charlotte.”
“You are not in Nashville.”
“How would you know where I am?”
“People make public posts. It wasn’t hard to figure out.”
I’ve not posted anything. And I know Frankee hasn’t either. That can only mean that Charlotte is watching one of my family members’ social accounts. Which means I’m going to have to have every one of them block her.
“Did you turn off your phone, or are you just not responding to my texts?”
“I turned off my phone. I didn’t want you disturbing my family time. And yet here you are… disturbing my family time.”
“Is she there with you?”
“Of course, she’s with me. Not that that is any of your business.”
“I can’t believe it’s your birthday and you took a whore to see your family over the mother of your child. I should be there getting to know your family. What part of that don’t you get?”
“You’re not meeting my family until I know that kid is mine.”
“Katherine is your daughter. The test will prove it. And we will be a family.”
“It doesn’t matter what that test shows; we will never be a family.”
“If you insist on having your little whore then that means she’ll be a part of my child’s life. How do I know that she’s fit to be a stepmother?”
“Look, I’m visiting my family. I don’t have time to have these useless conversations with you right now.”
“Well, I think it’s time I pay Scott and Tara Dawson a little visit. I think they should know what kind of man their little girl is dating.”
No. No. No.
That would ruin everything.
“Don’t do that, Charlotte.”
“I think I should.”
“Please don’t.” Fuck, I hate pleading with this bitch. But I will. “I’m begging you not to do that.”
“How badly do you not want me to?”
What is she asking for? Money?
“Tell me what you want.”
“I want you to leave her. I want you to never see her again. And if you don’t do this for me, I’ll go to her parents and tell them you got me pregnant and abandoned me when you started fucking their daughter.”
“That would be a lie.”
“I’ll also tell them she knows about my pregnancy, and the two of you flaunt your relationship in my face, which ultimately sent me into preterm labor.”
“You’re such a liar and manipulator.”
“Well, even if they don’t believe me, the proof of what you’ve done is growing in my belly right now. And that’s a fact. You’re not getting out of that one. So tell me, Porter. How do you think all of this is going to look to Pollyanna’s parents? Think they’ll go along with her marrying you? Becoming an instant stepmother?”
I don’t reply because I know she isn’t wrong. Scott and Tara will not want that for Frankee.
“They’ll hate you, and she’ll have to choose between you and her family. Do you really want your precious angel to have to do that?”
“If I do this, you’ll never bother her again? Or her family?”
“If you leave her, there’ll be no reason to.”
I can fix this by going to Scott and Tara and telling them the truth. But I’ll still be that guy—the one who knocked up a woman on a one-night stand. The one who has a kid with someone who isn’t their daughter. They are not going to want her to be with a man like that.
Charlotte happened before Frankee, and I can tell them that, but I will still have to pay the price for my mistake. My huge fucking mistake.
How do I leave Frankee? How do I walk away from the thing I love most?
“I’ll come see you this evening, and we’ll talk. Don’t do anything in the meantime.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
I end the call and look at Frankee. “We have a huge problem.”
“What’s new?”
“You don’t understand. This time is different. She has one-upped me—us—in a major fucking way. It’s serious.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“She threatened to go to your parents. Tell them all kinds of shit—enough to make certain that they hate me enough to never go along with us being together. Which ruins any chance you and I have at being happy together since I know you’d be miserable if there were trouble between your parents and me.”
“I hate her so much.”
“Scott isn’t going to be okay with your being in the middle of this situation with her. Hell, I’m not even okay with it. I feel like I should be shielding you from her shit, and instead it’s raining down on your head because of me.”
“Charlotte can fuck with you. Charlotte can fuck with m
e. But I’m not okay with her fucking with my family.”
“She says the only way she’ll keep quiet is if I leave you. Never see you again.”
“This is the thing. The pregnancy is her ammunition against us. But her power is temporary and won’t last forever. In four months, this will either be over with forever, or she’ll become a whole new beast entirely.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to be smarter.”
Charlotte is all smiles and dressed in a black lacy nightgown when she answers the door. Not bed-rest attire for a pregnant woman at all. “I knew you’d come.”
“You didn’t give me a choice.”
“Sorry about that. Come in.”
I follow her into the living room and the scene is set for romance. Dim lights. Candles burning. Soft, romantic music. Some girly pop shit you hear on the radio every day. Nothing like the music Frankee would choose.
She gestures for me to sit down. “What did you decide?”
“You got what you wanted. Frankee and I are over.”
Charlotte’s smile couldn’t be bigger. “I knew you’d come to your senses and see that I was right.”
“I didn’t come to my senses, and I damn sure didn’t get what I wanted. I’ve told you from the start that Frankee’s the one thing I love most in this world. And that’s why I was willing to let her go rather than hold on to her and cause her any more pain.”
“You’ll get over her.”
“I will never get over her. Ever.”
“I think you can. And I think you can come to love me too with her out of our way.”
I shake my head. “No.”
“I understand it’s going to take time. I’m patient. Until then, focus all of your love on our daughter. And I promise you that the moment you lay eyes on her, it will be as though Frankee was never in your life. That little girl is going to wrap you around her finger. You’ll see.”
“You agreed not to go to Frankee’s parents. I need your word that you aren’t going to do that.” Not that I believe her word is worth anything.
“I’m not interested in anything having to do with Frankee as long as she’s out of our lives.”
“You don’t ever have to worry about that. I hurt her so deeply that she’s never coming back to me.”
“What did you do?”
“She thinks I’m choosing you over her.”
“You’re here. You are choosing me over her.”
“I’m choosing to no longer hurt her because I love her so fucking much. There’s a difference.”
“Doesn’t matter. She’ll never know that.”
“She won’t. Because she’s leaving. Leaving Lovibond. Leaving Birmingham. Leaving me.”
“Where is our precious little blue-eyed angel going?”
“Texas. She’s moving to Austin to live with her best friends just like she planned. Just like we never happened.”
“Texas? That’s fantastic. How many miles is that? Must be at least a thousand, right?”
“Seven hundred eighty-five.”
“Far enough that I don’t have to worry about her popping in to shit on my life. I’m proud of you, Porter. You finally manned up and made the right decision.” Charlotte slides across the couch and puts her hand on my thigh. “I think you deserve a taste of what you’ve been missing out on.”
“No.”
She tosses her leg over me and climbs onto my lap. “I could ride you all night.”
“No.” I grasp her wrists and push her off me. “First of all, I’m not interested in sleeping with you, but even if I were, you’re pregnant and on bed rest for preterm labor. You shouldn’t be doing things like that. It could make you go into real labor, and they might not be able to stop it.”
“But I’m so horny.”
“Having sex right now is putting the baby’s safety at risk. She’s barely far enough along that she’d have a chance at surviving right now. You don’t need to be messing around with me or anyone else.”
This baby may or may not be mine. Either way, doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t be putting a child’s life in jeopardy because she wants to get off.
“But I’m so lonely. You’ve been able to fuck any time you want while I have to lie here and do nothing. Be celibate. How is that fair?”
Such a liar. She hasn’t been lying around doing nothing. And I’d probably be right if I guessed that she hadn’t been celibate either.
“You’re going to be a mother. It’s your job to put your child’s needs ahead of your own. That includes taking your medicine on time and staying inactive. And no sex.”
“We don’t have to have sex. You could go down on me.”
“Fuck, no.” My mouth isn’t going anywhere near that.
“I need you to listen to me closely because the rules of this game are changing. Frankee isn’t in this picture anymore. That means you’re fucked because she was the only leverage you had with me. This shit you’ve been pulling ends now.”
“I haven’t pulled any shit with you.”
“I will continue to pay your rent and bills, but you will not show up at my house. You will not show up at my work. You will not text me. You will not call me. I will not be going to any of your doctor appointments or ultrasounds. I have no intentions of bonding with you ever. And I do not intend on bonding with this baby until I know for a fact that she’s mine. If it’s confirmed that she is, we will make some kind of custody arrangements at that time. If we are unable to agree on the arrangements, we will go to court and a judge will do that for us.”
“Porter … don’t do this.”
“Did you think you were going to win my heart by forcing me to end my relationship with Frankee?”
“You just need a little time away from her, and you’ll see that you belong with the mother of your child.”
“The next time I hear from you, you better be giving birth.”
My office landline rings. “Porter Beckman.”
“This is Charlotte’s mother, Sandy. She asked me to call you because she’s in the hospital. They weren’t able to stop her contractions this time. The baby’s coming.”
Ten weeks early. She’s going to be tiny.
“How dilated is she?” No way I’m going up there and sitting with her for hours.
“Six centimeters. They told us the baby would probably come soon.”
“I’m on my way.”
I end the call and take a deep breath. “Fuck.”
This is it. I’m finally going to be able to prove or disprove my paternity. No more wondering. I’ll either be set free or imprisoned in hell.
I’m a little more nervous than I thought I’d be.
I stop by Molly’s desk on my way out the door. “I’ll be out the rest of the day. You can forward my calls to my cell if anything pressing comes up.”
“Will do, boss.”
I enter the labor and delivery unit, and I hear Charlotte howling. What the hell? She should have had an epidural by now. That’s one reason I didn’t rush to get here.
Charlotte makes an over-the-top spectacle of everything. I figure giving birth is the worst possible scenario. And I’m not wrong, based on the sounds I hear coming from her room.
She has been writhing in the bed so hard that she has a huge rat’s nest in the back of her hair. Definitely not a good look for her. “Fuck! This is the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life. I didn’t think it was going to hurt this bad.”
Charlotte sees me in the doorway. “Porter, I’m in so much pain. Come hold my hand.”
I look at her mother. “Why doesn’t she have an epidural?”
“Part of her blood was too low. The clotting part or something. They said they can’t do the epidural because it could cause a bleed in her spine.”
“Motherfuckers want me to hurt!”
Oh damn. This is going to be unpleasant.
“Here comes another one,” Charlotte’s mom says.
“Shut the fuck up! Y
ou think I don’t know when another one’s coming. I’m the one feeling this shit.” She beats her hands on the mattress. “I’ve got to have something for pain. Call my nurse and tell her.”
“The nurse just gave you something.”
“Well, it’s not fucking working.”
Scream. Yell. Cry. Moan. That’s what’s in my ear for the next hour.
I know Charlotte is in pain. I don’t doubt that for a second. And as much as I dislike her for all the pain she has caused me, I don’t wish this kind of agony on her.
“Do you have to smile so fucking big when you come in my room?”
Charlotte’s nurse is a young woman who radiates with happiness–which is probably great for this line of work–but her smiles aren’t flying with her patient right now. “It’s time to check you, Miss Patterson.”
The nurse lowers the head of the bed and does the exam. “Motherfucker!” Charlotte grabs the nurse’s wrist and I can tell that she’s squeezing it. “You’ve got to stop.”
“Ten centimeters. You’re ready to push.”
I back away from the bed and sit in the chair when the nurse begins to uncover Charlotte and position her pushing. I don’t plan on watching anything that happens below the waist.
“Porter, I want you to watch the baby come out.”
“Forget that. Not happening.” I’m in this delivery room for one reason and one reason only. To give the doctor the cord blood paternity test and let him collect the sample for me. I’m out of here as soon as that happens.
The nurse gives Charlotte direction on what to do when it’s time, but I’m not sure she even listened. She’s too busy hounding me about holding her hand and watching our baby come into the world.
Breathe. Push. Scream.
That’s how the next few minutes go.
“I can see the top of the baby’s head.”
That catches my attention. “What kind of hair does she have?”
Charlotte perks up because she thinks I’m interested in the baby. And I am interested. But not for the reason she’s hoping for.
“None.” The nurse giggles. “She looks bald.”
No wild Beckman hair. Doesn’t prove she’s not mine but it’s a good start in my book.
Charlotte’s doctor comes into the room and gowns up for delivery. “Push and we’ll have a baby in the next few contractions.”